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Not everyone has the resources to splurge and live big. For most people, money is a precious commodity, and each one has their own way of saving for a rainy day.
Some of these folks shared their creative approaches to frugality in their answers to this Reddit question: “What’s the little effortless, stupid thing you do that TECHNICALLY saves you money?”
One person revealed they were saving their chicken bones to make stock. Another user uses soap bars because they “last far longer” than shower gels.
Many of these answers may seem laughable, but they technically get the job done, as the question asks. Scroll through and see which ones make the most sense to you.
This post may include affiliate links.
#1
I have a vegetable garden. I estimate I have saved about $4.28 in food costs so far this year.
RELATED:
#2
This is a judgement free zone, right? My city does a large trash pickup day once a month. I take my boys hunting for treasures that night. I’ve sold many of the found treasures online for a hefty profit. I might even head to the wealthier areas as they put very nice things out.
#3
When grocery shopping, i look at the unit prices vs sticker prices. You’d be amazed at how many equivalent products are right next to each other on the shelf and one is 2-3x more expensive than the other.
Gabriele Alfredo Pini 1 year ago
Always shop by kg, not by unit. Also here sometimes they mix kg and hg to mix the waters
#4
Buy a reliable car, do routine maintenance like oil changes and don’t replace it until it is more expensive to keep than replace.
I have a ‘93 camry that still runs great and still requires few repairs.
George Costanza 1 year ago
The easiest way to save big bucks over your lifetime. Don't buy a vehicle for excitement or status or how it looks. Simply read Consumer Reports, buy a car with the highest reliability rating, and drive it until it literally starts to fall apart. You'll save tens of thousands of dollars or even more over the years. And take that savings and invest it in the stock market with index mutual funds. Done.
#5
Library card.
Anonymouse 1 year ago
It is amazing what you can find in a library now - cd, dvd, some you can even check out tools
#6
Turn the lights off when you leave. Fix the dripping faucet.
Kelly Scott 1 year ago
I don't know how to fix the leak in my trailer's kitchen sink. It's somewhere I can't find. Plumbers say they don't work on trailers and trailer repair people say they aren't plumbers.
#7
When my dog tears up a stuffed toy, I put all the stuffing back in and sew up the hole with some upholstery thread. Occasionally if the toy is completely shredded I will swap arms and legs from toy to toy to make new animals.
#8
I try to not buy stuff i don’t need. Very simple but often overlooked.
Chris Keller 1 year ago
I have to share, my wife wanted a new microwave because the seams inside ours were rusted. So I bought a new microwave online. Except I forgot we'd already replaced the microwave. Not sure what to do with an extra microwave, hopefully I can find someone to give it to.
#9
Re-wear clothing a few times before laundering (not socks underwear t-shirts).
#10
Mend our clothes - patching, darning. Well, not the formal office wear (my office has a rather strict dresscode) or going-out dressy things, of course , but all home and casual stuff.
Wear thiccc slippers and warm jumpsuits at home not to switch on the heated floors and other heaters.
Open windows rather than switch on a kitchen hood while cooking when the weather is warm.
Hanging out the laundry instead of using dryer (in warm and dry months).
athornedrose 1 year ago
i am always amazed that people don't do that. we've always patched up our clothes. do you really just throw things out that have small tears or issues? unless something is severely shredded, we patched everything.
#12
If i go outside and play all day, i don't have consumerist urges to buy stupid s**t.
#13
Cut open lotion, toothpaste, shampoo and conditioner bottles to get every last drop.
quentariel 1 year ago
I moved to shampoo bars. They may cost about a double the price of a traditional bottle, but last many times longer. For added plus they come without any plastic in the packaging.
#14
I use only two tablespoons of laundry detergent in most wash cycles, use a solid shampoo bar, solid soap bars, and a solid dish soap bar in the kitchen. Bars last far longer, take up less space, and I’m not paying for product that’s mostly water.
Kathy Brooke 1 year ago
Probably costs more but I make my own bar soap and shampoo from scratch. That way I know exactly what's in it.
#15
I pick up coins off the ground, even a single penny.
Justin Tyme 1 year ago
This is definitely not as helpful as it used to be. It was much more common to people to carry (and to lose) coins in the past.
#16
When our dishwasher is full and ready to be started, I set an alarm on my watch for 9pm. I start the dishwasher when the alarm goes off since the electricity rate goes down after 9pm.
Edited to add that I live in California and my electric company is Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E).
Matt Du 1 year ago
I'm pretty sure my neighbours would string me up if I started a dishwasher and washing machine after midnight. Seem like a great idea if you have a detached property and the laundry room is in the west wing, unfortunately the vast majority of affordable houses where I live are either terraced or semi-detached
#17
I only use a coupon if it is A: something I was already planning on buying and B: makes the item cheaper than the other brands.
Philly Bob 1 year ago (edited)
THIS!! A $3 coupon for Bounty paper towels takes it from $17 to $14. The BJ's towels, which I find are just as good... are $12. No bargain there on the bounty! Now a nice pack of Viva towels can't be beat as I use WAYYY less. but at $19 for 12 rolls... well, you gotta take into consideration that they last but you gotta use a hand towel to dry your hands and not pull one off the roll every 5 seconds. LOL!
#19
Save the water before the hot water warms up.
Huddo's sister 1 year ago
We always had buckets in the shower for this when I was a kid, then we can put the water on the plants
#20
When I go shopping, my mantra is "if I have to think about it, I don't really want it". 9/10 times, I talk myself out of buying whatever it is.
Nadine Debard 1 year ago
It's the difference between 'do I need it' and 'do I want it'. And if I want to treat myself, 'do I want it that badly and will I regret letting it or not?'
#21
Staying the f**k home.
#22
Write every transaction down in a spiral notebook using a pen.
The process makes every purchase feel tangible and immediate. It also gives me time to reconsider buying something.
Scarlett O'Hara's Ghost 1 year ago (edited)
Hummmm... Where I have heard of this before????? Oh yeah!! Check book register!!!! Funny when history repeated itself, lol
#23
I saw a video in a store like TJ Maxx or whatever and it described all the items in there as waiting to become goodwill donations and it really made me rethink how I view stores and how much new c**p I need.
#24
I keep my cell phones for several years. I use apps like ibotta , fetch and honey and save all my points /money for years and use that to buy a new cell phone in full. Haven't paid for a phone in a very long time.
Learned to do oil changes & tire rotations on my car. Use credit card points to buy the oil. Free oil change.
I use the Amazon credit card for everything I buy on Amazon and select the "slower shipping" option to get 6% cash back. My points pay for my prime membership now.
Huddo's sister 1 year ago
I had to buy a new phone because 3G was being turned off. I also had two back up flip phones that no longer work for the same reason :(
#25
Eat at home and meal prep.
Shop the sales
I don’t buy coffee, water or drinks out. I carry a small thermos.
Mariaf 1 year ago
Thermos plus don't buy small bottles of water. They are much more expensive than large size bottles and they go warm in the backpack. This way i get to fill it from home or work, add ice to it, carry it around all day and actually save about 50 euro/month (those 0.5l bottles cost a loooot of money in Europe).
#26
I take the tops and tails of the sliced tomatoes from work with blessings from boss. Haven't bought a tomato in years.
I get 3 free coffee a day at work so I take one home in a yeti. Haven't bought one in years.
My coffee mug at home us a mug from work we're the handle broke off so I took it and glues it back on, same with my teapot.
#28
Cut my own hair.
Carla Campbell 1 year ago
I did that yesterday. I look like Javier Bardem in No Country for Old Men
#29
Ride the bus. It drops me off a few blocks from my job in downtown. Driving gets expensive and a bus fare is a lot less than paying for parking and gas.
Regina Holt 1 year ago
Where I live, there is no bus service. There is a bus service near me, but it only goes in a relatively small route, like to Park and Ride, or the Mall, or other shopping.
#30
I have my tv and cable box/apple tv on a timer plug so that it switches off all night and almost all day and comes on at 6pm when I get home from work. So saves me 18~ish hours of appliances on standby.
Matt Du 1 year ago
Most mechanical plug timers use 1w per hour and electric plug timers and smart plugs use 2w per hour. A TV on standby will use between 0.5 and 3w per hour, the cable box/apple tv are less. Standby mode is pretty efficient now, turning off plugs is a bit of a relic of the past.
#31
Always run your cleaning appliances in the evening. I load my dishwasher and set the timer to run after 10pm. Same for my laundry, I always do laundry in the evenings.
If you can afford it, Always set your paycheck to direct deposit a couple of bucks into a savings account.
Kimberly Bailey 1 year ago
I'd add to this a change jar...all loose change should go in it...I've done this my whole life and I've even had enough to buy Xmas gifts for my whole family with the money saved from Jan-Dec in a single year. Admittedly the amount has gone down over the years with us using more digital forms of payment, but we still have a nice amount that we can spend on a luxury at the end of every year! Every penny does count!
#32
While at the supermarket I scan the alleys I'm in for discounts.
Eat at home.
Libstak 1 year ago (edited)
I shop 3x per week. I buy 80% of non perishables when they are on special. Detergents, toilet paper, dish washing liquids, shampoos, conditioners, cleaning supplies plus long life foods, cereal, coffee, biscuits, flour, sugar, salt, seasonings, pasta, rice. I always buy 2 if half price. Haven't paid full price for anything like that in years. Each supermarket chain has different stock on special, I go to 3 different ones. Grab my fresh produce, mostly same same but some discounts always take priority, and then grab a couple of the specials for everything else I constantly use.
#34
Target will give you 5 cents off per bag you bring in to use, with a limit of 5 bags at self checkout (I think the limit is higher if you check out with a cashier).
I get stupidly mad at myself if I forget to give myself this discount, even if it's only 25 cents max per transaction.
Ace 1 year ago
I can't believe the US still allows it to work that way. Across Europe you have to pay for every single bag you get at the cashier's desk. Mostly these days they're all more or less reusable, be they plastic, paper or more sturdy ones, priced accordingly,, so of course most people, most of the time, make sure they always take their own bags to the shops.
#35
Never buy soft drinks or alcohol with a pub meal. It's almost a third of the bill. Just get water. Or a cordial with soda water, not nearly as expensive.
#36
I bring home all hotel freebies from business trips. Use store catalogues to line kitty litter trays and to put down to cover surfaces when fixing or doing art projects. Retain Xmas cards and cut the picture off for labels on gifts. Cut open tubes of toothpaste and other products to get out every last bit.
Regina Holt 1 year ago
I think taking home all of the hotel freebies just causes more trash, throwing away all of those little plastic bottles instead of using a full size bottle of shampoo or lotion. You can get a regular bottle of something, then repeatedly refill it from a larger bulk bottle/jug.
#37
Sometimes I find pens on the ground and keep them. Also I take advantage of places that offer free water.
RedHairedDragon 1 year ago
I recently threw away a carrier bag with pens. Some had dried up, some where unused. I couldn't remember how any of them got into my house in the first place. Still got a drawer full of them. Pens is not something I go out of my way to get.
#39
Whenever CVS gives me a coupon for $5 off an item or 30% off a full price item, I buy either sunblock or deodorant, whether I need it or not, because they’re both wildly overpriced and at some point I’m GONNA need it.
Kimberly Bailey 1 year ago
I'm an expert in sunburns and there's also a few more details I'd like to add about sunblock that hopefully will prevent someone from suffering as I did! Salt water washes away sunscreen twice as fast as a chlorinated swimming pool. If you go to the beach and get in the water you need to reapply every 15-20 minutes. I don't care what the instructions say!! Same goes for excessive sweating...yes even those fancy sport sunscreens WILL sweat off again I don't care what the instructions say. SPF matters...if you are out in sun for longer than 1 hour, you need at least SPF 30. I've had sunburn so bad I had to be hospitalized once on a vacation in Florida. Second degree burns on 40% of your body is not fun. Please don't do that to yourself as I did!!
#41
When I'm in a town with cheaper gas than mine I do as many of my chores first before filling up, so I use up more expensive gas and make room for more cheap gas.
#43
I have a pantry book that I update every time I do a food shop. That way, I don't buy things twice next time.
I use tea lights in storm lanturns instead of lamps.
I use my washing machine twice a week. (Family of four).
I've stopped using my condenser dryer.
#44
I spit toothpaste into the toilet so I don't have to waste water washing it down the sink drain.
#45
I automated my rentmoney to go to my savings after payday and back before I have to pay my rent. So I get interest on that money for six days every month.
I also just check my account very regularly, so I can keep the savings money as high as possible and put the money on the paying account whenever necessary. There is no delay or costs to this at my bankaccount.
#46
Eat at home. Drink only water. I don't watch television. No blow drier. No paper towels or napkins during meals since I use hand towels. I make my own mayo as needed. Also I usually don't turn the heat on unless I absolutely have to since my place is pretty insulated.
#47
I hold onto my receipts from Costco for a month. When they announce their specials I goto the customer service desk and ask for the cash back on any items that had a price reduction.
#48
When you sign up for a loyalty card at a grocery store make your birth year one that makes you a senior at that store. Shop on their senior day and automatically get 10% off.
#49
If I am not working from home I try to use the office bathroom before work; on lunch break, and before I leave; it has saved me several dollars a month and hundreds in a couple years in water bill, cleaning products, and toilet paper.
#50
Twist the stems off bell peppers before weighing and paying for them.
What do you think ?
RedHairedDragon 1 year ago
This list is bordering dystopian and really affects the quality of life for several of the posters in the hunt for a few dollars.
RedHairedDragon 1 year ago
This list is bordering dystopian and really affects the quality of life for several of the posters in the hunt for a few dollars.
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