When you are trying to live a more inexpensive life, it can seem difficult at first. Sometimes you don’t know what to cut out or how to start. That’s where we come in. There are many ways that you can be frugal, save hundreds of dollars in the long run and not cause a big burden on your daily life. In fact, we listed some of our favorite cost-effective ideas below and organized them so you can follow them throughout your day.

Morning: 

Being cost effective starts as soon as you get up in the morning. You can lower on your water bill by turning off the faucet while you are brushing your teeth. When you are walking through your house, try to use natural light as much as possible throughout the day to lower your electrical bill. Do you make a daily trip to the local coffee shop? Make your own instead. If you need multiple cups to get going, bring a thermos so you have some extra. Now is also a good time to start planning meals. Make your breakfast at home instead of giving into temptations such as fast food. The same goes for lunch. You can save a lot of cash by making breakfast and lunch for the entire family at home rather than paying for school lunches or eating out. 

At Work:

To save money on gas, try to start a carpool with your co-workers. Driving to work once a week is much more cost-effective than driving everyday. If you have a good public transit system in your area, take advantage of it. Monthly passes will help you cut down on wear and tear on your car as well as gas prices. Remember that idea about making lunch from earlier? You just took the economical route by brown bagging it. If you live by a park, you can have a great, inexpensive and scenic lunchtime.

Afternoon Errands:

Before you go out and do your errands, make a list of everything you need to do. This will help you stay on task when you are out. You can also make lists of items you need at each of your destinations to help you prevent impulse buys and to better budget for the items that you need. Don’t forget to check for discounts and bring any coupons that you have on anything you need. If you are going somewhere that is within walking distance and you won’t have to carry a bunch of stuff, save some gas and walk there.

Evening:

When you get home in the evening, there are still plenty of things you can do to keep some extra cash in your bank account. When you are making dinner for the household, make extra so you will have leftovers. Now you don’t have to make lunch tomorrow! If you are looking for entertainment, try going to your local library. They have plenty to DVDs and books that you can check out and best of all, they are usually free. You can also organize a family game night with the kids or a board game party with friends. There are many options out there that are cheap, easy and fun.

As you can tell, there are countless ways that you can lower your finances simply by making small changes to your everyday routine. If you have any advice for our fellow readers, leave a comment below and remember, there’s always room for savings.