What are your favorite frugal blogs?
Reader Lara left this comment:
Do you have any frugal blog recommendations? I love yours, of course, but always looking for more! Seems like a lot of the “money-saving” blogs are really about deals / coupons / sales and end up encouraging more consumerism.
I have five suggestions for Lara, and then I was hoping that in the comments, you guys could help me out by recommending your favorites too.
I think of my blog as something of a lifestyle blog, except frugal.
So in making this list, I tried to think about blogs that are similar to mine (as opposed to personal finance blogs, financial independence blogs, or deal blogs).
MoneySavingMom No-Deals
Crystal's blog is definitely deal-heavy, which Lara is wanting to avoid.
However, if you go to www.moneysavingmom.com/no-deals, you can access a feed of all the non-deal posts that Crystal and her team share.
The Non-Consumer Advocate
Katy mostly shares Five Frugal Things posts, and her readers always have lots of their own frugal activities to add in the comments.
The Prudent Homemaker
Brandy has super beautiful photography, and her content is often similar to Five Frugal Things; she posts about all the money-saving things she's been up to lately.
She also shares recipes and gardening tips, among other things.
Frugalwoods
Liz usually doesn't post super often, but what she does post is a lot of in-depth frugal lifestyle content; definitely no deals.
She and her husband and kids live on a homestead in New England, so that'll be a bonus if you are interested in rural living.
Six Figures Under
Stephanie has a big household that she and her husband manage, debt-free (they started with $144,000 in debt!). She's currently working on feeding her family entirely from their food storage so that she can stay out of the stores.
I also follow Do it on a Dime. Sometimes she shows what she's bought, but its usually at the Dollar Tree. She is positive and real! I've tried some of her recipes and craft ideas, and they are super easy.
Hi I love do it on a dime, The frugal girl of course your content is so amazing. I really love how easy it is to understand and it really provides value. I have been following for quite sometime and have leant so much.
I even got up the courage to start my own after procrastinating all these years. Thank you so much for your efforts.
Here's my new blog
http://www.frugaltoofreedom.com
My favorites (other than the ones already mentioned!) are The Occasional Nomads, Becky at Home, Thrifty Mom in Boise, Mama’s Minutia
**None of these are deal bloggers. They just write about their thrifty lives and all have a great writing style. **I have read everything in their backlogs and have read Mama’s Minutia twice. She is more of a frugal lifestyle/recipe/mothering blogger, but her family is fun and frugal. Another perk of The Occasional Nomads is that she travels to foreign countries and shares beautiful pictures and great money saving tips.
*My blog is https://thethriftyeducator.com/
I like Shana from https://www.beaninloveblog.com She and her husband live in a fixer-upper and do a lot of the work themselves. She writes about very counter-cultural ideas like saving up for a project before you start it, making things yourself instead of buying them, mind-blowing concepts like that 😉
Her name is Sheena (not Shana).
She doesn't post often, but I like "Frugal Asian Finance". She grew up in an Asian country, I forget which one, and has a different slant on things.
I’ll make this my last comment. http://www.memoriesoncloverlane.com is another favorite. Sarah writes about simplicity and its joys, not specifically about frugality. (You and Katie are my favorite “frugal bloggers”).
I also love following you, Katie (non consumer advocate), and Sarah on Instagram.
I really like Younghouselove.com
I’m not sure they’re exactly a “frugal” blog, but they do a lot of DIY stuff that’s actually possible for the average homeowner, and they just have a lovely writing style and relationship.
Their podcast is wonderful, too.
Hi, Kristen - The Non-Consumer Advocate link provided above is taking me to the Money Saving Mom site 🙂
PS - love your blog!
Oh, geez! I am never going to learn to make all my links correctly. Sorry about that...it's fixed now. Thank you for letting me know!
The Cheapskate Cook!
She's super-encouraging, uses real (healthy) food, has a fabulous sense of humor and an impressive history of living on almost nothing when first married.
Her how-to videos are very helpful, too.
This was the first frugal blog I discovered and it's always remained special to me! I also follow several others mentioned, but I want to give a shout out to a blog devoted to simple living, which is frugal ... down---to---earth.blogspot.com by Rhonda Hetzel. She's Australian and author of "down to earth" and "the simple home." (Love the lowercase titles.) Right now, in this crazy time, her sense of calmness really shines. She makes simple living seem like the most peaceful, practical way to live. She doesn't write as often as she once did, but her archives are a true treasure.
As you can see, I don't know how to make a link, but those long dashes are each three hyphens.
I came across Katy, the NCA, via this blog. I also LOVE Sarah Kline at Portland Sampler. It's definitely more of a lifestyle blog, and while she may not write about frugality per se, her generosity is inspiring. She is, like Katy, a keen Goodwill 'binner' (can that be a thing?), and her lovely finds will send you thrifting (after lockdown, of course).
#1) The Frugal Girl 🙂
#2) Frugalwoods
#3) Half-Banked
#4) The Simplified Saver (YouTube)
#5) Pick up Limes (YouTube)
#6) The Financial Diet (YouTube)
#7) Mr. Money Moustache
http://www.notesfromthefrugaltrenches.com
Katie is the Canadian adoptive single mom of three children with special needs, and she's been ill herself the past year or two, so she struggles a lot. Yet she has gratitude and joy in her life and takes pleasure from simple things, as well as giving back herself.
Two I read that haven't been mentioned yet are Creative Savv (www.creativesavv.com) and The Make Do Do Homemaker (http://makedohomemaker.blogspot.com/)
Lili at Creative Savv is a low grocery budget ninja, spending something like $150/month for a family of four adults. She will also share recipes or projects that are use inexpensive or found materials. Erika at The Make Do Homemaker lives in Alaska so it's interesting to see the the specific challenges of living there and also has a child with special needs. She has an interest in old recipes and ration books from times like the Great Depression and WW2 and will sometimes share inspiration from those which is always interesting.
Little House Living, Merissa has frugal living tips, tons of recipes and how to make just about anything.
I like zerowastechef.com as a great ressource for making rather than buying certain foods (ex: homemade yogurt, kombucha, etc) food subs (molasses+sugar= brown sugar). Anne Marie, who hosts this blog, also offers many alternatives to avoid using single use products (without judgment). I think that many home made products are better for your health .. and your wallet.
I love Mavis Butterfields blog, One Hundred Dollars a Month.
The Humbled Homemaker
I follow several of the blogs referenced here quite faithfully! I am glad you added this post. I've observed a gender split in how blogs are written, although I can't quite phrase the difference in a tactful way.
Much More with Less has beautiful pictures and layout and as long as one makes the switch from British English to American, and of course disregards company names, the advice is universal. "Use up food: 9 tips for a successful stock take" is a pantry challenge. The "bin" means the trash. Faith is a high quality writer and parent who started the blog when moving from London to the Sussex countryside.
For another world I do not live in, I've enjoyed The Luxe Strategist, (for people who like nice things, based in NYC).
I like the original editor's articles of The Simple Dollar, though am very disappointed that the reader comments went from dozens to almost nothing allowed over the last few years. Trent has good common sense advice and examples from his experience. I skip the financial articles though.
The Dollar Stretcher has a sort of magazine style, short articles on different topics each week, and acknowledges retiree finance, as does Super Savings Tips in weekly opinionated comments.
Oh yes, I met Luxe last fall at FinCon. Super fun!
In my observation, personal finance blogs tend to be written more by men, while frugality lifestyle blogs tend to be written by women. Financial independence blogs are a little more evenly split. Does that match with what you've seen?
Yes: That is a good way to put it, thank you.
I knew there must be a labeling vocabulary for this field!
Thank you for the shout-out Kristen! We are all about the frugal life over here, which lately has lately been lots saving money and resources in the kitchen.
This is such a great idea for an article! The two that I love that aren't listed in the comments yet are Sustainable Cooks ( http://www.sustainablecooks.com ) and Budgets are Sexy (www.budgetsaresexy.com ). The first is more of a frugal lifestyle blog with the emphasis on yummy homecooked foods. The second is more a financial independence blog, but pretty casual and not at strident.
Sustainablecooks.com is one of my favorites, besides this one of course. Sarah’s sense of humor is right up my alley.
Simple Dollar for frugal living and more finance big picture stuff.
Budget Bytes for food, from a single person who food preps, but easily scales to family size.
Miser Mom -- college professor, mom of several young adults and grandmother of one, does some VERY creative DIY projects. http://miser-mom.blogspot.com/
Lili at creativesavv.blogspot.com is amazing. My brain can't keep up. She calculates the cost of everything, including methods to minimize electrical costs while cooking. She's a great overall budget person.
Budgetbytes.com has great recipes and she is super practical in terms of using affordable everyday ingredients and still coming up with easy to prepare, good recipes.
Aside from this blog and the Non-Consumer Advocate, I really like Shoestring Cottage and Life After Money (both British) and Donna Freeman's Surviving and Thriving. I do drop in on Frugalwoods from time to time and enjoyed Simple Dollar in its original form.
http://annienygma.com Annie, a single mother, lives the most frugal life of anyone I've ever read because she wanted to be able to stay home to raise her daughters. When I look at how well she lives on such a tiny income I am amazed!
I know Mr. Money Mustache is an acquired taste, and I totally understand why. There is a huge MMM Forum and there are a LOT of frugal threads there. Plus, if you have questions specific to your situation, you can ask for assistance and someone will help. You can even create a case study for a deep dive into your finances, if you wish.
The forum has gotten so popular that it's a constant target of spammers. To minimize this, they've added some barriers to entry. The answers to the gateway questions are found in the first few posts of the MMM blog. Anyone can lurk, but to comment or create a case study, you have to be a member. It's not difficult, and it has cut down on the spammy garbage considerably. Also, the journal section is not available to non-members and can't be google searched.
I also love Andrea Dekker. Her blog is about living a simple lifestyle with 4 kids, how to be healthy and declutter your home. One of the first blogs i read every morning.
You may also enjoy Joyfully Thriving-Grace Filled Frugal Living. This blog is also written by a mom named Kristen (who likes to bake, read, and play the piano) and is geared towards women with young children.
Sorry if this has been added; I saw most of the blogs I read but didn't notice this one:
http://www.budgetgirl.com
Also, if any of you are interested in what it looks like to work/live/travel/budget internationally, my husband and I have been in Hong Kong for 8 years, and I blog about our life, not regularly enough, but still, I would love to have you check us out: http://www.triciacliff.blogspot.com
Kristen, I want you to know how much I appreciate your style, the wonderful community you've built here and your generosity of both time and spirit on behalf of your readers. You often go above and beyond to keep us informed, teach us something new or make life easier for us. This post is a perfect example, and I just felt the need to say thank you for all you do.
Kristen,
I love your blog because of the kindness and smartness of you and your community. I learn a great deal from you and the community. Kindness rocks!
Also love DonnaFreedman.com and her Facebook page. Her writing is like reading a great short story. She is a bit more centered on personal finance yet with frugality in the bones. Her frugal food tips are great.
Donna's daughter has a blog named IPickUpPennies which is also wonderful.
MyFrugalHome
Mousesavers.com -for the frugal Disney visitor. Without mousesavers I would not have had the intel to have a Disney visit that let me stay in my budget, tell me what is not worth the money, and let me do a cost/fun analysis for my family and get the most fun. Sad that Disney is closed.
I like all the blogs you mentioned! Other good ones are beckyathome.com. and going-country.blogspot.com. Kristin from going country comments here frequently about her meals made with elk! Her writing style is very entertaining!
I love Kristin! 🙂 She's an important part of the community here.
And you will be happy to know that I have a guest post from her coming up next week!
Frugalasianfinance. She does not post much but her lifestyle traditions are very interesting to read.
Besides from your blog, I love Frugalwoods, Our Next Life and a relatively new blog called Ecofrugals. Check it out;)
jillcataldo.com is good --- there are weekly coupon match ups and deals, but she also writes a syndicated weekly column, which she posts a link to. She also has a lot of posts on there about frugal living, diy, etc. She's a good writer, and is based in northern IL, in the far Chicago suburbs. Her blog used to have a crazy active community full of posts, but not anymore.
Treading My Own Path is a good one! It is all about less waste which mostly involves frugal living! I would definitely search for blogs that promote less waste, sustainable living, and even minimalism, as these blogs often talk about how to waste less and also fix the mindset that leads to frivolous spending and mindless consumerism.
Thanks everyone for the recommendations! I'm going through them adding to my reading list. I really appreciate it.
This one is new and created by a friend of mine. https://frugalhealthyliving.com/
The Frugal Girl is absolutely my favorite blog (and it's not just because we have the same name)! You always share your real experiences, and I appreciate that. I loved your recent blog on kayaking. I’ve also read a few posts from Frugalwoods and enjoy their content. I agree that Liz provides helpful in-depth information.
Thanks Kristen! I love your blog! Keep up the great work!
Like others, I get fed up with money off coupons and memberships which just make you buy more fully branded high end products. This one is relatively new as blogs go but the owner has been running a frugal group on Facebook for 6 years called Feed yourself for £1 a day. She has recently created the blog on a lovely looking website and has just started taking some contributors so it looks very good for the future. https://www.patsfood.org
I don't know where I've been, but I just discovered your blog and am enjoying exploring your site. I appreciate the Thankful Thursday posts - I can't wait to read them all.
I read through the comments here about frugal blogs, and like many of the commenters I enjoy reading frugal lifestyle-type blogs - I find inspiration in their simple living habits. I too follow some of them listed: Thrifty in Boise, The Prudent Homemaker, Becky at Home, and Six Figures Under especially, plus one other that always makes me smile - Frugally Challenged; the writer is retired and lives in England. I find some of her terminology fascinating, such as courgette (zucchini). She doesn't necessarily write on a scheduled basis, but each time she posts something new I realize I'm reading it with a smile on my face.