I'm frugal with my money but live a luxury life – I still manage to shop at M&S but using a simple hack
MONEY TALKS I'm frugal with my money but live a luxury life – I still manage to shop at M&S but using a simple hack
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WE all love a bit of luxury, but let's be real, our wallets don't always agree.
WIth the cost of living still high in the UK, many families will be struggling to make ends meet.
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Monica is frugal with my money but still lives a luxury life
Credit: tiktok/@themonicaway
However, there are lots of ways to get financial freedom.
Enter Monica, who is known as 'themonicaway' on TikTok.
She revealed her top tips on how she lives a lavish life without breaking the bank.
In her recent TikTok video, which has gained 31.9k views after two days of being posted, Monica shared her top five "frugal things I do to live a luxurious lifestyle," proving that high-end living is more about smart choices than endless spending.
Monica kicks off her tips with a bold move that might make your hairdresser gasp: DIY hair trims.
For regular trims and maintaining layers and fringes, she grabs the scissors herself in the comfort of her home.
The ultimate luxury for her? Not having to leave the house.
She still gets an annual professional trim, but her at-home snips save her "a couple of hundred pounds a year."
Next up, Monica champions what she believes is the ultimate luxury in life: your health.
For her, "health is wealth," and that means prioritising high-quality food.
I bought huge swimming pool in Aldi Ireland at bargain price - it's perfect for heatwave and best money I've ever spent
Her secret weapon? Marks and Spencer.
She debunks the myth that M&S is always pricier, noting their basic range is comparable to budget supermarkets.
The real game-changer, though, is their "yellow sticker sales."
Monica has even cracked the code for her local store, finding mass reductions between 5:30 and 6:00 PM and on Saturday mornings.
High quality food
This allows her to enjoy "high quality, high grade food, finding bargains and on a budget."
For those of us who love a chic workout, Monica has a "little bit cheeky" trick: ClassPass free trials.
If you're looking to try a new bougie workout class, she advises taking advantage of their trials, like a current offer for "14 days of credits" for just one pound.
The key? Just make sure to set a reminder in your calendar to cancel the trial so that you don't get charged.
Boujee meetups
She loves using this for "boujee" meetups with friends, enjoying a free Pilates class before heading out for a smoothie or breakfast.
Monica's passion for secondhand fashion is no secret, and she's got a brilliant Vinted hack.
Instead of withdrawing the money she makes from selling clothes, she keeps it in her Vinted account.
This becomes her "spend allowance for buying new clothing," which she says feels "a little bit like free money."
This ingenious method not only motivates her to declutter and sell items she no longer wears, but also helps her "fine tune what you have in your wardrobe," creating a truly luxurious feeling of curated style and space.
Home decor
Finally, Monica advises against mass-produced home decor.
She finds the quality lacking and prefers to seek out unique, more special pieces.
Her go-to spots are charity shops, Facebook Marketplace, Gumtree, and eBay for "secondhand or antique" finds.
She emphasises that you don't need to spend a fortune to find high-quality antique items, and that your home will look "so much more luxurious if you have unique pieces that really demonstrate your personality and your style."
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Monica revealed how she still manages to shop at M&S
Credit: tiktok/@themonicaway
Monica's video gained 38 comments, as many people rushed to share their thoughts.
One wrote: 'Love this can't believe you cut your own hair though.'
A second added: 'Finally someone who loves to live bougie but also save money.'
A third commented: 'M&S is the best by far all the way there.
'It's better quality and there is not much price difference. Don't mind a few extra pennies for good food that doesn't get wasted.'
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