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Being thrifty all the time isn’t what some people call living. Others in Toronto compete on frugality. This depends on your lifestyle.Hopefully below I covered how you can live comfortably and spend as little as possible. Toronto can be great for people who want to live like royalty without the royal surcharge.Below you will find:StealsConnectivity (phones, internet, cable)MusicClubbing, bars, loungesCarsFoodGym membershipsClothesFurniture and household itemsRenting a placeSteals - The only theft in Toronto you should try outAmazon Prime. Just get it. You’ll thank me. The price depends on if you’re a student or not. Totally worth it.eBay deals - Not the auctions, their deals section. You can get a wide variety of items for ridiculously cheap here. I bought a brand new Samsung Galaxy from here. It was just released and less than retail price by $100. I used it for a short while and sold it for $50 profit. eBay deals are insane.TTC passes - Some jobs offer these. If you’re a student use the student discount. If you are not driving buy one and save yourself the headache. Car insurance and gas are very expensive in Toronto. Avoid driving if possible. Sometimes moving into a more expensive home closer to work is still cheaper than getting a car.Dollarama - You can live off what these stores sell. Not all offer the same inventory so check a few out in the city. Quality is much better than you’d expectSmall shops - The lifeblood of Toronto. From clothes to video games, I’ve bought everything from these shops at the best prices. Even better than online. Do not ignore smalls stores in Toronto.Uber and Lyft - These can be expensive but much cheaper for long trips out of the TTC’s coverage than taking a taxi. Get a friend to refer you so you can get a free first ride on both. Also check fares in both apps no matter where you’re going. I’ve seen $15 price differences just by switching apps. It’s quite random.Banks - Small credit unions are a great way to get cheaper services and to even get higher interest on your savings. Big banks can be brutal sometimes but some programs are helpful. Scotiabank’s SCENE points program will help you see free movies. Shop around for your bank. Have multiple if you need.Getting connected - cell phone, home internet and cable if you must:Cellphones are the trickiest of the aforementioned. If you want to save money, buy the best used iPhone you can get (they tend to last longer) from Kijiji.ca or Orchard. If you don’t care about smartphone features, you can even go as far as getting used BlackBerry. A happy medium is a relatively new flagship Android (Samsung or Google Pixel is your best bet).You likely want a good plan.Fido, Koodo and Virgin Mobile tend to be expensive with hidden fees. The goal of these carriers is to push you as far up market as possible. Get the cheapest possible plan you can from Freedom Mobile. Some people do not need calling beyond 9–11 services. You can download a texting app that will give you free local calls via the app, this way you only consume data.If you make calls for work and need a more reliable service, simply drive to any small mall in the city. Given the demographics of these areas, Telus, Bell and Rogers stores often have very good promotions. You also have all the leverage you can get since you are not purchasing a phone from them on a contract. Don’t sign a contract. Month to month, or prepaid if it suits your needs.Home internet is much easier now than it used to be. There are almost too many options. None of the providers are perfect and most share infrastructure so service quality only varies in terms of support. If you urgently need service you can try the Fido home internet. I found this to be more than sufficient.If your work (or gaming addiction) requires the best internet you can get, see what providers are available where you live. If Beanfield is available get it. Otherwise, really talk to Bell and Rogers. Sometimes you can get better plans (price and speed) than what is offered online. If you call one, make sure to mention the other gave you a slightly better deal.If you want the cheapest possible connection or want a happy medium between speed and price, go right to Teksavvy.There is a cost to you having to deal with bad service and disconnections. Don’t waste your time chasing providers who offer bad support and unreliable service (VMedia). That is why I did not mention some of the other small ISPs. Many require huge deposits, take long to install services and offer weak support.Cable is the devil. Not only will decent service cost you an arm and a leg, your options are limited and to get the best price, you may have to bundle this with your home internet (which means less choice of providers).Some people suggest to use Android TV boxes, sold throughout the city. The quality of the service greatly varies and depends on your provider and internet connection. I am also not sure how legal this is. The same goes for just downloading TV shows and movies. If the legalities of this are not of concern to you, this will cost you nothing.A better alternative is to try and use a Google Chrome extension called Hola, and access free TV content from the USA, UK and Australia as much as possible. Hulu and other services are awesome.Netflix is worth the price. Some cell and internet providers offer discount codes for Netflix subscriptions. Netflix in Canada has come a long way and while some shows are missing, it’s one of the best libraries globally. Cut the cord, use Netflix. Build a collection of podcasts, YouTube, Twitch and other content that you can subscribe to for free. Add this with your Netflix subscription and done. No cable and just the cost of the Netflix account. Unless of course you have someone who shares an account with you (angels).Another forgotten gem is Amazon’s Prime Video. If you have an Amazon Prime subscription (which you should) you get Prime Video for free. The library of shows is much more limited however, there are exclusive shows such as the Grand Tour. It’s included in your Prime subscription so make use of it!If you’re a sports fan (I’m so sorry), you pretty much have to buy cable from Bell or Rogers. See which provider offers the best bundle to get you all the sports channels you need. Go for quality here. Out of sync or a bad quality feed will drive you nuts, don’t bother trying to save a few bucks here.Some people have found streaming sites for live games on Reddit, Twitter and YouTube. Again, I am not sure the legality of such but the quality is much better than even paid IPTV services if you can find the right stream (or so I’ve heard).What about IPTV? I didn’t mention the paid IPTV services because many are terrible. I’d rather not pay for a service than to pay and have a half working service in some situations. These companies also usually want you to buy their internet service which isn’t the best.I also did not mention home phone. This service is unnecessary for most people. If this can drive down the cost of your bundle (Bell and Rogers sometimes have cheaper bundles with home phone than without), it can be a decent addition. I would not pay for a home phone. It is often cheaper to just get a second cellphone line.Music - to drown out sounds of constant construction and screaming on TTCIf you like live music Toronto is not going to be cheap. That is if you want to see major acts. Good seats cost hundreds of dollars for top acts and it is tough to get tickets. There is no 100% reliable service to buy these tickets. It depends on the act’s management company and the venue.Contests always happen so listen out if your favourite act has a show coming up in Toronto. Sometimes even top acts have slow sales. If you hear ticket sales are moving slow in other big cities, it’s worth waiting until the last minute to buy tickets. You can get them at a heavily discounted price.If you are into smaller acts, just cruise the local bars. Toronto is home to plenty of great local acts and artists from out of the city come to Toronto to do free shows.Free shows are also abundant in Toronto. During more festive times of the year, you might be lucky enough to see some of the top acts in the world for free. Always keep up to speed on what free events are going on by reading blogs.For streaming services? See if your carrier or some company you deal with has a Spotify or Apple Music promotion and use that to your advantage. Also if you have an Amazon Prime subscription, Amazon has a music streaming service. It’s slowly improving so maybe this is how you can save $9/month or more.Bars, clubs and lounges - don’tThey’re all a big waste of money. Interesting characters pop up there. The ones you’d like to avoid. If you want to socialize on the cheap, download Meetup or check out your local community centre.Cars - TTC stands for “take the car”Depending on your needs a car might be unavoidable. Yes there are means (that will remain unspoken), to lower the cost of riding the TTC but many people drive instead.If you want a nice car but don’t want to pay tons of money or keep it long term, check out LeaseBusters. You can pickup someone else’s lease part way through the term. This is a great way to save money.Else look at a used car on Kijiji. There are two types sellers to look for.Desperate to leave Toronto quickly because they’re relocating elsewhereIn some sort of financial straitsDealers will charge you as much as possible for a used car. Pay for a pre-purchase inspection at a reputable shop and buy private sale cars instead.If you are car savvy, you can also look into cars sold at auctions.If you feel you need All Wheel Drive for the winter, just buy a used BMW or Audi that is in good shape. Don’t go for the bigger engine unless that is the model that is more reliable. There are plenty of great used luxury cars from $12–17k available. In all honestly, these cars offer great features, safety and a small dosage of “clout”. In truth, Toronto does not experience overwhelming amounts of snow typically. Save the money.If you’re not big on All Wheel Drive or luxury features, Toronto has tons of “beater” cars on Kijiji. An old Honda Civic, Toyota Corolla or a Mazda 3 will cost less than $7 and be easier to maintain. Salt and snow can be harsh on a car, as well as our plentiful potholes. Get a car that can take a beating and maintain it. You’ll save a ton of money.The deciding factor here shouldn’t just be cost of ownership, safety is even more important. Avoid very old Kia’s and too small cars with bad crash test ratings. In prior years, Luxury cars had much better safety features and crash ratings. Economy cars have caught up. Purchase wisely.For any car, get insurance quotes before purchasing. Toronto has sky-high insurance rates across the city.You can buy new winter tires online or even check Kijiji for used tires! Just make sure the tread on the used tires is still okay. This helps you get discounts on insurance.Food - who cares, blow all of your disposable income on foodYou could go to pricey restaurants but it will cost $20–100+ every meal. Instead of doing this, just travel around various communities. It’s not even worth describing where to find them. That’s how many affordable restaurants exist here.Groupon sometimes has great deals you should take advantage of if you like to eat out.Otherwise, grocery stores are your best friend. If you have a car or means to be driven (Uber, a friend, etc), you can get a Costco membership. They sell everything (even gas) and if you carefully buy in bulk, you can save a good chunk of money.Grocery stores in Toronto are clever. Sinister even. Lower income areas actually tend to have pricier items for sale in the bigger chains. Do not get lost in the general prices of a store based on name or location. Take your time and figure out what you buy each month and just look around to see where each item is cheapest and make a choice where to shop. Check your mailbox for flyers from these stores. Also keep in mind, sometimes even Shoppers Drug Mart or Rexall will have food on sale. This can be cheaper than grocery stores. Don’t forget Dollarama either.Clothes - hint: brand name clothes on sale and “disposable” brands are keyToronto can be stuffy. Not just from colds going around but the working culture. You likely need dress clothes and a fair bit of casual clothes.Short and simple. Shop at H&M, Zara and Winners. This should cover you on 99% percent of clothes purchases. For shoes even. You could also shop online or find outlets but these stores are the most accessible. These clothes do not always last the longest but buying a few items or just as you need them is more than enough. It’s not impossible to get an outfit for if you shop here.Also Champs, Sportcheck and Footlocker do on occasion have great sales. Watch out for sales but avoid these otherwise.If you’re not big into perception Walmart has great quality clothes for cheap prices. Just don’t assume that it’s at Walmart so it must be cheap. Sometimes “cheap” stores are expensive in Toronto.Conversely, expensive brands like Polo and even Versace can be cheaper than brands you’d look for to be thrifty. I have seen a pack of Versace boxer briefs cheaper than the price of Tommy Hilfiger boxers because they were on “firesale” at a high end store. The Bay and Nordstrom will often have a few items priced strangely cheap. It’s usually a mistake. Take advantage.When it comes to clothes, you have to be open minded to save money in Toronto. Just remember, sometimes a dollar or two extra now will save you money in the long run. Replacing clothes all the time will cost you. Unless you purchased socks, gloves and hats from Dollarama like a real champ. Then you’d be laughing.Do not forget to shop online.Gyms - DANGERHidden fees for a place you’ll never go to? Ah gyms. Simply find a friend who has a gym in their condo or see if you can find a real promotion. I highly would recommend avoiding memberships. They are a real money pit and people end up in debt, with damaged credit because of gyms. You can buy weights yourself or just go for a run.You should also try seeing if your work has a fitness program or discounts on a gym membership. If you are really serious about the gym, find the cheapest gym that is not a chain. if you want to get active, check out your local community centre.Home furnishings and household items - Small malls, Ikea, Kijiji, Craigslist and Facebook groups. EasyNo need to waste money here. Splurge on a great mattress. Do not trust some of the smaller outlets in Toronto. You’ll end up with a sunken in bed in a few months. Or a TV with dead pixels. Check the aforementioned’s online stores as well. Even Best Buy has great deals on occasion. Use your Prime Membership to your advantage.Tissue paper, dish liquid and other necessities can be purchased cheaply from Dollarama. Check to see if buying in bulk from Costco is cheaper or cheaper on Amazon Prime.Finding a home: screwed is an understatement. I’m sorry.Consider this. Take the rent of the average decent quality, decent location, 1 bedroom apartment. $1500–2000 a month is a ton of money. Divide that number in half. $750–1000 a month isn’t so bad right?This is the strange plight of Toronto. If you divide cost of living in a one bedroom home amongst two people, it becomes affordable. On your own you need to have a decent salary and minimal expenses to make it work (comfortably).This is funny given most people I know in Toronto are younger and single or married and already have a house purchased. Hence why Toronto is so expensive to most people. Prices for a 1 bedroom condo are meant for two working people living in the unit.Here’s are the tricks that I have learned.AVOID renting a whole apartment in a low-income area. These are the biggest scams in Toronto. Paying north of $1000/month for a one bedroom apartment near Jane and Finch is silly. Either pay a few hundred a month more to live in a much nicer area that is closer to downtown or scale down and get a basement apartment. This is especially true if you live in 3 or less person household.If you’re single: Find a room mate. This will let you live in a condo or nicer apartment with much less stress. This is the only way many young people can afford to live downtown, uptown or midtown. If you’re in school student housing exists downtown.If you have a car and can afford to keep it, it is much easier to live anywhere you can find a cheap basement. You might have to do Scarborough or Rexdale but why pay well over $1300 month for a “luxury” basement? I’d avoid renting a room in these areas unless you’re less picky, or you have a community there. These areas are also great if you aren’t always in a rush to get to your destination (some people have flexible jobs). A whole basement to yourself would be fine. A room might get bad.If you have a decent STABLE salary you can do what I did. Get a nice studio at a good rate. Even it’s a bit expensive get it. The studio I rented for $1500/month (all inclusive) ended up becoming $1700 after I left. $1500 a month was a lot of money when I first moved in but I grew into the expense and eventually it became easy. Growing into an expense works for some people but not all. Not only did my salary grow to make this easier (work hard) but I started seeing someone and we divided the cost. All while the pain of finding a place is already taken care of. Sometimes it’s easier just to bite the bullet and pay.If you have a larger family (more than three people): Have tough conversations. Figure out what matters to each person. Cut where you can. Do not assume each family member can make more money. For most people saving more is easier. Now that you have as much cash free as possible, look on Kijiji and Craigslist for townhouses and houses for rent. These actually can be cheaper than a 1 or 2 bedroom apartment, even in really nice neighbourhoods. Many kind elderly owners in Toronto put up their homes for rent at lower than market prices. Just treat their homes well please.Couples: The trick isn’t finding a suitable unit. It’s the lease terms. People in Toronto sometimes switch jobs. You don’t want to pick an apartment downtown and then get your dream job in Richmond Hill. Try and find a place centrally in the city. Also do not fall victim to the rising trend of 24 and 36 month leases. It’s silly. A one year lease should be the maximum. Prices are up and down in all parts of the city. Sometimes availability is bad. Work with what you can find. I personally would just find a decent place where parking and utilities are included in the rent. Pick up the rental magazines near bus stops. You can find apartments for very good prices.If you have bad or no credit: I have helped a lot of people in this situation fix their credit. In the interim it can be tough. Toronto is unique because many people with poor credit have high income (destroyed in the building process I suppose).This is way less of a problem if you’re not picky. Either pony up the full term of the lease up-front and accept it’s what you have to do OR find a landlord that will work with you and your credit. Some landlord’s don’t even check scores. A good salary will go miles. Reference letters won’t. You likely will find basement units do not require anything more than firsts and lasts, along with an employment letter. DO NOT OFFER A BIGGER DEPOSIT. Also technically, landlords cannot ask for a larger deposit. I’ve seen units rented for cheaper than expected because the tenant offered to pay the lease in it’s entirety. This happens much more than people would believe.*If you have kids: This is a complex process because schools are vastly different in each area of Toronto. Don’t gamble with your child’s future. Discriminatory practices exist. Send them to a good school. This likely means sending them to a good elementary school, that feeds into a good middle school that feeds into a good high school. You can search for the amount of money a school raised through fundraising. You can also check The Fraser Institute for data and rankings for Ontario schools. Don’t just trust the rankings. Go to the schools, speak to people. Spend the extra money to find a home in a area with good schools. Don’t cheap out here. Don’t listen to idiots who say it doesn’t matter.Likely my longest answer on Quora. I personally found Tokyo and Dubai to be much cheaper than Toronto based on my lifestyle. Even Vancouver was cheaper. I’ve lived here for 25 years. If you can make it work Toronto is magical.Love live home (if you can afford it).