A Reddit user highlighted a process of preparing breakfast that may seem frugal at the beginning and then quickly crossed the line to the extravagance side. The OP said they have been making pancakes for breakfast using maple syrup. Maple syrup is a very expensive liquid, and the OP could not substitute it for honey or other fake stuff. The breakfast ends up being an expensive and extravagant one.
In light of this, the OP wanted to know whether other people did things in the spirit of frugality that ended up costing more in the long run.
Other members of the Reddit community shared their experiences on this post. Here are some of the best responses from this thread;
Low-Quality Vacuum
One user has had a terrible experience with low-quality vacuum cleaners, “Vacuum. Buy a good one once, or buy a cheap one several times.”
DIY Bug Treatment That Cost $10K
One user had a DIY bug treatment that ended very badly and costly, “I tried DIYing bed bug treatment. Not only did it not work, it ended up costing me $10k in multiple rounds of useless pest control, throwing out and rebuying most of my belongings, and bed bug treatment stuff. Oh, and it massively cost me my mental health. Highly recommend spending big on good pest control to nuke the jerks the moment you find one.”
Broken Headlight That Still Annoys the Owner, 30 Years Later
Would you still be p***ed about a broken headlight that cost you $150 30 years ago? One user is “1988 Chevy Sprint. Bought it new, thinking it would be a money saver. The headlight got broken in a crash. The stupid replacement was $150 (1/40th the cost of the entire car) for what was, at the time, a newfangled plastic light housing. Available only from the dealer, of course. The designer would have been much smarter to just use the standard rectangular glass headlights of the time, which were probably $10 at any auto parts store. Still p***ed off about it 30+ years later.
Hiring a ‘Move’ Truck To Save Ended Disastrous
One user had to be bailed out by his parents after the ‘move’ truck he hired got into an accident, “I once hired a truck to make a house move ‘on the cheap.’ I ended up hitting the corner of the truck’s storage compartment on a thick tree branch hanging over the road. The insurance on the truck didn’t cover overhead damage, so I ended up with a big old bill to repair the damage. I was young and in university, so pretty broke but was getting by. But this was the only time I had to go to my parents to bail me out, which was a pretty big blow for me. I’ve hired movers for every move since then…”
$100 Boots Several Times Instead of a Solid $200 Once
A user shared a story about how his colleagues refused to buy high-quality boots and ended up spending more, “I went all in when I started and spent $200 on a pair someone recommended to me, and they lasted a full year (we get a boot stipend every year for $100, so it cuts the cost in half at least). I’ve since watched 3-4 new people NOT take the more expensive suggestion and end up buying a $40-$100 pair, go through them in the first 90-120 days, and buy either a 2nd pair of $40-$100 and keep repeating that cycle.
$100 Potential Savings Turned Into a $2000 Loss
One user lost $2000 in a bid to save $100, “I didn’t want to pay $100 a month for parking at my apartment complex. I decided to try out street parking, and on the second day, my catalytic converter was stolen. Cost me almost $2000 to replace.”
$100 Turned Into $700 Loss
Another user refused to pay $100 extra for rent and had his stuff worth over $700 damaged by water, “The last place I lived, I had so many issues. The place had water issues that they wouldn’t take care of, no matter how much I would beg. Ended up destroying a lot of stuff. Probably 500-700 worth of stuff. Not to mention all the time I had to take off work trying to get them to fix other stuff; if I had paid $100 extra a month, I wouldn’t had any of the issues.”
Simple DIY Process Cost a New TV
A simple $150 replacement kit ended up costing one couple a new TV, “The LED backlight on our TV started to die. Found a replacement kit; we’re super careful and intentional about every step in the process, but we still managed to crack the panel when removing it. So ended up spending $150 on the kit, only to need to buy a new TV anyway.”
Cheap Vinyl Is a Money Pit
One user found out the hard way that cheap is expensive in the long run, “Refinished my porch this weekend. I bought the less expensive vinyl plank flooring. It came apart immediately as we started walking in it. The store wouldn’t issue a refund as they said it was a popular product and they haven’t had many issues with it. I ended up having to purchase a more expensive product to replace my brand-new floor. Quality is better than quantity 9 times out of 10.”
Cheap Sofa Replacement Brought in a $340 Loss
“My old sofa was broken, so to replace it temporarily, I treated myself to the $99 Aldi’s futon, knowing that once I researched and found a more permanent sofa, I would still have use for a spare futon. While moving the old couch onto the porch, the leg went through a window and broke the glass. That window to replace was about $340. So my $99 futon turned into a $439 futon,” illustrated another user
A Simple Haircut Brought About a $150 Loss
“I was giving myself a haircut and was using my phone to film the back of my head to see how it looked. Dropped the phone, breaking the display. That self-done *s****y* haircut cost me about 150 bucks,” says another user
Drywall DIY Ended Up Costing Much More
“I had gotten a quote to repair a section of drywall for about $500. Thinking that was too much, I went and bought all my supplies for $60, but in the last stages of repair, I accidentally knocked my TV off the dresser and completely broke it, costing me more than what the drywall repair would have been,” remarks another user
12 Frugal Hacks That Make All The Difference
A Reddit user who started the frugal journey with his wife a couple of years ago wanted to know the frugal hacks people had that made all the difference.
According to the OP, shopping grocery sales every week and planning their meals helped cut their bill from $250 to $100 per week. Other users shared their stories about frugal hacks they had that made some difference in their lives. Here are some of the best ones.
12 Frugal Hacks That Make All The Difference
12 Items Frugal People Proudly Exclude From Their Shopping List
Frugal people are known to spend their money wisely. They live within their means and don’t spend a lot of money. According to a thread on Quora, here are some common things frugal people never buy.
12 Items Frugal People Proudly Exclude from Their Shopping List
23 Side Hustles You Never Considered That Make More Than Your 9 to 5
Have you ever wanted to make a lot of money from a side hustle and quit your 9 to 5? You may know about the typical side hustles, but I bet you never even heard of these lucrative side hustles!
23 Side Hustles You Never Considered That Make More Than Your 9 to 5
9 So-Called “Frugal” Habits That Are Actually a Waste of Time and Money
Not everything is frugal! I am sure you have read articles and tips that promote frugal living and give some ideas that are just not frugal! These frugal myths float around and sometimes even cost people a lot of money!
9 So-Called “Frugal” Habits That Are Actually a Waste of Time and Money
10 Stupid Scams People Won’t Stop Falling For
It seems like every day there is a new scam popping up, promising to make you rich or solve all of your problems. Yet, despite the prevalence of scams and the numerous warnings about them, people still fall for them.
10 Stupid Scams People Won’t Stop Falling For
This article was produced and syndicated by A Dime Saved.
