This post is an example of all the little frugal things we do throughout a typical day. They are just a part of our normal routine, but these tiny things add up to big savings over time. Disclaimer: some of the links are Amazon associate links. If you click them, and choose to buy something, this blog gets a tiny amount at no cost to you! Thanks for reading, we hope you find some things to think about.
6:00 am – Mrs. BE is up-an-at-em… errr, I mean, probably hitting the snooze once or twice… or staggering downstairs, brewing some coffee, and falling back asleep on the couch. I usually prep it the night before, filling the machine with water and coffee so that I just have to push the “on” button. We use store brand coffee, bought in bulk when it’s on sale, and just ordered this reusable filter to cut costs even more.
By making coffee at home, we save $2-8 per day, for two of us. It costs about a quarter to make 12 cups of coffee, and we each drink 2-3 cups. The rest we put in the refrigerator, and heat up the next day. This way we also only have to make a pot every other day. We sometimes doctor it up with fancy creamer, flavorings, or protein powder, but most days I just add enough 2% milk to make it beige.
6:10 am – Let the pups out; our house choice was influenced by the large fenced in back yard. This is a personal choice, we both value yard space for pups, as well as playing and relaxing. Plus, we’re lazy and like to let the little darlings get their own exercise. They each get 1/2 cup of dog food out of a giant 50lb bag we buy on Amazon once every 6 months. Yay little dogs = little food $$
We got two because then they will keep each other company, and we don’t have to feel guilty leaving them alone all day. Of course, this is less of a problem now that the Mr. can let them go outside midday, but still it is nice for them to have each other. And that way we don’t need doggy daycare or other pet-sitting / walking services.
6:30 am – Breakfast is a rotation of cheap, healthy options including smoothies with whatever fruits are on hand, eggs in various ways like bagel sandwiches, microwave poached, or scrambled with veggies, or oatmeal.
Making your own breakfast is a huge frugal tip because not only is having breakfast a key to energy all day long and maintaining a healthy weight, but you can make your own at home for FAR cheaper than any restaurant, even drive through.
Eggs are crazy cheap right now and a great source of protein. A loaf of bread costs $1-3 depending on your ingredients, and toast is a good on-the-go option, add a tbsp of nut butter and/or sliced fruit to up your game. You can also meal-prep by making a big batch of breakfast burritos or muffins and freezing them to use throughout the week.
6:40 am – Mrs. BE takes coffee upstairs and leaves a cup for the Mr., usually in addition to a smoothie. Yeah, he’s spoiled, sorry boys I’m very taken. 😉 Hubs is a lucky man, he works from home, and also starts work about an hour 1/2 later than I do. Good thing I’m the morning person in the relationship!
**You’ll notice, there is no “do hair and makeup” line item here. That’s because I don’t wear makeup. Any, ever. Unless I’m like, going to a wedding or about to be professionally photographed. By eating a whole foods plant-based diet and drinking loads of water, my skin is pretty darn healthy and I don’t have to hide it. This saves us boatloads of money year over year. Hooray for natural beauty!
I also have never been a fan of hair products. Curlers, crimpers, blow dryers, straighteners… these are terrible for your hair. And mousse, gel, spray, net, etc. are also bad for your hair, your respiratory system, and the environment. Save your self craptons of cash, space in your cabinets, and stop polluting the world with empty metal canisters and just don’t buy it.
7:20-7:30 – Mrs. BE leaves for work. It’s a sad fact of life that I have a 35-minutes commute, but in better, frugal news, I do have a 12-year-old, fully paid off (i.e. no car loan) Honda which gets fabulous gas mileage, and a parking pass to take a bus into campus.* (*this post)
This is great because it helps save gas and the environment by taking advantage of public transit, it gives me a chance to meet or talk to others who work on campus, and it gives me some down time where I can relax. I usually read, but occasionally I’ll type up some blog post ideas.
8-8:30 – 4:30-5 – Mrs. BE is a little worker bee, makin that bacon
8:50 am – Mr. BE cracks open an eye, slugs the coffee I left for him on the bedside table, and hits snooze
8:59 am – Mr. BE drags himself into his home office, boots up various computer(s) and his work laptop, and gets to work making and fixing apps. Being a programmer from the comfort of home gives him the world’s best commute of: approximately 1 minute!
11/noon – Lunch is nearly always leftovers from home. Brown bagging it does not have to be boring! I’ve brought my slow cooker to work for delicious soups, and a George foreman for hot tuna melt sandwiches. People often comment on how good my lunch smells or looks. Try getting that reaction from a boring $7 cafeteria salad.
Lunch hack 1: Make large batches (either all at once on the weekend, or cook double batches of dinners) and store them in reusable individual sized containers. You’re already cooking dinner, why not make double and keep a lunch-size-serving ready? You can use meal prep ready plastic, or I personally love these tight seal glass ones.
Lunch hack 2: Pack lunch the night before. If you already have a sandwich or salad made or tupperware ready to grab, it makes your morning easier and your lunches cheaper.
Lunch hack 3: Keep an emergency stock in your desk/cabinet/purse. I always have a rotating stock of a few cans of soup, rice cakes and peanut butter, tuna, and trail mix on hand in case I forget lunch.
Lunch hack 4: Bring a reuseable water bottle/cup and your own beverages/snacks to keep at your desk. Drinking water all day is good for you in a million ways, and also helps keep you full.
Mr. BE also has leftovers at home, or there are plenty of freezer options to keep his belly full. We have frozen ground turkey for burritos, ingredients for quick sandwiches or soups, and the always-an-option homemade yogurt.
5:30-6pm – Mrs. BE gets home, signaling the end of Mr.’s workday (usually, sometimes there are more issues and emails to attend to, it varies). I immediately pull out whatever is on the meal plan for dinner that night and heat it up, bake it, or do whatever needs done.
Usually dinner is ready in 30 minutes or less, and always using homemade, whole food ingredients that were planned for and purchased earlier. I also check the meal plan to see what is coming up for tomorrow, and take something out of the freezer if needed.
We have also recently been working exercise into our routine. Monday/Wed/Friday the Mrs. does a 20-30 minute yoga video. Tues/Thurs are run days, and the Mr. joins me for these, depending on the weather of course. Worst case, we almost always find time for a nice after-dinner walk together (sometimes dogs too).
Staying fit and exercising regularly is a huge frugal tip, for so many reasons. By staying in a healthy weight range, you keep your body functioning in top shape. You are avoiding a slew of medical bills, lab test, and medications. You are less likely to incur debt from hospital stays and chronic illness. You may qualify for better payments on health insurance, and your employer may give you perks for quitting smoking or seeking preventive care. And you spend less on clothing by staying about the same size season to season and year to year.
7-9:00 pm – Sometimes we work on individual projects; I will write blog posts or read while the Mr. works on VR. Both of us are pursuing several avenues for side income, or we will play (free) video games together. Usually we will watch 1-2 episodes of our latest TV fling on Netflix. We have never had cable in all our 4+ years of living together, and don’t feel like it affects our lives in the least.
9-10:00 pm – Showering & getting ready for bedtime. We save money in multiple ways with our personal grooming. I use conditioner as my shaving cream rather than pay the pink tax and buy $5 per bottle shave cream. We also both use changeable razors that we buy in bulk from some off-brand place once a year. Total cost per razor ends up being about 20 cents! Compare that to the ridiculous price of razors in the store. For really indulgent showers, I use my homemade body scrub.
We also both cut our own hair. We got an electric razor set for $20 and it has been the best idea ever. Hubs will get in the tub, and I buzz his hair, poof, fresh new haircut in under 10 minutes. For me, I just trim the ends every 3-4 months with regular scissors. I go for a “real” haircut maybe once every other year.
10:00: Bedtime! Getting 8 hours of quality sleep is a huge frugal tip because it is good for not only your health but also your focus and productivity. Getting your “beauty sleep” can in fact make you more beautiful as your body has time to repair DNA damage and reboot your physical systems overnight.
Enough sleep will also help you in the working world. You are a more attentive driver, meaning less likelihood of expensive mistakes. You don’t need as much or any help from caffeine and chemicals in coffee and energy drinks. You can focus better and longer, making you more productive and thus more valuable. You may be able to justify a raise, or seek a promotion or new job with all that energy!
And there you have it, the typical daily life of the Budget Epicurean family. Through years of trying different frugal tips and keeping what works for us, we have figured out the best ways to maximize our dollars and our time.
