More and more people today are choosing to live a frugal lifestyle. A frugal lifestyle is basically a cheaper way of living your life. Even though our economy is trying to rebound from a near recession, many people are finding that living frugally can save them more money than they ever thought imaginable.Many people believe that living frugally means they have to give up the life they are accustomed to living and begin to shop at thrift stores and outlet centers. Nothing could be further from the truth. Living frugally means that you have a better understanding of where your necessities lie and where your wants lie and you choose to live within those boundaries. If you are trying to decide if living frugally is right for you there are some basic tips to consider.First, you need to determine what your monthly expenses are. Most of us are spoiled to a certain lifestyle which is why most people are in the debt they are in. We have become accustomed to living above our means and few know what they actually spend each month. Making a monthly budget helps you stop the unnecessary spending.There are many budget sources out today that can give you helpful tips on budgeting and offer suggestions on ways to start living frugally. Although some of the tactics and methods you may not be accustom to, realize that you are doing this for the sake of saving yourself money, which means more money in your wallet and less stress trying to find your next dollar.Second, there are many different ways that you can save money on your utilities, clothes, groceries, etc… When looking at utilities some of the most popular and most effective methods are changing out your current light bulbs to fluorescent light bulbs. Although they might be a bit more pricy than your standard light bulb they will in the end save you money! For one they last longer than your average bulb but they also reduce the amount of energy that they use, which is where your savings really come into play!Another idea that you can use to cut down on your utility expenses is to take showers rather than taking a bath. Many people don’t realize how much water they are actually using by taking baths, if you don’t believe me; try your very own test to see for yourself.To save on groceries, clip coupons. Yes it is the craze today and there are many websites, newspapers and magazines that offer coupons. Also, check with your local stores to find out their sale cycles.Finally, to save on clothes buy out of season or buy from consignment shops. You will be surprised how much you can save when you buy clothes out of season and store them for the following season. Consignment shops are another valuable resource especially for kids clothes.So if you are ready to start living a frugal lifestyle start researching and finding the methods and strategies you need to use to create more money in your bank account and a better understanding of the necessities of life and the savings that you can make by alleviating a lot of wants. You will definitely thank yourself in the long run and save yourself a lot of money along the way just by converting your current lifestyle to a frugal one!