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

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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

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

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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

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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

Ace 9 months ago

Trouble is, for ever person saying "I've tried tofu a few times, it has a weird texture and doesn't taste of anything" you'll get three vegangellsts saying "you just haven't had it prepared and cooked properly". You want me to keep trying something I've found that I dislike just on the off-chance that somebody, somewhere, can turn it into something edible? No thank you.

19points

Hmmm hmmmm 9 months ago

Tofu's kinda meh. Like it goes well in stuff to add protein but it needs some other flavours. Like a vegan curry can use tofu quite well but not in a sandwich

6points

Deeelite 9 months ago

Breadcrumb - 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

1point

The Original Bruno 9 months ago

Yeah, if tofu reduced your fertility, the fertility rate in Japan and Korea and China would be plunging! Oh wait...

1point

Margaret Weaver 9 months ago

Then I should really offer the counterpoint : quick reminder tofu is coagulated bean juice. The similarity to congealed cum is something nobody can really un-notice.

0points

majandess 9 months ago (edited)

I don't avoid tofu, but seriously, I can buy a whole chicken for $0.99/lb and use the whole thing from the bones to the meat to the drippings. But the cheapest tofu is like $2/lb where I live. I can't even imagine the cost of groceries if tofu is the cheaper alternative.

13points

Ace 9 months ago

Where do you get chicken that cheap? Across Europe even the worst 'budget' factory-farmed ones are at least three or four times that, with decent ones (i.e.free range) starting from a minimum of 7 or 8 Euros. Oh, that's per kilo, of course, so divide by 2.2 for pounds comparison, but EU2.20 per kilo is unheard of over here.

2points

Christel Nellemann 9 months ago

And we do not need to be vegetarians to eat this, the whole culture war about this is bogus. I wanna learn how to cook it in different ways, local thai place makes it soooo good, needs spice and perhaps panko?

10points

M O'Connell 9 months ago

Tofu + Lao Gan Ma (Chinese chili-oil sauce). Is pretty amazing.

0points

Panda Kicki 9 months ago

I start to think prices is very different at some places. Tofu is twice the price compared to chicken and pork here.

8points

majandess 9 months ago

Yep. Same.

0points

Tiffany Marie 9 months ago

I eat tofu regularly. I even like it plain.

8points

Lame Llama 9 months ago

Tofu DOES NOT have more protein than meat. It's easy information readily available. Please dont peddle false information.

4points

TheBlueBitterfly 9 months ago

Yes, this is very easy to confirm.

0points

Flora Porter 9 months ago

Personally I don't like the texture of tofu, but for me Quorn is a great alternative to meat. In something highly aromatic like a Thai green curry it's indistinguishable from chicken.

4points

Colleen Glim 9 months ago

Try it deep fried. The texture is entirely different

0points

Mama Penguin 9 months ago (edited)

I'm far from being a vegan but I can confirm tofu is tasty. White tofu by itself is quite bland but it's also a sponge. It will absorb whatever flavor you put on it. Few tips I've learned if cooking with regular white tofu is to quickly rinse it after you take it out of the package and to let it soak or simmer in salted water for a few minutes. The salt will draw out some moisture and add flavor. It will change the texture of the tofu and add some flavor to it. Also, if you can find an Asian market, try to peruse the tofu section. There are so many types of tofu out there from silky egg tofu, pre-fried tofu, smoked tofu, seasoned tofu, tofu sheets to make yummy soup or dimsum dishes.

2points

Highball 9 months ago

Tofu carries other flavors and spices much better than anything else, read up and try it.

1point

Midoribird Aoi 9 months ago

Toad 🐸 food, you mean. Besides, allergies.

1point

axle f 9 months ago

tofu is....not a thing I want in my mouth. I've tried a few times, but...no thank you.

1point

Anna Drever 9 months ago

For those who don’t like the texture you might try freezing it before using it. It changes the texture and makes it a bit more chewy. I like it both ways but often I have too much left so I freeze the remainder of the block.

1point

DotC 9 months ago

Again, super cheap at the Asian markets

1point

Donald Crocker, Jr. 9 months ago

Ymmv, where I live the cheapest tofu is $3/lb verses $1/lb bulk chicken legs, $1.50/lb bulk precooked ham, $2.50/lb beef liver, and $3/lb beef heart.

1point

Satya Bain 9 months ago

I need someone to teach me how to cook tofu. There's a local restaurant (she's from Singapore and he's from Laos) and they make the most amazing tofu dishes!

0points

Janet Graham 9 months ago

Tofu is made from soy so heads up to those with breast cancer.

0points

Marina M. 9 months ago

I really only liked tofu in miso soup before, but then I tried the most amazing teriyaki tofu - it tasted just like lean beef! Started experimenting with different kinds, and it quickly became a beloved staple. A lot cheaper than beef!

0points

Nykky 9 months ago

Plant protein is much different compared to animal protein though. Our bodies are very strange. Our teeth are designed mostly for plant materials, but our digestive tracts are designed mostly for animal materials. Include more veggies into your diets, of course! But if your issue with meat is that it has less nutrients, it just has different nutrients. And for the love of christ, do not get rid of fats entirely. Your system runs on fats, you need some every day

0points

Nimitz 9 months ago

It can be especially good for you if you regularly smoke weed. I can't remember the whole article, but there's a harmful element in most weed that can cause heart problems down the line, but it is easily neutralized by an estrogen found in tofu. And no, it's not the kind of estrogen that will affect your hormones

0points

Shayla Katherina 9 months ago (edited)

As much as I love tofu, it just doesn't fill me up as much as animal protein does. If I eat 4 oz of tofu, I'm hungry a couple hours later. If I eat 4 oz of chicken, I'm good until the next morning.

0points

TheBlueBitterfly 9 months ago

Tofu is more expensive than meat here. 🤷‍♀️

0points

Tomaz Zsthorother 9 months ago

I always have at least a few blocks of tofu in my fridge.

0points

Zoe Belen 9 months ago

I love tofu. I don't smoke or drink, and I've often thought that many of the people who claim it doesn't taste very good, are the ones who overuse the condiments on their food - eg, chicken nuggets, barbecued ribs, etc... in other words, they have tastebuds that are damaged. Try eating commercial meat without any condiments. Ugh! iI you've ever tasted an organically raised chicken the meat is delicious, just needs a bit osf salt and maybe a splash of Tabasco if you like that. Same with beef. Commercial meats have little or no flavour, it NEEDS to be covered in condiments to make it edible. Which is why we have the McRibs and nuggets c**p. Just my opinion.

0points

Kraneia The Dancing Dryad 9 months ago

My only complaint is that it has little taste by itself, you have to make it taste like something. You may as well just cook the beef or chicken or whatever. Not that I'm saying it's a bad thing to cut down on meat. Just sayin 🙂

0points

Lame Llama 9 months ago

Many Asian culture enjoy the aste of tofu on its own. Its delicate.

4points

Jack Burton 9 months ago

Tofu is a tough one, so tasteless...

0points

SadieCat17 (she/her) 9 months ago

So is meat if you cook it wrong (like you've probably been doing with tofu if it's "tasteless")

9points

Ray Ceeya (RayCeeYa) 9 months ago

Never cared for the texture. I'll take beans for my vegetable protein.

0points

Miliukov Oleksandr 9 months ago

They are called proteins, not protein for a reason

-1point

Muhammad Fauzi Rizal 9 months ago

more protein does not mean "more". animal based protein still the best according to science

-1point

Christel Nellemann 9 months ago

Dont quote science , when used wrong. Animal protein is more readibly digestible, but not “best”. It is easy to get plenty protein eating the right plants. And science supports adding more plants to our diets in western style diets a lot. When medical doctors associations say so, there is a ton of evidence behind it https://www.bhf.org.uk/informationsupport/heart-matters-magazine/nutrition/protein/how-to-get-protein-without-the-meat

15points

PattyK 9 months ago

Huh?

0points

Druck (not spuck) He/Him 9 months ago

This comment has been deleted.

-2points

MontanaMariner 9 months ago

To all the vegans saving the world with tofu, there is an allowable level of animal protein (from harvesting) in most foods we eat. Being a true vegan is almost impossible. Rodents get ground up in machines, vegetables eat bugs, etc.

-2points

Anna Drever 9 months ago

The point of being vegan is to do the LEAST harm. We know it can’t be eliminated 100% but that doesn’t mean not trying. 🙂

1point

Nicole 9 months ago

This comment is hidden. Click here to view.

Lame Llama 9 months ago

Tofu does not have more protein. Pleae dont make false claim.

2points

Karen Guy 9 months ago

Animal protein is higher in the amino acid leucine which helps stimulate new muscle growth and with muscle recovery after exercise.

2points

Anya Beboop 9 months ago

Soybean farming is terrible for the environment and encroaches on mostly rainforest ecosystems. Both are harmful in their own ways.

0points

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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#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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#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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#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

See Also on Bored Panda

“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

"I Didn't Start The Dryer": Karen Gets Taught A Lesson After Throwing Out Neighbor's Wet Clothes

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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

Howdy, I'm Adelaide! I'm originally from Texas, but after graduating from university with an acting degree, I relocated to sunny Los Angeles for a while. I then got a serious bite from the travel bug and found myself moving to Sweden and England before settling in Lithuania about two years ago. I'm passionate about animal welfare, sustainability and eating delicious food. But as you can see, I cover a wide range of topics including drama, internet trends and hilarious memes. I can easily be won over with a Seinfeld reference, vegan pastry or glass of fresh cold brew. And during my free time, I can usually be seen strolling through a park, playing tennis or baking something tasty.

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I'm a Visual Editor for Bored Panda. I’m also an analog collage artist. My love for images and experience in layering goes well with both creating collages by hand and working with digital images as an Editor. When I’m not using my kitchen area as an art studio I also do various experiments making my own cosmetics or brewing kombucha. When I’m not at home you would most definitely find me attending a concert or walking my dog.

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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