{I’m re-sharing this post today as I’ve seen some super negative comments on Instagram this week where people have been judging others for the way they choose to spend their money – not on my posts in case you’re wondering but I just hate seeing people be judged for spending their hard earned money how they want to spend it so I thought I’d dust off this post and get on my soapbox again}
Last week someone left a comment on one of my posts to say that they didn’t think that having a holiday was very frugal which is something that I completely disagree with. As I’ve said many times before, we’re all frugal for different reasons – some of us because we want to be, some because it’s something we grew up with and some of us are frugal simply because they have no other choice.
One thing we all have in common is that we make the best of what we’re lucky enough to have and we make sure that we get our money’s worth from whatever we do buy. That got me thinking about what frugal people won’t do which is what this post is all about today…
Frugal people don’t waste leftovers
I don’t make a habit of wasting leftovers. If there is food left from a family meal, you’ll find that I save what I can and use it for a meal idea during the week. Wasting leftovers is most certainly one of my big do not dos when it comes to being a frugal person.
Frugal people won’t buy just to use a coupon or a voucher
You won’t find me buying something just because I have a coupon for it. Being frugal for me means I don’t spend money on unnecessary items. Even if there’s a fantastic coupon or deal for something, if I don’t need it, I don’t buy it.
Frugal people don’t buy small amounts
Most frugal people will buy in bulk because you generally find that the more you buy the cheaper it is. That’s not always the case though so I try to take the time to find which products are best purchased in bulk or individually.
Frugal people won’t pay full price if they can help it
I love buying fresh flowers but I won’t pay full price for them because I personally feel that would be a waste of my money. I prefer to shop at times when I know there’ll be some bunches reduced and if you follow me over on Instagram you’ll see I’ve had some great bargains recently.
Frugal people don’t pay bills late
I always pay my bills on time and I make sure that I never pay anything late or get to the stage where there’s not enough money in the bank to pay a bill.
Frugal people don’t shop without a list
If I happen to forget my shopping list when I head to the store, I always spend more money than I planned on spending. Most frugal people have learned to shop with a grocery list to stay on track and on budget. When you forget a list, you are at risk to grab unnecessary items and toss them into your cart.
Frugal people aren’t afraid to say no
Frugal people have learned the strength of saying no. When it comes to spending extra money or someone trying to charge me more for something, I’ve learned to say no and be okay with that. There’s no reason to overspend because you run into a great salesman or because your friends try and talk you into doing something you don’t want to do. That said, if you have the money spare you should never feel guilty about spending it on something you want but don’t necessarily need – as long as you can afford it.
Frugal people don’t make snap decisions about whether to buy something
I’m a big believer in intentional spending which is where I spend money on things that make me happy – I cut back on some areas in my budget to do this. You can read more about intentional spending here but it means that I think very carefully about the things I buy.
Frugal people aren’t clueless
Lastly, frugal people tend to ensure they’re aware of their financial future and don’t bury their heads in the sand when it comes to knowing what implications their financial decisions today will have on their future lives. Personally, I live a frugal lifestyle now to ensure that I’ll have money to spend later in life as well as to set aside for future holiday plans.
There are many other things frugal people don’t do, what are some things that you would add to my list?
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