Years ago when we decided that I would stay home with our firstborn son and no longer work outside the home, we had to tighten our budget. We only had my husband and I for four years of marriage. We were used to living a certain kind of lifestyle. It wasn’t extravagant but we definitely ate out and lot and went to the movies whenever we wanted.

When my paychecks stopped coming in, we realized very quickly just how much we would have to cut back and stay on a strict budget. But, with this new frugal lifestyle also came a minimalistic view. We didn’t need all the things we had. We actually didn’t want most of it either. It was just stuff. So we made changes there as well and have tried hard to stick to those changes through the last 12 years.

Below are some of the ways that my family lives a frugal and minimalist lifestyle. Some of the things we do may not be for you. Some of them may be new ideas. Some may be old ideas that you forgot. I also don’t have it all together all the time. We do our best with what we’re given. For that, we feel very blessed.

Basics of Frugal and Minimalist Living:

  1. Eat at home as much as possible- seems easy enough until you are out with the kids at lunchtime and someone is hungry. I bring snacks everywhere I go and keep bottled water in the trunk of my van. If I know I will be out at a mealtime, I pack sandwiches. We do eat out rarely and it’s very cheap and with coupons. Feeding three growing boys on a budget is hard enough. Meal plan for the week and pack lunches. If you plan ahead and prep ahead, you can avoid eating out and save tons of money.
  2. Get rid of things a few times a year- I go through all my closets, drawers, containers, pantry, and everything else. I make piles to donate, sell, and throw away. This has kept us from having tons of clutter all over the place. We still have stuff laying around here and there but it’s kept to a minimum by getting rid of things we no longer need or want.
  3. Non-toy presents for the kids- for birthdays and Christmas we get our children one toy each. The rest is either clothing they may need, movie tickets, an experience, park passes, science kits, art supplies, etc. We also give lots of books because you can never have too many of those!
  4. Shop second-hand- my boys all grow so fast. The only thing I ever buy new is shoes. They wear them out so quickly that only new ones seem to last any amount of time. I also buy very good shoes so they don’t fall apart in a week. Found that out the hard way. For all clothing items for myself and my boys, I go to thrift stores and consignment stores. I have found so many brand new and brand name items for just a couple of dollars. It’s amazing what people get rid of.
  5. Get rid of cable- we dropped cable about five years ago. We were paying hundreds of dollars for TV. We still have the Internet for school and work. We also use it for monthly subscription shows and movies. We are saving literally over a hundred dollars each month by not having cable TV.
  6. Have a minimalist wardrobe- this can look different for everyone. I have less clothes than my boys. They go through clothes very quickly. I also save what I can for the next one. I only keep what I know I will wear. When I go through my clothes every year, if I haven’t worn an item, out it goes. Same for my boys. They each have a dresser. If it doesn’t fit, it doesn’t get bought or put away. I don’t work outside the home so I don’t need as many clothes. I keep clothes for home and outings with the kids and I have dresses for church. That’s it.
  7. Make a budget for entertainment- don’t be too hard on yourself in this area. If we stay in our homes and never leave or spend money, what is life worth? Make sure, if it’s possible, to put money aside for entertainment. This could be a date night with your spouse or a movie with the kids (we have $5 movie night here locally). You are going to want to get out and do things and some things cost money. It’s inevitable. So plan ahead so it’s not a surprise.
  8. Find all the free local stuff and do it- we live in a historical town. Just about everything is free for locals. We take full advantage. If they have a day that’s open to the public for free, we are there. If passes to the park are 50%, we try to buy them. We explore state parks and local parks as much as possible. It costs nothing to go to the park and hike. Bring some water, snacks, and your camera/phone to take pics. Take a walk in your downtown area and explore shops and meet new people. It’s free to do this.

There are so many ideas on how to live a frugal and minimalist lifestyle. These are just a few that my family does. No matter if you are just starting to get into this kind of living or have been doing it for years, it’s always good to read new ideas and implement some of them.