MASTERPOST: Everything You Need to Know about Saving Money and Being Frugal

The Colosseum teems with unruly members of the plebeian class. As the sun beats down upon their heads, a riotous energy gathers and surges through the gathered masses. “Masterposts, masterposts, masterposts,” they begin to chant in unison.

The charioteer’s horses stamp their feet in agitation as the chant grows louder, reverberating around the stone walls of the arena. The captive tigers and lions pace back and forth as their handlers exchange nervous glances. How much longer can they hold their deadly charges back? How much longer will the people be denied?

Co-Empresses Piggy and Kitty—looking extremely classy in complimentary but not matchy-matchy ionic chiton gowns—stand and extend their golden and white respective arms. The crowd falls silent, awaiting their judgement.

Thumbs up.

There will be masterposts. And our first one is on ways to decrease spending. Are you not edutained?! Is this not why you are here?!

Look, there are really two basic ways to get more money: increase your income or decrease your spending. Through a clever application of both methods, you can end up with enough money to live comfortably and stress-free without having to sell your organs in the process.

Let’s focus on one half of the equation today: decreasing your spending. The less you spend, the more you have to work with. And living a frugal life means you’ll need less money to get by. It’s all a beautiful circle!

So here it is! The complete list of everything we’ve ever written about being frugal and saving money. Your mileage may vary, so try different stuff until you find what works for you.

And hey. We’re all in this together. Don’t give up.

On food and groceries:

• How to Shop for Groceries like a Boss
• Why Name Brand Products Are Beneath You: The Honor and Glory of Buying Generic
• If You Don’t Eat Leftovers I Don’t Even Want to Know You
• You Are above Bottled Water, You Elegant Land Mermaid
• You Should Learn To Cook. Here’s Why.

On entertainment and socializing:

• The Frugal Introvert’s Guide to the Weekend
• 7 Totally Reasonable Ways To Save Money on Cheap Entertainment 
• Take Pride in Being a Cheap Date
• The Library Is a Magical Place and You Should Fucking Go There
• Your Library Lets You Stream Audiobooks and eBooks FOR FREEEEEEE!
• What’s the Effect of Social Media on Your Finances?
• You Won’t Regret Your Frugal 20s

On health:

• How to Pay Hospital Bills When You’re Flat Broke
• Run With Me if You Want to Save: How Exercising Will Save You Money
• Our Master List of 100% Free Mental Health Self-Care Tactics
• Why You Probably Don’t Need That Gym Membership
• How to Get DIRT CHEAP Pet Medication, Without a Prescription 

On other big expenses:

• Businesses Will Happily Give You HUGE Discounts if You Ask This Magic Question
• Understand the Hidden Costs of Travel and Avoid Them Like the Plague
• Other People’s Weddings Don’t Have to Make You Broke
• You Deserve Cheap, Fake Jewelry… Just Like Coco Chanel
• 3 Times I Was Damn Grateful for My Emergency Fund (and Side Income) 
• When (and How) to Try Refinancing or Consolidating Student Loans
• The Real Story of How I Paid Off My Mortgage Early in 4 Years 
• Season 2, Episode 2: “I’m Not Ready to Buy a House—But How Do I *Get Ready* to Get Ready?”
• The Most Impactful Financial Decision I’ve Ever Made… and Why I Don’t Recommend It

On buying secondhand and trading:

• Almost Everything Can Be Purchased Secondhand
• I Am a Craigslist Samurai and so Can You: How to Sell Used Stuff Online
• The Delicate Art of the Friend Trade

On giving gifts and charitable donations:

• How Can I Tame My Family’s Crazy Gift-Giving Expectations?
• In Defense of Shameless Regifting
• Make Sure Your Donations Have the Biggest Impact by Ruthlessly Judging Charities
• The Anti-Consumerist Gift Guide: I Have No Gift to Bring, Pa Rum Pa Pum Pum
• How to Spot a Charitable Scam
• Ask the Bitches: How Do I Say “No” When a Loved One Asks for Money… Again? 

On resisting temptation:

• How to Insulate Yourself From Advertisements
• Making Decisions Under Stress: The Siren Song of Chocolate Cake
• The Magically Frugal Power of Patience
• 6 Proven Tactics for Avoiding Emotional Impulse Spending

On minimalism and buying less:

• Don’t Spend Money on Shit You Don’t Like, Fool
• Everything I Know About Minimalism I Learned from the Zombie Apocalypse
• Slay Your Financial Vampires
• The Subscription Box Craze and the Mindlessness of Wasteful Spending

On saving money:

• How To Start Small by Saving Small
• Not Every Savings Account Is Created Equal
• The Unexpected Benefits (and Downsides) of Money Challenges
• Budgets Don’t Work for Everyone—Try the Spending Tracker System Instead
• From HYSAs to CDs, Here’s How to Level Up Your Financial Savings
• Season 2, Episode 10: “Which Is Smarter: Getting a Loan? or Saving up to Pay Cash?”
• The Magic of Unclaimed Property: How I Made $1,900 in 10 Minutes by Being a Disorganized Mess

We will periodically update this list with newer articles. And by “periodically” I mean “when we remember that it’s something we forgot to do for four months.”

Bitches Get Riches: setting realistic expectations since 2017!

Start saving right heckin’ now!

If you want to start small with your savings, consider signing up for an Acorns account! They round up your every purchase to the nearest dollar and save and invest the change for you. We like them so much we’ve generously allowed them to sponsor us with this affiliate link: