Tips for living a frugal lifestyle
Living frugally isn’t always easy. You can only stomach so many fast food burgers before you find yourself craving a porterhouse. But there’s good news: there are many things you can do to save money that require little or no sacrifice. Here are a few of the less obvious ones:
1. Upgrade to high-speed Internet. Why? Everyone knows that time is money, and a fast Internet connection can save you time. Also, high-speed Internet offers many money-saving opportunities that dial-up does not.
2. Talk online. Services like Skype and Vonage have made both national and international calling cheaper than ever and will work with your current phones. If you have dial-up Internet and a land line, you can actually save money by switching to high-speed Internet and ditching your land line in favor of these services. Plus you’ll get a variety of extra features that you can’t get with a land line (for example, bringing your phone line with you when you travel).
3. Turn off the cable. You don’t need it. Even if you access the Internet through a cable line, most cable companies don’t require you to subscribe to cable TV as well. If you have the basic package just to get clear local channels, it’s usually cheaper in the long run to buy an HDTV. Connect any $10 antenna to an HDTV (in most populated areas) and you’ll have one to two dozen so-clear-you-can-count-the-bla des-of-grass channels. Or skip the TV altogether: many (if not most) popular shows can be watched online.
4. Take advantage of second-run movie theaters. Most are as comfortable as full-price theaters and have similar technology. And let’s face it, the movie will be just as good (or bad) two months after its release. Bonus tip: Eat just before you go and you won’t be tempted to buy that jumbo bucket of popcorn. Sounds simple, but few do it.
5. Rent movies through the mail. There are many reasons why Netflix is great (large selection, fast and reliable shipping, ability to watch movies online, ability to start and stop your subscription as needed without hassle), but its price is perhaps the best reason. For $5, you can get two movies and five hours of online viewing. That adds up to roughly four movies for $5, plus you save gas and time. Other plans offer similar savings.
6. Shop online. The key to saving money when shopping online is to combine purchases. Many sites offer free shipping when your purchase total is more than a certain amount. Wait until you need several things and then buy them all at once to get the free shipping. Use sites like pricegrabber.com to locate the cheapest prices first. You’ll also save money on gas by shopping online.
7. Open an online savings account. In less than a half hour, you can open a secure online bank account and transfer money to it. Many offer interest rates close to those of a CD, yet you can transfer funds in and out as you please without paying a fee. At the time of this writing, for example, both EmigrantDirect.com and eTrade.com are offering savings accounts with a 5.05% APY.
8. Drink tap water. Beverages account for a significant percentage of many families’ grocery and dining budgets. Drinking tap water instead of bottled water, soda, and juice can make a big difference over time. (It’s better for you, too.)
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