40 Ways To Live On A Budget And Save Money
Last Updated on by Bree
Hey! Are you wondering if it is possible to live on a budget and also save money?
Or are you actually looking for ways to reduce your spending and save more dollars?
Don’t worry, I got you.
In this post, I’ll show you 40 ways to live on a budget and save money, and not feeling or being poor.
Let’s dive in.
DISCLOSURE: This post contains referral and affiliate links. This means that if you make a purchase using the links in this post, I might make a commission at no extra cost to you.

40 Tips For Living On A Budget And Saving Money
Save money on food
Here are some simple ways to budget and save on food.
- Cook your own food, and cut down on take-out food.
- Use empty jars to bottle your own tomatoes, pickles, peaches, etc
- Meal prep – prepping your ingredients ahead of your cooking; like chopping your onions, garlic, pepper, etc
- Plan your meals ahead of time – planning what to cook with a meal planner and following it
- Cook in batches and freeze or store in your refrigerator
- Portion and label your meat for different recipes
- Make your own snack at home – Gemma’s Best Ever Oatmeal Cookie
- Freeze your fruits for smoothies or anything else
You may love How To Meal Plan With Chicken – No Store-Bought Broth.
And 9 Unusual Meal Planning Tips To Simplify Kitchen Life.
Save money on skincare products
To save money on beauty and skincare products, you can make a few adjustments, and you should be fine.
- Substitute storebought pedicure products for homemade ones like this cinnamon foot scrub or lavender salt foot scrub.
- Instead of paying through your teeth for waxing at the spa, you can try homemade hard sugar wax or a DIY honey sugar wax recipe.
- For a face mask, check out this Turmeric face mask.
- This Orange Zest Sugar Scrub is a great inexpensive DIY sugar scrub to make at home.
- For hand exfoliating, here’s a homemade lemon sugar hand scrub.
- Lip scrub – olive oil + sugar.
- If all of the above is not your thing, then be on the lookout for clearance sales on skincare products for less than the regular retail price.

Save money on clothes
Here are several ways you can save on wardrobe:
- Shop new with tag clothes (as low as $2), bags, and shoes for as low as $2 at Gabe’s.
- Sell your old clothing on Poshmark and use your store credit to buy new ones – I have done this several times.
- Buy clothes with free shipping on Mercari – signing up with my link gives you $10.
- De-clutter your wardrobe, and sell on Thredup to make a few bucks.
- Shop second-hand fashion on Thredup. Sign up with my link and earn $10.
You may also love Shopping on Mercari – 7 Tips To Get The Best Bang for your Buck.
Save money on home decor
While I can’t speak for everyone, I know most of us would like our homes to look like the ones in catalogs. I don’t blame you. WHo doesn’t like good things?
- If you can afford the kind of home-decor you see in catalogs, you can buy cheaper or second-hand alternatives and still get a great-looking home.
- Buy lamps, mirrors, nightstand; from garage sales happening around your area.
- If you are into unique pieces, then check antique stores for quality rare furniture pieces, as they are of better quality than most we see these days. But they are HEAVY! Haha
- Declutter your home and sell any furniture you don’t or hardly use.
- If you are good at sewing, sew your own curtains, throw pillows, and beddings. My mom used to sew our curtains.
- Be on the lookout for mattress deals from bedding stores or even at Goodwill stores.
- Even if it seems great for decoration, you don’t need a lamp on every end table.
- Buy a big picture frame to create a collage of pictures you want in your living room or anywhere in your house. Saves you money on a new frame for every new picture.
- If you love flowers and have room for them, then plant your own.
You may also love 5 Easy-Peasy Tricks To Actually Save Money.
Save money on cleaning and laundry supplies
As annoying as cleaning and doing laundry can be, you can actually save some money with these tips.
- Wash plenty of clothes at the same time to save laundry detergent.
- Make your own laundry detergent – See How to make laundry soap (liquid and powder recipe).
- When buying cleaning and laundry detergent, buy based on price per 1 lb.
- Shop cleaning supplies from Dollar Tree – sponges, mop, bucket, sweep, dustpans, floor cleaning solution, etc.
- Check department stores’ weekly coupon magazines for cleaning supplies at lower prices.
- Use an old or cracked mug as your kitchen sponge dish – I have one in my kitchen right now.

Save money on grocery
Save some money on fresh produce and grocery. Low prices do not always mean low quality.
- Make a grocery shopping list of the items you NEED.
- Buy groceries in bulk – rice, meat, beans, pasta, and canned foods.
- Compare food prices based on price per 1 pound.
- Visit the farmer’s market for better quality fresh fruits and vegetables.
- Check grocery stores’ weekly magazine for price reductions, and buy-one-get-one-free offers. An example of this is Kroger’s Woohoo sales.
- Buy canned food with longer expiry dates.
- Shop affordable groceries from Aldi; their prices are a lot lower compared to other grocery stores.
You may also love How To Eat Healthy Foods On A Tight Budget – 6 Easy Lifestyle Hacks.

Let’s Wrap Up!
So these are 42 ways to live on a budget and save money without feeling poor.
I hope these can help you plan your weekly, monthly, and yearly budget and save the extra money.
If you have any suggestions, please share them in the comments.
And remember to pin me.
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Thanks for reading!
I love your ideas. You cover every aspect of life so well!
Aww…..Thanks a lot, Shire. I appreciate this comment, and I am glad you found this post helpful!
I’m impressed. Enjoying your blogs. ?
Let’s make some Nigerian Chicken soon!!
Yes, let’s make it. Thanks for reading, Debbie.
Amazing write up
Definitely love it ?
Thanks babes. I’m glad you love it.
Plenty of good ideas for living on budget. Great post.
Thanks for reading. I appreciate the feedback.