11 Things Frugal People Do That Seem Weird Until You're The One Paying The Bills
Being frugal doesn't make you cheap.
Dikushin Dmitry / Shutterstock While frugality has been misguidedly associated with the dreaded notion of being cheap for decades, research, like one Talker Research study commissioned by Chime, reveals that many people are now coming around to the idea that it may be a good practice. Frugality is no longer considered a shameful term, even for people who center their lives around status symbols and consumerism, but rather as a means to regain personal power and financial stability in an uncertain economy.
Many of the things frugal people do that seem weird until you’re the one paying the bills can make a real difference in your economic situation. Now that more and more people are starting to adopt a frugal mindset, or, at the very least, a few frugal habits, they’re also able to prioritize the things they want in life with more ease and freedom. So is that really weird — or is it empowering?
Here are 11 things frugal people do that seem weird until you’re the one paying the bills
1. Reusing plastic bags and containers
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Nearly 60% of all single-use plastic products, from plastic bags to utensils and take-out containers, are immediately thrown away after their first use, even when they’re capable of being reused, according to a study from the Sustainable Production and Consumption journal. However, many frugal people aren’t simply reusing these plastic bags, Ziplocs, and containers to help the environment, they’re also saving money.
Think about how many Ziploc containers you could save money on if you simply washed and reused them a few times. The same goes for buying lunches versus reusing containers to take homemade meals with you. When you reuse, you save money.
2. Stretching meals
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If you’ve never gotten creative in the kitchen with leftovers or stretched meals with innovative new ideas, chances are you’re not really all that frugal. Even if you technically have the money to go out for a meal, DoorDash something, or splurge on one meal’s worth of groceries, having the willpower to simply use what you have at home (and then use the leftovers) is powerful.
It may seem like one of the things frugal people do that seems weird, but until you’re the one paying the bills, you’ll never understand how you could save money by stretching out groceries and leftovers. Even small choices like this can make a huge impact, especially considering the rising cost of groceries.
3. Openly asking for discounts
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Whether it’s bartering at the thrift store, cutting coupons from mailed pamphlets, or downloading loyalty apps for every single store they shop at, openly asking for discounts is one of the things frugal people do that seems weird until you’re the one paying the bills.
According to a 2021 study, the average household could save around $1,465 annually by using coupons when purchasing household goods, groceries, clothing, entertainment, and other regular expenses. So, while it might seem tedious or slightly embarrassing in our consumerist culture, couponing is more effective than you might believe.
4. Turning off lights
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Whether they’re leaving the room for a second or the entire day, frugal people are incredibly intentional about electricity usage in their living spaces, making sure to turn lights off when they won't be returning to a room for a while.
According to a study published in the Journal of Environmental Psychology, it’s this personal intentionality that actually ensures they’ll save money. The more responsible a person feels for their energy usage, the more likely they are to take action to not overdo it.
5. Using the library
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As experts from Harvard explain, libraries can be centers for curiosity, growth, learning, and community. However, getting books there is also one of the things frugal people do that seems weird until you’re the one paying the bills. Using a public library lowers the costs of purchasing new books, finding support and resources, and even seeking out information.
Of course, the library isn't just an incredibly resourceful place for seeking out information, but it’s also helpful for building community and new relationships. In fact, many people in younger generations are finding public libraries to be the perfect replacement for third places that are now becoming financially restrictive and exclusive with rising costs and inflation, so they save you money on finding community as well.
6. Freezing food
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Freezing food to eat later is one of the things frugal people do that seems weird until you’re the one paying the bills, especially considering it can save you a ton. Whether you’re freezing bread to avoid spoilage, bulk purchasing expensive items like meat, or avoiding impulsive purchases by planning out meals in advance, utilizing your freezer can be a genius frugal habit.
Especially as grocery costs continue to rise, keeping long-lasting foods in the freezer and freezing in-season produce when it’s cheapest is a great way to prioritize both nutrition and savings.
7. Eating before going out
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If you’re not starving when you go to a restaurant or in a grocery store, you’re much less likely to overspend outside of your budget. Of course, enjoy yourself every once in a while and splurge when it makes sense for you, but to protect yourself and your budget, a quick snack might be worth it.
Even if that means having a meal before grocery shopping, being satisfied before you go to buy food can ensure you’re not overspending or sacrificing any kind of budget you’ve carefully crafted because of an impulsive purchasing decision.
8. Waiting before making a purchase
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By giving yourself a period of time to think about a purchase before making a decision, whether it’s one day or one month, you can keep yourself from making impulsive purchases that will ultimately hurt your self-esteem, anxiety, and financial security.
While impulsive purchases and feeding into a consumerist culture may help to instantly and temporarily distract you from sadness, anxiety, or stress, like a study from the Journal of Consumer Psychology suggests, it only adds to the pain, uncertainty, and overwhelm you’ll face later when you have to pay the bills.
9. Living below their means
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If you have the money, why not spend it? It seems like a valid argument, but frugal people act in a completely opposite way — living below their means to save money and protect their financial stability, even when they have bills to pay.
Of course, living below your means doesn’t mean you have to stop traveling, going out, or making fun purchases. It simply means being more intentional about when and how you spend.
10. Avoiding convenience
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Whether it’s food delivery services, too many streaming services, or snack food, all of which are almost always more expensive than buying from grocery stores, despite the fact that you get less food, our culture encourages us to spend money on convenience on a daily basis.
Not giving in to that temptation is one of the things frugal people avoid that seem weird until you're the one paying the bills, at which point you don’t mind making more work for yourself if it means you can save money.
11. Wearing the same clothes for years
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Wearing the same clothes for several years is one of the things people do that seems weird until you’re the one paying the bills. Especially in our ultra-consumerist and trend-focused culture, it’s not surprising that we’re pressured to buy new clothes and outfits for every season, event, and situation, but frugal people save by choosing not to feed into that.
Frugal people re-wear clothes, accept hand-me-downs, and sometimes thrift when they need something different to offset the costs of buying new clothes every year.
Zayda Slabbekoorn is a staff writer with a bachelor’s degree in social relations & policy and gender studies who focuses on psychology, relationships, self-help, and human interest stories.
