Learn how to cut expenses and save money by shopping in secondhand stores, cooking at home, avoiding disposables, and adopting a DIY lifestyle.
Rising interest rates, high food and energy costs, and stagnant wages are on everyone’s minds these days. Sometimes, it seems there’s no way to get a handle on out-of-control finances, especially when it comes to the dream of homesteading.
For some fortunate people, a homestead is possible because of generous salaries, inherited money or land, or other factors. But many of us live paycheck to paycheck and don’t have the extra cash to invest in new projects. Homesteading dreams are often put aside because they seem unattainable.
But are they? One way to progress toward dreams and goals is to live as inexpensively as possible and apply any and all spare change toward achieving those goals. I call this “low-cost living.” This means not only applying all extra income to the achievement of these goals, but also not doing something contrary that would jeopardize them. People frequently jeopardize their goals by spending money on unnecessary stuff, but the hard truth is that only you can fund your goals.
Attitude is critical. If you live a low-cost lifestyle and resent every minute of it because you feel deprived, you’ll never be happy. Embrace frugality as a fun and challenging adventure!
Thrifty Tips
Living a low-cost lifestyle has two requirements: being thrifty and reducing living expenses.
Being thrifty is both the easiest and the hardest advice to adopt. Many people are so used to impulse buying, both in person and online, that stopping such activities leaves you feeling deprived. Yet these impulse purchases are what sink us deeper into the hole. According to CreditCards.com, 75 pecent of Americans have made impulse purchases (it’s 90 percent according to BadCredit.com), and half have regretted it. If you’re keen to make a purchase, add it to a list and set it aside for a cool-down period. You could reduce your expenses dramatically by simply waiting; you may realize you don’t even need or want the item and were just excited with the new possibilty.

Distinguish needs from wants. In our consumerist society, it’s difficult to differentiate between needs and wants. We need food, water, shelter, and clothing. We want restaurant meals, fancy vehicles, a beautiful home, and designer clothing.
Adopt a DIY lifestyle. While sometimes it’s worth paying experts to do something – such as pouring a concrete foundation or wiring a house – for ultimate thrift, learn to do most things yourself. This can include home repairs, sewing, food preservation, cooking, carpentry, and more. If you’re interested in learning something unfamiliar, the internet (such as tutorials and courses on YouTube) is just one of many resources. Someone out there has already made a tutorial on how to rewire a lamp, construct a bookcase, pressure-can green beans, or knit socks. Watch and learn.
Avoid debt. For many, it’s too late; if this is the case, then avoid going further into debt. Put away the credit cards and don’t use them again. Adopt an all-cash lifestyle and the “envelope system” for bills. Apply every spare cent toward climbing out of the hole.
Learn to cook. Most people spend an enormous amount on food prepared by someone else: restaurant meals, take-out food, deli meals, convenience foods, fast food, and more. But learning to cook from scratch using inexpensive ingredients (rice, beans, home-canned vegetables, etc.) is one of the thriftiest long-term skills you can learn. I’m not an enthusiastic cook, but over the years, I’ve acquired a repertoire of meals that my loved ones like.
There are many tricks to keeping food bills low. A slow cooker is a wonder; throw in the ingredients in the morning, turn it on low, and you’ll have a hot meal in the evening. A bread machine (if you actually use it) can save a huge amount of money. (Look for these appliances in thrift stores.) Eat your leftovers: Bring last night’s dinner to work and save yourself the cost of buying lunch. It’s easy to make your own “convenience foods” by doubling your efforts whenever you make dinner and freezing the leftovers for future meals (the book Once-A-Month Cooking is an excellent resource). Buy your staples (flour, beans, and so on) in bulk – try a restaurant supply store. Drink tap water or sun tea instead of soda. Make your meal plans in advance and then shop for appropriate ingredients, rather than trying to decide what to make for dinner when you’re driving home from work or already browsing the store aisles. Eat seasonal foods; they’re cheaper. And, of course, nix the junk food.
Adopt free or low-cost recreation. Home entertainment can include reading, puzzles, board games, and crafts. Away-from-home entertainment can include walks, camping, hiking, jogging, riding bicycles, playing sports with the kids or with neighbors, and other options. Develop hobbies and pastimes that don’t cost money. Surround yourself with friends who prefer to chat over tea rather than wandering the mall. Enjoy potlucks instead of restaurant meals.
Avoid disposables. We’ve become a throwaway society. By some estimates, the average American (just one person, not a whole household) spends By some estimates, the average American (just one person, not a whole household) spends $18,000 a year on nonessentials, many in the name of “convenience.” Using washable versions of disposable products (everything from paper plates to menstrual products) cuts down on both cost and waste8,000 a year on nonessentials, many in the name of “convenience.” Using washable versions of disposable products (everything from paper plates to menstrual products) cuts down on both cost and waste. It’s a win-win for your budget and the environment. Sometimes, reusable or washable versions of common disposable items cost more upfront, but the price is negligible when amortized over many years of service. You could spend $1 for a box of facial tissue that’ll be gone in a month, or you could spend $2 on a bandana you’ll use for years.
Shop secondhand. Thrift stores, online regional listings (such as Craigslist, Facebook Marketplace, and your local paper), Habitat for Humanity ReStores, and other options are some of the most phenomenal resources available for those on a budget. Clothes, shoes, household goods, sporting equipment, furniture, appliances, automobiles – the list of used items available for pennies on the dollar is seemingly endless.

Find Balance
In the field of behavioral economics, there’s a theory called “loss aversion,” which suggests that once we get used to a certain level of luxury in our lives, we find it almost impossible to give up, and doing so feels like deprivation.
There are ways to keep little sparks of luxury in a low-cost lifestyle; they just have to be frugal versions. I enjoy a glass of wine a couple of times a week, but rather than indulging in a $15 bottle of vino that gives three glasses, I buy boxed wine that costs $15 and lasts several months. Yes, I could give up the wine, but because I choose not to “deprive” myself of the occasional glass, I don’t feel resentful about our low-cost lifestyle. In fact, using an elegant wineglass and sipping chilled chardonnay is a lavish ritual that makes me feel wealthy and privileged. That’s a lot of benefit from a cheap box of wine.
Whatever luxury you enjoy and would feel deprived without, figure out a frugal work-around, and give yourself permission to enjoy the results.
The goal in frugality is balance. It does no good to cut expenses to the bone if you’re sullen and resentful the whole way.
Remember, thrift isn’t a drag; it’s liberation. It’s the most powerful tool in anyone’s financial arsenal. Now, go forth and save!
Living the Low-Cost Lifestyle: Mother’s Tips
Food
- Visit a farmers market at closing. You may get deals if you take the rest of an item.
- Connect directly with farmers. Ask about blemished produce, or “seconds.”
- Go in with a group to buy in bulk, whether for food or seed and plant purchases.
- Organize your pantry and make a meal plan. Date your goods and use them, starting with the oldest, in your meal plan.
- Make your own convenience foods, and use the “nose-to-tail” approach for scraps.
- Consider a worker share at a local community-supported agriculture (CSA) program. A volunteer shift can get you a lot of produce.
Items
- Join local Buy Nothing groups and swaps to give and receive items freely.
- Choose quality pieces of clothing over fast fashion and learn how to mend those pieces to make them last longer.
- Can’t find a tool at the thrift store? Try a tool-lending library.
- Gift inexpensive or free experiences instead of items.
- Watch for curbside treasures on trash pickup day or on the first of the month when people move out of apartments. You’ll be surprised by all the useful goods!
Patrice Lewis is a homesteader, homeschooler, author, and speaker. An advocate of simple living and self-suffiency, she’s practiced and written about self-reliance and preparedness for 30 years.