9 Best Money-Saving Blogs

Discover new ways to save big with these thrifty lifestyle blogs, created by people just like you.

By Kristen Sturt

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Blog Bargains

We love larger money-saving websites like Retail Me Not and Lifehacker, but for this roundup, we were looking for real people – individual bloggers in the trenches of day-to-day living. And boy, did we ever find them.

These nine sites are guaranteed to help you bank big bucks. A few are aimed at moms, but their deals are sweeping, and helpful far beyond those child-raising years. Happy browsing!

1. Babies

The Blog: Baby Cheapskate

An unrivaled resource for baby bargains, Angie Wynne’s comprehensive blog has been posting discounts, giveaways, and frugality tips since 2005. Have older grandkids? Don’t worry – there are plenty of worthwhile deals for toddlers and small children, as well.

Don’t Miss: Baby Cheapskate 101. It’s just the essentials, and a solid place to get the hang of navigating this enormous site.

2. Coupons and Bargains

The Blog: Money Saving Mom

Where to begin with this astonishing family-savings blog? Maybe with the dozens of daily coupons and discounts? Perhaps this giant list of free, printable household management forms? No, it has to be 31 Days to a Better Grocery Budget. Or maybe 25 Income-Earning Ideas. Wherever you start, Crystal Paine’s staggeringly useful site has something for everyone.

Don’t Miss: Saving 100% Down for Our First Home. The Paine family bought a house in cash – a stellar example of how careful money management pays off.

3. Home and Decor

The Blog: IKEA Hackers

To some, an IKEA bookcase is just a bookcase. To others, it’s a media center, a child’s bed, or, well, a much cooler-looking bookcase.

That repurposing is the concept behind IKEA Hackers, an ingenious décor blog run by Jules in Malaysia. Essentially, folks purchase a furniture kit (new or used) from the Swedish superstore, and then transform it to fit their own needs. The results are functional, attractive, and oh-so-cheap.

Don’t Miss: Hack of the Year. This best-of list highlights the blog’s niftiest hacks since 2006.

4. Cooking and Food

The Blog: Hillbilly Housewife

Want a too-precious culinary blog full of flamboyant photography? Hillbilly Housewife ain’t it. But for thrifty recipes, frugal shopping plans, and specific instructions on how to cut your food budget to the bone, HH is your savior. (For something less intensive, $5 Dinners and The 99 Cent Chef are excellent alternatives.)

Don’t Miss: The $45 and $70 Emergency Menus for 4 to 6. When times are really tough, these penny-pinching menus – complete with shopping lists and nutrition numbers – are must-haves.

5. Freebies and Giveaways

The Blog: Freebies 4 Mom

Run by Texas-native Heather Hernandez, this splashy blog updates several times daily with a multitude of free samples, giveaways, and sweepstakes. The Facebook page is another good resource, if you tend to spend more time browsing your newsfeed.

Don’t Miss: Freebie Tips. While most of the site is dedicated to specific deals, the Tips section concentrates on overall strategy – how to score more for less, without getting scammed.

6. Cars

The Blog: Cars For Girls

Edmunds.com and Gasbuddy are reliable resources for finding cars and cheap gas, respectively. But for tips on simple fixes and cash-conserving preventative measures, Hilary Green’s clear, woman-centric auto blog is hard to beat. One click gets you everything from how to buy car batteries to choosing a service garage.

Don’t Miss: The Guides. For quick answers, skip the spotty, day-to-day posts and head straight to this rundown of how-tos.

7. Travel

The Blog: Frugal Traveler

Trip Advisor and Lonely Planet have the market cornered on hotel reviews and itinerary suggestions, but for pure parsimony, Seth Kugel, The New York Times’ Frugal Traveler, is your man. His destination-by-destination approach is unmatched, whether it's Scandinavia on $125 a Day or Going Beyond Disney in Orlando.

(Note: TheTimes limits non-subscribers to 10 articles per month. We encourage you to subscribe, but you can get around it by Googling an article title.)

Don’t Miss: Research: The Traveler’s Best Friend, in which Kugel shares his favorite cheap travel sites. They're also listed on the right-hand side for easy access.

8. Fashion

The Blogs: Frugal Fashionista and The Budget Babe

Every day, these two bloggers post photos of stars wearing stylish outfits. Then, they reproduce the ensembles, using online clothing deals, for pennies on the dollar. Most celebs are younger, but dig deeper, and you’ll find chic get-ups from Julianne Moore (52), Sandra Bullock (48), Meryl Streep (63), and more.

Don’t Miss: Deals and Sales. Budget Babe’s occasional feature tends to highlight timely discounts from places like Target and J. Crew.

9. Personal Finance

The Blog: The Simple Dollar

Finally, a money blog for people who hate money blogs. Trent Hamm’s easy-reading website contains seven years of sound savings strategies for real life. He knows of what he speaks, too. The Iowa-native dug himself out of poverty and crushing debt to become pretty dang wealthy.

Don’t Miss: Reader Mailbags. Twice a week, Hamm answers 10 money questions from real readers, covering almost every aspect of personal finance.