Frugal Living Blogs: Top 25 | List for 2018

Frugal Living Blogs 2018

Here are just a few of our favourite frugal living bloggers to follow in 2018, and beyond:

• Mr. Money Mustache
• The Simple Dollar
• Wise Bread
• Thrifty Frugal Mom
• Frugalwoods
• Money Saving Mom
• Six Figures Under
• Living on a Dime

Check out our full list of 25 frugal living blogs for 2018.

Frugal Living: The Top 25 Blogs to Follow in 2018

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If you’re all about frugal living like we are, then you’ll need to check out our Top 25 Frugal Living Blogs to Follow in 2018. Get even more tips and tricks for saving money, without hampering your lifestyle.

Are you ready to save some money? Then keep on reading.

#1: Mr. Money Mustache

If you’re looking for all kinds of frugal living, money saving cool, then you’ve come to the right place. Mr. Money Mustache is the guru of all things frugal living trendy.

Here’s why we follow him:

• His posts are just plain entertaining. Even if you don’t care that much about frugal living, you’d probably still read his posts until the very end. And then click on another one and read that too.
• He lives a radically different lifestyle than the average person, and even goes a whole lot further than most other frugal living bloggers do.
• Mr. Money Mustache is all about DIY. This is something that we’re trying to do more of, and we’re actively trying to learn all kinds of new skills. He’s an inspiration!
• He has a cult-following. For real. He himself calls them his cult. If you want to be a part of a radical, money-saving community then check out his stuff.

You can check him out for yourself here: Mr. Money Mustache.

#2: The Simple Dollar

We’ve been following the Simple Dollar for years now, and they’re often our go-to source for a quick hit of inspiration when we’re feeling like jumping off the frugal living wagon.

Here’s why they’re been in our news feeds for years:

• Simple, real tips for real people.
• Regularly updated and they cover a wide range of topics beyond frugal living. Finance, investing, loans, insurance, etc.
• They’re all about cheap, simple meals built from cheap staples. This is the way we try to live at our house too, so we appreciate the new ideas. A big bag of potatoes, a sack of rice, and dried beans hanging around your cupboard for way too long? Go here to find out how to use them.

Get some frugal living inspiration today: The Simple Dollar.

#3: Wise Bread

We normally get annoyed by blogs and websites that blow up our news-feeds with too many updates. Wise Bread is the exception. It often feels like they got inside my brain and wrote articles only for me. They’re so relevant, up-to-date, and useful.

Here’s why we follow them:

• Very prolific. At least a few blog posts a day, covering a huge range of topics so check back often for more inspiration.
• Forums, tweet chats, etc. There are lots of opportunities for interaction with other like-minded people.
• Their “life-hack” section is particularly good. If you’ve ever wanted some basic advice about a DIY topic, check here first. They’re probably covered it.

Find them here: Wise Bread. 

#4: Thrifty Frugal Mom

If you’re serious about saving money, then you’ll need to check out this frugal living blog. For example, at the time of writing, the first post on the site was about how she spent $225/month on food for a family of six. It included menus and recipes. Impressive!

Here’s why she’s worth a follow:

• VERY detailed menu ideas, and recipes to help you get started. Even if you just take a few tips from her, you’ll be saving a ton of money on groceries each month.
• Check out her section on Frugal Gift Ideas. This is often a huge budget killer for a lot of people, but it doesn’t have to be.
• She’s all about cooking from scratch and doing things like canning and her posts are full of tips for how to do it well. If you want to get healthy as well as save money, you’d do well to take a lot of her advice. Seriously.

Find her here: Thrifty Frugal Mom

#5: Notes from the Frugal Trenches

As a Canadian myself, I’m always happy to read blogs from fellow Canucks. Notes from the Frugal Trenches blogs about living in a big Canadian city, which isn’t easy (we’re from Vancouver, we know). Taxes are high. Services are expensive. Housing prices are ridiculous.

Here’s why we follow her:

• The posts about how they saved money this week are honest, inspiring and full of great tips.
• She’s up to 5 days a week of no-spending, which we find quite impressive. We try to have a lot of days like this ourselves.
• She sees becoming more frugal as a journey. It’s not something you can instantly do, but it happens through a series of gradual changes. If you’re a beginner on the path towards frugal living, you’ll probably want to check her out.

Check it out for yourself here: Notes from the Frugal Trenches.

#6: Frugalwoods

This blog is from an inspiring family who retired early and now lives on a homestead in rural Vermont. Through frugal living, they’ve created a life they love, instead of being slaves to consumerism.

Here’s why you should check them out:

• They are proof that frugal living works!
• We love following along with them on their journey as they learn all sorts of new skills related to living off the land.
• Their reader case studies are particularly interesting and inspiring on our own journey towards living more frugally.

Find out all about the homesteader journey here: Frugalwoods.

#7: Early Retirement Extreme

Jacob, from Early Retirement Extreme will help you become financially independent in only 5 years. You can do this through running your personal finances in much the same way as you would a business. If you’re serious about retiring early, this is a can’t miss blog.

Here’s why you should check it out:

• ERE goes far, far beyond the simple frugal living tips like, “Go to the library instead of buying books.” It’s for people who are extreme, and have some big goals.
• The forums at Early Retirement Extreme are active, and filled with lots of people offering all sorts of wisdom. If you need advice about a specific topic, this is probably the place to ask your question.
• Jacob lives in a ridiculously little amount of money ($7000 per year). It’s impressive to say the least.

For a serious dose of frugal living, check out: Early Retirement Extreme.

#8: Money Saving Mom

If you want to get into some serious savings on your grocery bill each month, Money Saving Mom is the frugal living blog for you. She’s all about freebies, and couponing and has some super solid tips for getting started with this.

Here’s why we check out her blog at least once a week:

• The coupon database is gold. Seriously. Gold straight into your bank account each week.
• She’s all about making things herself in order to save money, from food to cleaning products, to just about anything. If you’ve ever thought, “I wonder if I can make_____ myself,” she’s probably tried it.
• She finds the craziest deals and gives you all the information you need to know about them, and nothing more.

Get some frugal living power here: Money Saving Mom.

#9: Six Figures Under

Stephanie at Six Figures Under documents her journey to get out from under a staggering student loan debt. It’s an inspiring journey and if you find yourself in the same situation, you’ll want to check her out:

Here’s why Six Figures Under belongs in your news feed:

• She gives you the straight up numbers for how she’s doing. We appreciate this a lot and find it refreshing when financial bloggers give the actual numbers.
• Six Figures Under covers frugal living from a big range of topics, including home, food, garden, kids.
• Stephanie has a no-spend month. As we’re currently in the middle of a “no-spend” January, this provided a good dose of inspiration for us.

Find out how to get out of student loan debt here: Six Figures Under.

#10: Reddit /frugal

Okay, so we know that Reddit isn’t really a blog. It is however, one of the best places to go for a bit of inspiration on your frugal living journey. It’s also an excellent place to go if you have a specific question you want answered.

For whatever reason, Reddit is filled with smart, wise people who seem to know just about everything. The frugal subreddit is very active, and there are always new tips and tricks so be sure to check back often.

Check out Reddit /frugal here.

#11: Jessi Fearon

Next up on our list of the Top 25 Frugal Living Blogs for 2018 is Jessi Fearon at the Budget Mama. If you’re just getting started with budgeting, this blog should be one of your first stops.

Here’s why you should give her a follow:

• They’re serious about budgets and offer a myriad of tips, and printables to help you get started on your own journey.
• Jessi is very open about the actual numbers, and her own progress towards a debt-free life. We always appreciate some cold, hard cash facts from personal finance bloggers.
• Check out her debt-free resources section for a million and one other things interesting.

If you want to get out of debt, be sure to head over to Jessi Fearon’s blog.

#12: Living on a Dime

Do you feel like you spend way too much money on groceries each month? If yes, you’re not alone! Most of us actually feel a lot like that. Living on a Dime is a must-read if you’re looking to change your grocery bill stress.

Here’s why Living on a Dime is awesome:

• Delicious, simple, cheap recipes that the whole family will love.
• Excellent tips for grocery shopping. While writing this article, we actually stopped to read her article on how to cut your grocery bill in half. Okay…we’re back now!
• She feeds a family of seven for $600 a month. Impressive! Most people would struggle to feed a family of four for that amount, so she certainly knows what she’s doing.

Get some tips for saving money on food here: Living on a Dime.

#13: The Penny Hoarder

If you’re on the lookout for some random, wacky ways to save money, then you’ll need to head on over to the Penny Hoarder. We seem to always find some never-before-heard frugal living tips. If you’re kind of quirky, you’ll probably love this website a lot!

Here’s why you should follow the Penny Hoarder:

• Lots of tips and hacks for employment kind of stuff. If you’re looking to transition into a new career, have a look.
• You can learn frugal living tips that will help you live well at the same time. For example, the best winter beers for a reasonable price.
• We LOVE the section on class action settlements. Check it out to see if any products you use are on the list and get in on the action.

Get your class action settlement money now! Check out The Penny Hoarder.

#13: And Then We Saved

To date, the readers of And Then We Saved have crushed more than $3,000,000 in debt. If you want to be part of this awesome, then you’ll need to check out this website. You can find out about spending diets, and spending fasts in order to kickstart your debt payment into high gear.

Here’s why you should check out And Then We Saved:

• Super-practical tips for paying off debt. In particular, we love the spending diets/fasts because this has huge potential to help you achieve all sorts of goals very quickly.
• We LOVE her 3-step challenge to become debt free. Practical, easy to follow and very motivating.
• Her writing is witty, entertaining and makes you want to keep clicking on the next post to read more.

Check out the blog here: And Then We Saved. 

#14: One Hundred Dollars a Month

Mavis, from One Hundred Dollars a month has reduced her food bill from $800/month to $100-200. She does this through a combination of coupons, gardening, and raising her own chickens. If this isn’t impressive, I’m not sure what is!

Here’s why you need to check out One Hundred Dollars a Month:

• Some solid advice for how to save money on food, with a ton of tips about gardening, cooking, and shopping at the grocery store.
• You can get some inspiration from other people, and share you own as well. Send Mavis your pictures and tips.
• Lots of delicious recipes that are inexpensive, delicious and easy to prepare.

Get ready to reduce your grocery bill here: One Hundred Dollars a Month.

#15: Budget and the Bees

If you’re serious about getting out of debt, or learning how to invest your money wisely, then Budget and the Bees is the blog for you. There is a huge range of articles that cover a myriad of personal finance topics.

Here’s why it’s worth a follow:

• You can find out how to save money on topics ranging from travel, to buying a car, to food.
• If you’re the disorganized type, be sure to check out her “organization” section for lots of useful advice and hacks to start doing better.
• Check out her excellent “blogroll” in the right sidebar for way more frugal living/personal finance websites to check out.

You can find her here: Budget and the Bees.

#16: Squawkfox

Next up on our list of the Top 25 Frugal Living Bloggers to follow in 2018 is Squawkfox.

Kerry is dedicated to helping you get out of debt, increasing your savings, earning more, and investing wisely.

Here’s why we follow her:

• Solid financial advice from someone who really know what they’re talking about. This is particularly true for the investing advice.
• If you’re a fellow Canuck, you’ll want to check it out. It’s regularly on the lists of the best Canadian personal finance bloggers.
• We LOVE the focus on reducing food waste. As we’re currently in the process of trying to waste absolutely no food at our house, we appreciate the tips and inspiration.

Get serious about saving money: Squawkfox.

#17: Our Debt Free Family

If you want to take control of your money, so you can pay off debt, and achieve financial freedom, then Our Debt Free Family is the blog you need to check out. Amanda is dedicated to helping you do this in a few different ways, from side jobs to reducing energy usage, to setting smart goals.

Here’s why we follow Our Debt Free Family:

• She has some inspiring stories about how regular people have paid off huge amounts of debt.
• Amanda gives you a step-by-step plan to help you achieve your financial goals. It’s so easy that just about any average person could follow it.
• Check out the “Toolkit” section on her website. There are a myriad of useful resources to help you out.

Find out more here: Our Debt Free Family.

#18: Fun Cheap or Free

Next up on our list of the best frugal living blogs for 2018 is Fun Cheap or Free. Jordan offers some serious inspiration through sharing her own story of financial disaster. She’s achieved all she has through having faith that giving up lots of good things would lead to greater things.

Here’s why it’s worth checking out:

• A massive range of topics covered. If you’ve thought of it, she’s probably written an article about it.
• Some excellent writing here that makes you want to keep clicking on the next article, and before you know it, hours have passed. But, it’s not been wasted time because the information is so solid.
• Living frugally doesn’t have to terrible! You can also have some fun along the way.

Check it out here: Fun Cheap or Free. 

#19: Slow your Home

We found our way to Slow your Home after first listening to the excellent podcast. During the course of two years, Brooke has decluttered more than 25,000 items and is learning to live well with less. Simplicity goes hand in hand with frugal living which is why we’ve included Slow your Home on this list.

A few reasons we follow Slow your Home:

• Relax. Slow Down. Breathe. This is what we feel like after spending a few minutes on this site.
• You really can live well with less. Brooke is living proof of that and we find her inspiring!
• Changing your mindset towards things is key to reducing debt, and staying out of it in the future. Slow your Home will help you on this journey.

All the details here: Slow your Home.

#20: Raising Simple

Raising Simple is all about minimalism for families. It can be hard to not get all wrapped up in the consumeristic crazy with kids, so we really appreciate Raising Simple for helping us navigate those murky waters. Zoe has four kids, so she really knows what she’s talking about!

Here’s why you should head over to Raising Simple:

• Very few bloggers are talking about minimalism with a family. Zoe is one of the few voices, but not only that, she’s smart about it!
• A nice combination of very practical tips, and the philosophy behind this kind of lifestyle.
• We love the design and layout of her blog. It’s simple! A few minutes here always makes us feel calm, relaxed, and ready to go face the world.

Check it out here: Raising Simple.

#21: Living Rich Cheaply

If you live in a very expensive city, but want to live frugally and retire early, then you’ll need to check out Living Rich Cheaply. His family lives in New York and lives well, despite the very high cost of things there. Although his blog isn’t update frequently, there are plenty of good tips from the archives to dig into.

Here’s why you should check out Living Rich Cheaply:

• Very detailed posts, with plentiful links to additional resources. He covers all the angles of a certain topic very well.
• Actionable, easy to follow tips will inspire you to action.
• A nice range of topics from frugal living, to lifestyle to investing.

Check it out here: Living Rich Cheaply.

#22: America’s Money-Smart Family 

This family has been doing the frugal living thing since the early 80’s. It’d be an understatement to say that they are now the masters of it and have a wealth of excellent information to share with the world.

A few of the reasons I follow them:

• Even though they have five kids, they’re able to pay off houses and use cash for the cars they buy. Impressive!
• They spend only $350 per month on food and disposable items for a family of seven. Get some tips, recipes, and inspiration here to reduce your own grocery bill.
• They strive to make frugal fun. Seriously. It doesn’t have to be so terrible and we appreciate their focus on this.

Learn their frugal living secrets here: America’s Money-Smart Family.

#23: Frugal Confessions

You really can live the VIP lifestyle on an average paycheck! There are a few steps that Amanda recommends, including: get out of debt, save gobs of money, shift up, and design your life.

Here’s why we follow her:

• Her writing is smart, witty and entertaining and we always want to keep reading more.
• She can give you hope that frugal living isn’t forever! You can start to loosen the reigns a bit at some point in time.
• Frugal Confessions covers a wide range of topics, most of them in detail and all of them with plenty of actionable steps you can take.

Find out more here: Frugal Confessions.

#24: I Retired Young

If you want to retire early, but aren’t sure what it takes, then check out I Retired Young. He breaks it down pretty clearly in terms of how much money you need, and what you might have to give up. He’s very reflective on his own experience, and is very open about sharing actual money details.

Here’s what I Retired Young is worth a follow:

• His focus is very narrow—early retirement. So if you’re interested in this, you’ll find a wealth of information here.
• He talks about the psychological aspects of retiring early, if he’s bored, what exactly he does with his time, etc.
• The posts are detailed, and cover the certain topic in detail.

Check it out here: I Retired Young.

#25: TESOL Lifestyle

If you’re an English teacher abroad who is looking to pay off debt and build your financial future, then you’ll need to check out TESOL Lifestyle. Unlike many of the other blogs listed here, they’re more like “real” people who are making some progress, and some mistakes along the way.

Here’s why I’ve read every single blog post on their site:

• They are very open about sharing personal details with how fast they’ve paid off debt, savings, salary, etc.
• They’re also open about passive income, and side-hustle income.
• It’s been interesting to see how having kids has impacted their goals of financial independence.
• They offer some smart advice on the dreaded B word—budget. We’re not huge budgeters, but they make it seem like even we could do it.

Check them out here: TESOL Lifestyle. 

Your Turn: Leave a Comment Below

Have your say! Who do you think is the best frugal living blogger to keep on eye on for 2018? Leave a comment below and let us know. They can be on this list, or someone else that you love.

Ready…go!