Frugal living works when you cut the big recurring costs first (bills, food, transport and subscriptions) and keep spending on the things you genuinely value. The 25 tips below are specific to the UK, each takes one sitting or one habit to put in place, and together they can free up a meaningful amount every month without making life miserable.
If you want the mindset and a longer plan behind frugal living, read our frugal living guide. This page is the practical list.
Food and groceries (tips 1 to 6)
Food is the biggest flexible cost for most households, and the one where habits make the most difference.
- 1. Plan meals around what you already have. Check the fridge and cupboards before writing the list; it cuts waste as well as spending. See our meal planning guide
- 2. Compare unit prices, not pack prices. UK supermarkets show a price per kg or per litre on the shelf label, which often reveals that the bigger pack is not cheaper
- 3. Drop one brand level. Try the supermarket's own or value range on staples such as tinned tomatoes, pasta and cleaning products, and only go back where you notice a difference
- 4. Try a discount supermarket for your main shop. Which? runs a monthly price comparison of the main supermarkets; check our supermarket value guide
- 5. Batch cook and freeze. Cooking double and freezing portions beats a takeaway on a tired evening
- 6. Use yellow-sticker reductions and food-sharing apps for bread, fruit and meat you can freeze the same day
Household bills (tips 7 to 13)
Bills are where one phone call or comparison can save money every month for years.
- 7. Never auto-renew insurance. Get comparison quotes three to four weeks before renewal; prices for the same cover vary a lot
- 8. Go SIM-only once your phone is paid off. Out-of-contract customers often keep paying for a handset they already own. See contract vs SIM-only
- 9. Ask about broadband social tariffs if you get Universal Credit or certain other benefits; most big providers offer one
- 10. Claim the 25% single person council tax discount if you are the only adult in your home, and check whether you qualify for Council Tax Reduction
- 11. Check whether you need a TV licence. It costs £180 a year from April 2026, but you only need one to watch or record live TV on any channel or use BBC iPlayer
- 12. Consider a water meter if there are fewer people in your home than bedrooms. In England and Wales you can usually switch back within a set period if it costs more
- 13. Turn the heating down a degree, wash at 30°C and air-dry clothes. Small energy habits add up over a year
Shopping and stuff (tips 14 to 18)
Spending on things is often driven by impulse rather than need.
- 14. Use a 30-day rule for non-essential purchases over a set amount: write it down and buy it only if you still want it a month later
- 15. Buy second-hand first for furniture, children's items, tools and sports kit. Our second-hand guide covers where to look
- 16. Unsubscribe from shop marketing emails and delete saved card details from shopping sites so every purchase takes a moment of thought
- 17. Use your library for books, ebooks, audiobooks and often magazines and newspapers through free apps
- 18. Sell what you do not use. Occasional decluttering sales are normally not taxable, but platforms report sellers with 30 or more sales or over about £1,700 a year to HMRC
Transport (tips 19 to 21)
Transport costs are easy to accept as fixed, but they rarely are.
- 19. Get a railcard if you travel by train a few times a year. Most railcards save a third on eligible fares, and the Two Together and Family and Friends railcards cover adults travelling together
- 20. Book advance train tickets and compare split tickets for longer journeys
- 21. Work out the real cost of your car, including insurance, tax, servicing and depreciation, and ask whether a cheaper car, car sharing or a bike for short trips would work. Fuel duty is due to rise in stages from January 2027
Money admin (tips 22 to 25)
The least glamorous tips often save the most.
- 22. Audit subscriptions every quarter. Go through your bank statement and cancel anything you have not used in the last month. Our subscription purge guide helps
- 23. Buy a prescription prepayment certificate if you pay for prescriptions in England and need more than about 11 items a year: a 12-month certificate costs £114.50 against £9.90 per item
- 24. Move savings to a competitive account. Money in an account paying very little loses value to inflation; compare via our savings accounts guide
- 25. Pay yourself first. Move a set amount into savings the day after payday so frugal choices turn into savings rather than extra spending
Where to start
You do not need to do all 25. Pick the three that would save you the most (for most people that means an insurance renewal, the food shop and subscriptions) and do them this week. Then add one new habit a month.
To see the effect, write down your monthly costs before and after in our budget planner, then point the difference at a goal with the savings goal calculator. A No-Spend Challenge is a good way to reset spending habits for a week or a month, and SYM can turn the money you free up into a daily savings streak.
Frequently asked questions
Common questions about frugal living in the UK.
What is frugal living?
How much can frugal living save in the UK?
What is the easiest frugal tip to start with?
Is frugal living the same as being cheap?
Do I need a TV licence to watch Netflix?
- frugal living
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- budgeting
- UK bills
- money tips