A few years ago, saving money was simple. You budgeted, you spent wisely, and somehow, it worked. But now? You walk into the grocery store, buy three things, and leave wondering if you accidentally funded a small startup.
The cost of living crisis has made saving money feel impossible, even on what used to be considered a decent salary. But there are still things we can do to balance our budget.
I’m sharing super simple, totally doable frugal habits to help you save more without living on beans and rice for the rest of your life.
Here are some lesser-known but genuinely effective frugal habits that go beyond the usual “cut out coffee” advice and will give you a quick win to save money, even on a low income.
Name your savings account
After years of frivolous spending with nothing to show for it apart from a wardrobe full of dresses I probably wouldn’t wear again, I found there was just one thing that made me stop. Moving money for savings – an amount I could afford after the actual essentials were covered – into another account as soon as I got paid.
Some people call this “paying yourself first”.
Then to ensure that I wasn’t tempted to spend that money, I named the account after what I was saving for. For example, Family Holiday 2025 or Emergency Fund. That way withdrawing money from that account was stealing from this goal. Another alternative is to simply call it “do not touch”.
Some banking apps let you do this, some don’t. If you have one that doesn’t, then name it on your budgeting spreadsheet. What you’re doing here is creating friction and sending a message to yourself that this money is off limits.
30-Day ‘Invisible Money’ Rule
Before buying anything non-essential, transfer the cost to a savings account and pretend you already spent it. If, after 30 days, you still want it, use the money—but most of the time, you won’t.
This is another thing that creates friction in the shopping process.
Downgrade Subscription Tiers Instead of Cancelling
Regularly reviewing subscriptions is a sensible way to avoid overspending on these monthly costs. They can quickly add up.
If you love your TV subscription services one thing to try is rotating them every month, so that you can binge the latest show then move on to the next service the following month and watching something else. If you were to pay for all the possible TV subscription services out there you’d be looking at well over £100 a month. Aim to only be spending on one of those, which should get you down to around £10 to £12 a month.
If you’re already down to one service and still need to save, instead of fully cancelling Netflix, Spotify, or other subscriptions, see if a cheaper plan (like ad-supported tiers) still works for you. You’ll likely save 30-50% without losing access.
Use a Burner Email for Free Trials
Most subscription services offer free trials but limit them to one per account. Use a burner email to extend free trials without paying. And set a date in your calendar to cancel the subscription before they can charge you.
Try a rounding up savings challenge
Whenever you spend, round up to the nearest pound and move the difference into savings.
If you do cash budgeting then you can set this cash aside after every transaction. But if you don’t, then most budgeting apps and even many banking apps offer this as a feature. Simply toggle it on as an option and the app does the work for you!
Stack your discounts
With some rewards schemes you can actually double or even triple layer them. Here’s an example. When I see a sale on toys I will stock up on generic gifts my kids can give to their friends for birthdays, then I will use my store discount rewards card to get points and I will pay on my debit card which is linked to my Airtime Rewards account so I get money off my mobile phone bill.
Another example is buy sale items, use a cashback app (such as TopCashback or Rakuten), pay with a rewards card, and use a referral code or coupon.
Ask for a cash discount
Some local shops, tradespeople, or even dentists offer a small discount for cash payments (because they avoid card fees). Always ask as it could save you 5-10%.
Set ‘Unsubscribe Days’
Once a month, go through your emails and unsubscribe from marketing lists that tempt you to spend.
If you aren’t getting the emails, then you can avoid impulse purchases. Ignorance is bliss.
Buy refurbished
Laptops, smartphones, and even appliances can be up to 50% cheaper when bought refurbished—often with the same warranty as new. Look at Apple Refurbished, Amazon Renewed, or manufacturer-certified stores.
Borrow, don’t buy
Need a drill for one-off DIY project? Borrow from a neighbour. Want to read a book once? Use Libby or BorrowBox for free eBooks and audiobooks.
Buying only what you actually need long-term saves thousands.
This also applies to skills. What skills do friends and family have that may help you out? My mum makes my children’s birthday cakes, which saves us on purchasing a cake. What skills can you offer to help out in return?
Automate a ‘stealth savings’ transfer
Set up a weekly auto-transfer of £5-£10 to a hidden savings account.
It’s small enough not to notice, but over time, it adds up significantly. There are some apps that make it easy to do this and even gamify your savings.
For example they have a rainy day rule you can set where every time it rains, the app automatically saves a small amount of money of your choosing.
Use your freezer like a time machine
Bought fresh food but won’t use it in time? Freeze it immediately.
This avoids waste and turns your freezer into a backup meal bank, so you spend less on last-minute takeaways.
I also love to cook once and eat twice – make double portions and freeze half of what I cooked so that I have a whole meal ready for another day. Generally speaking, buying larger quantities of things like beef mince works out cheaper.
Cook all the potatoes
This is a super specific one but it’s stopped me wasting potatoes so hear me out. Do you ever buy a large bag of potatoes, cook what you need and then a couple of weeks later find a bag of sprouting potatoes you had forgotten about?
I cook all of the potatoes from the bag in one go for our roast dinner. That makes far too much, but then I use the leftovers for other recipes for the following days. Dice them up and fry them to make little cubed potatoes, if you have some bacon then cut that up into chunks and add that too because it tastes delicious. You can also dice leftover roast potatoes and add them to curries or stews to bulk them out so you use less meat.
Follow the “free first” rule
Before buying anything, check if you can get i for free first—via local Facebook groups, Freecycle, or even friends. You’d be surprised what people give away.
Track price history
Use CamelCamelCamel for Amazon or PriceSpy to check if an item is at its lowest price. If not, wait—it’ll likely drop again.
Also, don’t forget to check for discount codes.
I used to hear great things about Honey for finding voucher codes on purchases as you online shop, but it’s actually been getting some bad press lately because people have found you can find better deals without it. If you want to find a voucher code, I suggest searching yourself. Don’t forget to check influencers on Insta and TikTok, it may take longer but certainly with websites like Look Fantastic I’ve found some of the influencer discount codes can be quite generous.
Tiny daily habits matter
Once you start doing small things to be more frugal, they start to impact on your overall money mindset and can lead to bigger savings.
For example, if I can save 20% on laundry detergent by switching to a different brand then I will do it. It may only mean I save a couple of pounds.
That desire to get the best price starts to become a bit of an obsession, then it filters over to your bigger expenses like insurance where you should never accept the renewal price, always check to see if a new company will beat your existing policy price.
Assume everything you see on social media is a lie
Clearly not everything on social media is a lie, but there’s enough of it that is for it to be a very bad idea to base your spending decisions and habits on what you see there.
Many of the people showcasing a fabulous life of travel, shiny new things, the latest tech, new cars and a fresh outfit every day are doing this as a business. Don’t even get me started on beauty product restockers, that is a whole video in itself. It is their job to convince you that this is their regular life, and to sell the idea of aspirational purchasing to you.
Remember that it’s not real and you need to stick with what matters to you.
Use ‘the power of no’ with bills
Call your internet, phone, or insurance provider and say: “I’m thinking of switching—can you offer me a better deal?”
Most companies have retention offers they don’t advertise. If they say no, ask to cancel. Chances are, they’ll suddenly find a discount. This happened to us with Sky a few years ago. We don’t have it anymore but they were very quick to discount us when I said I was thinking of leaving.
If you are going to do this try to research a better deal from a competitor so you can go to them with evidence you can save money elsewhere. And be prepared to quit, they can tell if you’re serious or just fishing for a discount.
Learn basic DIY skills
Before replacing or paying someone to fix things, check YouTube. Simple repairs (sewing a ripped shirt, fixing a leaky tap, patching a wall) save hundreds per year and take minutes to learn.
Switch where you shop
People get loyal to certain supermarkets out of habit, but switching stores (or even using multiple for different items) can save hundreds.
Try a cheaper alternative or shop at international stores. Asian, Polish, or Middle Eastern supermarkets often have cheaper spices, rice, and produce.
Downshift your treats
Treats are great and are an important part of a budget. You need to have a fun money budget. You can place less pressure on this area of your budget by finding ways to treat yourself for less.
Instead of going out for dinner, cook a new recipe, instead of going to a theme park, visit your nearest beach, instead of getting drinks and cake out, make some at home instead.
