9 Frugal Habits That Look Weird Until You See the Savings

Frugality gets a bad rap. The word itself conjures up images of penny-pinchers, cheapskates, and anti-social misers.

I think that’s a shame because frugality is one of the best ways to live a life that maximizes your options. If you’re frugal, you’ll save money, and if you save money, you can choose how to spend your time. All the best adventures in life require time— maybe even more time than money.

If you try to be frugal, you’ll likely be swimming upstream in the culture we live in— a world where convenience has a high price tag. Fortunately, there are a lot of frugal habits that aren’t exactly easy, but they’re still pretty simple. If you can combine a whole bunch of these, you’ll have more money in your pocket and more time to do what you love.

Here’s a list of frugal habits that might seem a bit weird, or even old-fashioned, but look much wiser when you’ve got money in your pocket and time on your hands.

Never pay full price

If you want to live the normal life that most people lead, you have to pay full-price for just about everything. To get the best deals, it usually requires a little more upfront work or effort. For example, if you want to save money on clothes, maybe you can’t just run into the mall and grab your size off the rack— you might have to shop thrift stores or online second-hand marketplaces. If you want to save on food, you’ll probably need to stick to a list, avoid impulse purchases, and avoid the most convenient, premade options. You get the point. If you think like this in every area of life, the savings will add up.

Keeping your thermostat at an uncomfortable setting

When I was growing up, my parents kept the thermostat at the lowest setting possible in the winter. We were encouraged to layer up and let the house cool off a bit. If you’re trying to save money, it’s a pretty good strategy. According to the Department of Energy, you can save 3% on your heating bill for every degree you lower the thermostat. It’s not a big deal, but on a long, cold winter season, it really starts to add up.

Taking extra time to drive slower

In our society, time is money, so driving slower might seem like a strange piece of frugal advice. However, not everyone is in a rush. My grandfather used to drive at a very leisurely pace— not to save money, but to enjoy the views and avoid his mind being preoccupied by traffic. Turns out he was onto something: driving slower can actually save fuel costs and reduce wear and tear on your vehicle. Of course, there’s a point where it’s not safe to drive too slow on the highway, but it’s legitimate to wonder if you’re driving faster than you need to.

Making it a point to repair and fix things

In our culture, we avoid repairing things with the same intensity that previous generations avoided throwing things out. If you try to repair something that was broken, some people might even think of you as a cheapskate. There’s a practical reason we don’t repair things: it takes time to fix something and, maybe more importantly, it takes time to figure out how to fix something. Many of us lack the skills, so it’s easier to throw out the old and buy something new. If you’re trying to live frugally, this is a mindset you’ll need to be intentional about changing.

Not buying something until you absolutely need it

One of my favorite frugal habits is to not buy things until I absolutely need them, and then buy the highest quality version I can afford. In our society, we’re encouraged to fill our homes with as much stuff as possible and as soon as possible. If you want to save money, it’s wise to cut down on your discretionary spending by focusing on the things you truly need or the things which you believe will add a lot of value to your life.

Choosing to use what you have and make it last

Related to the last point, it’s a frugal, but increasingly weird, practice to try to make things last. I learned this lesson from my late grandfather, who lived his entire life in Central Pennsylvania. His father was a coal miner, and he grew up in a different age without the modern conveniences many of us have come to expect. He wore the same clothes until they were worn out, and when something needed replacing, he bought something of quality. What made him different from many people today is that he looked for ways to use things until they were completely used up. He hated discarding objects that still had utility, even if newer and better alternatives were available.

Regularly borrowing and lending from friends and family

Some people, especially in older generations, get a thrill from saving money and feel a sense of pride in their thriftiness. What’s become a bit of a lost art are frugal practices that are rooted in a sense of community. My parents, for example, used to borrow large and seldom used tools from their neighbors or church friends and sometimes even from family members. The whole practice of borrowing, whether it be food, money, or tools, seems to be in retreat, compared to the relative wealth that even middle class families now enjoy. But it’s still a frugal habit that’s alive and well in some circles, and it allows you to save money while also maintaining and deepening your relationships.

Redefining fun as experiences with people

If you think about it, many of the most memorable experiences in life don’t have to cost much money at all. Yet, in our consumerist culture, fun is packaged and sold as a product— whether that’s the latest electronic gadget, an expensive vacation, or a ticket to a concert or sporting event. There’s nothing wrong with spending your money this way, and we enjoy these things as a family, too. But redefining fun as spending time with people you love and doing more or less anything together can be a way to save money and deepen your own enjoyment of life. Frugal families have been doing this for ages. In my own childhood, that meant projects in the garage with my dad, playing in the backyard with siblings, and long walks and talks in almost any kind of weather.

Going out of your way to find free stuff

Being frugal means getting creative with just about every aspect of your life. You don’t have to be a cheapskate, but you also don’t have to live like everyone else. One of the best frugal habits I learned was to let other people’s generosity fund your adventures. That’s just a nice way of saying that there’s a lot of free stuff out there for people who are willing to look for it. You could spend a lot of money on expensive dinners or concerts, but there are also free concerts and free events if you take the time to look. Many companies offer free samples of their products, and some new restaurants offer free menu items as part of their grand opening.

Going to bed and waking up with the sun

This last frugal habit might seem like a bit of a stretch, but hear me out. Going to bed early and rising with the sun means you’ll use less electricity lighting your way. That might seem like a small amount of savings, but what about all the hours of TV and entertainment that you’re no longer consuming? What about the time you’re saving by going to bed and waking up with a purpose and a clear sense of the day ahead? Sure, it’s not a direct frugality play, but there are many ways to save money in life, including being more intentional about how you spend your time.

In order to maximize your life or the life of your family, you need to learn to use the resources you have at your disposal. Time and money are two of the most important, and if you’re willing to sacrifice a little bit of one, then you can have more of the other. Frugality means spending your money thoughtfully and intentionally. It doesn’t mean never spending money, but it does mean you don’t spend money without thinking about it. Instead of reaching for the easiest or most convenient option, you’ll need to be willing to look for alternatives that save money but might take a little more effort. With that extra money, you can buy yourself the option to use your time more creatively, rather than exchanging your time for income.