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Lesser-Known Frugal Tips That Have The Biggest Impact, As Shared In This Online Thread
Article created by: Gabija Saveiskyte
There is absolutely nothing wrong with being frugal. Who wouldn’t want to save a buck or two, especially in a world of over-the-top branding and marketing that racks up the actual price of something to a degree where you’re paying more for thin air than the actual product itself.
Now, if you want to indulge in all things frugal, look no further than Reddit, as it’s at it again with sharing advice on how to save money either by wasting less of what we already have or investing into something that requires less resources, but brings the same results. Or anything in-between that.
Image credits: Cucumberappleblizz
This post may include affiliate links.
#1
If you're thinking about or tempted to buy something, add it to your cart but don't checkout right away - come back to it a few days later after you've had some time and see if you still want it. Consider if it's something worth it for you, if you'll actually use it and get benefit from it, etc.
90% of the time I do this, I'll realize it was just an impulse and delete the item(s) from my cart.
Bacon Tentacles 7 months ago
Not to mention, a lot of times you will get a coupon in your email from the site you have the item in.
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#2
I look at everything (unnecessary purchases) in terms of “how many hours do I have to work to buy this item?” Usually that makes me realize the purchase is not worth it!
#3
Honestly, I always have my favourite processed foods I typically crave in my freezer. Chicken strips, French fries, pizza, etc. Cooking a frozen pizza satiates the craving for like $5 instead of $20 delivery. Frozen chicken strips hit the spot like wendys or McDonald's, and cost a fraction.
I used to not have these items at home because I wanted to "be healthier" but the truth is, I'd get cravings anyways and buy fast food for triple the cost.
I eventually saw a dietician say "add, don't restrict". So now I've added a green smoothie with 5 servings of veggies, and a healthy meal prepped lunch to my diet. I now eat chicken strips or pizza like once or twice a week each because I already get my healthy food in. A lot cheaper and I'm a lot happier!
#4
I switched to grocery delivery during the pandemic and even though there's a monthly/yearly fee, I've kept it because it cut my impulse purchases down to near zero and actually saves us money. Spending less and eating less junk.
#5
Fiscal fast once a month.
I'll fuel up my vehicle, get at least 10 days worth of groceries and the goal is to spend absolutely ZERO dollars for those 10 days. So for about 1/3 of the year I don't spend a penny.
Works for me!
#6
When using EBay, put the item you’re interested in, to your “watchlist” instead of your cart. Lots of times the seller with offer you a discount to sell it quicker.
#7
Register for your local/state library’s online card. Check out audio and ebooks for free; sure there might be a waiting list, so choose another one while you wait. it’s saved me so much money! edit: changed theyre to there
#8
One thing I've started doing is putting everything that really needs to be eaten in a certain spot in the fridge to remind me that I need to eat it ASAP. I throw away far less food.
I also save every scrap of usable veg in a big plastic bag in the fridge and make stock once a month. I can't believe I threw away so many mushroom stumps, carrot peels, ginger skins and shrivelled green onions, they make incredible stock!
#9
Never go grocery shopping when you're hungry.
Bacon Tentacles 7 months ago
Or when you're full. Because you won't buy anything and then have to go out again later, when you're hungry. Ask me how I know.
#10
Sell anything you don’t use on Ebay. Make some extra money _and_ declutter your space. For example, I bought a TV and didn’t use the stand legs because I mounted it on the wall. Sold the stand legs on Ebay for $30! Also, someone is using it and it doesn’t have to go into a landfill. Win-win!
#11
Organize your stuff. Like all your stuff, including long term storage and things. If you are anything like me you collect and never get rid of anything that still has a use, or might be useful in future, and that CAN truly save you a lot of money… but only if you know you have it, and can find it when you need it. Same is true for your pantry, medicine cabinet, etc etc. If you don’t know right now where everything you own is (or at least pretty close) the odds of you thinking “I need to buy that” when you don’t, or worse, looking forever, giving up and thinking you must have gotten rid of “it” whatever it was, buying a new one… then stumbling across the old one shortly thereafter. Take it from the woman with three air compressors and only two cars.
#12
I screenshot something I think I want to buy. I look at it every few days or so and then when the desire is gone to look at it or research it I know I didn’t really want/need it.
#13
Don’t buy anything unnecessary for the first week of the month & make my coffee instead of buying (I get paid monthly)
#14
We still mask in indoor public places and I am shocked at how much money we save each year because of it. With a kid in elementary school, we used to have at least one sick person in our house at least 12 times a year but my family has only been sick once since March of 2020 (it wasn't COVID) and we've saved probably $800-$1,000 in that time by avoiding copays, deductibles, prescription and non-prescription medications you typically need when you're sick, etc. It also means we almost never use work PTO for sick days, so all of our time off is spent on awesome vacations instead of being sick.
#15
Cascading meals and planned leftovers. Meals that the leftovers “lead” or cascade into another. Baked potato one night turns into potato soup the next. Chili can be repurposed into spaghetti sauce or put on top of chips for nachos. I personally roast a chicken with veggies. The carcass turns into chicken noodle soup. I get a couple meals and lunches for four for a price under $30 total.
#16
My best tip is get used to carrying a refillable water bottle around. We carry a yeti cup around everywhere full of drink. It saves us so much in stops for drinks.
#17
When you make dinner at home, *before you serve yourself* put some servings into plastic containers for meal prep. This helps with portion control and now you have a couple days of lunch to bring to work instead of buying.
#18
Delete any ordering apps off your phone! I had doordash and grub hub and didn’t realize just how much i was getting delivery. For any given meal, by the time you do delivery fees, up charges, and tip, you can easily be spending $20 (or more) on DD or GH meals! Since I deleted the apps and either drive to pick up or make food at home, I’ve saved literally hundreds a month.
Bacon Tentacles 7 months ago
Also acceptable - live in the middle of the woods, where nobody will deliver.
#19
The power of doing your homework before making purchases. The cheapest option may not always be the frugal option if your purchase doesn’t have longevity compared to other reasonably priced options.
#20
I save bread bags for all kinds of things, especially transporting shoes (perfect size) and for cleaning the cat box. Tortilla bags are also resilient ziplocks.
#21
Online thrift stores exist. I use ThredUP and 99% of the time I love what I get! Also learn how to sew. I sew literally everything that gets holes (backpacks, pants, jackets, blankets, pillows, etc). It saves so much money. I also started getting more into minimalism.
#22
I mix Dawn dish liquid with some water in a spray bottle to clean my dishes. Just spray what I need and it really cuts down on the amount of Dawn that I use/waste.
#23
Keep track of food in the refrigerator and freeze whatever you are not going to use in a couple of days to reduce food waste.
#24
After you've gotten the discount signing up for a shopping website's mailing list, unsubscribe from the emails.
Always make double or triple batches of anything you cook. Put leftovers into single portion containers and freeze a bunch. When you're so hungry you can't wait long enough to cook (like sudden low blood sugar), thaw some leftovers. It's faster than getting takeout. I've saved a ton of money doing that
#25
I keep a dry erase list of what we have in the fridge and freezer so I don’t have to go looking and I can get a better idea of what to cook this way. Cuts down on food waste
#26
Dollar tree. I don’t know if it’s slept on or not but it was for me. You can get the same basic necessities for cheap. And it’s great for a starter home/apartment to get those things when your short on money.
#27
Basically anything disposable I look and see if I can do reusable. We do it all: cloth hankies instead of tissues, cloth napkins instead of paper towels, bidet, cloth diapers for the kids, reusable pouches for applesauces etc for the kids, soda stream instead of cans, etc.
#29
This may sound counter-intuitive, but decide what things are worth paying for instead of doing them yourself. Do this by estimating the time it would take you to do it, then (assuming you are gainfully employed) multiply that time by your hourly rate (if you are salaried, divide your annual take home pay by 52 and then 40). If it costs less to pay someone else to do it than that rate, then it's worth doing so. Bonus points if it's something like having your driveway plowed in the winter, which also makes it so that you can get to work to earn that money.
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