Frugal Living Tips

Living frugally is all about being smart with your money, not stingy. It’s being deliberate about when and where you spend your hard earned cash. Living in Edmonton may seem pricey, but here are some easy ways to cut back on expenses, without sacrificing having a life.

1. Be deliberate about transit.
Take the bus, rather than owning a car. For $75/month you have access to all of Edmonton. Cars require gas, maintenance, and insurance. If you really need to go somewhere but can’t take the bus, get together with other students and either share a ride (make sure you pitch in for gas), or share a cab. Even if you take a handful of cab rides a year, it’s still cheaper than owning a car.

2. Have friends over rather than going out.
Spending quality time with friends doesn’t require going out and dropping a lot of cash. Rent a movie or have a games night and request each person who comes brings a snack. If you stack this up against going out for dinner, you’ve saved yourself at least $10 per person.

3. Know where the deals are.
There’s a lot of free stuff to do around Edmonton. Take advantage of it! Check out the Affordable Fun Around Edmonton page.

4. Groceries: compare prices/shop around
•    If you’re not on the food plan, split the cost of groceries with your roommates. Buying in larger quantities can save you money.
•    Know where the deals are. Keep track of what’s on sale at varying grocery stores. And remember, it’s only a deal if you need it.
•    Know your discount stores. Not sure you want to pay $3.98/lb for peppers? Check out your local discount produce market, like H&W and get your produce for a fraction of the cost of a regular grocery store. But be prepared to adapt, some produce will be fresher than others.
•    Grow your own herbs. Many herbs can be grown in a pot on your window sill. Fresh herbs are great for cooking, and much nicer than the dried ones you pay an arm and a leg for in the store.
•    Make your coffee at home. It’s so much cheaper to make your coffee at home than to buy it.  Are you a coffee snob? Enjoy high quality coffee by buying the beans and making it at home. You can have great coffee for a week for the same price as buying a couple of coffees at Starbucks. Bonus: avoiding that “to go” cup will cut down on your ecological footprint.

5.  Join Thing Loop
Get your friends together and sign up for Thing Loop, it’s a network that allows you to post items you’re willing to share with others—you control who you’re linked to, so you won’t be asked by random strangers. That means that rather than having to go and rent a movie, you can simply borrow one from your friend. Need something one time only? Maybe you can borrow it!

6. Make use of the Public Library
Repeat after me, “The library is your friend.” Your public library not only has novels, but music, movies and magazines. Can’t find what you want to read, watch, or listen to? You can put in a request for the library to buy it! Just don’t try it with textbooks, it doesn’t work.

7. Cleaning products- keep it simple
Cleaning products are expensive! Don’t get caught by consumerism. Did you know vinegar and water can be used instead of Windex? And no, you don’t need to buy cleaning cloths, cut up an old shirt and use it for rags.  Use baking soda on a sponge as a mild abrasive to clean sinks, stoves, and even scuffs on walls. Or put a box of baking soda in your fridge to absorb odours. Want more simple cleaning ideas that are environmentally friendly too? Check out www.care2.com.

8. Know your second-hand stores
Need new clothes? Before hitting up the mall, try the Salvation Army Thrift Store, Value Village, Good Will, or consignment stores. All sell clothes at a fraction of the cost they’d be new. You might even snag some killer vintage finds.