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In a world where "frugal living" and "budget-friendly life hacks" are trending, they are not always as easy as they sound. In fact, some of them require so much effort that they can literally drain a person completely, and who would want that?
Even Reddit user Mrblu_28 is struggling with such a “hack,” so they asked netizens, “What’s the one ‘frugal’ habit you gave up because it wasn’t worth the hassle?” They soon found out they’re not the only ones, as folks spilled out many such things they've experienced. Just scroll down to check them out, as you might find them relatable!
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#1
I run the AC when it is too hot for me and heat when too cold.
I used to try to wait for certain temps. Nah, I just want to have a comfortable home.
Bill Kubeck 8 months ago
For me and for my wife, proper climate control is a medical necessity.
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#2
I no longer wait for off-peak hours to do laundry or run the dishwasher. My chores were stacking up at the end of each evening and it was negatively affecting my sleep, so I had to stop. If I can get a load in after hours? Great. But I’m not living and dying by it.
B Jones 8 months ago
That was the idea. They introduced peak hours but know most wouldn't be able to work with it so they got a nice excuse to raise costs. Oh yeah peak hours are 10am to 7pm, right during the hottest hours when no one would be comfortable without A/C. It was probably some way to raise rates by getting around some kind of government regulations about electricity costs by saying people had a choice which time to use it ..
#3
I stopped saving every single glass jar that food came in. I’ve maxed out reusing for food or sundries, crafts, etc. I’ll still save a jar now and again, but it’s got to have a use in the near future. I don’t have space to stockpile glass jars!
Thanks to the inflation monster, experts have predicted that some daily essential things might soon be very hard to get for middle-class people. It is estimated that an American household spends an average of $61,334 per year on expenses. This amount is quite staggering, considering the fact that the average salary in the US is $66,622, so it's no big surprise that people opt for frugal hacks.
However, this list will make you question whether it's really worth all the time and energy that it can sometimes demand. After all, why do you think quick but expensive solutions came into being in the first place? It was all to reduce human struggles, so it just goes to show why some of these "hacks" are actually futile.
#4
Giving up paper towels completely.
Having to have separate piles of rags that could go in the load for towels, a load for "ewwwwww gross" plus throwing away some utterly biohazard rags was an extra chore. Also our local thrift increased prices. Once upon a time you could buy a grab bag for $3 but now it's $8. I am not buying an $8 bag of towels every month, that's insane waste. Paper towels cost less and they compost or breakdown in a landfill quickly.
#5
I stopped buying in bulk. There's 3 of us, we're not going through things quickly and we don't have the space to store buckets and whatnot.
Bill Kubeck 8 months ago
I buy in bulk now only when there is a significant unit price savings and the stuff won't go bad before we can use it. Oh, yes, and if we have a place to store it. Our current apartment has nearly zero storage, so we buy what we have room for.
#6
Shopping at multiple grocery stores weekly to take advantage of sales.
Our closest grocery store is a co-op, so we get 4% back on groceries at the end of the year. We tracked the sales at the four closest stores for a few months, did the math and figured out that even accounting for the slightly higher sale price at the co-op, we would come out even once we got the cheque at the end of the year.
Plus, when you go into a store for one or two things you never leave with just what you came in for. Without all those extra shopping trips, we figure we are saving money. Though it seems counter intuitive.
Let's closely look at some of the frugal hacks that have not worked for netizens as they have mentioned on this list. For instance, one Redditor mentioned that they stopped buying cheap shoes. Research also indicates that cheap shoes have a higher appeal, but they can actually cause long-term damage to your feet!
One netizen chipped in about how they have stopped buying in bulk, and let us explain why that's a sensible choice. Investopedia suggests that buying in bulk lowers the per-unit cost, but it often leads to higher overall spending than simply purchasing only what you need. The article also says that bulk buying often encourages overconsumption, and at the same time, it creates more waste if the things are not consumed.
#7
Laundering my husbands work shirts. When I was pregnant with our last baby I put on a two hour movie and still wasn’t done ironing his 10 button down shirts. The collars and creases on the sleeves and cuffs take forever.
I called the three nearest cleaners and shirts at the time laundered and pressed was $1.50!!! Maybe this was more affordable than the energy it took to run the washer, dryer, iron, cost of detergent… I don’t know. But my husband made more than that an hour so that’s how we justified it.
Mel in Georgia 8 months ago
I made my husband iron his own shirts because I could never do it (and launderers could never do it) well enough for him. Good on him for agreeing to it!
#8
Fellow former Ziplok rinser here! It was causing mental anguish seeing them clutter up the kitchen drying out.
Invested in quality glass snapware and a big roll of parchment paper. I have not needed a Ziplok bag in 5+ years.
Uncle Panda 8 months ago
I went with Rubbermaid's Brilliant wear and have never looked back. That box of ziplocks may be the last.
#9
Unplugging appliances. It would drive my husband crazy and it's not worth it to me.
Michael Largey 8 months ago
Really, your husband's pacemaker doesn't use that much juice, so let it be.
Some people also mentioned reusing ziplocs (just like OP) or storing every glass jar they buy food in. They mentioned that they stopped doing this because of all the clutter and lack of space they had, and living in a cluttered space is not really ideal, is it?
It has been observed that clutter and mental health are connected, as it can have a negative impact. Clutter can increase stress levels, make it difficult to focus, take a toll on relationships, and more. This just shows that reusing everything, and I mean everything, is not always a healthy option.
#10
I unfortunately have a lot of non-frugal habits, but one I’m giving myself grace for is getting pre-made meals. I know cooking from scratch is usually cheaper, but a bunch of raw ingredients that rot in my refrigerator and then shame-ordering DoorDash is more expensive and more frustrating than just buying some lentil packets and rice cups.
#12
When I moved into my current house in 2018, it didn't come with a dryer. I hand dried all my clothing until this past fall, when I finally caved and bought a mini dryer that is only big enough for socks and underwear. I very much prefer to hang dry my actual clothing, but the time suck of individually hanging each sock and underpants was a barrier to me doing laundry, formerly my favourite chore. Tumble drying socks and underwear but hang drying everything else is a compromise I can live with, my clothes last so much longer hang drying them, and being able to inspect them all every wash is also great for their longevity.
Sandy Jones 8 months ago
After all these years, I just figured out that hang drying clothes is free.
From making their own laundry detergent to making their own bread, some people also mentioned that they have stopped DIY-ing such things as they require a lot of time and work. Sensible Sustainability claims that DIY can sometimes be more wasteful, and some things are just not meant to be done by yourself.
Basically, what we are trying to convey is that being frugal about everything might not be the right choice, and sometimes, it's fine to quit those hacks.
Experts also warn, "Unfortunately, many people become spending-phobic in their quest to live a more frugal life, which can lead to anxiety around money. In the worst instances, people may become overly hesitant to spend money on even essential items, which can lead to a lower overall quality of life.”
#13
I don't get cheap shoes. I remember getting cheap shoes at an outlet and they fell apart after two months. Nice shoes come from "The Walk Shop" and trainers from REI.
I have had various laptops and while Windows machines are cheaper, I can't even due to blue screen issues. I only get MacBooks now (once every 7 or so years).
#14
Making my own laundry detergent.
#15
Washing my car. I bought quality products thinking I could do just as good of a job as the professionals and save money, I was wrong. It takes me so much time, I was using so much water just to get a subpar result. Plus my shop vac can’t compare to the vacuums at a car wash.
As they say, it's not always good to overdo something, and we can completely empathize with why these netizens gave up the frugal hacks that didn't work for them. Now we want to hear from you. Have you ever experienced a budget-friendly technique that was actually not worth the hassle? Drop your thoughts in the comments. Also, don't forget to upvote the ones you found most relatable!
#16
My son and I typically go to a nice barbershop. I had never done a cheaper haircut, so I gave it a go a few months ago and we both went to a Magicuts in the mall, to see if I'm overpaying for haircuts. They absolutely butchered our hair. I saved about 30 bucks. Concluded not worth it.
StrangeOne 8 months ago
OMG. I've never gone to a Magicuts and came out looking good. Last time, one of my coworkers said it looked like I cut my hair, myself. I would have done a better job. I don't go to salons often, but I'd rather spend $65 at Chatters.
#17
I'm not getting the cheapest liquid body soap in 5l tubs any more. It's just horrible. I'll use up what I've got but... It's horrible. I use it as handsoap refill too and it makes my hands split and bleed in winter. Not worth the savings!
#18
Collecting water in the shower, the cold water in a bucket while waiting for the warm to come through. Hauling it out to the garden gave me a serious case of bursitis in my shoulder.
#19
I all but ruined my best coat trying to load a bag with garlic powder at winco because I was hellbent on saving that dollar…
Note to self: bulk powdery stuff is not worth the hassle, and I hope my garlic powder footprints up to the cash register served as a warning to others.
#20
Shopping for my own groceries? I’ll gladly pay a delivery fee and tip for someone to bring what I want to me and I get to avoid the hell of grocery stores.
#21
Roasting a whole chicken and carving it up for half a week of meals.
I used to do this most weeks but when I ran the numbers, the difference between this and a large pack of breasts wasn't that much and I decided I valued my time more.
nomnomborkbork 8 months ago
Time is a sadly undervalued commodity, and you can never get it back again.
#22
Changing my own oil. It was getting harder to find a place to take the used oil.
keyboardtek 8 months ago
Changing your own oil requires car ramps and crawling underneath the vehicle. At 70 years old, I need a plan to some how get up if I have to lie down below a car.
#23
Meal planning a week in advance. A few times our whole household caught an illness and we wound up wasting tons of groceries. I prefer to stop by the store every day or two for whatever fresh ingredients we will use right away.
Auntriarch 8 months ago
If you have got the time for frequent shopping, that's a good way, not something to apologise for
#24
Driving further to save a few cents per gallon. My small car gets great gas mileage and a full tank is only 10 or 11 gallons. So I keep an eye on gas prices as I drive around and when I'm near a quarter tank, I fill up at most any station that's convenient.
I won't pay 0.25¢ or more than the average but if the difference is 5¢ or even 9¢, I realized I didn't need to make myself crazy over saving 50¢-90¢ per fill-up (every 2 weeks or so).
Regina Holt 8 months ago
I do this. I'm never going out of my way, since I'm already driving past the gas station. A few more cents a gallon saves the money on gas that you would spend going out of your way to get the cheapest.
#25
Making my own bread. At the time I didn’t have a bread machine, so it was all by hand and 3 hours from start to finish.
#26
Stopped buying refrigerated foods in bulk. Made me feel pressured to eat it all before it expired, leading to an empty fridge faster and then out to buy more food. Grocery deals are nice, but can't beat the savings of not buying more food than needed in the first place.
Tabitha 8 months ago
If you can freeze any of them, do so. You can blanch and freeze vegetables, for instance, especially if you have the vacuum sealed bags to store them in. We have a big chest freezer, and when we buy fresh stuff, or refrigerated stuff that freezes well, we divide it up into servings, put it in vacuum sealed bags, and mark it with the name of the contents and freezing date. We’ve saved a lot on groceries by using up a lot of food from the freezer, especially when money has gotten tight (we started a business, and you know that means a lot of money initially goes into equipment, etc before you can even get started, and you run in the red for the first year, so this happened to us a few times when we were first starting out)
#27
Legitimately eating rice and lentils for most of my meals.
I still eat plenty of rice. But rice and lentils was my getting out of debt meal.
Uncle Panda 8 months ago
Grad school was a special form of poverty and 40 years later, I still shudder at the thought of Mac-n-Cheese, Ramen, cottage cheese, and eggs. I did eventually recover peanut butter and can admit that cottage cheese isn't too bad with a little salt and pepper. Eggs are slowly becoming appealing again.
#28
Making chicken stock from the rotisserie chicken. I used to save the bones in a Ziploc in the freezer. I would add carrots and celery to it as I was using them. We need to have the time to make the broth. Just became too much of a pain in the butt. So much easier to just buy it.
Auntriarch 8 months ago
I always feel vaguely guilty if I don't make stock. But sometimes I'm just not up to it, so the scraps go straight in the bin.
#29
One more- I run the dishwasher every single night as long as it is at least half full like some kind of billionaire. I no longer wait for it to be fully stuffed.
keyboardtek 8 months ago
Unless you are running out of dishes, that is simply wasteful. And it requires twice the work. I do not see any advantage in this at all.
#31
DIY sausage making.
Maybe I'll get back into it someday, but the process was slower than expected and standing in one place for so long caused hip strain.
#32
Soda siphon. I still have it and use it occasionally, but since I drink more seltzer than anything else I splurge on cans for the convenience, plus the flavors are nice too.
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Auntriarch 8 months ago (edited)
I started using laundry liquid a few years ago because powder was jamming my machine. I now have a new machine, and was feeling mildly guilty about continuing to use liquid, because of the plastic, transport of unnecessary water, and cost. So I bought a box of powder. Well I was in for a surprise. It's now the same cost per wash, it weighs more, its twice the volume, so I'm only winning on plastic. At least I assume I'm winning...
Myoviridae 8 months ago
I started using detergent sheets. No plastic, super light, and just so easy to use.
Load More Replies...
Hoi-Polloi 8 months ago
This should be paired with an article about how the cost of living is nickel-and-diming us all to death.
Mike F 8 months ago (edited)
Ain't that the truth! But I remember as a little boy my mom used have multiple lists to shop, one was at "the dime store" so perhaps we're not that different from folks of 60 years ago.
Load More Replies... Auntriarch 8 months ago (edited)
I started using laundry liquid a few years ago because powder was jamming my machine. I now have a new machine, and was feeling mildly guilty about continuing to use liquid, because of the plastic, transport of unnecessary water, and cost. So I bought a box of powder. Well I was in for a surprise. It's now the same cost per wash, it weighs more, its twice the volume, so I'm only winning on plastic. At least I assume I'm winning...
Myoviridae 8 months ago
I started using detergent sheets. No plastic, super light, and just so easy to use.
Load More Replies... Hoi-Polloi 8 months ago
This should be paired with an article about how the cost of living is nickel-and-diming us all to death.
Mike F 8 months ago (edited)
Ain't that the truth! But I remember as a little boy my mom used have multiple lists to shop, one was at "the dime store" so perhaps we're not that different from folks of 60 years ago.
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