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Frugal Hog is for people in the United States who want their money to go further without feeling deprived.

The site is organized into seven topics, so you can start with whatever is weighing on you most.

If you are not sure where to begin, a good first step is to look at where your money goes each month, then pick one category below and make one change.

How the topics fit together

The topics build on one another, but you do not need to read them in order.

Many readers start with the one that matches their biggest pressure point, such as a grocery bill or a stack of monthly charges, and branch out from there.

The seven topics

Frugal Living

This is the lifestyle itself: mindset, habits, minimalism, no-spend challenges, homemade household swaps, and budget-friendly weddings, home decorating, gifts, dates and travel.

Explore Frugal Living

Budgeting

This is where to go for building and running a household budget, including frameworks, step-by-step guides, cost benchmarks and budgeting app roundups.

Explore Budgeting

Groceries

Food is one of the most flexible parts of a budget, and this topic covers grocery strategy, meal planning, cheap recipes, freezer cooking, food waste and cheaper eating out.

Explore Groceries

Bills

This topic is about trimming recurring costs such as subscriptions, energy, water, phone, internet, car and medical bills, along with legitimate hardship assistance programs.

Explore Bills

Saving

Here you will find saving strategies, emergency funds, savings challenges, goal plans, debt payoff methods and frugal paths toward financial independence.

Explore Saving

Smart Shopping

This topic covers paying less for goods through cash back and coupon apps, gas savings, thrift and secondhand buying, warehouse clubs and legitimate freebies.

Explore Smart Shopping

Debt

This topic explains how debt decisions, such as consolidating loans or transferring a credit card balance, can affect your credit, your cards and larger purchases.

Explore Debt

How to read what you find here

The guides are research-based and written as general information, not personalized financial, tax or legal advice.

Savings depend on your location, providers and household, so each guide tries to say what its numbers rest on.

You can read more about who writes the site and how guides are made on the About page.

If you have a question or a topic suggestion, the Contact page explains how to reach us.