As living expenses in many places across the world continue to rise and wages struggle to keep up, people are having a difficult time adapting.
For example, a 2023 Forbes Advisor survey revealed that nearly 70% of Americans either identified as living paycheck to paycheck (40%) or—even more worrying—reported that their income doesn't even cover their standard expenses (29%).
Interested in ways of surviving such situations, Reddit user _JosiahBartlet made a post on the platform, asking others to share the frugal tips that worked for them better than expected.
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Reusing normal ziploc bags. My parents did it all the time growing up in the 80s and 90s. Not sure why people think they’re single use. They are durable enough to use many times over with enough care.
I do this too. I wash them in warm soapy water and peg them out to dry.
This is one from a long time ago, but thrift store plates that don't match. They tend to be less heavy, and they all do the same thing a little different than the other which is good depending on the kind of food you're having.
And if one plate breaks, you don't care.
The idea of maintaining a 'four piece set' when a plate breaks seems just another thing to manage, that really does not matter.
this, I love having mismatched plates that have some personality about them instead of everything matching which is kinda boring.
Bar soap. I quit buying fancy body washes etc and just went back to basic bar soap. Way cheaper, less garbage, simpler, works just as well if not better.
As a soap maker I heartily support this one! No plastic waste. A bar lasts weeks longer than a bottle of hand wash. Having a solid bar means better agitation so the hands feel cleaner, plus bars can be made with exfoliants in for use after dirty jobs like gardening. Invest in a soap dish that holds your bar out of water (they don't like sitting in a puddle) and you're golden. Search local markets and craft fairs, as well as online, and find a local soap maker to support. You'll never look back.
Buying clothes secondhand only. 3 years in and frankly I no longer see the point of ever paying retail prices for new clothes. I thrift about once a week and over time have easily found everything I need. Bonus: it’s helped with my mindset in sort of training myself out of immediacy/instant gratification and into longer term planning and patience.
I will buy shoes new as needed, however.
Not eating fast food at all. As weird as it is to say, I am glad they upped the prices.
Buying an upright freezer made it easier to prep meals in bulk at much lower cost thus saving not only money but also time. Why cook rice 9 times for 9 meals when I could do it once and portion it out and freeze in the time it takes to cook it for 2? Why do bolognese sauce for 8 portions when I could do 40 in the same time plus another 10 minutes for portioning? Even my skeptical husband has admitted it was highly worth it.
Quitting smoking. It came, of course, with better health benefits. But the initial greatest impact was my wallet. Smokers are literally burning up their dollars.
Getting rid of my new high trim vehicle to drive a 2008. Getting rid of the loan and warranty saves me 12k a year. I’m so happy to be driving this piece of s**t that’s good on gas with no car payment. I do not envy anyone with a brand new car anymore. Especially the high trim models. I’d rather save the money for the apocalypse.
We have a Swiffer mop, but we haven't bought the pads for years. My husband knits reusable pads out of cheap cotton yarn that last for several years, and we just use regular floor cleaner in a bucket to mop.
That's a great idea! I knit, I didn't even think to make my own cleaning pads for the swiffer mop
Cutting the tops off tube containers like face wash, lotion, etc. and scooping out the rest of what is left has been a big money saver! You’ll be amazed at how much is still left once it stops squeezing out. To keep the product from drying out, slide the cut piece down onto the area where you made the cut.
Learning how to cook.
Status-Soup-2974:
I second this. Used to eat out 2-3 times a day, then moved to a more expensive city and was forced to start eating at home. Now I prefer having my own home-cooked meals over fast food.
Adding insulation to my attic and air sealing my house. Yeah, it certainly helped out power bill, but the increase in comfort is much appreciated as well.
Best is solid wood wall aka log structure. Or solid stone wall. No chemicals to breath in. Will last genertions and keep your health and money in good place.
Menstrual cup - been using the same silicone one for more than 6 years. So much prefer to tampons for many reasons besides saving cash.
Getting a reusable water bottle!!! Keeps me hydrated & saves me a few dollars when I’m out and about.
Giving up alcohol. I quit last year after going through my budget at the end of 2022 and realizing the insane amount I spent going out. I still go out with my friends, but I drink club sodas instead now- which normally bartenders don’t even charge me for or are free refills. Went from spending $500+ /month on alcohol to maybe $30 on flavored seltzers. Huge huge win, and I am not only better off financially, but mentally and physically also.
Of course it's expensive to drink out at a bar or restaurant. If you still want to drink you could always buy the alcohol yourself and make a drink at home for a fraction of the price as going out.
Bought a bread machine from Goodwill for $15. We used to buy bread that was $3 a loaf, but now making our own bread costs us pennies.
Furniture, appliances, home decor: find them gently used on Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist, or EBay. Exceptions for certain personal items like mattresses.
buy an 85%/15% latex mattress. a bit more expensive, but will last up to 50 years,. never needs turning, antimicrobial, antibacterial, great sleep in any position.
I stopped driving to run small errands. I walk instead.
I really enjoy the walks through my neighborhood. I stop at the store to pick up whatever I need, or run into the bank.
I cut my gas cost in half. And I get the exercise.
Cycling ! Super cheap mean of transportation (basically just maintenance and even that is super cheap), good for your health, makes you smile. Can't believe there aren't more people doing it, it truly feels like a cheat code. It's my main way to go from A to B. I'll buy a cargo bike for sure.
This year I stopped getting coffee and drinks outside. This saves me about $125-$150 per month. I’m unexpectedly not even missing it and I’m planning to throw this money into my retirement account.
i never understood the culture of getting a coffee on your way to work. There are so many machines that make you a drinkable cup of coffee in the time you need to shower and dressed. You have the money back in no time. I have an old fashioned drip machine, i prepare it before i go to sleep, i press the button when i walk into the kitchen the next day, get ready for work, have a mug and poor the rest in my thermos.
Did a no spend year on clothes. It was way easier and more enjoyable than expected. I made myself “shop” my own closet and discovered so many cool pieces I’d forgotten about. Other than to replace essential things that get worn out/fall apart, I really don’t need any new clothes. That was a liberating discovery.
How is it hard to go for a year without buying clothes? Apart from necessities, such as a underwear giving out, by the time you're an adult you've got enough of everything and just need to replace now and again when things wear through, or on occasion when they are just too old fashioned (e.g. an interview suit).
Eliminating waste. It feels good to use up food before it goes bad. Prior to getting serious, we would throw out so much food waste as it spoiled.
When bananas are on their last legs and you don't want to eat them, or know you won't in time, slice them up, freeze them on baking sheets, then store in a bag or pot in the freezer. Perfect for making cakes and banana bread (overripe bananas bring the best flavour) making a simple ice cream (blend frozen banana, frozen raspberries, and crème fraîche), or for putting smoothies.
I bring every snack, drink, breakfast and lunch from home every day when I go to work. I work in Downtown Brooklyn in NY which is about as expensive as Manhattan… saves me roughly $400 a month!
That's how we grew up. You go anywhere, you bring your sandwich and drink, because we cannot afford buying anything on an outing.
Cutting my own hair. I started during the pandemic because none of the hair salons were open, and I figured if it looked terrible no one would see it anyway. I tend to prefer simple cuts that are easy to do on myself, and this also cuts out the awkward small talk and all the chemical smells that trigger my asthma. If I decide I want a more complicated hairstyle I’ll pay a professional, but if all I want is a trim I can do it myself for free (the hair scissors paid for themselves with the first haircut).
I've been cutting my own hair for years, I generally just trim my ponytail, but I might need professional help soon, as my hair is long, straightish ,and a very dirty blonde but my greys are growing out bright white, and very curly so I have sort of a white, frizzy halo, and a long dark braid.
A bidet. My toilet paper use has gone way down. I cannot believe I went without one for so long.
Not arguing on advantages of a bidet...but cost of bidet plus installation (and, strictly speaking, cost of water plus energy to wash towels) would cover quite some years of toilet paper in my country ;)
What about eating less and portion control? My wife and I sometimes split meals, at least when we ate out. Though I'm pretty sure I still eat way more than I need, I think developing healthy eating habits or not eating after you're 80% full could be great for your finances as well as your health.
Reusable floor pads like swiffer but they go in laundry. Reusable dish sponges that go to the laundry . So much better.
If you want to clean a kitchen sponge, or mop head - put them in your "unmentionables" netting bag to put them through a washing cycle --- they don't have to specifically be "reusable". If the laundry is to harsh on them, put them in the dishwasher without the heated drying cycle.
Switching to old-school razor blade razor instead of the plastic ones. Shaves fantastically, lasts forever and razor blades are incredibly cheap.
It's a learning curve and anyone who says they shave better than your modern razors is basically lying but, once you get the knack and accept it takes a bit longer, the savings are huge.
Moving into my tiny house. Major downsizing. One room, bathroom and closet. Catio. Honestly I love it. No kitchen. I have a microwave and a toaster oven. Mini crockpot and a mini noodle pot. Small fridge. And a futon. My cats are happy and so am I.
I've been living in super small spaces since I left home at 18. I'm done with them. I could live in five or six hundred square feet but forget anything smaller than that.
Wool dryer balls. It reduces the price of laundry and at the same time it reduces the amount of fragrance there is. Win Win. Reducing the amount of stuff that I have. I've always liked my stuff, after all I bought it all. :) But having less stuff means work taking care of it, cleaning it and storing it.
Note: this post originally had 66 images. It’s been shortened to the top 30 images based on user votes.
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We do online grocery ordering, and pick it up. Cuts down on impulse buying, better for our health and wallets.
But you miss all the good clearance and sales that way, first thing I do when going to the grocer is hit the clearance carts, I got a bunch of pasta for like 15 cents and pasta sauce for like 45 cents out of there, cat food, dented, 12 cents a can 🙃
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I don't use fabric softener anymore, better for the enviorment, the washer and the fabric. Every week I look through the local supermarket special offers, compare prices and plan the week's meals, based on what's on offer. I plan meals so, I can use leftovers for the next meal, or can freeze it. I buy clothes wenn I need some, not because it's trendy. We only use LED Lights in our home.
Shaz: In the UK, in our chip shops we have things like pickled eggs and pickled onions. If you ask and maybe make a donation to whatever charity they have, they will let you have these jars for virtually nothing. They are perfect for home pickling, and a lot cheaper!
We do online grocery ordering, and pick it up. Cuts down on impulse buying, better for our health and wallets.
But you miss all the good clearance and sales that way, first thing I do when going to the grocer is hit the clearance carts, I got a bunch of pasta for like 15 cents and pasta sauce for like 45 cents out of there, cat food, dented, 12 cents a can 🙃
Load More Replies... I don't use fabric softener anymore, better for the enviorment, the washer and the fabric. Every week I look through the local supermarket special offers, compare prices and plan the week's meals, based on what's on offer. I plan meals so, I can use leftovers for the next meal, or can freeze it. I buy clothes wenn I need some, not because it's trendy. We only use LED Lights in our home.
Shaz: In the UK, in our chip shops we have things like pickled eggs and pickled onions. If you ask and maybe make a donation to whatever charity they have, they will let you have these jars for virtually nothing. They are perfect for home pickling, and a lot cheaper!
