Can frugal living tips help you save money every day? Yes, and quite often it's just a few naira at a time, but eventually they add up to big savings. A frugal lifestyle is a good way to start saving money, and that's where these tips come in handy.

Start reducing your shopping costs by reviewing the tips presented below.

Clothes - Establish a budget for clothing, jewellery and toys and stick to it. Actually, since most people do restrict spending on these items somewhat, they have already established a budget. It just is not very defined or constrained. The trick is to sit down, decide how much money is enough for these items during the course of a year, pace yourself during the year and make sure to follow one rule: “Do not go over budget.” Also, make sure your kids, when old enough, also have a budget they need to follow. When they understand that those ten thousand naira shoes will prevent them from having something else, often the three thousand naira shoes will do just fine.

Home Decor - Furniture is a major investment, so do not try to furnish your home all at once, or as quickly as possible. While it is nice to have all of your furniture in place so you can enjoy your home, rushing to furnish will almost always lead to less than optimal furnishings and higher overall costs. So, except for some necessities like beds and a table and chairs, take your time to make sure you get what you need and want, while staying within your budget.

Computers - Make sure you do not overbuy capabilities in a computer, resulting in spending much more than is required. It is nice to have that super-fast computer with loads of storage capacity and other “bells and whistles” but do you really need it? Most people don’t. If all you plan on doing with your computer is access the Internet, utilize email, and download and print digital photos, etc., most all of the computers on sale today will do a great job. They will be plenty quick and have plenty of storage. Even the pre-loaded software will probably be just fine.

Groceries - Never go grocery shopping on an empty stomach. All those snack and other unnecessary foods are a lot less tempting if you are not hungry when food shopping. And make sure, if at all possible, you leave the kids at home. Kids are great, but at the grocery store they can be real budget busters by talking you into purchases you otherwise would not make. Be sure, when you have an item in your hand, to ask yourself if it really is a necessary item, or if you really can do without. This is not only true for food, but also toiletries and other items.

Electronics & Appliances - If you do need some home electronics, try to buy a model that does not have all the expensive “bells and whistles.” Let’s face it, most people do not use most of the extra features on electronic gadgets. Do you really need a 1080P HDTV versus a less expensive 720P model? Most people can’t tell the difference. Does your surround sound system need twenty different settings when you will only use a few? Just buy the quality but less expensive model and save.

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Well said.

Christianos:
Well said.

Thank you.