Ideas for Lent that may Create Frugal Habits

Here are some ideas of things that you can give up for Lent that maybe you never thought of that could also create a new frugal habit for your family. If you choose to give up one of these things for lent not only will save money but you may also discover that your family does not “need” them after all:

1) Dry cleaning
2) Juice (eat the fruit instead)
3) Fabric Softener
4) Cleaning Chemicals (use vinegar water & reusable rags instead)
5) Catalogs & other advertising media that arrives in your mail (trash them immediately)
6) Shopping for unnecessaries
7) Eating out (take up cooking and meal planning for every meal)
8) Coffee from the “outside” (brew your own at home)
9) Tabloid magazines
10) Cereal (other than homemade cereal of course)
11) Cable (look into reconnection charges first if you are certain that you will be reconnecting)
12) Entertainment that costs money
13) Cleaning services, babysitting or other services that you pay for but can do yourself or do without
14) Newspaper

There are people even in America who have given up all these things or never even had them to begin with and they are still alive! So yes, it can be done. Most of these things I have been able to give up (or never had) for prolonged periods of time (years) and I still have friends, a social life, healthy children and a wonderful marriage. Really, it will not kill you, I promise.