I'm not sure if I told you, that I consider myself a frugal person. It definitely stems from my upbringing growing up in Eastern Europe. Folks like me, don't like to throw away money, hehe.
So if you're feeling what I'm saying, you're going to love what I'm about to share with you. A recent Reddit thread asked people for, "the most frugal hack you’ve discovered that made the most difference." And I love all the answers below.
"Our most frugal hack so far is shopping grocery sales each week, then planning what we eat around that. We have cut our bill from $250 to $100 per week."
Oh, that's a great idea. I need to start doing that.
"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 them."
Yes, snacks are definitely a crucial part of survival, h, aha. And I make a batch of muffins, too.
"Telling myself to revisit something I want to buy in five days. Usually, I talk myself out of even spending."
You know what? I tend to do that, too. I don't just buy the first thing I see. I add it to my favorites list and revisit it a few weeks later. It definitely cuts my spending.
"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."
Again, I really need to make a point of doing that, too.
"I've saved myself thousands by doing my own car maintenance and repairs. Started with 0 knowledge and was driven by pure spite."
Bravo! That's the way to go. My fiancé does that, and it saves him a ton of money. Plus, he likes working on his car.
"Similarly, buying used electronics on eBay rather than new."
I hear you loud and clear. If you're in Canada, you can also use Kijiji, which is a popular buy and sell website that I tend to use a lot.
"Woman here: A menstrual cup is a one-time expense that may last for up to 10 years. I've had mine for 5 years and I really wish I had known about these since my early 20s."
Okay, I admit I haven't tried one yet, but I use reusable leak-proof underwear, and I swear by it.
"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. Bonus is less stuff going to landfills."
Wow, I didn't realize this would be an option for ladies, but now that I know, I have to look into it. My disposable razor gets dull so fast.
"Gaming the Kroger gas points program to save on gas. Before the massive price jump, I regularly paid less than 50 cents a gallon, and was proud to show anyone who'd listen that I had, more than once, paid less than 10 cents a gallon."
And if you're in Canada, consider getting a Costco membership as gas is always cheaper there, too.
"Buy good quality clothes, learned basic sewing and hemming to tailor them and look good. I air dry them and they look good for a long time. Sometimes there are great sales on jeans that are too long for my size. I learned to sew a French hem to keep the original hem."
I really wish I was better at sewing, though.
"Growing my own vegetables from seeds, in my own little patch of land. And then canning those."
That is always such a great idea. Every year I plan on doing a garden, but somehow the time gets the best of me. Perhaps this year?
"I buy all my furniture and clothes (except underwear) in thrift stores."
Okay, that is a huge money saver, for sure. I haven't shopped in a thrift store in a while, but next time I want to upgrade my furniture, I need to check some out.
"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."
Wow, that's pretty impressive. Am I right?
"Having spares. Took me a long time to get my wife to do this. You have toothpaste or a tin of coffee or whatever. The next time it goes on sale, you buy it, even if it's next week. Then once you finish the first and open the second you watch for sales again."
We pretty much do that.
"Any meds that are out of pocket, I asked the doc to prescribe the generic ones."
Oh, yes, I learned this trick a long time ago. Even when I shop for over-the-counter drugs, I always buy the store brand instead of the brand name. They have the same exact ingredients, but the generic one is much cheaper.
"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."
Ha, ha, that's true, though.
"It's not a hack of any sorts, 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."
That's pretty much how I feel too, and I honestly prefer to make my own food most of the time.
"Selling my car and using a bicycle instead. Made me richer, fitter, and happier in one fell swoop!"
Oh my goodness, that's amazing, right? But honestly, not everybody can do that, especially if you need to drive to work, but I love the idea.
Everything has gone up in price lately, so it's really important to keep a budget. If you can save just a few dollars here and there, it can add up in the end. And that will turn into long-term savings for you and your family. Which one of these hacks do you already do?
