Tag: frugal living

A New Beginning

Life seasons change and so do we all.

With age, we grow not only physically but spiritually.

Over time our desires and preferences change.

I went through something similar.

Simple living led me to a more spiritual life.

I experienced homemaking getting fairly easy and more delightful as my life evolved and became centered on God.

In this new faith-centered life journey, you can expect a more traditional homemaking in modern times.

Powerful ways to carry out household duties efficiently.

Hereupon, along with the homemaking topic, you’ll find plenty of simple and frugal living ideas to lead a more peaceful life and embrace a simple existence.

Come a long way to love homemaking a little more as it becomes a walk in the park.

April 16, 2024
4 Quick Tips For Making Your First Budget
Budget — a lifeless, dull, scary word, right? Well, seemingly yes for many of us, but remarkably empowering for your finances. For financial freedom. And for you to lead a stress-free life.

The budget is nothing but an estimate of income and expenses.

Budgeting won’t stop you from living a good life or make you a tightwad. It, in fact, will give your expenses a structure.

It’s a quick written rundown of your incomes and gains, and expenses and losses. So that everything is out of the mind and into reality.

With a structured plan in hand, you can decide — where your money should go; watch the areas you’re overspending; and examine where you can cut down.

Spending is an inevitable part. We will spend whether or not we have money. Yet it is also a sad truth that earning money isn’t as easy. You’ve got to put in time and effort irrespective of your skills and experience.

Thus, considering budgeting as part of your occupation/business becomes evident.

Before getting into the steps to create a budget let’s first take a look at how you can stick to the budget. Because the most crucial part is being consistent with your budget, month-on-month.

State why:

To attain any goal you must specify yours why. It’s always encouraging to have it written out for a visual note.

For most grounds you need a budget to– get out of the rut of living paycheck to paycheck; when running up huge debts; save up for your dream car or home; save up for retirement or a grand trip.

Specifying the clear reason why you need a budget will keep you determined toward your (goal) budget.

Start small:

Having a big financial goal or being heavily indebted doesn’t mean you should cut down on a large scale or deprive yourself of fun in life.

That’s a non-sustainable way.

That’s a key reason many people give up on budgeting or maybe are unwilling to start in the first place.

First, you never bother about your money. Then, out of the blue, you want to make big, unbearable changes that cannot be upheld.

Instead, try making small changes that won’t affect your day-to-day life.

For instance, instead of expelling — eating out, movie dates, partying, and shopping, altogether from your first month of budget. Try decreasing the incidences. Like, if you eat out all 4 weekends — try to skip 2 trips, or order all 4-weekend meals at the price of 2.

The next month try renting out a movie, setting up a movie date at home, and so on.

I can guarantee — as you start living frugally and see more money in your bank account, you’ll be drawn towards saving rather than splurging.

HOW TO CREATE A MONTHLY HOUSEHOLD BUDGET [4-STEP ACTIONABLE PLAN]

Gather your pay slips, bank statements, bills, receipts, credit card records, notebook, and pen, and let’s start creating your first budget. Never mind if you cannot complete creating your budget in the first sitting. You can pause and get back to it.

#StepOne — Calculate your income:

The first step in creating a perfect budget is computing your income and gains.

Jot down your current
- take-home salary
- side hustles
- Interest
- Commissions/brokerage/dividends
- Real estate
- Bonuses
- Traveling/medical/other allowances
The simpler way to do this is to assess your bank statement. For your average monthly income — sum up three months’ income.

Say, for example, in April, you received a take-home salary of $2400, in March $2100, and $2300 in February. That totals up to $6800 for 3 months. Now, divide this amount by 3. The value you get (2260 round sum) is your average monthly salary. Now you can consider this figure or the least amongst the three, that is $2100 as your monthly income.

It is always better to consider the least amount of income.

You can calculate your different revenue streams in this manner.

#StepTwo — Estimate expenses:

There are two types of expenses — fixed and flexible expenses.

Fixed expenses categorize things such as rent or mortgage, insurance, loan, investment, emergency fund, tax, etc.

Since fixed expense is the amount you’re committed to, it will be smart to plan and lay money aside well in advance for when the payments are due.

Reserving money for your fixed expenses out of your total income will give you a clear picture of what is left as your discretionary expense (total monthly income – fixed expenses = flexible expense amount).

The flexible expenses include your living expenses like groceries, electricity, water, gas, internet, repairs, clothing, subscriptions, entertainment, and gifts.

Calculating your living expenses will be easier if you keep track of bills and receipts at least for a few months.

Spending more than earnings?

No worries, take your time and manage your expenses carefully. Track every dime and see where you can cut corners. This is the area you can do a whole lot more.

Earnings more than expenses?

Kudos, you can head for step 3.

#StepThree — Plan your savings:

Considering the remaining amount, plan your savings before the things you WANT to buy start coming to your mind. It is important to be disciplined and intentional with your money at this point if you want to get the best out of your budget. Many people neglect this step. But you cannot afford to miss it. The main goal of budgeting is to avoid spending all of your money and rather build savings.

Talk to your partner or family and determine the percentage you want to put in your Emergency Fund and for other savings and goals. Write out your long-term and short-term goals. Prioritize them. Be realistic. Prioritizing your short-term goals can make it easier to reduce spending or credit card debts.

I know the ugly part about budgeting is restricting yourself from buying your favorite things and having fun. No worries I’ll have you covered in another article soon.

#StepFour — Take action:

Now that your basic budget plan is ready you need to start implementing it.

Track your expenses daily. Take a few minutes at the end of every month to review your budget. Check if the spending is within the limits.

Don’t forget to keep records of bills and receipts every month. And tweak your budget in case you get a raise or when additional expenses occur.

Final words:

These are general and easiest guidelines for creating a household budget. To create a personalized budget (which I highly, recommend) feel free to make alterations to the aforementioned steps. And create a budget plan that is simpler for you to stick to.

Share your budgeting tips and tricks in the comments section below. Thank you so much for reading. Happy Budgeting!
May 31, 2021
9 Habits Of Highly Frugal People

Seeking ways to live more frugally? Then you should definitely check out these habits of highly frugal people.

Pursuing a frugal lifestyle is a prudent decision. Frugal living is a trusted path to living a happier and better life.

Coming from a frugal family it is easier for me to put this list together as this has been our lifestyle the entire time. We don’t own fancy things yet our life is fulfilling. We have (and don’t have to make ) time for our family. Nor do we need gourmet restaurants or exclusive vacations to have fun together. Just simple homemade meals are a treat. We never exchange expensive gifts rather we devote time. The idea is to be present to savor the moment.

You’ve got to hear this before learning frugal habits because you must know frugal living is not that hard. Especially, against all that it takes to earn money. Neither does it feel dull as it may seem if you’re ready to think a little artistic.

9 HABITS OF HIGHLY FRUGAL PEOPLE

1. They live within their means:

While being swayed by the commercials constantly reminding you how the newly launched range of products and services will make your life fancy and convenient, living below your means may look like nonsense.

But what happens when the bills appear to exceed your earnings?

The difference between frugal and normal people is that the thrifty own up to the fact that they don’t have the means for extravagance.

Living below your means simply refers to spending less than what you earn, not living paycheck to paycheck, and not incurring debts to pay your living costs.

Frugal individuals lean more towards saving money and choose economic self-reliance over luxuries and comfort. They never mind living in a small house or buying marked-down cars. They’re critical about their choice of hotels when traveling — they will go with something cost-effective and overlook lavishness.

2. They don’t shop for fun:

Shopping for fun? Hell no, for a frugal man. Recently released gadgets, trendy outfits, and cosmetics don’t entice frugal people. They neither long to impress others nor do they rely on short-term happiness.

They’re partial to saving money. Frugal folks stay out of stores and have productive hobbies.

If you have been shopping excessively, lately, some smaller steps such as recognizing your shopping triggers, delaying purchases, unsubscribing from shopping sites, keeping monthly track of your spending, or no spend challenges can help control your shopping habit.

3. They strive to avoid food wastage:

Frugal people understand food is the most fluid expense that can be slashed considerably.

First and foremost, they make efforts to cook meals and eat at home. Next, they strive to minimize food waste. They will jazz up leftovers and use everything to the last bit.

My mom never plans meals ahead. She goes to the mart each day and randomly picks seasonal produce, low-priced fish, and meat from the butcher. And makes meals around it. She least prefers to eat leftovers and for that, she deliberately cooks a quantity of food each time.

Even when eating out a frugal person would pick something filling and dirt cheap.

4. They build emergency funds:

In simple words, an emergency fund aka a rainy-day fund is an amount of money reserved to be used in times of financial crisis.

Frugal people prioritize building emergency funds to take care of themselves and their families in case of a pay cut, sudden job loss, health concerns, inevitable home repairs, unexpected bills, and others.

It’s a crucial decision to ensure that your basic needs are met during financial turmoil.

5. They smartly choose between repair or replacement:

Frugal people make a good call in making decisions about whether to repair or replace.

They compare the present value of the product, considering —- the value of purchase, service life, and efficiency — with the repair costs, to decide whether to repair or replace it.

Of course, it is advisable to repair when the cost of repairs is lower than the value of the product and vice versa.

6. They live low-tech:

The smart tech developed to make our lives easier, reportedly, seems to complicate the same through commercialism.

Frugal individuals don’t fall prey to such things though. They’re calm and collected.

While technophiles cannot resist the impulse to upgrade the latest gizmos, frugal folks do get their job done with the 5-year older version of the phone/computer if it is in good working condition.

7. They look for price negotiations:

They do marketing analysis before making any purchase. That means they do comparison shopping; check out product overviews (brand, model, specifications), and check costs online. In addition to this, they don’t mind waiting for days or months to buy an item. They will just go over searching for a good deal across the city.

As for buying something, they are patient no matter how badly they want it they’ll make sure that the purchase doesn’t hinder their budget.

8. They do not go with the brand names:

Famous brands? Well, you can’t get a critical eye frugal to pay for a name. This means they would never buy a $10 t-shirt for the price of $50 only to have a big brand logo printed on it.

They’ll prize each penny and every single purchase. They’ll do their math and pick something economical plus sustainable.

9. They’re smart with their bulk purchases:

A frugal man knows exactly what can be hoarded and what cannot, depending on the shelf life. Still, they know a lot of items can be saved for longer with appropriate storage techniques.

Frugal people stockpile to anticipate a rainy day. They understand the last-minute supermarket run, and most of the time can put a strain on their wallet.

Final words:

By building these habits of highly frugal people, you can too lower your stress, attain financial freedom, and become self-sufficient and disaster-proof.

Let me know your thoughts in the comment section below. Thank you so much for reading. Enjoy the art of frugal living!

May 6, 2021
9 Lifestyle Changes That Let You Feel Rich While Living Frugally
Frugal living never means living cheaply. A majority of people fear compromising their quality of life (level of comfort) when thinking of living frugally. In practical terms, you can feel rich while living frugally. While millionaires don’t get rich by splurging on designer labels and lavish cars, frugality is a critical factor that helps them build wealth. The core of frugal living is to be intentional about financial priorities —
- cutting back on unnecessary expenses
- saving money to achieve your financial goal — pay off debt, saving for early retirement, travel, etc
Being rich is closely connected with frugality — you’re wealthy because you have been frugal and by being frugal you’re en route to getting rich.
It not really much require hard work; just being smart with your money and making small, gradual changes. If you’re already a frugal living person you know the experience with frugality is enriching, freeing, and soothing in itself. Still, if you’re just starting off the frugal path, here are ways that will make you feel rich while living frugally Before we begin, let’s take a look at how to become rich, or successful in any field of life. To specialize in something, we take courses or study the time-tested skills and techniques that experts have followed in the particular field. The exact steps that lead them to success. Here we will study and repeat the traits of rich people and make changes as to what we can afford in our frugal lifestyle.
How living frugally can let you feel rich?
According to Merriam-webster.com Rich is defined — having abundant possessions and especially material wealth. The feeling of richness is associated with peace, freedom, confidence, power, and most importantly abundance. A state of calmness and freedom can be achieved when you’re in control of money. Being economical and vigilant about money, and the consumption of consumables is frugality. A person committed to spending less, saving, and sticking to the budget simply can make a fortune. However, an individual, earning a prime-grade income is enslaved to the paycheck and cannot be rich — if he spends above his means, fails to plan investments and shortfalls retirement funds. The competitive rush to become wealthy is stressful and dissatisfying. But with frugal living, based on a lack of financial pressure, you’re relaxed and fulfilled in life. Like building any habit, going frugal is going to seem a little difficult in the beginning yet rewarding in the end. Similarly, building these habits and consistently following them will definitely take you from feeling rich to actually being rich.
9 LIFESTYLE CHANGES THAT CAN MAKE YOU FEEL RICH WHILE LIVING FRUGALLY

Organize your space:
Think of poverty and you have these dirty, cluttered, cram-full, overflowing spaces in your mind. And neat and orderly thoughts of a prosperous home. Did you ever notice the most fabulous mansions of your favorite celebs or tycoons? Besides being stylish and luxurious, they’re super clean, minimal, and well-organized. Many surveys have shown the direct effect of mess and clutter on our mental health. People with unclean, cluttered houses report depression and fatigue compared to those with clean and neatened places. Briefly, clutter and chaos are interlinked with a negative sense of emotions — stress, irritation, uncertainty, and gloominess. Contrarily, people with clean and orderly homes are restful, positive, and perky. So the first — easiest, economical, and most effective step in feeling rich while living frugally is to clean and organize your living space. There’s a bunch of stuff that can give your home an elegant, new look.
- An accent wall
- a fresh coat of paint or wallpaper
- built-in bookshelves
- high-end fabrics for curtains/drapes, couches, or chairs
- updated window treatments
- doorway renewal
- statement lighting decor items — chandeliers, lamps, fixtures
- furniture and cabinets re-do — repainting and refreshing knobs and handle
- upgrading hardware
- solid colored or antique accessories
- statement art pieces.
- historical pieces
- Plants
Little changes go a long way in making your home look expensive.
Routines Routines Routines:
Inaction, idleness, or lack of structure results in stress and anxiety. Being in charge of your behaviors gives you a sense of control over life. Are your casual activities clear and certain? Do you know when will you have lunch and what time you’ll be going to bed? Routines help you get more done. It is the significant reason why rich and successful folks are happy, healthy, and productive. Rich and successful people know the key to making constructive implementation of your time is to add predictability to your day. Routines eliminate uncertainties in your day and make you feel more relaxed and in control, truly important to make you feel rich. With frugal living, setting up :
- a meal-planning routine reduces grocery costs
- a good exercise and self-care routine saves medical bills
- a household routine economizes domestic bills.
Thus, allowing you more time, money, and saneness.
Master your time (the precious resource):

Life, if well lived, is long enough. — Seneca
We all hope that we have a few extra hours in our day yet how do we use the time we’ve been endowed with? Instead of taking charge and starting to live the life of our dreams, we mess around wasting it on entertainment and dawdling. Rich people, in no case, procrastinate by marathon-watching a TV show or rather overextend themselves attempting to manage their entirety. They set clear goals. Create schedules. And perfect-tune professional and family life. Establishing goals and a sound time management system is a foolproof way to master your time and consequently your money.
Stockpile:

The mind is everything. What you think you become. — Buddha
Your mindset can thoroughly influence your living. Stephen Covey came up with the phrase abundance mindset in his bestselling book The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. Here, we’ll use the term to draw inspiration to develop the feeling of abundance through stocking up on the essentials. Stockpiling serves in numerous ways. In addition to saving money (since most people buy items on sale), it’s like creating a mini-mart to comfortably pull out things from the ample stack. A pretty convenient way to sense plenitude.
Create multiple income sources:
Aside from getting finances in place, entrepreneurs are well known for having multiple streams of income. Additional income sources impart a safe future. In addition to saving more money, making extra income through diverse sources is just as important to become financially stable.
- Real estate or good investment scheme
- Side hustles like buying and reselling something
- Starting a YouTube channel
- Starting a blog
- Developing an app
- Setting up online courses
- Renting out extra space
- Selling your own products online
To quote a few. It is always a clever move to use your talents/skills to possess varied revenue streams than relying on a single venture. Related: 8 Ways To Enjoy Being A Stay-At-Home Mom/Wife
Life philosophy:
The thriving community is famed for its values and life philosophies. The way we think leads us to where we arrive. In this journey of life, rich and poor, both witness victories and downfalls. How to respond to it depends on each person’s life philosophy. Control one’s thinking is a difficult job in all. A life philosophy is nothing but discipline. Build a good life philosophy to impact your life in a positive way in all that you do.
Better lifestyle:
We all know that millionaires value their health and educate themselves concerning their physical and emotional well-being. Still, it is also true that they can afford to buy good food, have better access to medical aid, and are less stressed about their living. When living frugally, you can improve dietary intake, have better insurance coverage, and form good habits to enhance the quality of your life.
Befriend like-minded:
To become rich or frugal, for that matter, you want someone who can be your shining example, an influential person. Author Rachel Wolchin said, “Surround yourself with people that reflect who you want to be and how you want to feel, energies are contagious.” The biggest thing you can do to radically improve your finances is to surround yourself with the well-off. Wealthy and successful have the power to broaden your philosophy. As Buddha said, “The mind is everything. What you think you become.” Engaging with a frugal friend may help you find out-of-the-box money-saving ideas, teach you how to make profits from unique income streams, maybe about a good investment plan, and so on. On the other hand, acquaintance with a big spender would just encourage you not to give a crap about money.
Enjoy small luxuries:
Having great fun and entertainment is the key idea behind enjoying small luxuries. The appealing part about small delights is they’re (mostly) low-cost and affordable. But the important part is — devoting time to stop and smell the roses. If you want to feel rich while living frugally, you have to bring in the fun elements. For women, small luxuries can be as simple as receiving a bunch of fresh flowers, breakfast or coffee in the bed, a movie date, a surprise takeaway, a fresh haircut, catching up with friends over lunch, or a handwritten note/letter, and similar. These small things are enough to make all the difference. Be sure to relish little indulgences to boost yourself in a hectic life.
Final words:
These few attainable lifestyle changes will make you feel rich while living frugally. Let me know your thoughts in the comment section below. Thank you so much for reading! Wishing you all the best in the world!
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April 26, 2021
6 Tips To Build A Frugal Pantry

Meal planning, grocery shopping, building a frugal pantry, prepping, and cooking food always has been part of most households. We have been good at it for ages.

Uncommon of today’s advanced facilities, our grandmas did it all by mentally reviewing and memorizing what to cook for the next day. And prepping up for the same.

In those days, people had so fewer food choices at their disposal that they remembered what items were they running short of, what needed to be repurchased, and what they had enough, by heart.

Hence, list-making was done by making a mental note.

Today, with a vast array of food selections, we need to be intentional with our food choices specifically when living on a small budget.

To stay within our budget we need to take up some old-school systems.

Until now we saw how to meal plan – 3 easy steps, How to eat healthy on a budget, and also 74 Foods to build a frugal pantry on a budget.

Today we’re going to see how to stock your pantry right on a tiny budget.

Make a list:

First, list out all the frequently-made meals at your place. Include breakfast, snacks, dinner, and lunch box recipes.

Make a list of the staples required for these recipes. Your list should cover everything from base ingredients to spices and condiments to oil/butter.

This list of ingredients, well-stocked, will make sure you have enough of what is required to conveniently cook your favorite meals at home.

Buy generic food variants:

Most of the time, we believe that — higher price means better quality. Perhaps it’s a delusion.

The higher price involves the cost of quirky packaging.

Along with cutting-edge techniques — the food is being processed. Which, in fact, can hamper the quality of food.

Rather, opt to buy more fresh, raw, unprocessed versions of the staples.

Just a real-life example. Nothing fancy here.

Shop at Farmer’s Market:

You could have to commute a little farther than your regular grocery store. But a couple of trips, monthly, can save a good amount of money on your grocery budget.

The perks of this? You get freshly grown healthy produce.

Stock up on a sale:

Keeping an eye out for sales at the grocery stores near you can be great for stocking up on staples at lower prices.

Be sure to buy in bulk when you get great deals on the items that are majorly used in your home.

(Quick Tip: Always check the ‘use before’ date before putting an item into the cart. This is necessary when buying food in large quantities. What I have noticed is, that the stores keep older items on the front of the shelves and fresher ones at the back. So, don’t hesitate to dig deeper for your purchase to be cost-effective)

Grow your own food:

If you’re fortunate enough to be able to grow your own food, nothing like it.

People staying in apartments can also make a small attempt to grow herbs, sprouts, chilies, tomatoes, etc. if they’re willing to.

Preserve the food right:

Preserving food correctly is no less important.

You don’t want your volume purchases to go bad faster especially when building a pantry on a tiny budget.

Learning to store perishables correctly is vitally important.

Final Words:

Building a frugal pantry could be time-taking especially when you’re just starting out. So, keep following these steps by the month and you’ll soon have a well-stocked frugal pantry on a small budget.

Don’t forget to like, share, and comment below to share your tips and tricks to build a frugal pantry! Thank you so much for reading. Happy Homemaking!

February 6, 2020
18 Things I Stopped Buying To Save Money

I find the number one way to save money is to stop buying items or services you absolutely don’t need.

Though this clarity can take some time, it is definitely worth considering. Since our wishlist never ceases to pile up, they put more pressure on our minds, clutter our houses, and burn holes in our pockets. Minimalism has been a boon for my personal finances and consumption levels. I’m sure it will help you too!

Today, I am listing out 18 things I’ve been going without, for more than 5 years now. And I never missed a single item whatsoever.

Beauty products:

Starting with the one that involved 25% of my expenses back then. Many skincare & makeup products did nothing else than sit on the vanity, occupying space, and demanding attention. In fact, trying different cheaper products did more harm than good to my skin. Now I have created my capsule beauty kit and I repurchase the same products after emptying.

Hair-care products:

I suffer from a major hair fall after using conditioners and other hair products. Probably I don’t know the right way of applying it. Hence, I stay away from hair conditioners, dry shampoos, heat protectant sprays, etc.,

Salon visits:

Hygiene has always been a concern for me. Moreover, I was hardly content with my salon visits. I DIY everything at home except for hair trimming & facial threading.

Trendy outfits:

Fashion and trends have never been my thing. I admit I cannot carry it well. I am more comfortable and happy with the few classic pieces in my capsule wardrobe.

Trendy footwear:

The same goes for footwear. I love my flats. I hate when footwear grabs my attention in the middle of a busy day because of all the discomfort.

Fancy jewelry:

Fancy jewelry goes with fancy outfits. As I’m more into classy dressing style I have only one or two pairs of earrings, watches, hand accessories, etc.,

Handbags & Wallet:

The anti-minimalist self of me once owned a lot of handbags that would go with various outfits. Many of which were donated unused. But now I have only one handbag and a wallet. And, I pretty much don’t care if that goes with my dressing style or not.

Coffee mugs:

I had this silly mindset of never repeating the cups and mugs on someone’s second visit to my home. Thus, I had a huge collection of cups and mugs. Thankfully not now. If you’re on Instagram with me, you know I have some ordinary mugs that I don’t mind repeating even on social platforms over again.

Kitchen appliances:

For me, some food processors or appliances are more complicated to use. Instead, I’m way faster with my good old methods.

Cleaning products:

Other than being toxic, they need attention. Well, 5 different solutions for cleaning 5 areas in the house? Not me. I’m good with my dish soap, white vinegar, and baking soda.

Plastic containers:

I was a huge hoarder of plastic containers when they were in trend a few years back. After choosing environmental-friendly behavior I strictly stopped buying plastic items.

Home Decor:

As you might know, I have two articles on this topic: 11 inexpensive ways to beautify your home and 10 tips to decorate a minimalist home. I follow the same techniques to decorate my home.

Newspapers and magazines:

Another unnecessary pile to deal with by the end of each month. I simply hate paper clutter. Canceling the newspaper and magazine subscriptions lead me to peace of mind.

Cable subscription:

Totally glad about this decision. No wonder it is called an “idiot box” 🙂

Gym membership:

Yes, even after being able to exercise at home I had joined the gym, only to hold myself accountable and for regularity. But then, intense workouts demand sufficient protein requirements. Where the protein supplements get in. And, I never want to go that way.

Processed food:

I have never been a fan of pre-packaged or ready-to-cook food. Not even a bit. However, I used to buy Maggi noodles, biscuits, cookies, and pastries frequently. That being said, after getting into the routine of meal planning and prepping, I have entirely stopped buying processed food.

Cleaning maid:

Every time it has been an unpleasant experience. I have created my routines and systems by myself and I’m doing great so far.

Pens:

Each time standing in the queue at the store checkout I used to grab a pack of pens. Still, I never found one that wrote properly (99 percent were dried) when I needed it in a hurry. Now I keep only one or two (good quality) in a place where I can find them easily.

Final Words:

They might seem small ways but they add up. Sometimes, we don’t even realize how many things we spend money on are far from what is required.

What things have you stopped buying to save money? I’d love to learn more ways and know your thoughts in the comment section below.

January 20, 2020
How I Save Money On One Income (With No Kids)
There is no dignity quite so impressive, and no independence quite so important, as living within your means. – Calvin Coolidge

Indians are frugal by nature. Right from childhood, we see our parents and other people around, being smart with money. Or should I say insightful about handling money? There are countless ways they try to save money wherever possible.

We bargain at our best in every section.

Women have their secret cash boxes in the kitchen. Kitchen? To keep it safe and out of reach of husband and children.

Use tiny pouches to collect loose change which adds up to a specific amount after a few days.

Figure out the best places to shop where we will get value for money.

Strive to get some space in public transport because it is a cheaper alternative.

Buy our monthly groceries in bulk.

Make every possible attempt to save on utilities.

These are some of the general money-saving ways followed in India.

But, every household is different, and therefore, their money management system also differs a little bit if not much.

I love to stay home to look after my husband more than work outside. Many times, shouldering the responsibility for homemaking is as important as earning money. This divided sense of responsibility allows us to focus and concentrate on our work respectively. And, creates harmony in the relationship.

Even after belonging to a frugal family, there was a time, I was poor at managing money.

One time, I stumbled across the quote, “Penny saved is a penny earned”. It was so impactful that it entirely moved my focus from earning to saving. I looked for areas where I could eliminate as many expenses as I could; I observed that household and lifestyle changes were the better areas to start with.

I started slowly and steadily. And now, with little effort and mindfulness, I save a particular amount of money at the end of each month. I consider this amount of money as “My Earnings”. And, because of this outlook, I strive to save as much as I can to increase my monthly earnings. I regard this as a little assistance on my part to support my husband’s hard work.

Here are a few ways I save money on income:

HOW I SAVE MONEY ON ONE INCOME (With No Kids)

1. One car and small house:

We are a family of two – my husband and I. We do not have kids. I work from home. So, there’s no point in having an extra car.

As for the home, we don’t need a big one. We both prefer to live within our means. And, don’t believe in going into debt for a big house. We’re living a debt-free=content life in our small house.

Also, a small house has the advantages of less electricity, less water consumption, and hence lower utility bills.

2. Meal Planning and cooking at home:

Cooking at home saves roughly about 30-40% of the monthly expenses. Planning the meals ahead and making a grocery list helps avoid impulse buying.

Meal planning helps to prevent frequent trips to the grocery store thus saving on travel expenses.

Read 6 Reasons You Should Start Cooking From Scratch Today

3. I avoid buying too many cleaning products:

Do you really need so many expensive products if you clean your house regularly? I mean one for floors, one for the bathroom, and the other for the toilet? The answer is NO. The basic cleaning products do a great job of keeping the house clean.

The products that I use are – dishwashing liquid+baking soda+white vinegar. These three primary products are adequate to clean pretty much anything in the house.

Read: 5 Super Simple Ways To Make Dishwashing Fun

4. We don’t spend on gym membership:

My husband loves brisk walking in the open (outside) for 30 minutes 5 times a week. Yes, I agree, walking does not count as a workout. It is just a physical activity. But that’s the only form of exercise he loves. And, my attitude towards exercising is – something is better than nothing.

I love to do yoga in the comfort of my home. This saves us almost $43 (Rs 3,000/-) on a monthly gym membership.

5. I do not buy home decor items:

Since I have a small house I try to keep the decor items to a minimum. A clutter-free home is more beautiful than an accessorized one for me. This saves a lot of cleaning time as well.

Read: 11 Inexpensive Ways To Beautify Your Home

6. I do not hire a cooking or cleaning maid:

It’s easier to hire a cleaning and cooking maid in India. But I prefer to do all the housework and cooking on my own. I am a little OCD about cleaning. And, cannot entrust the most important tasks of my household (Cleaning and cooking) to anyone.

This helps me save not less than $114 (Rs 8,000/-) a month. A pretty good amount, right?

7. DIY hair and beauty treatments:

I go to salons for facial threading and to get my hair trimmed only. And, do the rest by myself at home. I scrub my face once in 10 days. Apply a homemade mask when I need some hair treatment.

Take care of my nails, toes, and feet while in the shower. I paint my nails at home.

The average cost of the package that includes (facial+waxing+manicure+pedicure) is somewhere around $30 (Rs2,100/-) in Mumbai. I save that much amount with these quick and easy DIY treatments.

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8. With a minimalist approach:

Minimalism has brought a drastic change in our financial habits. The journey of being a spendthrift to a saver was life-changing. All thanks to minimalism.

I have become the best version of myself in the purchase category. The minimalist coach within me makes the decision if it’s a need or want; whether to buy the item or not.

9. By shopping in sales:

Yes, we buy in bulk our clothes as well. We take advantage of the end-of-the-season sale, which happens to be 2 or 3 times per year, in India.

During the sales, we buy everything from shoes to accessories to handbags, every single thing. In between, we avoid going to malls to avoid impulse purchases.

10. By canceling cable subscription:

From the time I started blogging, we’ve canceled our cable subscription. Since I hardly get any time to watch Television. Rather I don’t WANT to.

And, with the option of having so much entertainment available on the internet, cable was a sheer waste of money.

Final Words:

These are some of the areas I save comfortably without affecting our standard of living in any way. Yes, we do spend on eat-outs and date nights, but we limit it to once a week.

I don’t believe in going out of the way to spend or being a cheapskate either. And, firmly believe in maintaining a balance in order to persist.

So, we have fun when we need a break from the daily rut while also being sensible about our spending.

Over to you. I would love to have your suggestions. In what other ways do you think can I save more money living on one income? Thanks so much for reading. Happy Saving!

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April 28, 2019

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