Lil Dicky, whose real name is Dave Burd, is a frugal American rapper who set out to make a music video spending absolutely no money. The 2015 song, “$ave Dat Money,” is all about frugal living hacks that can help you save money. Not only is the music video hilarious and catchy (with over 163 million views), but it also genuinely describes some of the best frugal living tips. While Lil Dicky set out to make the “most epic rap video ever” without spending any money, he actually made $600 from sponsors. Find out some of the best frugal living tips from “Save Dat Money.”
If you haven’t seen the video, be sure to watch it first here (Note: this video is epic and explicit):
Save Dat Money’s 13 Best Frugal Living Tips
Frugal living is about spending money on the things that matter to you and saving as much money as possible on the things that don’t. The following frugal living tips from Lil Dicky’s song are funny, yet effective!
1. “We ain’t ’bout to go and spend money just to flex on them”
Don’t spend money just to impress people! You’ll end up with fake friends and most likely debt too. If you don’t have the money to buy something, just don’t. Later on as you pay off your debt, you’ll probably regret spending so much money on things you didn’t need or even really want.
2. “Those margaritas not goin’ on my card”
In the video, Lil Dicky reviews the check at a restaurant and talks to the server about drinks he didn’t order. This may be funny, but mistakes happen all the time so you should look over checks before you pay at restaurants.
Similarly, you should review your receipt at stores before you leave. I was at Aldi this week and since the cashiers ring items up at light speed, I always check for mistakes. Sure enough, I was double charged for something so I went back for my $2.40 before I left the store.
3. “I wear the same pair of jeans everyday”
As long as you do the smell test, right Dave? Jokes aside, frugal living is about spending money on things that matter to you. If clothes matter to you and make you happy, then spend your money on them responsibly. If your priorities lie elsewhere, like Dave’s, then spend the least amount of money on those items.
Fun fact: We watched the 20 minute documentary about this music video and all of the clothes Lil Dicky wears in it were either free, purchased on sale, or he was paid by sponsors to wear them.
4. “Free sandwiches, homie, two stamps away”
Take advantage of loyalty/rewards programs! Free food or drinks? Why not. If there are restaurants that you eat at frequently, ask if they have a program like this. Seriously the hardest part is remembering to get your stamps…
5. “Book flight December but I leave in May”
He isn’t joking on this one…this is one of the best frugal living tips! According to a study by CheapAir, on average the cheapest time to book a flight is 76 days prior to the date. The study also pointed out that the average economy fare changes a total of 61 times before a trip. Plan ahead and save that money!
6. “Drugs are generic but still work the same”
We are big believers in buying off-brand for almost everything. Medications are a biggy! Consult a pharmacist to find out if there is a cheaper, identical option for prescriptions and for non-prescription medications, compare the ingredients on the packaging yourself to find cheaper alternatives.
7. “I get logins for Netflix from my cousin Greg, Thanks Greg!”
Mooching off family or friends or sharing the cost of accounts is a great way to save money on streaming services. We’re guilty of it too…thanks, Mom and Dad! Some services even offer family plans that allow multiple users at the same time so you don’t have to worry about getting kicked off in the middle of binge-watching anymore.
8. “Hair cut several months in-between, homie”
Spacing out hair cuts can definitely help you save money. Alternatively, what we do is cut each other’s hair to avoid paying for hair cuts. This is an expense that we can definitely live without and we’ve both managed to get pretty good at cutting out hair. For us two, we estimate that it saves us about $450-600 each year!
Learn about different types of bank accounts to find the right one for your lifestyle to help you reach your financial goals.
9. “Hit the m**********n’ lights when I leave, homie”
This cost-saving habit can save you a lot of money in electricity and light bulbs over time. There’s really no reason to leave the lights on when you’re not in a room, so train yourself to flip that switch. The same applies for fans and air conditioning/heating when you’re not home.
10. “401k, rollin’ over bands on it”
A 401-K is an employer-sponsored retirement savings account that uses pre-tax dollars. We think Lil Dicky is saying that he keeps saving money in his 401-K. This is a great thing to do! You should take advantage of compound interest by saving for retirement early. Many people early in their careers avoid opening retirement accounts because they feel they won’t stay at that company for long. However, it’s rather easy to rollover a 401-K to a traditional IRA when you leave a company without paying a penalty (I’ve done it twice with no issues).
If your company offers an employer match on your 401-K deposits, then you should be depositing the amount that gets you the maximum employer match. Otherwise, you’re leaving money on the table!
11. “Coppin’ sweaters in the summer when the sale on ’em”
Shop those sales! You’ll be surprised how much you can save by shopping for off-season items. If you can overlook a lack of selection, you can definitely save money with this frugal living tip.
12. “Free trial memberships though, I never join the shiz though”
So many lines in this song actually make us laugh and this is one of them. I guess we’re not the only ones who do this! We have used trial memberships and then cancelled before being charged so many times and honestly unless you decide that you will be getting your money’s worth out of a service, why pay for it after the trial period?
Try watching 6 seasons of Lost on Hulu in a month…. Be sure to set a calendar reminder for a day or two before they are going to charge your credit card to cancel and delete your card.
13. “800k underneath the bed baby”
Although we do not recommend storing your savings under your mattress, we do recommend saving that money! Check out our banking guide to find the right savings account for you.
Wondering how much you can save if you implement all of Lil Dicky’s frugal living tips? According to Go Science Finance, Lil Dicky saved at least $9,000 after adding up all of the frugal living hacks detailed in the lyrics!
Find out about the frugal living habits we live by to enable us to spend more money on what we want.
Financial freedom begins with good habits.
Rebecca & Tiago, theloadedpig.com