There’s something really satisfying about knowing exactly where every penny goes! Come check out our list of 25 books on frugal living everyone will want to read.
Frugal living isn’t a goal in and of itself, but what it does is help you be more intentional about your money. You’re not going to be wasting any, and you’ll have more time to do the things that are important to you.
There’s something really satisfying about knowing exactly where every penny goes!
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The Ultimate Guide to Frugal Living: Save Money, Plan Ahead, Pay Off Debt & Live Well
by Daisy Luther
The Ultimate Guide to Frugal Living is the ultimate guide for anyone who wants to save money, plan ahead, pay off debt, and live happily ever after. It contains over 200 pages of tips on how to save money in every aspect of your life. You will learn how to:
- Save money on groceries
- Plan ahead for unexpected expenses
- Save money on travel and entertainment without sacrificing quality time with family and friends. How to do this? For example, you can visit a local park instead of going out for dinner or you can spend a day at the library instead of going to a movie with your friends.
- Save money on clothes and household products
- Turn any outing into a free or inexpensive one, including dates!
All these and more are included in The Ultimate Guide to Frugal Living. One of the best books on frugal living.
Little House Living: The Make-Your-Own Guide to a Frugal, Simple, and Self-Sufficient Life
by Merissa A. Alink
Little House Living is a treasure trove full of tips, recipes, and other helpful advice. The photos are so pretty that you’ll want to cook up your own batch of sunscreen or furniture polish – might as well do it while the sun’s out!
Merissa is a dreamer and creator, crafting her own home into the kind of place she’s always dreamed about. After years of living in small apartments with roommates or family members, Merissa was able to move out on her own for the first time when she purchased an old house that needed some work.
Little House Living reflects all aspects of Merrisa’s lifestyle: from practical advice like budgeting tips; natural recipes such as taco seasoning mix; homemade furniture polish because you can’t beat fresh-made anything!
Depression Era Frugality : Tips, Tricks & Life Hacks from the Great Depression Era that We Can Use Today – How to Enjoy Life and Be Comfortable No Matter Your Income, Even in Poverty
by Deborah Harold
The economy is tough, but that doesn’t mean we can just give up. We haven’t seen the worst of it yet – and as those who lived through The Great Depression know all too well: It could always be worse! Frugal living has never been more important than during a recession. Here are some life-hacks from our grandparents’ generation so you don’t have to go hungry or without electricity when times get rough.
Depression Era Frugality is a book that provides readers with helpful tips on how to live life frugally. The Great Depression was an economic and social event that lasted from 1929-1939, but it’s important not to let the past repeat itself in our current times of hardship!
The United States faces an unemployment rate not seen since the 1930s – what lessons do people who lived in this time period offer us? They say “It could always be worse!” while laying out tips for how to live frugally even on small budgets and one of the best books on frugal living.
The Big Book of Frugal Living: Learn Over 300 Simple Strategies To Save Money Fast and Live Debt Free (How to Live Debt Free, How to Save Money 1)
by Kathy Stanton
Our lives are filled with so much stuff and it’s not healthy. It puts unnecessary stress on our relationships, impacts the environment, wastes time we could spend pursuing better things in life like hobbies or family – all to say nothing of how money-sapping a cluttered house can be!
This book is here to help you make changes that will lead you towards living an intentional (and minimalist) lifestyle by reducing your possessions down from 9 items per room in your home.
Each chapter teaches you about simplifying your life by crafting new habits that will make living with less easier than ever before!
You’ll find tons of advice for making this change from several different perspectives including minimalism, financial responsibility, environmental conservation & sustainability.
This new guidebook helps reduce clutter while also teaching ways to live frugally without feeling deprived.
Each chapter provides proven steps & strategies for making this necessary life changes whether through decluttering, saving more money at home, and using coupons as well as finding creative solutions when dealing with these challenges.
The Complete Tightwad Gazette: Promoting Thrift as a Viable Alternative Lifestyle
by Amy Dacyczyn
Amy Dacyczyn, the author of three massively successful books and a newsletter from May 1990 to December 1996 has just published her collected wisdom in one volume.
She describes this collection as “the book I wish I’d had when I began my adult life.” Packed with humor, creativity, and insight The Complete Tightwad Gazette includes hundreds of tips for anyone looking to save money or get out of debt such as:
– Make your own cleaning products using vinegar mixed with water instead of bleach and dish soap
– Take care not to overspend on clothes by paying attention before you buy! Watch what other people are wearing around you before you buy a new outfit. You can’t fail to learn from the most common and popular fashions
– If you have food waste in your kitchen, use it instead of throwing it away. Add it to soup stock or just eat it!
One of the best books on frugal living.
The Art of Frugal Hedonism: A Guide to Spending Less While Enjoying Everything More
by Annie Raser-Rowland and Adam Grubb
The Art Of Frugal Hedonism is a book that teaches you how to save money and live better. It also helps you avoid many of the bad things in life and enjoy everything more.
This book has many strategies that will help you live cheaply but still enjoy yourself.
Apply even just some strategies and you’ll definitely have enough extra dollars in your pocket and you’ll wake up one day and you can be happier, wealthier, healthier, and more in love with life than you’ve ever been before.
The Frugal Homesteader: Living the Good Life on Less
by John Moody and Joel Salatin
Achieve your back-to-the-land dreams without breaking the bank. All you need is a few hundred dollars and an innovative spirit to launch yourself on a path of self-sufficiency!
The Frugal Homesteader will show you how with inspiration, education, DIY innovations for building homesteading dreams that are affordable but not cheap.
Get ready to expand your horizons in this lifetime guide filled with all the tips and tricks gleaned from years worth of experience as one who has successfully transitioned into modern-day rural living.
Thrifty: Living the Frugal Life with Style
by Marjorie Harris
Many people today live a life of luxury and extravagance, but this will cost you. This book teaches how to get more out of less by living frugally with no sacrifices in quality or happiness.
Harris, a self-proclaimed frugalista and author of the popular blog Cheapchic Living offers her readers advice on how to live richly without spending.
From tips on haggling for cheaper prices at your local grocery store or clothing boutique, living in an eco-friendly home with thrifty gardening techniques that will save you money while preserving our environment, Harris provides all sorts of ideas about what it means to be wealthy beyond just having excess amounts of disposable income.
For those who want help getting out from under debt by trimming their excessive monthly bills such as mortgages or credit cards payments, she has plenty more helpful information on where this came from and one of the best books on frugal living.
The Complete Frugal Living Bible A to Z: Learn How to Cut Everyday Expenses in Half and Live within Your Means
by Joyce Coleman and David Coleman
Since the beginning of their marriage, Joyce and David were struggling to make ends meet every month. She even took a second job, but that didn’t help much at all until one day when her good friend shared his journey into frugal living and showed them how they could do it too.
In this book, the 16 months account of how they went from being financially inadequate or broke – as some people say- to not only achieving financial freedom by following these principles of frugality but also having a healthier life and happier relationship with each other.
This book was written because they wanted to share with anyone who is looking for the same freedom and happiness. This is not something you can do overnight, but it can be achieved easily by following what’s outlined in this book.
Suddenly Frugal: How to Live Happier and Healthier for Less
by Leah Ingram
Live a happier and healthier life for less with this essential guide to living on a budget.
Despite most people understanding the need to live within their means, few know how they can do so without sacrificing quality time or happiness.
How does one cut back but still maintain great vacations? What about date nights out every week? This book will show you ways that are not only easy but which also make more sense in today’s economy than ever before —all while getting your money to work for you instead of working against it! This is one of the best books on frugal living.
Living On Almost Nothing
by Amber Storck
There are many people who have issues getting ahead in this day and age. The prices of everything skyrocket, so it’s nearly impossible to make ends meet with a normal paycheck-to-paycheck lifestyle for the average American.
After living 15 years debt-free and accumulating wealth, I express detailed ways on how you can save money every day without sacrificing your freedom or moving back into Mom’s basement!
In today’s society where things seem to be always going up in price due largely to inflation rates; more than 78% of Americans live paycheck to paycheck which is near enough 80%.
That means they work hard all week long only to barely survive until next Friday morning. Then their finances deplete once again because bills must get paid no matter how much is left in the bank account.
If you are one of the people who is living paycheck-to-paycheck, being poor and not having enough money for bills, or NOT making enough weekly income whatsoever then The Ultimate Guide To Living Debt Free And Living Your Dreams can help.
Yankee Magazine’s Living Well on a Shoestring
by The Editors of Yankee Magazine
One way to save money is by buying items at yard sales or thrift stores. You could also start crafting and selling your own goods!
In Living Well on a Shoestring, you’ll find more than 1,500 practical money-saving techniques for every aspect of life–from getting out of debt and finding money for retirement to decorating cheaply while still looking nice in the process.
The penny-pinching editors from Yankee know firsthand that it can be done; now they’re here with their campaign to show us how we can do it too!
This book offers hundreds of tried-and-true tips for leading a thrifty lifestyle. Need supplies for your home office? Keep your eyes peeled and shop as stores are closing or relocating. Want to lower your auto insurance rate? Ask about hidden discounts that may not have been revealed upfront (available through pricing packages). In the market for new bicycle gear? Shop post-trade show season around late September/early October–when prices drop dramatically.
This great guidebook lays out how easy it is live an affordable life with simple strategies and is one of the best books on frugal living.
America’s Cheapest Family Gets You Right on the Money
by Steve Economides and Annette Economides
Do you have a hard time making ends meet? If so, there’s hope. Meet the Economides family of seven who spent just $350 per month to feed their entire family and pay off two houses in nine years!
They were called cheapskates, thriftaholics, even tightwads but it didn’t stop them from taking wonderful vacations or saving money. What’s your excuse for not being able to do this with what you’ve got?
In the book America’s Cheapest Family Gets You Right on The Money, Steve and Annette show you how they managed to create a debt-free life for themselves while working with their various skill sets. They give tips such as cooking at home to save money and shopping at thrift stores when possible.
This insightful but relatable read from two people who have been there before shows that anyone can live out of financial insecurity by following what may seem like simple ideas – anything from food prep in your kitchen or finding deals at second-hand shops!
Meet the Frugalwoods: Achieving Financial Independence Through Simple Living
by Elizabeth Willard Thames
Meet Nate and Elizabeth, two thirty-two-year-olds who decided they would rather live in the woods than be slaves to society. After cutting their grocery budget by 90%, selling everything but what fits in a bike trailer, and quitting their jobs as software engineers at Google to travel around New England for 18 months.
These pioneers of frugal living were able to make enough money from side hustles like blogging while traveling full time that it was possible for them to settle down without worrying about income. Following their advice can allow you to lead your best life, too!
I own and have read this book. I think it’s one of the best books on frugal living.
10,001 Ways to Live Large on a Small Budget
by The Writers of Wise Bread
One way to live large without a lot of money is with the help of 10,001 Ways To Live Large on A Small Budget by Wise Bread.
This book offers valuable and practical advice for living well within your means– from getting discounts at restaurants (just ask!) or driving less in order to save gas money. The tips are all cleverly laid out so that you can easily work them into your life one day at a time!
The revised edition of 10,001 Ways TO LIVE LARGE ON A SMALL BUDGET has many helpful hints about how you can get more done while saving big bucks.
Too many frugal living books focus on the negative, throwing around words such as “sacrifice” and “responsibility” like they’re going out of style. But in this book, you’ll see that the authors believe that financial wellness doesn’t require a ramen-eating or vacation-skipping life. Far from it!
The best way to ensure readers will stick with their budget is by making them happy in every aspect of their lives–practicality included but never detracting from fun times.
31 Days of Living Well and Spending Zero
by Ruth Soukup
A resource that offers a month of daily challenges for spending not just less, but absolutely ZERO.
Ever feel like your budget has gone off track, or make it to the end of the month and wonder where your money actually went?
A new tool called “A Month Without Spending” can help you determine what works best with regards to cutting back on expenses each day while giving plenty leeway in case an emergency arises.
This easy-to-follow system is aimed at helping people get their finances under control without feeling deprived by providing guidance every step along the way! Read one of the best books on frugal living.
The Money Saving Mom’s Budget: Slash Your Spending, Pay Down Your Debt, Streamline Your Life, and Save Thousands a Year
by Crystal Paine
Crystal Paine has been helping busy women everywhere take control of their finances.
In this book she presents the most effective strategies designed for families of all sizes and income levels with hundreds of inspiring “why didn’t I think of that?” tips combined with worksheets so you can achieve a complete financial makeover by:
• Setting up realistic budget goals to keep your family from living paycheck-to-paycheck
• Never paying retail again thanks to these money-saving hacks! You’ll be able to slash your grocery bill in half or more using this simple trick too.
Become a financial guru in just minutes with the strategies developed for busy women everywhere. The most effective and easy-to-follow tips are designed to help you make your finances work for yourself and your family.
The Good Life for Less: Giving Your Family Great Meals, Good Times, and a Happy Home on a Budget
by Amy Allen Clark
An unexpected financial crisis can quickly lead to chaotic home life, but Amy Clark found that spending only what you have and being creative with your resources is the key.
With her book “Good Life For Less”, she teaches readers how to save money by cooking delicious meals without breaking their budget or wasting food.
By cutting down on costs through clever tips like saving half price for nearly everything and shopping sales instead of full-price items, anyone will be able to achieve great results in their own household!
One of the best books on frugal living.
Be Thrifty: How to Live Better with Less (Hardcover)
by Pia Catton
Many people are not financially knowledgeable and have a tendency to overspend. This book teaches readers how they can save money by being smarter with their finances, from cutting food bills to investing in the market.
Be Thrifty is not about being cheap, it’s about being smart and self-sufficient. Drawing on the work of experts in every field, Be Thrifty will show you how to cut your food bills by cutting what doesn’t make sense (eating fast foods all day long), as well as ways that involve minimal effort like clipping coupons or buying groceries online for cheaper prices.
Financial writers explain steps to create a budget so you can finally gain control over your finances. While thriftiest investors teach their approach which involves investing in tangible goods instead of stocks because they offer more security.
With this book, we’ll help turn any penny pincher into a confident money saver!
Miserly Moms: Living Well on Less in a Tough Economy
by Jonni McCoy
Miserly Moms is a book that teaches readers how to live frugally without feeling deprived. Author Jonni McCoy shares her family’s money-saving strategies that allowed them to transition from two incomes to one and find success living on just the husband’s salary alone.
Readers will learn practical tips, proven strategies, recipes for all mealtimes of day as well as real-life examples showing how anyone can reduce their expenses in order to reach financial goals faster than they ever imagined possible!
The fourth edition includes even more ways like reducing phone bills or negotiating better deals with car loans so you have extra cash at your fingertips anytime you need it most.
With the economy in a recession and prices for food and fuel skyrocketing, there’s never been more demand than now to read this book.
Frugal Isn’t Cheap: Spend Less, Save More, and Live Better
by Clare K. Levison
In Frugal Isn’t Cheap, Clare Levison presents practical financial advice with a side of Southern charm.
The book comes packed with real-life stories that challenge readers to change the way they think about money and offers sensible tips for achieving long-term stability rather than indulging in an extravagant lifestyle.
Her message is deceptively simple: it’s cool to be smart about your money. It’s fashionable to be sensible instead of overindulgent. It’s glamorous when you have financial stability, not extravagance!
But cutting up credit cards? Definitely not her style either – she prefers promoting responsibility instead of abstinence.
The Minimalist Budget: A Practical Guide on How to Save Money, Spend Less and Live More with a Minimalist Lifestyle
by Simeon Lindstrom
“Budget” – it’s a word that all too often comes after “tight.”
Maybe you think of this word as an adjective, something to describe a cheap and substandard car or hotel. But budgeting is so much more than just the sum total of your monthly earnings; its impact can be substantial. It has been said to make up about two-thirds of our life experience!
This book will try another approach altogether. Instead of seeing money management solely in terms of what we spend on luxuries (which are always tempting), let’s talk about how managing one-third less means being able to afford some things, like travel expenses abroad for instance.
Budgeting doesn’t have to be boring and isn’t a dirty word. In fact, it’s one of the best power tools you have for achieving financial success.”
Living More With Less
by Doris Longacre
Before living simply and “green” became trendy, Doris Janzen Longacre wrote Living More with Less. This book was the one that started it all: a practical guide for a sustainable living back when people were just starting to get on board with environmentalism in earnest.
This book has helped millions around the world live frugal and simple lives while taking care of not only their own needs but everyone else’s too!
In celebration of this 30th anniversary edition release, I’m urging you not only to pick up a copy but also put into practice what’s on these pages.
Living Simply And Frugally: How Real People Are Living The Frugal Lifestyle And How You Can Too
by Lorrine Ferry
The main part of homesteading is frugal living, which doesn’t mean living like extreme cheapskates.
Frugal just means learning how to get the most out of everything we have and spending less on the things we don’t need.
Maybe you are thinking that sounds great but I wasn’t raised as a homesteader? How do I learn this skill set or become more efficient with my money in order for me not to fall into debt later in life? Well, read on!
This book is a bundle of 6 small books where it will teach you:
-1: Cutting Back And Loving It: 50 Creative Ways To Simplify Your Space, Declutter Your Life, And Achieve The Life You Desire
– 2: Spending Less and Loving It: 50 Creative Ways To Manage Your Money, Set Up A Budget And Achieve Financial Success
– 3: Habit Stacking For Frugal Living: 50 Simple Life-Changing Tips To Save Money, Get Out Of Debt And Live A Happy Life
– 4: Downsizing Your Life And Loving It: 50 Creative Ways To Declutter Your Space, Live With Less, And Simplify Your Life
– 5: Simple Living And Loving It: 50 Proven Steps To Simplify Your Life, Downsize And Get More Done In Less Time
– 6: Frugal Minimalism And Loving It: 50 Proven Steps To Live A Minimalist Lifestyle, Clear Your Clutter, And Live With Less
Frugal Live Happy Guidebook: Frugal Living Guide
by Quentin Dumdei
It can be difficult to stay on budget, but there are many ways that one person with a modest income like myself has managed.
This book will show you how this family of four has lived off less than $30k-$40K for years and has been happy doing it!
The key is finding new ways to save money where they could so their hard-earned cash doesn’t go towards things they don’t want or need – whether using coupons, freebies, or DIY hacks.
More importantly, though the focus should always remain on what’s important: saving up retirement funds; traveling when possible (and affordable); living debt-free as much as possible (which in turn will make everything else easier).
One of the best books on frugal living.
Final Thoughts On 25 Best Books On Frugal Living Everyone Will Want To Read
Frugality is a lifestyle choice. It’s not about depriving yourself of everything you love to do, but it does mean making choices that prioritize the things that matter most to you and your family.
If your personal finance skills need a total money makeover, check out these books filled with frugal living tips and stop living paycheck to paycheck.
Managing money better and knowing the benefits of budgeting will make life a whole lot easier.
Choosing values first over those shiny new items or experiences with high costs attached (your money or your life). These books will offer practical advice on how to live frugal while still enjoying life’s pleasures.
Interested in other frugal tips? Check out our ebook full of 215 Frugal Living Hacks
Have any of these books been helpful in teaching you ways to save money? What are some other great books on living frugally for all budgets?
20 Ways Minimalism Saves Money; Living A Simple Lifestyle