3 Frugal Habits That Save Me Hundreds of Dollars Each Year

Saving money is the sort of thing I feel perpetually compelled to do. But it's not always easy. Whether it's my home, my car, or my kids, I feel there's always some sort of unexpected expense that pops up and rains all over my savings plans.

That's why I try my best to compensate by upholding savvy personal finance habits that naturally lend to savings. Here are three that serve me well and easily save me hundreds of dollars during the year.

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1. Getting clothing handed down to my kids

My kids are at an age where they're unlikely to be in the same clothing size for more than a year or so. And so as you might imagine, maintaining a full wardrobe for them can get expensive -- especially when you factor in sports gear and equipment.

That's why I make a point to ask friends with older children to hand things down to us as their kids outgrow them. Through the years, I've gotten everything from soccer cleats to coats to swimwear that I haven't needed to purchase myself. It's a system that not only saves me a lot of money, but also saves me time.

2. Driving an older car

My minivan is 10 years old at this point, and it's far from perfect. Not only do some of the sensors occasionally go off for no reason (so that, for example, I'll get a brake warning when there's not another car in sight), but I find that I'm constantly fighting with my car's sliding doors.

I could trade in my minivan, get some money for it, and upgrade to a newer car. But I won't, because driving an older car saves me hundreds of dollars a year (or, ahem, per month) by not having to make car payments.

To be clear, I do think I'd be pretty justified in upgrading my car since it's something I use daily. But as long as my car's major components work well, I intend to keep driving it.

3. Shopping at dollar stores

Whether it's school supplies, items needed for crafting projects, or goody bags and fillers, I find that I frequently have to run to the dollar store to load up on last-minute things my kids request. Now, as an Amazon Prime member, I do have the option to order some of those things for two-day delivery. But while that may be the more convenient option, it's usually not the cheaper option.

Case in point: This week, I need to make party bags for an upcoming spring party for my daughter's class. (Yes, that's a thing.) Amazon has goody bags for $4.99, and they'll arrive in time if I order them today. But I know I can get the same quantity at my local dollar store for just $1.25 (unfortunately, the dollar store is technically no longer the dollar store in my neck of the woods).

Of course, that's just $3.75 in savings. But multiply that times multiple requests per month, and throughout the year, the savings add up.

Some changes could lead to more money in the bank

Saving money is not an easy thing to do in general. And I've found that it's gotten profoundly more difficult since having kids. But thankfully, these habits I've adopted allow me to save somewhat seamlessly. And they're habits you may want to try to adopt, too.

If you don't have friends with older kids, post on your local town social media page asking if anyone has hand-me-downs to part with. And if you have a dollar store nearby, familiarize yourself with its inventory so you know whether running there in a pinch is an option.

And if you drive an old minivan like I do and the doors are a problem, well, think of it this way: As long as they close eventually, you're saving yourself money every time you wrangle them shut instead of paying to upgrade.