It doesn’t always take drastic measures to stretch your budget. Often, it can require just minor lifestyle changes to have quite a significant impact on finances. For example, Kate Kaden, a frugal YouTube influencer, recently uploaded a video called “Six Easy Ways to Live Below Your Means” that provided some easy methods to save cash without changing your lifestyle completely.
Should you wish to look at inexpensive ways to live below your means, here are six practical tips from Kaden that can make a huge difference.
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Hydration and energy: Focus on water and reduce utility costs
Drink mostly water
Kaden’s health tip is very clear: drink less soda, juice, or energy drinks. Just drink as much water as possible. Surely, this gives many health advantages and saves a lot of money as well.
Kaden explains that buying bottled water can be done in bulk for even greater savings. If you have bottle recycling programs—Maine being her state—you can even grab a few bucks back. This will save money and cut calories as sugary drinks are reduced. Indeed, this is a win-win strategy.
Conserve water where it makes sense
Another major money saver is mindful water consumption. While Kaden brushes her teeth, she shuts the tap off and takes a shower immediately when the water temperature is right. Although she’s heard of people timing their showers to save money, Kaden herself doesn’t practice that. All those little things can make your bill manageable and prevent flooding in the bathroom.
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Minimize waste and maximize savings
Conserve light and power
Electricity bills can quickly eat into your paycheck, but Kaden has managed to keep her monthly costs under $100 by using simple, common-sense practices. She’s diligent about turning off lights when leaving a room and unplugging electronics that aren’t in use.
This prevents phantom power—the energy consumed by devices plugged in but not actively in use—from increasing her utility bill. These small changes can lead to big savings over time.
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Carry food and water on outings
To avoid impulse purchases while out and about, Kaden suggests always carrying snacks and water from home. This simple habit prevents costly trips through drive-thrus or convenience stores, where items are marked up significantly for convenience.
By packing snacks you already have at home, you can easily save money while staying prepared for your day.
Avoid credit card debt
Kaden’s golden rule for credit card use is straightforward: never charge something you can’t afford to pay off in full by the due date.
While credit cards are convenient, accumulating debt can be stressful and costly due to interest rates. By sticking to this principle, you can avoid unnecessary financial stress and focus on building good credit habits.
Get nosy and learn from others
Again, Kaden encourages his audience to learn from those around them. Seek advice from a successful person who seems to be ahead in the game of wealth.
“Education never goes out of fashion,” she says, urging others to keep an open mind about learning new ways to save money through curiosity. You could be resourceful by observing others or asking questions as they try to save dollars.
Small changes, big savings
Feel no restriction when stretching your budget. Simple changes, like cutting down on the number of drinks, saving electricity, and ridding yourself of any unnecessary debt, can be the most meaningful in your impact on finances.
As Kaden’s tips have mentioned, saving money is more about working smart than hard. You can enjoy your lifestyle, but not spend unnecessarily with these meaningful ideas to save costs.
Stretching a budget does not mean feeling confined. Instead, you can do things little by little; in other words, change something small, like drinking less, saving on utilities, or not overspending on debts. And that can have a great impact on finances.
As Kaden’s tips have mentioned, saving money is mostly about being smart rather than just working hard. With these practical ideas, you will be able to take care of your savings without compromising your lifestyle.
