16 ways to be more frugal and save money in 2025

Shoestring Jane shares 16 smart and practical ways to live frugally and save more money this year!

Is your bank account feeling deflated? There are many small and painless ways to rein in your spending, so here’s how to be more frugal and save money in 2025.

1# Take time to write a budget

Writing down your monthly budget is a dull but essential step in taking control of your finances. Note your income and fixed outgoings, then set a budget for your variable spending. If you have never made a budget, start here.

2# Save for annual expenses

As part of your budget, create sinking funds for annual expenses such as your car breakdown cover, MOT costs, birthdays and Christmas. Everyone should have an emergency fund of at least £1000, so don’t forget to include this in your monthly budget. (Here is why you need one.)

3# Have a no-spend January

Aim to buy only essentials during January. A no-spend month means you can pay your bills and buy groceries, but you don’t allow yourself any extraneous spending. That means no new clothing, no nights out, no coffee on the way to work, no book buying, etc. It sounds grim, but it’s only for a month and your bank balance will look much healthier in February.

4# Use cash

If you struggle to stop impulse purchases, decide what you can afford to spend for the week and take out cash. Hide your debit cards and temporarily disable Apple Pay. 

It is much harder to part with cash than to flash your card or phone.

5# Keep track of your spending

Another way to curb impulse purchasing is to record all of your spending, either in a small notebook or on an app. Set a reminder to do this at a set time of day or as you go along. This exercise can reveal where your money goes and where you can save.

6# Unsubscribe from retailers’ newsletters & apps

At this time of year, your inbox will be full of offers and sales. But a bargain is only a bargain if you can afford it and need it, so unsubscribe from as many newsletters as possible to avoid temptation.

Food takeout apps are also worth deleting to save money.

7# Cancel subscriptions you don’t use

Look hard at your subscriptions, from streaming services to meal kits, from wine boxes to beauty collections. Do you use them frequently enough to make them worthwhile? Or do you end up with excess food or makeup you don’t use, or channels you rarely watch? Most importantly, can you afford them? Be honest and cancel any you can do without. This also applies to magazines, newspapers and other media.

8# Give up smoking or vaping

New year, new you? January is a great month to quit smoking or vaping to improve your health and your bank balance. 

9# Start meal planning

You can save a lot on your grocery bill, and avoid food waste, by carefully planning your meals, and then creating a shopping list so you buy only what you will eat.

Don’t forget to include a few snacks and treats as part of your regular grocery shop. This saves multiple trips to convenience shops in between when you fancy a bar of chocolate or a bottle of wine.

10# Eat seasonally

 Seasonal food is plentiful and therefore usually cheaper. Take advantage by planning your meals around supermarket specials and what’s cheapest now.

There is a guide to seasonal produce in the UK on the National Trust website.

11# Make the most of your freezer

Freezers are great money-savers, enabling you to store leftovers, do some batch cooking, buy larger packs of food more cheaply, and take advantage of yellow sticker items you won’t eat before the use-by date.

12# Do your grocery shop later

Go to the supermarket in the evening. Get to know when food is reduced and when to find the best reductions in each store.

13# Join Olio

Olio is a food-sharing app that allows you to access free food that would otherwise go to waste. It mainly comes from retailers, but individuals give things away too that they can’t use quickly enough.

It is excellent for bread, cakes and snacks, so useful if you have a hoard of hungry teenagers.

14# Learn to repair your clothing

Learn some basic sewing skills so that you can keep your clothing looking good for longer. This useful website will get you started.

15# Home hairdos

YouTube has tons of videos on home haircutting if you are feeling brave! Certainly, colouring your hair isn’t difficult and can save you a lot of money.

If this is too much of a challenge, find a hairdressing college for a super cheap (or potentially free) hairdo.

16# Get inspired

If you are feeling stuck looking for ways to be more frugal and save money in 2025, here are some brilliant books to inspire you. Get them from your library for free! 

The Complete Tightwad Gazette: Promoting Thrift as a Viable Alternative Lifestyle, Amy Dacyczyn

The Moneyless Man: A Year of Freeconomic Living, Mark Boyle

Your Money or Your Life: 9 Steps to Transforming Your Relationship with Money and Achieving Financial Independence, Vicki Robin & Joe Dominguez

And, a cheeky one from me to finish …

Extreme Frugality: Save Money Like Your Grandma, Jane Berry

Photo credits: Pexels