5 Easiest Frugal Money Habits According to Expert Kate Kaden
Written by
Ashley Donohoe
Edited by
T. Woods
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With the recent inflation data showing higher price increases than expected, it pays to change how you make purchases so you can stretch your income and have cash left to save for goals. Kate Kaden is a YouTuber known for her tips on budgeting and living frugally. One of her Frugal Friday videos covered these five easy habits that can help you save money.
1. Detox Your Inbox
When checking your email, you’ll likely come across coupons and other promotions that encourage you to buy things you might not need. To avoid the temptation, consider using a separate junk email account when signing up for offers.
Kaden explained, “This helps you control when and if you even look at that email.” She also mentioned using Gmail filters to get promotional emails out of view.
2. Don’t Upgrade Things Right Away
You might unnecessarily spend cash by upgrading functional items just because you feel excited or want to keep up with friends. Kaden emphasized the importance of knowing which things deserve an upgrade and when.
She talked about keeping a vehicle or iPhone as long as these items still function fine. On the other hand, she said upgrading a bad mattress that is causing you medical problems would be worth it.
3. Do a Makeup, Toiletry and Skin Care Inventory
Another way to cut unnecessary spending involves considering items in your bathroom. Kaden suggested going through your makeup, toiletries and skin care products so you know what you have left. Also, note items you didn’t end up liking or using so you can avoid wasting money on them again.
She recommended using what’s left of your products before buying more. When you do go shopping again, keep your inventory in mind to avoid buying products you already have.
4. Pay Attention to Product Serving Sizes
You can live more frugally if you stretch out how long your basics such as detergent, body wash and shampoo last. Kaden talked about how you should watch how much of these products you’re using since they can do the same job with less.
By extending time between repurchases, you’ll save money throughout the year. You should also consider looking for coupons and sales to further cut costs on these basics.
5. Take Advantage of Cash-Back Reward Apps
Spending money on things will be necessary even if you cut back, so Kaden suggested getting some of your money back through reward apps. She highlighted Receipt Hog as her favorite app for earning reward coins and slot spins for uploading receipts. She also recommended another receipt uploading app called Rakuten along with the cash-back shopping app named Rakuten.
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