Source: yourlocalsecurity.com via Rachel on Pinterest
Do you consider yourself frugal?
I’m no maven of thrift myself but I do try. What’s helped me get on the bandwagon is finding ways that I enjoy saving money.
I’m not great at shopping sales at the grocery store but I am good about limiting food waste.
I’ve been turning the heat on this winter instead of putting on a few extra sweaters (it’s been cold) but I live in a small home that is relatively inexpensive to heat.
Instead of catching the 5:15am bus to the airport, I’ll let myself get an extra 30 minutes of sleep and get a cab. But I don’t have a car so my transportation costs are very low.
My other nod to being frugal: I’m always open to new ideas on how to save a buck while living well.
Here are some awesome women that can give you ideas for how to live well on fewer dollars.
1. The Frugal Girl
I’ve mentioned Kirsten here before. She is a mom to four and has a wealth of ideas and inspiration for saving money at The Frugal Girl. You can learn about everything from making your own yogurt to getting a discount on beautiful boots with a few simple clicks.
2. Frugal Mama
Amy has lived in the most expensive city of them all: New York. Her tips on budgeting are especially helpful (same with her free downloadable worksheets) and I like her simple approach to cutting costs. As a writer and expert for TLC’s Parentables she advises other families on how to make their dollar stretches.
3. Money Saving Mom
There is a lot to this website. A lot. Everything from coupons, money saving tips and a detailed series on blogging for business. Particularly interesting are the We Paid Cash series and the Becoming a Work-At-Home Mom series.
4. Penniless Parenting
This is a site my friend Vicki sent me to (thanks Vicki!). This family of four downsized from a 950 sq ft home to 525 sq ft to save $100 a month. WOW. Lots of the tips here are what I would consider in the extreme range. But they work. If I need a kick in the pants to save a few dollars I can read about cooking down 50 pounds of tomatoes and I’m motivated. Maybe not motivated to cook down all those tomatoes but definitely to skip takeout on the weekend and cook from scratch.
5. Frugal Babe
Frugal Babe’s tag line is a rich life without a lot of money and she documents everything from nutritious (and frugal) homemade breakfast cereals to an inexpensive way for new moms to give back (loved this). Again, if you’re looking to start a home based business this post on how FB and her husband started an insurance company has a lot of good information.
6. The Small Notebook
This is one of my favourite websites. Rachel simplifies home managing and those little details we bog ourselves down with. Her recent Clear the Clutter series is a good place to start if you want some prompts for tossing out expired medications and a reminder to switch in new dish scrubbers. While the focus isn’t on frugality, the tips are sure to save you some cash.
7. The Non-Consumer Advocate
Have you heard of The Compact? It’s a movement of people who commit to not buying anything new for a year. Katy Wolk-Stanley of The Non-Consumer Advocate is part of the movement and shares details of her frugal life on her blog. One thing I really appreciate about Katy’s writing is that she includes a lot of posts about the benefits of her frugality. She works part-time, her children have money for school trips overseas and she can easily host friends and out of town guests. Less work and more giving from a frugal lifestyle.
I’m not sure I’ll ever be as frugal as some of these writers but I do enjoy trying to save a few dollars. Dollars I can put in a savings account or towards a vacation or give to someone in need.
Anyone else have a money saving site that they find useful? I’m always on the look out for tips that work for my family and lifestyle.
I am a mother, wife and writer from Vancouver, Canada, currently living in the 
I’m excited for this new reading material. I’m especially excited about #7. The idea that being frugal can help me do more is enticing.
Me too. I like the idea of cutting spending in areas that I won’t really miss for things that I, or someone else, will appreciate.
Thank you for sharing. I am a mother of 9 (6 at home). I was forced to become a frugal mom when my husband’s student loans came do and we lost a portion of our income at the same time. Within 6 months, we were done nearly $1700 a month! It was crunch time! I started a blog just this month about how we survived and are actually thriving now. The blog is healthyfrugalfamily.blogspot.com BTW, becoming a minimalist family was a HUGE part of our frugality. Thank you SO much for your blog.
Thanks, Melissa. And great to hear you are sharing your tips – you definitely have the expert stamp
The Frugal Girl is such a fantastic blog. I’ve been following Kristen for about 3 years, the writing is excellent quality , the photos are exquisite and the message behind it all is inspiring (she brings it all to life). I actually found FG via Non-Consumer Advocate, which was the 2nd blog I ever read (after Zen habits – of course! who didn’t/doesn’t read that? haha!). Katy’s sense of humour and writing style really ticks all the boxes. I need to check out the others in more depth (I was reading Amy’s but it’s odd, I don’t think I’m getting post updates to my inbox – will check that out!). Thanks for the heads up – note to self – read more and write less!
I think I found Frugal Girl through your No Waste Taste Greats posts
So thank you!
You’re welcome
I always enjoy your recommendations. Thank you! I really enjoy Frugal Mama Amy’s posts as well as Rachel’s from The Small Notebook.
Wonderful list! Many of these blogs I’m familiar with, but I found a few new ones to check out. I’m especially excited about Frugal Mama, because I don’t know of many blogs that focus on frugal living city-style.
I’ve seen quite a few of those, but am excited to check out the others! I was born frugal, but always love finding some new tips (as much as The Hubs is trying to teach me to NOT be so frugal lol).
Dear Rachel,
I am honored to be on this list! We frugal bloggers learn as much from you, Rachel, as you do from us. Just like the slow movement and the green movement, minimalism goes hand in hand with saving money and making life better. Thank you for all that you do to help people find peace and passion.
Take care,
Amy
I love http://www.wantingwhatyouhave.com Heather has great frugal tips, and is very inspirational for moms- she also has awesome recipes. This is my go-to site when I need a kick in the pants to do something.
Have you read “Not Buying It: My Year Without Shopping” by Judith Levine? The writing leaves something to be desired, but it’s an interesting story.
Thanks so much for including me in your list, Rachel!
And I have to tell you, I adore Small Notebook too.
Isn’t she great?
Thanks for all your inspiration, Kristen!
I’m honored that you included me in this list, along with several of my favorite bloggers. Thank you!
Thanks, FB. So happy to have your blog as a resource and inspiration.
Like Frugal Babe, I’m thrilled to have made it to your list of good reads.
I just have one correction to make- we moved from our 950 sq foot apartment to our 454 square foot apartment iwth our family of 4 (which has now increased to 5), to save 275 dollars a month, because when your income is in the 1000-1500 a month range, 275 dollars is a big deal, and we’ve found that living in a smaller place saved us even more money, like on electricity, heating, etc… Now our rent might be going up, so we’re considering moving to a trailer in our same community (but a bit of a walk) that is the same size as our apartment, but 300 dollars cheaper than this apartment… But its up a big hill, so I’m not sure how manageable it’ll be without a car…
Wow! Even more impressive. And congratulations on baby#3
Thank you, these are great blogs and I´ll make sure to read them. I already read (and love) Frugal Girl and Small notebook.
Thanks for including me! And what great company to be in!
Katy Wolk-Stanley
“Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without”
I found the frugal girl awhile ago, it’s an awesome blog. I’ll have to check out the others. Thanks for sharing!
It is so great to run into other bloggers who are passionate about spreading the message: You don’t have to spend a lot of money to live well! Check out my musings at frugaldesigngirl.com for some frugal interior design inspiration.
Cheers -
Frugal Design Girl (FDG)