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Single woman who makes $24,000 a year shares 12 smart ways she saves money

"These are some of my best tips to save a lot of $$ in the long run."

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Single woman shares 12 ways she saves money on low income $25,000 salary.

Saving money is possible, even on a low income. While every penny matters, saving money on a small salary can be achieved with smart budgeting and being mindful about spending.

To help others save money, a single woman who makes $24,000 offered her best money-saving tips. From smart strategies for saving money on groceries to creative ways she leverages her community, she shared 12 of her best money-saving habits.

Plus, her advice inspired others to share the financial tips that helped them save money when funds were tight. Start saving more money with these tested ways to save money with a low income.

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12 ways to save money on a $24,000 salary

- Make DIY dawn power wash with 2 tbsp of rubbing alcohol mixed with 4 tbsp of dawn dish soap.

- Use a bidet before using toilet paper. The bidet does all the hard work the toilet paper is mostly just to dry off - depending on how much money you need/want to save you can use old cut up t-shirts to dry off instead of tp then throw them in the wash once every few days.

- Use period panties diva cup and reusable pads instead of disposable period products.

- Don't be afraid to buy used furniture - just be sure there are no bed bugs.

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- Used electronics are just as good as new.

- Thrift store are amazing places for pretty much any home goods item.

- Home made cold brew is amazing...one part coffee to 4 parts water.

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- Simple syrup is also pretty good...there's tons of recipes all over the internet

- Shop your cupboards for food to eat before going shopping for more food.

- Use beans or tofu instead of meat, but if you find meat on sale BUY IT!

- The cook books Good and Cheap and Food Substitutions Bible are amazing cook books.

- FRIENDS ARE AMAZING!!!! I needed a new tv a month ago because the sound box on mine went out. So I messaged some friends asked if anyone had a old tv they needed to get rid of and a friend showed up with a nice lg flat screen that's nearly double the size of my previous tv & I only paid $40 for it.

- YouTube www.youtube.com

More money-saving tips for low incomes

"Go to the library and look for https://www.amazon.com/Complete-Tightwad-Gazette-P...https://www.amazon.com/Complete-Tightwad-Gazette-Promoting-Alternative/dp/0375752250 books. It was written in the 1990’s so some of the information is outdated but much of it is relevant today. I started following The Tightwad Gazette back when it was just a newsletter. I am a single female, raised 2 kids myself, retired at 60, 100% debt free and I credit my success to those books!!" - BENKACY

"Use the library for Internet access, printing off paper copies of legal docs, study material, etc. If you live in a large apartment complex they often have a community board in the main office or in the main hall- you can post ISO notes or advertise side hustle work you offer." - Adorable-Flight5256

"When buying used furniture always ask the person if they have anything else they’re selling if you’re looking for other items. I had posted a recliner for sale & a very young, sweet, newlywed couple came to pick it up. In conversation it came out that they had just been married two weeks before, and they were furnishing their first apartment. On a whim I asked if they needed anything else. They left my house with a recliner $25 less than the initially agreed upon price, a like brand new coffee table that I had been thinking about selling (heavily discounted) & a free complete set of dishes and some other nice kitchen items that I had. I joked that it was my wedding gift to them, as I remember what it was like when my husband & I were first starting out." - RBAloysius

- YouTube www.youtube.com

"I thought that I had a terrible selection for thrift stores. Then I needed a costume that looked well worn. Checked the thrift store that I knew about and found nothing. Googled 'thrift stores near me' got like 10 results. All within about 10 miles. So yeah, even if you think you know all the free / cheap local options check Google periodically." - No_Gear_1093

"Reusable anything has been a game changer. Making the switch to cloth paper towels means no added expense every month and we have a handful to use in rotation when the rest are in the hamper waiting to be washed. We also use our local Buy Nothing group on Facebook. We’ve scored an air conditioning unit, an Ikea Poang Rocking chair, a queen sized bed frame with storage, and a few other helpful items. I’ve also borrowed items there, as well as saved money going to the florist for my Ikebana class by asking people in the BN group if they have flowers or other materials I can use for my assignments." - radioflower525

"If you're in the US, please look into WIC and SNAP. WIC covers basic groceries, formula, and I'm sure you'd qualify if your county has it - the income requirements aren't as difficult because it's a more limited plan on other ways (what it covers, who can qualify)." - sunnysidemegg

"I work as a window tinter I make about 22k a year, I am 23 with no kids and I live alone with no roommates, I am fortunate to have worked out a cheap rent situation with my landlord by taking care of our properties he is my next door neighbor and lets me run an ethernet from his place for free and we share a common water system that he pays for. So I am only responsible for my electricity which is about 60 a month in winter and 160 in summer. I drive a paid for 20 year old car with 180k on it. It has no heat, AC, or power locks. I do all of my own work on it so that saves a lot of money. As for clothing I buy Walmart clothes, which works out since my job has me ruining a lot of clothes, and I prepare my meals from base ingredients. I eat out maybe once a week and that's somewhere cheap like Whataburger. As for a sit down meal at a nice restaurant that is once a moth at the most. I can save about 500 a month comfortably without having to restrict my way of living. I don't spend alot of money to begin with. No traveling. No fancy shoes, (I own two pairs of shoes my boots I wear at work and flip flops for the beach. Lol.). I also don't drink. When I spend money its mostly on dates and video games. Currently saving up for welding school, once I get certified I should be able to double my income with the first welding job I get." - User Unknown

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Frugal woman shares the one critical question she asks herself before making any purchase

"It’s such a simple question, but it’s changed my spending habits completely."

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Frugal woman shares question she asks herself before impulse buying.

Being a smart and savvy shopper is one of the cornerstones of living a frugal lifestyle. And one of the biggest financial downfalls that can prevent you from living a frugal life is impulse shopping. But one frugal woman may have found the key to curbing it.

"I started asking 'Do I actually need this?' before every purchase. It’s saved me hundreds," user sarah_west_1 wrote in a Reddit forum dedicated to frugal living tips and stories. She went on to explain, "For years, I’d buy things just because they were on sale, looked cute, or felt like a good deal. I didn’t really think about whether I’d use them or if they were actually necessary."

However, things changed when she started intentionally asking herself this one question. "Now, before I buy anything, I pause for 10 seconds and ask: 'Do I really need this right now?' It’s such a simple question, but it’s changed my spending habits completely," she shared. "Most of the time, the answer is no and I just walk away without feeling like I’m missing out. This little habit has helped me save more than I expected and made me more mindful about what I bring into my life."

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And her wise frugal advice resonated with fellow frugal shoppers. One commented, "I do the same, asking myself if I will actually use this item everyday, or at least often enough to be worth the money and space, because I'm going for minimalism too. No books, no decorative items, no knickknacks. Minimal amount of kitchen gear, egged before I had ice cream maker, pasta maker, ice maker, bread maker, not to mention tons of kitchen gadgets that I can't ever find when I need it." And another added, "My money saving mantra: 'you can go broke saving money'. Just because it's for sale at a 'great' price does not mean you should buy it."

And her insightful post inspired other frugal shoppers to share the questions that they ask themselves before making any purchases. These are 10 more frugal questions they offered that have also helped save them lots of money.

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"I started asking 'how many hours of work does it cost me to buy this?' Know your rate." - kickit

"That ['how many hours of work does it cost me to buy this?'] and how long it lasts. A quick $5 purchase every day for a year is $1,825. In 10 years, it's $18,250. A product that costs $1000 and lasts you 10 years, comes down to $0.274/day. If you replace the same product at 2 years because you wanted a new one, now it's $1.37/day. (But less if you sell the old one)." - hatemakingnames1

"This is how I frame it for myself. That ['how many hours of work does it cost me to buy this?'] and 'what else can I buy with 'X' dollars instead?'. I've avoided a bunch of impulse purchases this way 😂." - cakeversuspie

cost, how much, how much does it cost, cost savings, cost questions Finance How Much Does It Cost GIF by StickerGiant Giphy

"Let me take you to the next level, grasshopper: now ask, 'how many hours of use/enjoyment will I get out of it?' I'm currently buying a TV, will probably spend about $2k including tax. but if it lasts as long as my current TV, it will only cost about 40 seconds of work per hour of enjoyment I get out of it, not even counting anyone else in my household. that is a deal I am willing to make 🧘." - kickit

"I always use the 'wants and needs' method, do I need it or do I want it, that has saved me a lot of money over the years." - Oldmantim

"One thing I do is create a 'wishlist' where I write down what I feel like buying and why (including the date). A lot of the time I forget about half the things on the list within a week. For the ones I still really want, I know it's more than just an impulse buy!" - HolidayExtrasTravel

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"My question is 'When does this become landfill?'" - VapoursAndSpleen

"And 'Do I already have something like this I could use instead?'" - Human_Bad5547

"Yes! This! I also tack on….'where will I put this?'" - trig72

"I try to ask 'what problem does this solve?'" - PeitriciaMae

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11 old-timey frugal living habits younger generations need to bring back ASAP

"A penny saved is a penny earned" hits harder in economically uncertain times.

Photo by Jimmy Dean on Unsplash

Learning to cook can save a lot over eating out.

Though people can't seem to agree on what makes the American economy "good" or "bad" (with people's perceptions being heavily influenced by who sits in the White House at any given time), there's no question that economic uncertainty is on many people's minds. Middle-agers who lived through the Great Recession of 2008 and the COVID-19 pandemic of the early 2020s know how fast economic stability can falter, and youngsters have started their adult lives with unaffordable housing and education as well as post-COVID inflation driving up the cost of everyday living.

With a major upheaval of the U.S. government unfolding in early 2025, uncertainty seems to be the theme of the day. When financial instability hits, it's time to take measures to mitigate it however we can, and thankfully, we can learn a thing or two from our elders who lived through the money struggles of two world wars and the Great Depression. Frugality was a way of life for our grandparents and great-grandparents, and though times have changed—a lot—many of those wise ways to save money still stand. And the good news is that many of them are good for the environment and our health as well as our wallet, so

Here are some of the easiest, best frugal living habits we can take from previous generations:

couple cooking together Cooking can be fun and a money saver. Photo by Jimmy Dean on Unsplash

Cook from scratch

Even with the cost of groceries being higher than they were, it's almost always significantly cheaper to eat at home than it is to eat out. Learning to cook is a useful and enjoyable (for many) hobby that can also save you money, as long as you're not trying to cook something overly fancy. Cooking doesn't have to be complicated, and it's never been easier to find simple recipes. There are even sites that will come up with a menu and recipes for you based on what you already have in your pantry. Stock up on basic ingredients, keep it simple, and find some favorite meals that you can whip up quickly and easily.

Less meat, more beans

Meat is pricey—especially good quality meat—and with animal-borne diseases becoming more of a concern, animal products in general are getting more expensive. Perhaps now would be a good time to transition to more of a plant-based lifestyle, making more use of cheaper protein sources like beans. Canned beans are generally quite affordable, but dried beans are even cheaper if you don't mind taking the time to soak and cook them. If you have an Instant Pot, it's super easy to batch cook dry beans, which you can then store cooked in the freezer for quick reheating.

stainless steel bowls of spices Bulk spices are often a fraction of the price of jarred. Photo by Jason Leung on Unsplash

Buy herbs and spices in bulk

Spices in jars are stupidly expensive sometimes, and you might assume that's just what they cost. But if you've never shopped in the bulk spice section at a store—even at an expensive health food store—you might be surprised by how much cheaper it is. Leafy herbs like oregano, thyme, basil, and sage weigh almost nothing, so even if they cost $20/lb, a jar's worth is often pennies to the dollar cheaper than buying them already packaged. (Just beware heavier spices, as sometimes those can be just as expensive as jarred. Definitely worth comparing, though.)

Borrow and barter

When times are tough, getting by becomes a community effort, but there's no reason we have to wait for an actual economic depression to help one another out or scratch one another's backs. We all have things that sit around not being used much of the time that others might like to borrow, from tools to books. Trading services can be an excellent way to save money in a win-win way.

hands in a garden Growing your own food can save a bunch in the long run. Photo by Sandie Clarke on Unsplash

Grow a garden

During the pandemic, many people started growing WWII-style "victory gardens" simply because they could, but gardening can be a great way to save on produce and herbs. If you can start early in the spring and grow from seed, even better. Though learning to keep a garden thriving can be a little trickier than it looks, the savings can be impressive. For instance, one tomato plant can harvest 10 to 20 pounds of tomatoes, so even if you spend $5 on a starter plant, you can save a ton compared to produce section prices at the store. No yard? Gardening in containers works, too.

Clean with vinegar and baking soda

It may seem like a small thing, but lots of small things like cleaning products add up. Buying vinegar in bulk and diluting it 50/50 with water makes a great basic cleaner, and baking soda in bulk can help you scour surfaces as well. Vinegar smell doesn't last long, but you can always add a little essential oil to the mix to add some scent. You might need a stronger disinfectant for certain cleaning jobs, but for a basic cleanser, vinegar gets the job done.

Reuse or reutilize containers

So many foods we buy come in jars or containers, most which get tossed or recycled. Then we go out and buy containers for storing leftovers or other things. Aesthetically, I get it. But practically and financially, reusing or reutilizing containers makes more sense, even if you just use them once or twice and then toss or recycle. Plus, if you reuse jars or containers you're not planning to keep, you can write on them with a Sharpie without feeling like you ruined it.

woman riding white bike Bike more. Photo by Murillo de Paula on Unsplash

Drive less

Americans love to drive and many of us do it far more often than we need to, spending more on gas than necessary. And even though gas prices have come down most places, it still isn't cheap. Combining trips or making a once a week "errand day" can help us cut down on driving. So can carpooling or biking or walking more.

Buy used

Thrift store shopping can save a ton of money, especially if you shop around to various thrift shops to find the ones that actually have good stuff at low prices. Clothes especially can be a much better deal used than new, and no one will ever know the difference. Furniture is also a fraction of the cost used vs. new, and often older furniture is better quality anyway. Check Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist and other online markets for used items before running to the store or buying something new online.

person wearing black and gray jacket in front of bookshelf Libraries usually have a lot more to offer than just books. Photo by matthew Feeney on Unsplash

Utilize your public library

Public libraries are treasure troves of free stuff, and not enough people take full advantage of them. Not only can you get books, but many libraries have huge collections of movies or other entertainment. Some have art collections you can check out, others have tools and household items you can borrow. There are also free book clubs, lectures, classes and other activities that can add to your social calendar without spending anything.

Make do with what you have

This might sound like a no-brainer, but many of us have gotten into the habit of buying whatever we think we need simply because it's convenient. Amazon has created some habitual buying habits that we might want to rethink if we're trying to save money. Do you really need a new jacket or is the one you have still perfectly usable? Is there still some life left in that pair of shoes? Even holding off on buying things for a month or two and making do with what you have can help you save money and see that you don't need as much as you might think.

Lots of small savings can add up, so don't assume that a few cents or a dollar here and there don't matter. Once you get into these habits, you may even find that frugal living to be a preferred way of life, regardless of your financial situation. It certainly can't hurt to try it.

This article originally appeared in March

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Credit union chief has 6 easy tips for families to break the 'paycheck-to-paycheck' cycle

Even affluent people are living paycheck to paycheck.

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Getting out of the paycheck-to-paycheck cycle.

Rising costs in housing, groceries and financial services have Americans feeling the pinch. A recent study published by CNBC found that 62% of adults said they are living paycheck-to-paycheck, meaning their income covers their expenses without anything left over.

This financial stress isn’t just affecting lower-income people. Even those in higher income brackets are feeling the pinch, with over half of Americans earning over $100,000 having little to no money left after expenses.

When people are caught in the paycheck-to-paycheck cycle, they feel like they can never escape and get ahead. So Forum Credit Union Chief Operating Officer Andy Mattingly stopped by WTTV to share his 6 big tips to help people break out of the cycle and start saving.

1. Make an honest budget

The first thing you need to do is write out an honest monthly budget. Keeping track of every dollar you spend can be a real eye-opener and inspire positive changes in your spending habits.

Tips to break the paycheck-to-paycheck cycle

2. Stretch your dollars

This might mean looking for discounts and coupons and comparing prices, even on smaller purchases.

“We comparison shop, big purchases, cars and things like that,” Mattingly noted. “But we don’t think about everyday things that we buy, like going to the grocery store, things like that that you should look and make sure you’re buying them from the best place.”

3. Separate needs from wants

You may have to eliminate some luxuries from your monthly budget to break out of the paycheck-to-paycheck cycle. Subscription services are an easy way to deplete your bank account every month. Studies show the average American spends around $219 a month on various subscriptions.

“How many streaming services do you have,” Mattingly asked. “What type of Internet service do you have? What kind of phone plans do you have?”

4. Make a meal plan every week

Making a weekly meal plan can help streamline your grocery list to include just what you need. This way, you're not only avoiding the trap of buying too much but also saving money by not wasting unused food. It's a simple step that can make a big difference.

“The studies are if you do this you can save yourself about $75 a week on what you were throwing out that you don’t realize you are,” Mattingly said.

5. Look at loans

The next thing to look into is your overall loan situation and that means not just focusing on credit cards. Can you consolidate or refinance any loans to bring down your monthly payments? It's a great way to potentially ease your financial load.

“What we’re really talking about here is how can we put more cash in our monthly budget to get out of that paycheck-to-paycheck so we can start saving for some of these things,” Mattingly said.

6. Look at insurance coverage

It might be time to shop around for better insurance deals.

“If you’ve not shopped your auto insurance, your renters’ insurance, or your homeowners’ insurance, you’ve probably just seen it go up and you just think that’s what happens,” Mattingly said. “But you need to shop it every year.”

The overall idea of Mattingly’s advice is to take a holistic approach to your finances, whether that means changing your spending habits or looking at the deals you made a while back to ensure they’re still in your best interests. It may take a little time and effort getting to get things on track, bit it’s well worth it to break out of a cycle of financial stress.

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