Unlock Awesome Financial Potential Part 2: More Excellent Frugal Fitness

Disclaimer: The information provided in this article on financial frugal practices and tips is for general informational purposes only. The content is based on personal opinions and research and should not be considered as professional financial advice. Every individual’s financial situation is unique, and what works for one person may not be suitable for another. While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information, the author and publisher make no warranties or representations regarding the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of the content. Readers are encouraged to do their own research and consult with a qualified financial advisor before making any financial decisions or implementing any tips shared in this article. The author and publisher are not responsible for any financial losses, damages, or consequences that may arise from following the advice or suggestions in this article.

Itching for more ways to unlock your financial freedom?  Back for a second round, here are more ways you can slice into your savings and spending to dig your way to no debt, future riches, and financial freedom.

Visit Your Local Library

Libraries have great resources.  They provide access to books, abilities to do digital research/media, music, magazines, journals, movies, TV shows, newspapers and archives, games, video games, educational software, audiobooks, e-books, and the list goes on and on. 

Visiting the Library in 2025

It had been some years since a visit to a local library so I figured there is no time like the present to see what’s new and what has changed.

Had to Get a New Card

Yes that’s how long it had been follks lol!  I walked up to the counter and told the lovely ladies at the front counter that I was a lost soul of 2025 and was hoping to explore the new wonderful world of the library.  They saw the history that I was indeed a former library visitor but I needed a new card. 

Simple process to show proof of where I lived (local to the library) and off to the races with my new, shiny card.  Handed a black sharpie to drizzle my signature at the bottom and on with the tour.

This library was bigger than any other library I had visited up to this point.  Of course I had many questions and they had all the answers…

Late Fees

In previous years, there were late fees for bringing books back past their “due date.”  I was happily surprised that the particular library I went to no longer had these fees.  In fact, as an added bonus, they even automatically renew your books for up to 3 weeks.  Time to do a dance!

The only time a customer would be charged it seemed were for lost or damaged books.  Very reasonable terms.

eBooks and Audiobooks

I was pleased to find there were resources available online to view eBooks and audiobooks of a variety of choices.  The selection looked a bit limited until I navigated a bit more around with their website to learn many of the titles I wanted were there if I searched and filtered certain ways.  I did a quick search on some of the top 5 books (as recent as last year) and boom they were all there.  With this magic at my fingertips I wouldn’t even have to burn any gas going there unless I wanted a physical book!

Digital Magazines and Newspaper Archives

Also at digital fingertips were a variety of archives for local and popular newspapers.  Digital magazines with backdated magazines with a searchable database were also available.  I only skimmed through but some of these were offered with a way to use them on your smartphone as well (All Free.)

Movies, TV, Music

Many of these were available with the option to view on a computer or use other means to view on your phone.  Free again of course.

Other services

It turns out there was a tech lab that offered many other services like playing with virtual reality games, an area of equipment for recording and podcasting (crazy right?), 3d printing, and robotics amongst other things.

Worth The Trip

Needless to say this visit was well worth it.  I left with 8 physical books (doubtful I will even get through them) and felt like I just received a cash back prize or something.  Definitely recommend!

Decluttering and Minimalism

Essentially the heart of this is owning less and organizing what you own while deciding if you really need the items you have. 

Minimalism in Motion

Only owning what you need for everyday living can help make decisions about buying items much easier.  Sometimes simply asking yourself questions like these may help you save money:

• Do I need this?
• Will I use this?
• Is this an impulse purchase?
• Will this just sit on a shelf or in a cabinet somewhere and not really be needed?

Embrace a minimalist lifestyle by decluttering and selling or donating items you no longer need. This can also prevent unnecessary future purchases.

Clean Up Your Mess!

How long has it been since you cleaned your room?  Your garage?  Your kitchen drawers?

Now may be the time!  You may realize you can donate items, sell them, or just found something you were about to purchase again.  Money saved, money earned.

Not only will this exercise help your wallet, it will help your mind.  Looking at an unorganized mess has been shown to reduce stress, limit distractions, increase a positive mood, and will also likely bring a sense of looking at your accomplishment.

Growing Your Own Food Vs Buying

Start a small garden or grow herbs indoors to save on fresh produce costs. It’s also a rewarding hobby!

As an added bonus, your body will be ingesting home-grown and organic food that is highly beneficial to your body.

Bartering or Trading Services

A tactic as old as time.  You may be able to trade services with a friend, coworker, family member, neighbor, etc. 

If you need some plumbing work done you may be able to trade it for something like electrical services. 

How about mowing the lawn for a certain time in exchange for someone building you a bookshelf?

What other ideas do you have for trading services? Drop a comment below 👇!

Negotiate Bills

Many people don’t realize or forget that you can often negotiate bills.  If you have a service that has competition in the area then you may be able to use that as a bargaining chip.

An example of this is cellular services.  Working with the billing department to resolve an issue and casually mentioning you may leave their service might be enough for them to take action. All of a sudden you may find yourself with the issue promptly resolved and get a break on a bill you weren’t expecting to retain you as a customer.

Medical bills are often worth doing this with.  What companies bill insurance for typically is many times more than paying cash out of pocket.

Cash Back and Receipt Scanning Programs

This one many people know but for those of you that don’t, there are cash back apps, credit card rewards, and loyalty programs to earn rewards and discounts on everyday purchases..  Websites and apps like Rakuten, Ibotta, and Coupon Cabin may offer discounts or cash back on your shopping experiences.

Similarly, there are apps that may offer the ability to eventually withdraw cash for taking photos of your receipts.  Some of these include Fetch and Receipt Hog.

Buy Only What You Need

One of the essential ways of thinking here is learning the control to only make the purchases you really need.  Buying something because of a discount or cash back reward should not be enough to sway your need to purchase an item.  If it is, find other methods for saving to follow and work on utilizing restraint when in shopping environments.

How Does it Work?

Keep in mind that each program that you may find will have different ways and rules to go about earning money, when you can withdraw money, and how you will get your earnings.  Always read the terms and conditions to understand how each program works.

Cash Back

Here is an example of how this typically works:  After signing up, you’ll search for a retailer, grocer, vendor, etc. that may be participating in these programs and offering a certain percentage in cash back on your verified purchase.  If you complete your purchase as the offer states, you’ll eventually receive cash back to your account which you can then withdraw your earnings.  Based on author experience, you normally have to activate these potential earnings before you make your purchase to ensure your account is linked to the purchase.  As with any program, the way things operate can change over time so be sure to review on a regular basis any changes, updates, and ways to redeem.

Receipts

This one is after your purchase.  You will scan your physical receipts and certain accounts allowed for purchases like email and specific vendors (see specific programs for details around what is allowed and what accounts you can connect.) 

Once you have built up enough points to cash out, you can redeem the money (keep in mind this may be in the form of a gift card.)  Again, please defer to the specific program for specifics on how you withdraw your earnings and how they allow them to be withdrawn.

Watch TV With An Antenna

If you don’t know about this, surely you’ll need to see what this can offer you and if it could be enough to satisfy part or all of your programming needs.  Local antenna stations are often picked up with an antenna that is plugged directly into the back of your TV.  In some cases, a digital converter box may be needed in addition to the antenna.

Once you have both of these you manually scan through your channels to see which ones you pick up.  Many of these are your major networks in addition with some others that may be enough if you only digest a limited amount of television and content.  Don’t be surprised if you get a ton of channels for free once you have the above equipment needed.

How Affordable is an Antenna and Digital Converter Box?

Like all other things, it depends on what you buy and the quality of it.  I believe most would agree these are on the lower end of spending.  Run a quick search and sort by lowest price.  You’ll find these are relatively cheap and easy to hook up.

Squash Unused Subscriptions

Always go through your subscriptions to see if it is time to cancel them.  This is ALL subscriptions not just streaming services.  After all, you’re paying for them! 

Learn DIY Home Improvement and Home Repairs

With the advent of the lovely folks who post online how to do even the toughest jobs, there’s so many resources on this that some tasks really are “do it yourself.”  The more you are able to learn, the more money you will save.

An example of this is one task that is simple for almost anyone. That annoying task of changing the insides of your toilet tank! Yes, it might be a pain in the butt but if you educate yourself on how the inner workings work, you can do this!  Fortunately, this is more of a skillset as opposed to a physical labor or need for elaborate tooling to accomplish the mission.

Some jobs may be a bit tougher, especially for those that are not physically strong, require multiple people, or may require use of tools are on the harder side to learn how to utilize.  If that is the case, then you may have a reason to hire some help. 

Always look up some of these tasks to see if it is within your mental and physical abilities to do or try to learn. 

You’ll be amazed some of the money you can save if you’re able to knock some of these out yourself. 

Envelopes for Cash Budget

So you’re budgeting and having trouble with going over the limit?  Might be time for you to go back to the old school train of thought. 

Consider budgeting with a cash only system (especially for those that you will normally spend in person.)  There’s something about handing over actual cash to a person that stings a bit more than handing over a piece of plastic.

Once you allocate a certain amount to the envelope and then spend it, you have run out of money for that category.

Reduce Your Intake to Marketing and Advertising

Are there ways to reduce the intake of the temptation to buy goods and services?  Sure there are plenty of ways.

• Reduce these types of marketing by unsubscribing to mailings and emails
• Reduce the intake of sources that advertise more heavily within short time frames
• Understand how social media advertises to you and if necessary limit your intake of social media that bombards with too many temptations
• Know yourself and what tempts you the most with successful impulse or unnecessary purchases.  Prioritize avoiding the highest offenders.
• Mute television or streaming commercials or do something else when commercials come on

Reducing the Amount of Money Given to Your Home

While many people struggle to afford a home, (if you’re one of the ones that can) ask yourself what would happen if you suddenly lost your job.  Would you still be able to afford your home until you were able to get another job?

If the answer is no, it makes a lot of sense to think about how to live lower than your means when it comes to housing as this is typically the biggest expense each of us face that are blessed enough to own.

Whether it is making a wiser decision before purchasing or renting, adjusting to a more affordable home, or figuring out a plan to be able to execute it is worth looking at all your available options to reduce the amount of money you give to your home.

While there are many costs associated with a home, see how many of these could be reduced by adjusting various factors in your specific situation.

Comments

What else can you think that others might not to save money? I’d love to include some user ideas for saving in the next part of this article series! Drop a comment below! 👇