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.
Packing Snacks
One user said, “APS. Always pack snacks. Bonus points if you cut up fruit rather than toss an orange in your bag, as you’re much more likely to eat it. I made like 3 dozen muffins at a time and freeze it.”
Delayed Purchase
This strategy has helped one user avoid impulse purchases, “Telling myself to revisit something I want to buy in 5 days. Usually, I talk myself out of even spending.”
Another offers a different approach, “Put stuff in a virtual cart. Leave it. Mull it over for a few days, as you say. The urge usually passes, and that’s when I realize it wasn’t a real need and something else – boredom, insidious advertising, etc.”
Use Kitchen Towels Instead of Paper Towels
EdZbarzhyvetsky via DepositPhotos.com.
Kitchen towels are recyclable, as one user notes, “This is more environmental than frugal, but I started using kitchen towels instead of paper towels for most tasks. A roll of paper towels used to last me two weeks. Now I buy a three-pack once a year.”
Own Car Maintenance
Car maintenance can be expensive, but one user has found a way around this, “I’ve saved myself thousands by doing my own car maintenance and repairs. Started with 0 knowledge and was driven by pure spite.”
Buying Safety Razors
“Safety razor, I think I paid like $15 bucks for it and a 250-pack replacement razors. It’s been 5 years, and still haven’t had to buy more,” illustrates another user
Dying Black Clothes To Renew Them
This hack makes old clothes look new as this user narrates, “I am dying my black clothes black 😀 its great. The stuff looks like new, even though i had those short pants for 14 years.”
Saving Water in the Bathroom
This hack is brilliant because it saves a lot of water that would have otherwise gone to waste, “We keep two 5L bottles by the shower and fill them up before taking a shower so we aren’t wasting the running water while waiting for the water to be hot enough to shower. We then use this water to mop the floor and water plants. It has actually reduced our water bill quite a bit and helps us save water.”
Learning To Cook
Learning to cook can save money we spend eating out, “It’s not a hack of any sort, but learning how to cook really well has been my best money saver. I almost never want to go out because I can generally cook better food at home.”
Marrying a Frugal Person
Our partners can either build us or bring us down; as one user notes, “Marry a frugal person. If you are Frugal and your partner is not, it can be a lifetime of pain. Partner up with a frugal person though, and you can encourage each other on the journey and revel in the savings.”
Cutting Own Hair
One user illustrates how much he saved cutting his own hair, “Cutting my own hair. Bought a $25 Amazon razor and watched some YouTube tutorials. Now I save $600 a year, get haircuts whenever I want, and even get compliments on it.”
Minimize Taking Uber
Another user found it frugal to walk instead of taking Uber, “Also moving into a neighborhood where I can walk a lot even to a bar/restaurant, I spend a bit more in rent but save on Uber rides and gas money.”
Joining Local Buy Nothing and Secondhand Groups
One user has found everything he wanted through connections in these groups, “I’ve basically outfitted most of my house and garden for free or very cheap thanks to them. Furniture, kids’ clothes, plants, etc. The quality is actually better than most newer bargain crap and plus, it’s better for the environment. As a bonus, when I am done with something, I just pass it on, and it stays out of landfill.”
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This article was produced and syndicated by A Dime Saved.
