For me, it’s usually the opposite. Many of the little things I do to save money also make my home feel simpler, more organised and less wasteful. A lot of these habits came naturally from the way I grew up and things my family taught me.
I’ve written before about 7 Money Saving Habits From Grandparents and 7 Old-Fashioned Habits That Actually Make Life Easier, and I think the same principle applies here: sometimes the simplest habits make the biggest difference.
Here are nine things I regularly do at home that save me money without making me feel like I’m missing out.
1. I Plan Meals Around What I Already Have
One of the easiest ways I save money is simply by looking through my cupboards before deciding what to make.
I actually love creating simple recipes from ingredients I already have. For example, I always seem to have packs of brown and white sugar in my cupboard, even though I don’t really use sugar for anything else.
Last weekend, I realised I had everything I needed to make brownies. There was no special shopping trip and no long list of ingredients to buy — I simply used what was already in my kitchen.
And they made such a lovely little treat to share with my friends.
I’ve found that checking what I have first and deciding what I can make from it saves money, reduces waste and makes cooking more creative. You can find more ideas in my Recipes section.
2. I Freeze Food Before It Goes to Waste
I almost always freeze food if I know I’m not going to use it in time. This is actually something my mum taught me.
And you can freeze much more than you might think. Did you know that you can even freeze bread and cheese?
Bread is particularly useful to keep in the freezer because I can take out what I need rather than worrying about finishing the whole loaf.
It’s such a small habit, but I’d rather freeze perfectly good food than eventually throw away something I’ve already paid for. It’s also very similar to the philosophy behind my article 7 Things My Grandparents Never Wasted (And Why I Don’t Either).
3. I Make My Coffee at Home
I’ve mentioned this before, but my morning coffee is sacred time! 😀
I almost never buy coffee when I’m out. It’s not because I think buying coffee is a terrible waste of money — if I do buy one, I simply treat it as exactly that: a treat.
Over time, I’ve mastered making my coffee exactly how I like it at home, and honestly, I enjoy it just as much.
That’s something I’ve learnt about saving money in general: find an alternative you genuinely enjoy instead of constantly feeling like you’re depriving yourself.
4. I Take Care of My Clothes Properly
I genuinely believe that taking care of your clothes should be just as important as styling them.
At the end of each season, I take my coats and jackets to the dry cleaners before putting them away. When the next autumn or winter arrives, they’re already clean, fresh and ready to wear again.
Washing clothes correctly, ironing them, storing them properly and fixing small problems can extend their life enormously.
I would much rather look after a coat I love for years than constantly replace it. It’s something I also talk about throughout my Fashion articles.
5. I Use Things Completely Before Replacing Them
This is especially true for my cosmetics and skincare.
It’s very easy to look at a tube of cream, decide it’s empty and throw it away. But try cutting it open — I can almost guarantee there will still be product inside.
Before throwing away any packaging, I check whether there’s product left at the bottom or around the sides.
Cosmetics can be expensive, so if I’ve paid for the whole product, I want to use the whole product.
It’s a tiny example of something I explored more in 10 Things I Stopped Buying That Made Life Simpler: sometimes consuming less simply starts with using what we already have.
6. I Keep My Cleaning Products Simple
Just like with most things in my life, I prefer to keep cleaning simple too.
I don’t believe you need 100 different products to keep your home clean. I prefer having a smaller selection that works well and can be used for multiple purposes.
It saves money, takes up less cupboard space and makes cleaning simpler.
A clean home doesn’t require a cupboard full of products.
7. I Don’t Constantly Redecorate My Home
I love having a cosy home, but I don’t redecorate it every season.
Today, for example, my table has some fresh flowers, a candle and a little pile of recipe books. Nothing was specially styled or bought for a new season — they’re simply things I already own and enjoy.
I think making a home feel beautiful is much more about atmosphere than decoration.
Fresh flowers, candlelight and things with memories attached can create more warmth than constantly buying something new. It’s one of the reasons I wrote about Why Baltic Homes Always Feel So Cozy.
8. I Repair Things Before Throwing Them Away
I believe in buying good-quality things when I can, but that also means looking after them.
My Rains backpack is almost four years old, and I use it constantly — even for grocery shopping.
Recently, part of it broke. Instead of buying another backpack, I took it to be repaired. It cost me €6, and now the bag is perfectly usable again.
Before replacing something, I try to ask myself one simple question:
Can this actually be fixed?
Often, the answer is yes.
9. I Wait Before Making Bigger Purchases
I never make a bigger purchase for my home without giving myself at least 24 hours to think about it.
The painting in my home is a perfect example. I loved it immediately, and the colours fit my flat beautifully. But it wasn’t cheap.
So I waited almost a week.
After several days, I still loved it, knew exactly where I wanted it and felt confident that it wasn’t an impulse purchase.
Intentional living doesn’t mean never spending money on beautiful things. For me, it means giving important purchases the consideration they deserve.
Saving Money Without Feeling Deprived
None of these habits makes me feel particularly frugal.
I still buy flowers. I still enjoy beautiful things. I still treat myself to coffee sometimes and spend money on things I genuinely love.
The difference is that I’m much more conscious about wasting less, looking after what I own and thinking before I buy.
And perhaps that’s why these habits actually stick.
Saving money feels much easier when it isn’t about constantly giving things up — but about appreciating and using what you already have a little more.
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