Frugal living is often associated with living cheaply. However, this is not always true. Frugal living means living wisely. It means getting the most and the best for your money.

Whether you want to get out of debt, or trying to stay out, there are some things you need to know in order to live a simple frugal life and be happy.

One of the most important things you need to realize is that “need” is not a synonym of “want”. If you pay attention to your language, you will notice how often you use the word “need”, when you should be using “want” instead.

You do need clothing to wear to work, but do you really need a Guess denim jacket or will Old Navy do?

Sure, you need caffeine every morning, but does your body really care if you drink Starbucks or just brew regular coffee at home?

A car is absolutely necessary for you to drive to work and a big van might be necessary to drive all your kids and their friends together. But do you really “need” the latest model Lexus, or you think you might be OK with something simpler, older, but just as safe and roomy?

If you don’t want to get deeper in debt, you have to realize that money and material possessions are overrated and cannot make you happy. A number of studies prove this. Nevertheless, media makes us believe that we need a luxury car, a bigger house and the latest ipod.

People need to learn how to filter advertisements and not to be brainwashed by the media and skillful marketing specialists. Happiness doesn’t lay in how many pairs of designer jeans someone has or how nice their car is. Happiness usually lies in simple things, such as family, nature, health, laughter…

Get rid of your credit cards. Leave just one for an emergency. Don’t open store credit cards just for the sake of saving 15% off a single purchase. Store credit cards may lower your credit score and have extremely high interest rates.

Consider paying with cash everywhere you go. This is a good reminder of how much you are actually spending.

It is not difficult to live simply if you realize that happiness has nothing to do with being wealthy. If you don’t believe this, ask rich people. They also grunt, complain and money rarely seems to solve any problems they encounter.

Remember, frugal living doesn’t mean low-quality living and it does not mean sacrifice. If you learn how to live simpler, you will not only find your wallet fatter, but you might find yourself happier.

An average American spends 17% of their income on food, so if your income is $60,000 that’s more that $10,000 you spend on food each year. Would you like to pay off your debt faster? Saving money on food will help you.

Here are some tips on how to cut your grocery bill in half.

Before we start I have to point out that I am against cheap junk food. If you try to “save money” by eating crap, you will end up spending more on pills and doctors. Being sick is very expensive in this country, so do yourself a favor and avoid junk as much as possible.

My first tip to save money on groceries is to never go to the store without coupons. Many people are too lazy searching for coupons, clipping and printing them. Using coupons can save you hundreds or even thousands dollars a year and it is really not that hard. ‘Couponing” is a very good habit of every frugalista.

Second tip would be not going to the store hungry. Hunger makes you buy much more stuff that you really need.

Buy in bulk. Buying stuff in bulk can save you tons of money not only on food but on gas as well. Get membership to stores like BJ or SamsClub. It is not free to join, but if you have a family, it is well worth it.

Learn how to cook. Making from scratch is not only much cheaper, but much healthier for you as well.

Shop local. No doubt, it is much more convenient to go to the supermarket and get a full trunk of food once or twice a month, but it is not really cheaper. If you buy stuff from local farmers, you can save quite a bit. Plus, you are supporting your local communities.

Try to follow these tips for a few months and you will be amazed how much money you save. Just make sure not to spend these money on some junk. Put them towards your debt.

When the economy gets tough, many people start looking for ways to live frugally. Frugal doesn’t mean cheap. Living frugally simply means getting the most out of your money.

Frugal habits come in handy not only during hard economic times. They will help anyone not to get into debt by spending money wisely and by learning to live happily with what they already have.

The first thing everyone needs to do is to learn to see the difference between the verbs “want” and “need”.

You may think that you need 5 swimming suits in different colors and styles, but in reality you rarely need more than one.

You do have to eat in order to live, but you don’t need to eat sushi every week and follow it with two beers.

Depending on the circumstances you may need a car and there is a possibility that you need a bigger one to fit all your family in it. But I doubt you really need the latest Mercedes with leather seats.

This may seem simple or even corny, but you will be surprised how many people get in debt just because they have mistaken their desires for their needs.  Thousands of people get in debt not because of losing their jobs or their ability to work, but just because they don’t know how to live frugally and keep buying unnecessary things which advertisers are trying to feed them.

It is not difficult to live frugally if you realize that the best things in life have nothing to do with money. Researchers proved that money can only make you happy in one case – if you spend it on others. Your child will remember going to a park with you when he grows up, but he will most likely forget all the fancy toys he got for Christmas.

If you are serious about not wasting your money, get rid of your credit cards. It is OK to keep one for major purchases and emergences, but try to use it only when absolutely necessary (just for your information, buying an 11th pair of jeans is NOT a necessity)

Try paying with cash everywhere you go, because it is a very good indicator of how much you are really spending. This trick will certainly make you think twice whether you really need the item or just want it.

Avoid consumerism, because it makes you believe that material things bring happiness. You work hard to earn money, so you can spend it and in the process you miss things which are really important, such as spending time with your family.

Try to live frugally. You may be surprised to discover that you are much happier when your life is simpler.