“How to live frugally as a teenage boy?” – Has this question ever occurred to you? If yes, then it’s time to make some amends in your current lifestyle. If no, now is the time to get started. So start before it’s too late.
Research shows that teenage boys tend to spend more frivolously than their female counterparts. The overspending habit can be curbed only if you’re aware enough to start saving early in life. So, to live frugally as a teenage boy, it’s essential that you prioritize things that you really need from those that you don’t.
In my current blog, I will share with you exactly how to live frugally as a teenager boy. By the end of this piece, you will get a sense as to why saving early will genuinely transform your life and become the gateway to a happy future. 
How to live frugally as a teenage boy?
Teenage can be a phase of great distractions. This is obviously in addition to the hormonal changes that your body goes through as a young man. You should welcome these changes with an open mind and develop a mindset that leads to more observing and even more learning.
As teenage men, we don’t even realize that what we’re spending on is just not needed. Many a times, we just keep stocking stuff and end up either giving it away or outrightly throwing it away. If you’re somebody whose been taking the question of, “How to live frugally as a teenage boy” seriously, feel proud of yourself.
A frugal male teen is a happy adult
For most individuals around the planet, teenage is either a boon or a bane. In either case, the attachment is too much on this one phase – teenage. What people tend to forget here is that this too shall pass and adulthood will arrive.
So, for those teens who start preparing early as far as being thrifty and frugal is concerned, end up being well adjusted and happy adults. For the rest of the people out there, even adulthood becomes a struggle.
Being frugal as a teenager will help you beat conformity
Remember that just because you’re stepping into early adulthood, doesn’t mean at all that the world will alter the rules for you. Nope – not at all! You will be expected to cater to the same conformities just as your ancestors did. The only way to beat that conformity is to start being frugal early in life.
Making choices that matter to you depend to a large degree on the money you have in your pocket. Since thrifty teens start preparing early in life, they most certainly land up living the life they imagined as adults. In fact, these are the folks that have the luxury of retiring early.
Conformity is the number one factor for more people being followers rather than leaders. If only they had made informed decisions pertaining to frugal living early in life, they could have beaten all odds. Leading people, new attitudes and mindsets is super empowering. So why not adapt early?
Being frugal will help you lead a happier life
As teens, when mum dad cater to all your financial needs, happiness comes in easy. After all there are no bills to be paid, no houses to mortgage and no college funds to raise. So, there isn’t any real worry. Trust me, teen breakups are the least of your life problems.
However, as life progresses naturally and adulthood arrives, that is the time for real messed up situations take place. I mean these things happen to best of us as well. So you too won’t be spared. But this is not a situation to worry about. It’s to make informed decisions.
Frugal living leads to a happier life because the biggest mental constraint gets taken care of – Money. Trust me, money is a big barrier when it comes to happiness. So try not to be at a disadvantage. Please be at an advantage and the only way to do that is to start saving early. Even I started to add money to my piggy bank in my pre-teens.
I will now share some of the most important ways to eliminate wasteful spending and strengthen the ways that will lead you towards a frugal life.
These practical tips will help you not only during your teen years but also as adult. Each tip is based on my own experience, careful observation of the trends that teenage boys are pursuing and most importantly effectiveness all these past years.
The sooner you start following them, the better.
| 1. Pay your phone and internet bills yourself |
| 2.Own only those gizmos that you will use often productively |
| 3.Munch food cooked at home more often than binge eating outside |
| 4. Do not depend on your parents for every small thing |
| 5. Use public transport more than you do now |
| 6.Inculcate a habit of pooling money with pals |
| 7.Purchase only those outfits and footwear that you wear without stop |
| 8.Invest in a bright future by learning professional skills |
| 9.Avail free courses online |
| 10.Dedicate your teen years towards minimalism |
If you can sincerely start by implementing the above ten points, step by step – you surely are investing for a happy and bright future. If you want to learn about how to save money as a teenage boy without a job, feel free to read the top pointers in another blog of mine.
Remember that they are individuals around the planet who are much younger to you and have already started to embrace frugal living. These are the people who will the most wealth when the days become rainy. Make sure you have enough too and you truly live the life of your dreams. Else, all you will end up doing is being frustrated with the life ‘you have’ instead of the life ‘you could have.’
How to live frugally as a teenage boy – One Step at a Time?
It is essential that you understand each and every way that answers the question of how to live frugally as a teenage boy. Not only will you make your life much simpler this way but also end up saving a lot more money.
1.Pay your phone and internet bills yourself
Inculcate a habit of paying for your mobile bill yourself. Now, this can happen only if you have some kind of side income or some savings. Either way, you will end up being resourceful because it is you who needs to pay the bill.
The sooner you learn responsibility, the more quickly you will end up being financially stable. Nothing, and I mean nothing can make you feel so confident as paying for your bills yourself. Start with the phone bill.
2.Own only those gizmos that you will use often productively
Be the kind of teen that all the others in the group look up to and not the kind struggling with low self-esteem. This is easier said than done. However, folks who are able to achieve it, don’t end up wasting money. After all, you don’t need to impress anyone.
Buy gadgets that you actually need. Don’t waste money on one gadget this year and then on a new one another year. Unless you happen to be a hardcore techie with a high-paying job, there is just no point changing gadgets each year. This is especially true for teens who use their phones for taking Instagram selfies.
3.Munch food cooked at home more often than binge eating outside
As shocking as it might appear but most teens end up spending way more money on outside food than most other things. Consider this – you spend $20 each week only on food. That makes it $80 per month and $1040 in a year. All this money is just draining away just because you don’t eat at home.
Can you imagine the kind of things you could have done with this amount of money? You could have gone sailing around Caribbean sea. You could have joined a vocational course and earned a certification. Best of all, you could have set up an emergency fund for the near future. So, start to save money on food.
4.Do not depend on your parents for every small thing
The first rule of frugal living for all teens is to become as independent as possible. I know that you’re young and most of your bills will be taken care of by your mum dad. But even then, constantly lookout for ways where you support yourself.
Join a community club and earn a buck or two. Start freelancing from home and see yourself earning by the hour. Pursue part time internships during holidays and earn money. Most of all, learn to look after yourself and your family.
5.Use public transport more than you do now
You’re obviously more agile and feisty as a teen. So instead of being lazy and picking up a cab, go for public transport. Not only will you end up saving a lot more money but will also learn to do away with all sense of entitlement.
If you’re lucky enough to live in a region where you can hike around, pick that over any kind of transport. You will surely end up being frugal along with being healthy.
6.Inculcate a habit of pooling money with pals
As teens, you will and should hang out with your friends a lot. It’s important to be part of a community, a tribe so be it. However, the underlying principle of any community is looking out for each other.
Therefore, when you head out with friends, encourage everybody to pool – for food, cabs, leisure activities and even candy shopping. Sharing is caring and an excellent way to stay frugal.
7.Purchase only those outfits and footwear that you wear without stop
I’m not sure whether you’ve noticed but you do end up buying a lot of clothes and accessories just because they ‘look good’ in the store decor. The bright colours and latest fashion trends tend to make them appealing. However, more often you won’t even wear them once they’re inside your wardrobe.
So, pick up clothes that you will wear a lot and the ones that are durable. There is no point cluttering your cupboard and not using the things in there.
8.Invest in a bright future by learning professional skills
You will not remain a teenager forever. Sooner than you expect, adulthood will arrive for you. When that happens, keep your skillset ready. You will bag a decent job and that monthly income will start flowing. Invest in a safer future by acquiring a good skill set in your present. Be it writing, photography, graphics, marketing, sales, blogging and anything that interests you. Just learn, learn and learn.
Also, start to read good books to improve your knowledge and wisdom. I’ve come across the book which is helping me to understand the importance of saving money. The book name is Rich Dad Poor Dad. This is penned in a simple way that even a teenager can read and understand very easily.
9.Avail free courses online
In today’s era of free good content, how about availing some in order to learn a thing or two. You can always check out Youtube and Google. When these giant companies are offering content of value, how about you make use of it?
Instead of just scrolling your phone and stalking others, isn’t it better to actually learn new things. Go in for free courses online based on your interest and you will end up knowing way more than others.
10.Dedicate your teen years towards minimalism
Minimalism is a philosophy whose underlying principle is simplicity. You can call yourself a minimalist if you surround yourself with things that you genuinely need and do away with all others.
This is a key principle. Minimalism is the key to conserving the planet. Minimalism is the key to a more wholesome living. Minimalism is the key to eternal happiness. The sooner you adapt to minimalism, the better it will prove for you.
As a frugal teenage boy, you will do so well in the near future. Starting early and doing it right is key. If you’ve fully decided to make thriftiness a lifestyle, you should pat your back for it. Not everyone makes the right decision. After all, it isn’t easy being thrifty. But now that you have chosen the path, it will prove so worth it.