25 Habits of Frugal People, According To Thrifters

Frugal people are known for their resourcefulness and ability to make the most of their resources.

They possess certain habits that enable them to live within their means and even save money in the long run.

Frugal People

Some of these habits include budgeting, financial planning, and minimalism. Frugal people are also smart shoppers who know how to find deals and avoid unnecessary expenses. They tend to prioritize meal planning and DIY mindset to minimize food waste and save on household expenses.

Sustainability is another core value for frugal people as they recognize the long-term benefits of reducing their environmental footprint.

We’ve compiled an actionable list of tips and tricks to get you on the road to Frugaltown.


  1. Negotiate The Bills. Highly frugal people know that you don’t spend your hard-earned cash unless you have to. And the easiest way to do that is to see if you can negotiate the bills before they come due. You can’t always get a great deal but you often can, if you ask.
  2. Plan Meals For Home Consumption. A meal plan means you consider what’s going into your shopping basket before making purchases in the grocery store and a meal plan ensures you eat well without spending a fortune. They also use our tips to save money on groceries.
  3. Clip Coupons. Coupons are literally free money. Try to buy only things that come with a coupon that make them less than full price.
  4. Turn Leftovers Into New Meals. If you want to retire early, you don’t throw food away. You learn to reuse it to make new meals, instead.
  5. Buy Used Where Possible. We love thrift stores to help with this. But it’s common sense, used is better than new for many big purchases and if you get the best deal on something, your bank accounts grow. Thrift stores rock.
  6. Pick Up Pennies. Seriously, if you see free money, pick it up. It’s not a big deal but every penny counts.
  7. Shopping Is Based On Need. Not everyone finds this easy to do but if you only buy what you need, you save cash.
  8. Skip The Gym Membership. You’d don’t need a gym – go for a walk, instead.
  9. Swap Services With Others. One of the most common habits is to swap services with others, like your best friend. Don’t pay for things make a good deal for them, instead.
  10. Bring Their Own Food To Work. No buying drinks at the coffee shop, either.
  11. Know Their Bills. If you stay on top of what you’re paying each month, you can take action if things start to go astray. Also, sign up for any autopsy savings you can find.
  12. Stick To Their Shopping Lists. If your grocery list is written before you go to the store and it includes all the household items you need? Don’t buy anything else.
  13. Learn Basic DIY Skills. Most frugal people know how to repair things around the house to save dollars. This can be fun too and it often has a huge effect on your finances.
  14. Thoroughly Understand That Time = Money. You get the most bang for buck if you understand this concept and budget accordingly. When paying for something always think about the time it took you to earn the money to pay for it. That takes the fun out of wasting money and helps you stick to your budget.
  15. Bulk Buy When It Makes Sense. The cost of items goes down when we buy in bulk. So, if, for example, you need laundry detergent, buy it in bulk. Don’t bulk buy things you don’t need very often.
  16. Repair Rather Than Replace. Frugality demands that you only throw something that costs you money away when it’s reached the end of its useful lifespan. Always fix things rather than tossing them out. It makes a big difference to your expenditure each month.
  17. Stay In Rather Than Go Out. Home-cooked meals don’t involve paying tips to wait staff. Watching a movie on the TV you’ve already paid for is like going to the cinema for free. The cost of little things adds up and highly frugal people don’t waste money on them. Take a walk in the local park rather than drive into town. That kind of thing.
  18. Don’t Care About Brands. Store brand items are every bit as good as the big name brand items and they cost a lot less.
  19. Use Up Every Last Drop Of Things. Don’t waste your income on throwing things out. If you buy ketchup get every last drop out of the bottle before you toss it.
  20. Study The Habits Of Frugal People. The best way to get into a good habit is to study it and work to make sure it takes root in your life.
  21. Never Buy To Impress Others. Buy clothes to wear, not to show off to other people (whose opinion does not matter to the quality of your life).
  22. Sell Things When They’re Done With Them. For example, you can use this article to start selling your used clothes. When you sell things you don’t need anymore? It’s like getting free money.
  23. Look To Start At Least One New Saving Habit Each Year. At the start of every year, pick a new frugal habit and embark on it.
  24. Plan Ahead For Their Financial Freedom. You have to look further in the future than next week or next month and realize that you have a lifetime ahead of you. Then get rid of habits that are eating up your cash.
  25. Learn From Their Mistakes. Every week, take time to acknowledge your mistakes and vow to do better next time. We all get things wrong but smart people learn when they do.

What Makes A Person Frugal?

A frugal life is one where you don’t look to spend money but rather avoid impulse purchases and put money into a savings account.

Frugal living doesn’t mean going without, in fact, many frugal people enjoy a very high standard of life.

How Can You Tell If Someone Is Frugal?

You can normally spot frugal people because they have all the money they want and really enjoy life.

By not spending money, they save money and the frugal lifestyle leads to a life in which frugal habits reap long-term rewards, where you can do what you really want to do.


Whether it’s buying a used car rather than a new one, running errands rather than using delivering services or getting a free copy of a newspaper or inviting friends over rather than going out – there are tons of ways to save money that won’t hurt the quality of your life.

If you want your financial independence being frugal is the smart move and it’s not as hard to do as you might think, particularly, if you use the tips above.

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