Make the Transition from Frivolous to Frugal

We're all guilty of frivolous spending. Even seasoned frugalistas like me make the occasional frivolous purchase. Getting a handle on your frivolous spending and learning how to be a frugal consumer can help you retain more of your take-home pay. Below, are three tips that I personally used to make the transition from frivolous to frugal consumer. At the end of this article, I also include my go-to websites for finding coupons for groceries, home decor and apparel.

Gradual Transition

There's no way to quit frivolous spending cold turkey. If you are accustom to rewarding yourself for a hard week at work with a shopping spree at Target each Friday, you're going to find it extremely difficult to get your spending habits under wraps. Instead of going cold turkey, make a gradual transition to frugal. Continuing with the example above, an easy way to make a gradual transition to frugal shopping is to set a budget for your shopping spree. For example, set a $75 limit on your spree and only go shopping at a store that you can locate a 20% discount coupon or higher. It may not seem like much, but it takes baby steps to make a successful transition from frivolous to frugal

Make a No Spending Day

Taking one day off from swiping you card can result in some serious savings. The first time I tried this, I was living in New York City. On a typical day, I spent about $15 on three venti macchiato drinks from Starbucks, $7 on a decorating, business or organizing magazine, $15 on lunch and about $3 on breath mints and gum. That day I saved about $40. I didn't realize how much money I was spending frivolously. You can apply the same "no spending" only one day a week and realize a substantial savings. If you'd like a bigger frugality challenge, leave your cards home for two or three days per week.

Clip Coupons

When I first began clipping coupons, I felt embarrassed to hand the cashier my coupons. I was afraid that she would have thought that I was poor, cheap or just couldn't afford to shop in that store. But, after my first few store trips, I noticed that cashiers could care less if you're handing them a coupon, they're just waiting for the day to be over. Don't write off using coupons because of what people may think because strangers really don't care if you're using coupons because you're having money problems or are just a savvy, frugal shopper.

If possible, clip coupons for every shopping trip you make, whether it's grocery shopping, shoe shopping or shopping for office supplies. You can find coupons for grocery shopping in the Sunday paper. You can also find printable grocery coupons online at websites like Coupons.com, Redplum.com and smartsource.com. Coupons for apparel, home and other retailers can be found at Retailmenot.com