Join the Fun!

4cupsofcoffee , cosmosclover/imgur Report

40 Cheaper Options People Have Realized They Actually Prefer To The More Expensive Alternatives Unless there is a big noticible difference, i buy all almost store brand things when i shop. why spend more for things that are essentially the same.

Final score:

165points

POST

Edda Kamphues 9 months ago

Aldi!!

56points

40 Cheaper Options People Have Realized They Actually Prefer To The More Expensive Alternatives Not a brand, but I’ve started buying my veggies at small local mom and pop fruit and veggie markets. I can walk down there and buy a couple of things I need, they may cost a bit more (and actually sometimes i find they’re the same/less), but I haven’t had to use my car to get there. And I’m not in a large grocery store where I’m going to buy a ton of different things I didn’t need while I walk through to get to the cash. And I’m supporting small local businesses. It’s a win for everyone, I’m so f*****g tired of the large grocery chains and their price gouging.
Edit: their/they’re

Capital_Pea , Eileen Kane/flickr Report

Final score:

136points

POST

The Darkest Timeline 9 months ago

Most farmers markets I’ve been to in my area cost a LOT more than the grocery store

124points

ProfileFrequent8701 , Karolina Grabowska/pexels Report

To learn more about how to save money amidst inflation, we reached out to Lydia Beiler, aka Thrifty Frugal Mom, to hear which affordable items she's realized she actually prefers.

"Whole chicken/bone-in chicken versus boneless chicken," Lydia shared. "The meat is so much more tender and moist. I bought them rarely before this but now buy them regularly!"

40 Cheaper Options People Have Realized They Actually Prefer To The More Expensive Alternatives Liquid dish soap and laundry soap instead of pods. We had switched to pods several years ago and when proces started going way up last year, we switched back. I have no idea why we were ever paying for pods!

Same with k cups. We stopped using our Keurig and started buying ground coffee. Got a French press and even buying fancy ground coffee, we are still coming out ahead.

No Amazon Prime. Decided not to renew last year and haven't missed it; in fact, the temptation to just buy whatever, whenever is completely gone. We have to be more thoughtful with purchases now.

Final score:

125points

POST

Ray Ceeya (RayCeeYa) 9 months ago

Keurig is just plain evil. It's like some evil bastard decided to find a way to make people kill the planet faster and feel good about it. Back when I drank coffee, it was always drip coffee or sometimes, when camping, cowboy coffee. Those plastic pods disgust me by their very existance.

85points

Grumpelstiltskin4 , Ian Rutherford/flickr Report

40 Cheaper Options People Have Realized They Actually Prefer To The More Expensive Alternatives Frozen veggies. They were always a staple but now I buy them in bulk and eat them daily!

Final score:

116points

POST

Ray Ceeya (RayCeeYa) 9 months ago (edited)

Just to be clear, fresh frozen vegetables contain all the vitamins and nutrients as fresh vegetables. CANNED veggies on the other hand do suffer. HEAT breaks down vitamins, not cold. That's basic food chemistry. I know because I have a degree in food science. And misconceptions like that drive me crazy.

186points

SonicAlchemy 9 months ago

Once again, instead of having to make my own comment "as a chef", I can use my comment to praise you and your food comments. Always on point, Ray.

30points

MontanaMariner 9 months ago

I have a degree in Canned food science, and you're clearly just a plant from the Frozen Food industry to spread conspiracies and attack our freedumbs.

12points

Verena 9 months ago

And they even might be fresher than the vegs bought at the supermarket.

9points

Xtopher Martin 9 months ago

Canned tomatoes and some others actually have greater nutrition value than fresh. It's not always a loss.

5points

Shane S 9 months ago

But people should eat veggies however they will. Fresh or frozen is better but anything is better than a veggie-free diet

5points

Kraneia The Dancing Dryad 9 months ago

Canned stuff may be less nutritious, but can be stored longer in case of emergencies. I think frozen stuff tastes better when reheated, but there's positives to both.

5points

HurlWurk 9 months ago

I think people often think of the pre-cooked frozen veggies, like the super sad bag of cauliflower, broccoli and carrots. They come out mushy no matter what because they were boiled before bagging

2points

Fran Morasco 9 months ago

So when I do use canned veggies I use the water for my cooking doesn’t that have some of the nutrients in it?

2points

Danish Susanne 9 months ago

From what I have heard the frozen often contains more of the vitamins, than fresh that may have been underway for days.

1point

Naomie Moore 9 months ago

You and me both. That being said, I do have a stash of canned items in the emergency stash. I live in earthquake country and have 16 animals - one needs to be prepared. Last natural disaster wr are from the fridge first and then had big bbq's to cook up all the freezer items as they thawed out. So I am prepared with food, water and medicine. Have go bags for all of them.

1point

Charronne Johnston 9 months ago

Just make sure those veggies are grown and processed in North America or Europe, some parts of the world have questionable farming methods

1point

The Original Bruno 9 months ago

And to be clear: "fresh frozen" means simply that they were fresh when they were frozen. Your typical Birds-Eye veggies are "fresh frozen." And concentrated orange juice can be better than the "not-from concentrate" stuff you get. (I used to buy concentrated juice because they were lighter to walk home from the store with.)

1point

BJ Hage 9 months ago

Yeah food science!!!! Where's your degree from? I worked on IQF and caned veggie projects among other things.

1point

JP Purves 9 months ago

Unless you're growing things yourself, frozen is more nutritious than canned or so-called fresh in the produce department at the supermarket.

0points

Stannous Flouride 9 months ago

And frequently they are picked and frozen at their moment of peak ripeness. Unlike most fresh veggies & fruits which are usually harvested well before that to accommodate the length of time it will take to get them to the store.

0points

Nykky 9 months ago

Frozen is even better than fresh too, because they haven't had the time to decay through transfer.

0points

Joe Rusynyk 9 months ago

cooking reduces the total nutrition sure, but it dramatically increases the bio-availability of the nutrients so you actually get more of them than you s**t out, unlike uncooked produce.

0points

Ian Milne 9 months ago

The problem isn’t whether the veg retains their vitamins or not, it’s how they taste when you eat them. Most frozen veggies are pretty soggy and lose their flavour when cooked. There are a few exceptions, but most are pretty poor.

0points

Christina McCain 9 months ago

But frozen veggies NEVER taste good because something changes when they get frozen and the texture is just way off.

-1point

madeleine f 9 months ago

Frozen peas tastes better than canned..and I never hear.of people buying fresh peas. Too much hard work. Frozen is underrated and it's all about how you cook with it.

7points

Sally Signup 9 months ago

I've never seen scoopable frozen vegetables in the store before. They don't sell them like that here.

6points

I_imagine_even_worse_w***s 9 months ago

Yes I really need to know where these are sold!

2points

Andres Tejeda 9 months ago

I prefer fresh ones, but for a family and to keep for more than a month frozen is good.

3points

I_imagine_even_worse_w***s 9 months ago

You can buy lose frozen veggies?! Please tell me where!

2points

Binky Melnik 9 months ago (edited)

Not sure where you are, but they’re a staple (and have been) everywhere in the US forever. Frozen broccoli, cauliflower, peas, corn, and spinach are my favorites. The biggest company who produces them is Bird’s Eye. Another is Jolly Green Giant.

0points

Donald Crocker, Jr. 9 months ago

Always unit price check between the fresh and frozen sections, frozen often wins but cabbage, bulk carrots, and bulk potatoes are usually cheaper fresh then you can chuck them in a deep freeze and later rinse them before putting them in a stew.

2points

Donald Crocker, Jr. 9 months ago

On the cabbage you'll want to rinse and chop before freezing.

1point

Mike F 9 months ago

I've been using them for years. Saves about 21¢ over canned veg. And lots easier to store!

2points

Naomie Moore 9 months ago

I purchase some frozen vegetables too. Use as back up when feeding the pets. If I am low on fresh or need to supplement, have frozen as backup. They all get vegetables for dinner.

0points

Amanda Hunter 9 months ago

Bulk? Where?

0points

Pyla 9 months ago

I didn't know you could do that.

0points

I’ll have a treble thanks. 9 months ago

You need to learn stuff girlfriend

0points

Jennlyn 9 months ago

I love frozen veg but I will absolutely destroy a can of LeSuer canned peas. I can eat a whole can by myself.

0points

Suck it Trebek 9 months ago

All canned vegetables are mush.

0points

Adrian 9 months ago

Where is that? I've never seen self-serve frozen veg like that!

0points

WhyBother? 9 months ago

This comment is hidden. Click here to view.

Ray Ceeya (RayCeeYa) 9 months ago (edited)

Not true at all. Freezing doesn't reduce any nutritional value in food at all. Cooked and canned veggies suffer from reduced vitamins and nutrients but freezing veggies doesn't hurt them.

16points

Muhammad Fauzi Rizal 9 months ago

This comment is hidden. Click here to view.

ThatG 9 months ago

Frozen produce is nutritionally similar to fresh produce. Sometimes better because they are frozen at peak ripeness and frozen within hours of being harvested.

21points

Pittsburgh rare 9 months ago

Nutritionally is exactly the same. Texture is another matter tho.

9points

Hphizzle 9 months ago

Why?

1point

40 Cheaper Options People Have Realized They Actually Prefer To The More Expensive Alternatives 90% of my winter veggie intake is now cabbage related. I refuse to pay the high price for off-season produce anymore.

soverylucky , Lisa Fotios/pexels Report

Final score:

110points

POST

Jack Burton 9 months ago

Off-season fruits and vegetables are some modern worl crazyness... we can survive without tomatoes during winter and nature handles it perfectly with different stuff for different seasons.

58points

We were also curious what things Lydia purchases less frequently now that they've become so expensive. "I've stopped buying pastries as much," she shared. "I used to buy them pretty regularly as a family snack on the weekend, but have switched to other less expensive things. I do miss them, but not enough to make them a regular purchase again!"

"Also chicken broth!" the Thrifty Frugal Mom added. "It's way cheaper to buy a whole chicken and then use the carcass to make my own bone broth. I've started to do that as much as I can! I do miss the convenience of buying store bought all the time, but it feels like it's worth the extra savings."

40 Cheaper Options People Have Realized They Actually Prefer To The More Expensive Alternatives We started shopping at our local Asian and Hispanic grocery stores. We go to Aldi's for bread, bagels and paper products. Fresh produce lasts a lot longer and is cheaper too. Our food budget has dropped from $200 a week to $125 consistently for two adults the last 10 months. We pack lunches, usually last nights dinner leftovers and we have saved a substantial amount of money.

mich2va96 , Brian Godfrey/flickr Report

Final score:

101points

POST

Noproblem 9 months ago

My #1 grocery tip to my non-Asian friends is to buy produce at the Asian market & spices at the Indian market.

71points

LowBarometer , Karine Monteiro/pexels Report

40 Cheaper Options People Have Realized They Actually Prefer To The More Expensive Alternatives I discovered overnight oats. Holy cow! They're great. I also figured out that dried blueberries are cheaper than frozen or fresh blueberries, and taste identical in overnight oats. No more bran flakes. No more milk. Just water, oats, blueberries, a little cinnamon, and some sugar.

Final score:

88points

POST

Nicole 9 months ago

What are overnight oats?

37points

Wise-Hamster-288 , Polina Tankilevitch/pexels Report

40 Cheaper Options People Have Realized They Actually Prefer To The More Expensive Alternatives I stopped buying pine nuts. They're like $30 a bag now. I get sunflower seeds and pumpkin seeds instead.

I'm making my own herb and spice blends from bulk ingredients plus things we can grow in our yard.

I'm cooking more beans and lentils from dry instead of buying canned beans or frozen prepared meals.

Final score:

77points

POST

Lyuben Petkov 9 months ago

beans cooked from scratch tastes way better than the canned beans

47points

Lydia also shared some tips that might help you save money on groceries. "Don't be scared to try store brands. They often are made by the same company as the name brand, and we've discovered that for most products, we don't mind the cheaper option!" she told Bored Panda.

"Buying in bulk can be a great way to save on things you purchase a lot too," Lydia added. "Just be sure to check the cost per unit on the shelf price tag to make sure you really are getting a better deal!"

If you're looking for even more money-saving tips, be sure to visit Thrifty Frugal Mom!

#10

I used to make chili with mostly meat and onion. Nowadays it's 50% beans, and I prefer it. Originally, when I would put beans in chili, I'd use red kidney beans. Nowadays I'll use anything bean related - I think red kidney beans are the least interesting you can find. I'll use tins of mixed beans, black beans, butter beans, chick peas. Heck, I've even added some (British) baked beans and thought they came out really well.

Secondly to that, this one was only mildly frugally related, but as we started to cut down on our meat consumption, we started to use a wider variety of vegetables. I had barely used "Chinese Leaf" (AKA Asian cabbage) before, and it works so well in a stir fry, as well as a variety of other things. It's given me a newfound appreciation for all things cabbage, including red cabbage in salads, sauerkraut and kimchi.

Where before I had only eaten cabbage as boiled cabbage, now cabbage is a big part of my weekly diet.

Korlus Report

Final score:

75points

POST

A. Starhawk Hunt 9 months ago

Black beans……I love black beans.

37points

EnclG4me , cottonbro studio/pexels Report

#11

40 Cheaper Options People Have Realized They Actually Prefer To The More Expensive Alternatives Indoor farming.

I work as a data analyst and fulfillment.

I have built entire spreadsheets around my indoor farming hobby and it is now cheaper to grow most of my produce at home hydroponically than to go shopping at anything owned by Loblaws, Sobeys, or Walmart.

All of my equipment has paid for itself in the first year in savings. The only time it becomes more expensive, is when something goes wrong, and I lose a portion of a harvest. Most of the time, I have so much extra I either have to try selling it off or give it away.

Final score:

73points

POST

Lyuben Petkov 9 months ago

broccoli grown in pot on my balcony - better than those in the grocery

21points

#12

40 Cheaper Options People Have Realized They Actually Prefer To The More Expensive Alternatives Steak, weirdly enough. The weekly ad steak is the same price or less than ground beef these days, so when I’m craving beef, screw it, steak it is!

PoorCorrelation , Lukas/pexels Report

Final score:

69points

POST

The Darkest Timeline 9 months ago

I drop by the meat department every time I’m at the store just in case I spot a good sale

42points

CakeVSPie , Towfiqu barbhuiya/pexels Report

#13

40 Cheaper Options People Have Realized They Actually Prefer To The More Expensive Alternatives I wish I knew how amazing sardines were earlier in life!

Final score:

67points

POST

ShyWahine 9 months ago

Me too! Turned up my nose to them as a child, but now I eat regularly - they're loaded with nutrients. Love it with hot rice and sliced up fresh tomatoes.

35points

oboejoe92 , Polina Tankilevitch/pexels Report

#14

40 Cheaper Options People Have Realized They Actually Prefer To The More Expensive Alternatives Tofu. I eat it at least once a week now. Cheaper and more protein than meat. I never ate it pre-pandemic.

Final score:

62points

POST

Breadcrumb. 9 months ago

I'd like to remind everyone eatting tofu does not make your d**k fall off, well maybe if your masculinity is fragile enough.

59points

QuadRuledPad , Roxana Marrero/flickr Report

#15

40 Cheaper Options People Have Realized They Actually Prefer To The More Expensive Alternatives Suave shampoo. I tried it in a summer rental and it was great, so my fancy stuff is sitting unused. I thought I might use it for a week or two and get tired of it, but it’s working great. I use the fancy stuff every few weeks and Suave most days now.

Final score:

54points

POST

PattyK 9 months ago

Unfortunately, there is not a fragrance-free version. I hate scented personal products!

43points

_WormHero_ , helia ghaharian/pexels Report

#16

40 Cheaper Options People Have Realized They Actually Prefer To The More Expensive Alternatives Bone-in cuts of meat

Added bonus is they are more nutritious in vitamins/minerals and taste a hell of a lot better than boneless.

Final score:

52points

POST

Dawn Bodtke 9 months ago

And make great stock. .

41points

#17

40 Cheaper Options People Have Realized They Actually Prefer To The More Expensive Alternatives Ok I am a sunscreen-every-damn-day girlie and DO NOT SLEEP on the Walgreen’s brand moisturizing one (in a yellow container.) My grandma let me use hers once and I loved everything about it so much I ran out to buy some. A lot of times they’re buy one get one 1/2 off or have coupons, too. I prefer it over any name brand sunscreen, including the neutrogena I used to use.

PS. Yellow container only, do not buy the blue “sport” variety, it separates and feels gross.

duckduckloosemoose , Walgreens Report

Final score:

50points

POST

PattyK 9 months ago

What does “do not sleep on the Walgreen’s brand” mean?

38points

#18

40 Cheaper Options People Have Realized They Actually Prefer To The More Expensive Alternatives Already bought this pre inflation craziness but Kirkland (Costco brand) Zyrtec. Get a year’s supply for pennies compared to regular Zyrtec. 100% the same ingredients too

Cicero4892 , Mike Mozart/flickr Report

Final score:

48points

POST

Bernd Herbert 9 months ago

Isn’t it a bit weird that that plastic container is packed in another layer of plastic?

49points

#19

Meal planning and shopping online for pick up. I'm sitting on the couch when I order my groceries, so I can check if there is something I already have. I can price Check between stores. And I'm ordering nsded on a meal plan.

Instead of wondering and being tempted, I pull into my stall, message the ap and they bring them out.

VIslG Report

Final score:

48points

POST

majandess 9 months ago

I can't afford pick-up (except at Walmart because it's free here), so we meal plan and comparison shop at home before we leave for the store. But meal planning and comparison shopping - while a pain in the butt - saves a lot of money.

20points

financialdrugbro , domantasm./flickr Report

#20

40 Cheaper Options People Have Realized They Actually Prefer To The More Expensive Alternatives Lidils brand of margherita pizzas are only 5.5$ for 3 700 cal pizzas. I buy some Romano cheese to top them with and some sausage and it’s really great for the price

Honestly getting bidet to stop buying toilet paper was cool

Final score:

46points

POST

Jason 9 months ago

I feel like bidet reduces tp use but doesn't eliminate it.

57points

#21

40 Cheaper Options People Have Realized They Actually Prefer To The More Expensive Alternatives I know this is meant to be food related but tinting my own eyebrows. I used to get expensive treatments at the salon at $50 per month, now I get Just for Men beard eye and use that with a q-tip. Works amazing and I have way more control over the colour/darkness/frequency of it, not to mention time saved by just doing it 5 minutes at home instead of allocating an hour in my day to go to the salon.

juansch , Anand Kulkarni/pexels Report

Final score:

44points

POST

Ace 9 months ago (edited)

The beauty industry is weird. Never knew this was a thing.

46points

#22

Microfiber cleaning cloths instead of paper towels. You can catch them on sale for less than $0.40 per cloth. They pay for themselves after 8 uses, and can easily last 100 uses.

They are superior to paper towels in every way, except for cleaning up tomato sauce or dog vomit. For that, you should stick with paper towels.

Only downside is having to fold them when the dryer is done. That part gets old pretty quick.

CheckDM Report

Final score:

44points

POST

LadyRougarou 9 months ago

I cannot stand the feel of microfiber it's the grossest feeling material imo

65points

Dutch Swimmer Goes Viral For Super Revealing Trunks During 2024 Olympics: “Is This Legal?”

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#23

40 Cheaper Options People Have Realized They Actually Prefer To The More Expensive Alternatives I’ve started making my own snack bags of trail mix. I found them so handy since I’m breastfeeding and always need a snack in my bag. Trader Joe’s have some affordable options, but then I moved and there isn’t one close by. Publix has a sale right now for BOGO Blue Diamond Almonds and Walnuts so I stocked up with some dried cranberries and snack-size sandwich bags. Voila!

Lynnellens , Chic Bee/flickr Report

Final score:

42points

POST

Geoffrey Scott 9 months ago

Just got done with a large container of homemade Chex mix. Fill sandwich bags, take them. No muss, no fuss.

2points

#24

40 Cheaper Options People Have Realized They Actually Prefer To The More Expensive Alternatives I don't buy milk. I buy whole powdered milk, about 3 lbs for $15 for adding to my coffee. So instead of spending $4/5 a gallon a week, this lasts 6 months at least.

LifeUser88 , jlmcdon2/reddit Report

Final score:

36points

POST

Breadcrumb. 9 months ago

I don't think it foams the same as oat milk in my cappuccino maker? This is the hill I'll die on life is to short for s**t coffee.

44points

#25

I love refried beans from better (not all) Mexican restaurants. I don’t like canned. I’ve tried making from scratch but they’re not as good. But I found a brand that Walmart sells in a plastic pouch that is very good, and also inexpensive. The brand is La Sierra. The only kind I’ve tried is the regular, but there’s also a chorizo flavor.

Chevronet Report

Final score:

36points

POST

Breadcrumb. 9 months ago

Keep trying to make your own..it's worth it.

16points

Woman Put A Water Fountain With A Camera In Her Yard, Here Are 24 Photos Of Regular Visitors (New Pics)

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“Ma’am I Live Here”: Woman Refuses To Back Out Of Driveway, Learns A Lesson The Hard Way

#26

40 Cheaper Options People Have Realized They Actually Prefer To The More Expensive Alternatives I used to buy Gardein beef crumbles until I realized that they're just TVP, which is exceptionally cheap. Same with buying mung bean to make vegan egg substitute instead of shelling out for JustEgg. So much easier to customize when you make both of these things at home

gender_noncompliant , Amazon Report

Final score:

33points

POST

Esist Nosrep 9 months ago (edited)

In my twenties i was all about vegetarianism and veganism, now looking back i can see how most of the products are chemicaly induced and horribly made and farmed with more harm to the nature. Eat local, avoid mass production, thats about best what you can do. When i eat keto i personally feel the best I've felt in years

12points

#27

Bought a soda stream instead of buying seltzers. My seltzer habit was getting a little much for how expensive even off brand seltzers were getting

letthembake Report

Final score:

33points

POST

Flora Porter 9 months ago

A plumber told me to fill a jug from the tap and keep it on the side in the kitchen. Chlorine and other tastes seem to evaporate and it tastes like it comes out of a filter jug.

1point

missprincesscarolyn , Lisa Fotios/pexels Report

#28

40 Cheaper Options People Have Realized They Actually Prefer To The More Expensive Alternatives Popcorn over chips and crackers. I made a great batch last night by popping kernels in veg oil, adding a bit of melted butter and then some cheese powder.

Granola over cereal too if you have extra nuts, trail mix or can make nut-free.

ETA: Check out Hoosier Farms for cheese powder.
Seriously so good. That or flavacol with coconut oil.

Final score:

31points

POST

Nae who and where 9 months ago

Make your own granola. Not only is it cheaper, but it tastes better and your can control the amount of sugar/salt in it.

1point

50 Of The Most Incredible Shots That Were Submitted To The Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards

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French Diver’s “Jewels” In Tight Swimming Trunks Become Talk Of The Town At Olympics

#29

40 Cheaper Options People Have Realized They Actually Prefer To The More Expensive Alternatives Unflavored creamer for my coffee. Like heavy whipping cream or half and half.

I stopped using the sweetened or flavored creamers and now I can't stand them. The after taste is so horrible to me.

I buy cream for cooking so always have some on hand, I don't buy different cream just for my coffee anymore.

Same with flavored coffee. I will now and then get a certain brand as a treat, or see a flavor that sounds interesting and I want to try but I usually regret it. Lol Plain coffee is preferred.

I've always shopped generic/cheapest so can't say inflation has been the main cause of most of my preferences or maybe it's the only cause for my generic preferences. Lol

Quirky-Spirit-5498 , Polina Tankilevitch/pexels Report

Final score:

30points

POST

Simon Eppstein 9 months ago

I, also, prefer my coffee to be "coffee flavored"

36points

#30

40 Cheaper Options People Have Realized They Actually Prefer To The More Expensive Alternatives Drinking water and meatless dishes. I have cut out meat, alcohol and coffee. I didn't consume them much before so it wasn't hard to cut out. I do buy some meat but a lot less. I don't miss them. I prefer water now too.

mjpuls , Sarah Chai/pexels Report

Final score:

29points

POST

Linda Lee 9 months ago

Making my own coffee every morning is not something I'm willing to give up.

38points

Woman Moves Out Of Parents' Home After They Asked Her To Give Her Space To Brother, They Freak Out

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Mom Leaves $250k Inheritance To Son, Throws A Fit When Daughter Stops Looking After Her

#31

4lb bag of sliced frozen strawberries at Sam’s Club instead of fresh berries. So convenient, no waste, DEELISH. $9

mjfratt Report

Final score:

28points

POST

Fran Morasco 9 months ago

Lookup farmer market or outlets in your area. Just got large strawberries for a dollar each container same I got blackberries and cut up cantaloupe in a large container. They were all dollar each and they were not expired

7points

#32

Aldi brand Oreos are considered far superior to brand name Oreos in my household

Order_66x Report

Final score:

28points

POST

Libstak 9 months ago

Aldinga chocolate..coceur? Is way cheaper and the dark chocolate mint cream is by far my favourite buy when I can get to an Aldi.

12points

#33

40 Cheaper Options People Have Realized They Actually Prefer To The More Expensive Alternatives Give up on Car dealers for maintenance.

Make my own pizza or little Caesar’s vs the other pizza place where one pizza was $30-35.

Haircuts.. just cut my own.

Starbucks

Diet Pepsi

Packaged/processed food

mikep4 , Katerina Holmes/pexels Report

Final score:

27points

POST

Jack Burton 9 months ago

35 dollars one pizza ?? 🤔🤔

34points

Proof_Most2536 , Towfiqu barbhuiya/pexels Report

#34

40 Cheaper Options People Have Realized They Actually Prefer To The More Expensive Alternatives Hibachi bowls. I like going to the hibachi grill but is an expensive treat. But when I don’t want to spend the money I can create some at home.

Same for form sushi bowl. I make with salmon, white rice, cucumber, avocado, yum yum sauce I diy myself, and some sriracha. Then eat with some seaweed wraps

Final score:

26points

POST

majandess 9 months ago (edited)

Ooh! I have one! Chinese BBQ pork (char siu). The stuff is so expensive pre-made, but it's super easy to make! And it uses pork shoulder, which semi-frequently goes on sale for cheap (last time I bought it for $0.89/lb). I buy a large bone-in piece, cut the bulk of the meat off the bones (don't work too hard at this!), and then make soup with the bones (gotta leave enough meat on to keep in the soup). We eat the char siu in bowls like this, and it's so good!

17points

Woman Refuses To Chip In For Babysitting Because She Doesn’t Even Have Kids, Asks If She’s A Jerk

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“This Breaks My Heart”: People Stunned—And Angry—After Woman Buys Lost Luggage From Airport

#35

40 Cheaper Options People Have Realized They Actually Prefer To The More Expensive Alternatives I stopped shopping at bath & body and went to suave

Fantastic-Neck-3125 , Mr.TinMD/flickr Report

Final score:

25points

POST

Ray Ceeya (RayCeeYa) 9 months ago

I switched to Dawn dish soap.

16points

mandy_croyance , Andrew Malone/flickr Report

#36

40 Cheaper Options People Have Realized They Actually Prefer To The More Expensive Alternatives Ground meats. They're a lot cheaper than other boneless cuts and can be used in a lot of the same applications. I use ground pork for my stir-fry & rice bowl and it's amazing -- crispy and soda soft, soaks up the sauce and you get a little with every bite.

Final score:

25points

POST

PattyK 9 months ago

What does “soda soft” mean?

18points

#37

Plant-based protein. Meat is way too damn expensive

PseudocodeRed Report

Final score:

18points

POST

Ray Ceeya (RayCeeYa) 9 months ago

Beans. It's all about the beans. If you can nail down how to cook beans, you got your protein set.

43points

#38

Whey protein prices increased like crazy. Protein from MyProtein tastes the same as big name brands and it's almost half the price. Supplements from Bulk Supplements are actually pretty cheap. I get their creatine and it has a bitter taste, but if you mix it with something you don't notice it. I also am realizing how many of the name brands I used to buy are exactly the same as the name brand. Just with different colors on the packaging.

earthwarrior Report

Final score:

14points

POST

Lyuben Petkov 9 months ago

Indeed - most different brand products are made/sourced by the very same 1 company/factory, but different packages and aromas makes the price

14points

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#39

40 Cheaper Options People Have Realized They Actually Prefer To The More Expensive Alternatives Generic flavored Sparkling water.

hopeandrenewal , Przemek Pietrak/flickr Report

Final score:

10points

POST

Barong 9 months ago

Started carbonating my own water. It’s great. Relatively cheap, fun, and convenient. I like that I can reuse bottles.

12points

#40

Lamb instead of steak.

Ok-Wrongdoer8061 Report

Final score:

-1point

POST

Andres Tejeda 9 months ago

Yes, but sometimes Lamb can be more expensive per pound than steak

46points

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What do you think ?

POST

Pittsburgh rare 9 months ago (edited)

These posts are useful but also depressing. I bet most people here works 40h/week if not more, yet we see them giving up meat or fresh produce. I'm having French Revolution ideas.

19points

WakandaPanda 9 months ago

Maybe they should eat cake !

8points

momjeans 9 months ago

Yes

2points

Verena 9 months ago

Being poor asks for being smart. It totally depends on where you live, but very often it is possible to buy season's fresh produce directly from the farmer, which is very good quality, super fresh and super cheap. Yes, eating the same for several days isn't fun, but if it is healthy, filling and cheap, this was my way of surviving. Nothing wrong with that.

0points

Libstak 9 months ago

Yes and no, we are still spoilt for choice even if we cut back.

0points

Mike F 9 months ago

I buy the family pack of meats then wrap or bag them and freeze them. I even do that with frozen fries and tater tots. Saves a bundle.

10points

N. 9 months ago

Keep an eye out for a used vacuum sealer. I live alone so I freeze leftover portions of food to cut back food waste. I preseason some meat before sealing. And soups and sauces are frozen flat in small plastic containers before transferring to vacuum bags. Also keeps me from eating the same leftovers all week if I can just thaw out a bowl of chili or 2 cups of pasta sauce!

1point

Cat servant 9 months ago

Some of these suggestions are so big city oriented. If you live in smaller cities with little choice these are just not available. When your area has 2 grocery stores, plus Walmart, and Dollar General there is only so much you can do with grocery costs. Forget lamb, maybe you can get it around Easter but chances are not good. Farmers market? 1 day a week downtown with little choices since this is a cotton and cattle producing semi arid region. You really can't afford the water to grow your own vegetables some years when we are under water restrictions. If you are in an area with that kind of variety go for it.

4points

Fran Morasco 9 months ago

Great job on this article. Love hearing about everyone else’s experiences. And so relevant now

2points

Karl 9 months ago

A mate of mine only shops at Waitrose (high end UK supermarket) and insists of brand name items - his weekly bill is several hundred pounds. He refuses to believe that Aldi or Lidl sell non-branded food of comparable quality - even though it would more than halve his shopping bill. More fool him (& his wallet)

2points

The Starsong Princess 9 months ago

I make a big pot of whatever I’m making to use up ingredients so less waste. I freeze it in portions and vacuum seal them in individual portion. They are shaped like bricks so you can fit a huge amount even in my standard fridge freezer. I’ve always got something good to eat that I can heat up quickly. so I get takeout less. Right now, there’s spaghetti sauce, squash soup, chickpea curry, tomato soup, white chili, burrito filling and chicken stock. Also, if I get pizza, I size up as that’s cheaper than buying another pizza and vacuum seal the leftovers. Ten minutes in the air fryer and it’s great.

1point

Verena 9 months ago

It is also called "eat following the season and make smart use of your freezer".

1point

vogonpoet 9 months ago

Buying a espresso machine for $30 that was "broken". $10 for a new seal, and now I spend about $6 to $10 a week on coffee.

1point

Livingwithcfs 9 months ago

Bulk cooking, I make enough to feed about 6 and pack 5 into the freezer (live alone) no meat, I spend about 1/4 a week on what I spent making meals every night

0points

Csaba Horvath 9 months ago

What if i buyed the cheapest stuff even before Covid and inflation? :D

0points

Curry on... 9 months ago

Watch the prices go up on the things listed here.

0points

FloralDangerNoodle 9 months ago

Vacuum sealers and bidets are life-changing and save money.

0points

Flora Porter 9 months ago

I gave up my freezer because it was enabling me to stockpile ice cream and batch cook treats for no good reason. Also, we refrigerate more than we need to, and a cold larder handles most things.

0points

Ken Beattie 9 months ago

I hate to say it, but that was not your freezer's fault. A decent freezer means you can buy bulk cuts of meat and freeze it, and bulk vegies. Whether it's healthy frozen or junk is on you. I wish I'd had a big chest freezer a few months ago when bulk rump steak dropped to $13/kg here at IGA (Woolies was selling it for $27/kg at the time).

5points

Nuage Laboratoire 9 months ago

sxgtow

-2points

POST

Pittsburgh rare 9 months ago (edited)

These posts are useful but also depressing. I bet most people here works 40h/week if not more, yet we see them giving up meat or fresh produce. I'm having French Revolution ideas.

19points

WakandaPanda 9 months ago

Maybe they should eat cake !

8points

momjeans 9 months ago

Yes

2points

Verena 9 months ago

0points

Libstak 9 months ago

Yes and no, we are still spoilt for choice even if we cut back.

0points

Mike F 9 months ago

I buy the family pack of meats then wrap or bag them and freeze them. I even do that with frozen fries and tater tots. Saves a bundle.

10points

N. 9 months ago

1point

Cat servant 9 months ago

4points

Fran Morasco 9 months ago

Great job on this article. Love hearing about everyone else’s experiences. And so relevant now

2points

Karl 9 months ago

2points

The Starsong Princess 9 months ago

1point

Verena 9 months ago

It is also called "eat following the season and make smart use of your freezer".

1point

vogonpoet 9 months ago

Buying a espresso machine for $30 that was "broken". $10 for a new seal, and now I spend about $6 to $10 a week on coffee.

1point

Livingwithcfs 9 months ago

Bulk cooking, I make enough to feed about 6 and pack 5 into the freezer (live alone) no meat, I spend about 1/4 a week on what I spent making meals every night

0points

Csaba Horvath 9 months ago

What if i buyed the cheapest stuff even before Covid and inflation? :D

0points

Curry on... 9 months ago

Watch the prices go up on the things listed here.

0points

FloralDangerNoodle 9 months ago

Vacuum sealers and bidets are life-changing and save money.

0points

Flora Porter 9 months ago

I gave up my freezer because it was enabling me to stockpile ice cream and batch cook treats for no good reason. Also, we refrigerate more than we need to, and a cold larder handles most things.

0points

Ken Beattie 9 months ago

5points