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65 Things That Are Affordable To Most Although Many Think They Aren’t, As Shared By People In This Online Thread
Just a few things should be accessible or at least affordable to everyone: healthcare, a roof above one’s head, and sustenance. Ironically, they are considered luxury items or things only the rich can afford in certain parts of the world. Sure, the definition of what is considered affordable or luxury things will vary per person. Still, generally speaking, if something is deemed affordable, its price should be low enough that you (or most people) have enough money to buy it.
However, for whatever reason, sometimes we may overestimate the price of something and have prejudice over the cost of certain things. When a while back, someone asked, “What is something people don’t realise is actually affordable?” the community of AskReddit jumped on the thread to reveal the many practices and things you can afford if you really want to. From maintaining one’s hygiene to getting therapy and obtaining original artwork, Redditors had plenty of affordable things to share.
Below, we’ve compiled some of the most upvoted answers from the thread, revealing many nifty things that are affordable or attainable to most. Do you agree with any of the answers? If you do, give the ones you agree with an upvote. Also, let us know what other affordable things to do or buy are missing from the list!
This post may include affiliate links.
#1
"Some people don't seem to realize that minding their own business is free."
RELATED:
#2
donttouchmycupcake said:
"Spice. Stop making bland-tasting food."
GozerDGozerian replied:
"In every grocery store in my area, there are two sections that sell spices. The man main section sells spices, and then again over somewhere in the “Hispanic foods/ethnic cuisine” section. The “ethnic cuisine” spices are sooo much cheaper, and I’ve never noticed much of a difference in quality. There are quite a few things that the main spice section has that the other doesn’t. But always check the ethnic foods section first!"
Negatoris Wrecks 1 year ago
This is a good trick for Tea, too. There are some amazingly good quality teas at $5 for 100 sachets. God a whole pound of jasmine green for $10 once
#3
elegant_pun said:
"Learning - you don't need a formal education to increase your skill set. YouTube is free and there are plenty of other free platforms and tools available. Using YouTube I learned to solve a Rubik's cube, whittling, basic embroidery, and cross stitch in 2020."
MashTactics replied:
"There are a ton of channels for just passive interest in topics as well. I watch a lot of Kurzgesagt and they have many neat thought experiments for the (sometimes morbidly) curious."
#4
"Pillows! This is a message to young men in particular fresh out of your parent's house: I had a flat, brown, greasy pillow for years. New pillows can be as little as 6 bucks for an okay one. Thanks to my wife for showing me that. On that note, if you can afford it, don't go cheap when you buy a bed. Spend a bit more for the quality and comfort that's right for you. You spend 1/3 of your life in bed so paying an extra $200-$500 for a nice mattress now is worth it considering you'll have it for 10 to 15 years."
#5
"Grocery delivery. I don't have a car, and to take a bus would require walking 10+ blocks and then getting off and carrying all my groceries back the same ten blocks. And the bus will cost 3.50. Delivery with instacart (and I'm assuming similar apps) costs about 8 dollars. So I order from them for 4.50 more than what it costs to go to the store and save myself 4 hours of time. It's great."
#6
Dispatcher12 said:
"Renter's Insurance. Especially if you bundle it with your car insurance. Usually covers replacement of contents and loss of use, so if you rent and right now could not afford to repurchase all of your clothing, furniture, housewares, electronics, and medical equipment if you have any, as well as pay for a hotel until you find a place or get back in the one where the fire was, get you some. And take the time to accurately evaluate the replacement cost of your possessions to make sure you get enough."
pjabrony replied:
"Everyone here is talking about the property side, but I think the important part is the liability coverage. If you get sued, Renter's insurance will cover a lawyer and a judgment if you get one levied against you."
South Monk 1 year ago
Heavy equipment insurance. For some reason I always thought they were expensive, but they're not rofl, soso much cheaper than normal car insurance. In the past a 100kusd bulldozer was fully insured for 500 usd a year man its more expensive now at 1200usd but well worth the cost. They covered my company's accidental equipment dip in the river , a syndicate stealing all the surroundings excavators drivetrains and some other sabotage. Gotta go for a trustworthy one though depending on which country you are in. Indonesia got alot of s****y ones where they don't pay or reimburse your claims at all.
#7
"Water. It comes out of your faucet. You don’t always have to buy it in the bottle."
South Monk 1 year ago
Check local country. Never drink tap water in Indonesia, most of the pipes to and from water utilities sucks or are not made to be drinkable. Heck even if they claim you can don't rofl no local trust or does that.
#8
"During covid, I've replaced all my old furniture with new ones and the total costs were 0. I just looked for ads of people who were going to move out and wanted to discard their old furniture which still can look brand new. I never realized you can find excellent furniture, like desks, coffee tables, and cupboards for practically nowt. also never realized you could purchase affordable musical instruments. A purist or virtuoso would never get a 100$ keyboard, yes, undeniably! But to just practice, it does everything I want and it has everything I need. Tons of internal external outputs, musical settings, >300 musical instrument emulation choices, automatic percussion modes, lights, internal teaching programs et cetera."
#9
"Some people don't realize that Spotify premium is really cheap. Like yeah, it's another subscription but no more ads and being able to download songs."
Susie Elle 1 year ago
My hatred for ads is the reason I got Spotify premium, so their marketing scheme works very well on me :')
#11
LionelHutzApprentice said:
"Fitness. You don't need a designer kit, a pricey personal trainer, or posh equipment. Walking is free, C25K is free, a run doesn't need to be in an elite gym - just go outside and move!"
domepro replied:
"Definitely, however, the biggest thing about fitness is consistency. If someone actually doesn't really like running and prefers something that requires more investment like road cycling or lifting weights (but has never lifted before) I'd rather tell people to spend money on something that the person enjoys more (and is, therefore, more likely to do it more and consistently over a longer period of time) than to advocate something that's free and not really enjoyable since the invested money into fitness (that actually produces motivation and/or consistent training) is likely 10x ROI down the road in disease prevention and cardiovascular health benefits etc."
South Monk 1 year ago
Body weight exercises and please don't forget to do cardio, it doesn't help in losing weight if your diet sucks but it makes you healthier.
#12
chonlipons said:
"3D printers apparently."
Reddit user replied:
"Low-end $100 (Canadian) up to thousands if you want. I bought a Creality-Ender3 for under $300."
mildly_amusing_goat replied:
"Get a cheap one and then print a more expensive model."
Craftsman 64 1 year ago
With tools, buy the best you can reasonably afford and cry once. If you keep stair stepping and buying just a little bit better, you'll have spent 5x the price of a good one over time. Learn patience and buy when you can afford quality.
#13
"Love? It’s free. Love you all."
#14
raineloathes said:
"Anything of quality. Most people assume the quality is unaffordable, but that's mostly due to a misunderstanding of what quality is vs what is over-priced."
Reddit user replied:
"People often mistake a brand for quality!"
#15
"At least for me, TVs. I didn’t realize that you could buy decently sized TVs for 200$."
South Monk 1 year ago
Glad for tech advancement, a huge tv 20 years ago with cathode ray 50++ is still more expensive than current 50 in led tvs rofl. Iphone and high end phones really ballooned in price though. Could have sworn they were 400 500 usd where I am? Now they're like 1500 to 2000usd
#17
apopDragon said:
"Healthy foods. If planned right, cooking at home from fresh materials could be just as cheap as pizza and fast food. Only if planned right though."
ShadowShell78 replied:
"Although I agree, I don't think it really has to be that hard. It kinda winds me up that people say they can't eat healthily as it's more expensive. A convenience meal/microwave meal is just as expensive as a pack of pasta, some veg, a little bit of meat, and a tin of tomatoes. I spent more on 2 shop-bought pizzas and garlic bread the other day than I did on a root veg and chicken casserole I made last night. It also probably took about the same amount of time to cook. Overconsumption of fast, junk food in our society is terrible and comes mainly from laziness and poor education."
#18
"Interior Designer. My partner and I recently hired one and not only has she guided us on which paint colors we should use on the walls, which I would argue saved us time and money had we picked a color we didn't like and needed to repaint but Interior Designers often have discounts at most furniture stores and can save you money off the top. Being only through half of the suggestions we've received she has saved more than she's cost us."
#19
"Golf. Got my first set of clubs for $10 at a yard sale. $20 green fees at the municipal course. Clubs lasted 5 years and my next set was $110 on Overstock."
#20
WanderingBarghest said:
"For people that can’t afford high-quality shoes. Shoe sole inserts. The cheapest ones at Walmart are made of memory foam-like material and make a world of difference to me!"
psychologicalfuntime replied:
"When I first started working as a cook I bought a $25 pair of non-slip shoes at Walmart. I did one shift with them and KNEW I needed better shoes, however, I could not afford them. I decided to try the inserts out and I ended up wearing those shoes with a $12 pair of inserts for 3 years."
#21
"Original art - not mass-produced posters or prints like you find at Target and Home Goods - but actual one-of-a-kind paintings."
cadena kuhn 1 year ago
That really depends. My most expensive paintings sell for $40. While my best friends can go for $700. She gets more for prints than I charge for originals.
#22
C0MED0WNT0US said:
"Printers/ink. Used to be very expensive. I bought an HP printer/copier/scanner for fifty bucks and pay $5 a month for an ink subscription. Anytime I run out of ink they just mail me more. It's amazing!"
epicenter69 replied:
"I don’t print often, so I found that I needed to change the inkjet cartridges often because they would dry out before use. I swapped to a laser printer. In 5 years, I’ve changed the toner cartridges once. Worth every penny."
Maebe Maeve 1 year ago
Laser is definitely the way to go. It's so much less hassle and far more economical.
#23
rollbackprices said:
"Food. It’s affordable, but most of us don’t have the time to properly prepare affordable food."
No-Yogurtcloset-357 replied:
"You can prepare double the quantity of a meal and then freeze it. You can then eat leftovers every 2 meals or maybe even more."
#24
"Espresso machines! I work as a barista and have for years, and finally decided to just get an espresso machine of my own. Got a nice one with a steaming wand for $107. Espresso, hot chocolate, tea lattes, etc! I had a Keurig (with reusable cup) prior to that which was comparable in price... and the espresso machine is far superior. I could never go back! So many people think they’re $800 - $1000. But you can get a good quality one like mine for cheap, and then you can stop paying for overpriced lattes elsewhere. It paid for itself fast."
#25
zetagundamzz said:
"Eating vegetarian. That's usually the first thing people bring up when they find out I usually eat vegetarian. It's only expensive if you only eat processed meat substitutes. But if you eat mostly whole unprocessed foods, it comes out so much cheaper than eating meat."
Reaterjr replied:
"That always made me wonder what are these people on? I don't think there is a single one of those lists of cheap foods you can buy to spend the least amount of money on but still get basically all you need that features any type of meat. Also, there are many dishes without any meat that tastes as though there is meat in them."
Neuridivergent 1 year ago
Maybe people confuse vegetarian and vegan so they are thinking of dairy alternatives?
#26
"Starting your own website. $10-$12 for the domain, and then a few dollars for hosting. Lots of free and cheap templates available."
Sami-Jo Ross 1 year ago
If you know where to look you can get both of those for free. I got a domain through FreeNom and web space through InfinityFree. And it's also free to learn to create the site from scratch, W3Schools and SoloLearn are your friends.
#27
"Hunting & Fishing License. For about $36, you can get a fishing license that's good for a whole year and allows you to catch different fish species year around."
#28
"Therapy, I always thought it was a luxury but when I reached out for help it is more affordable than I ever imagined. It may depend on insurance but I only pay 20 dollars per session and go about twice a month."
#29
"Basic lawn care. I pay a couple of local guys cash to mow my lawn every week because I have severe allergies and they charge an extremely reasonable rate and do a much better job than I could."
#30
Permanenceisall said:
"Designer clothing. If you buy second hand, and use the myriad of different resell sites, you can get well-made, non-sweatshop, long-lasting clothing for relatively cheap (not cheap, but certainly affordable)."
Permanenceisall replied:
"That’s partially true, but you can find the chain of production easier with designer brands, and review the factories/ateliers easier. I’m not talking about Burberry or Chanel btw, I mean brands like Rick Owens, Acne, Margiela, Ann Demuelemeester, etc. All of those brands, as well as many others, will list the location and name of the factory or atelier the garment was made in on the care tag."
Brenda 1 year ago
Try resale stores and/or thrift stores in higher income areas when looking for high-end/designer brands. You'll pay a fraction of the original price. Mom got a $5k ballgown for $500 a few years ago. Still had the tags! Find out where ALL the resale/thrift stores are in your area. Many do sales on certain days for certain items. Visit or call and ask.
#31
Silentwatcherka said:
"Living sustainably. It's literally about repurposing stuff, not purchasing a ton of glass jars, metal straws, and whatnot. Also simply limiting one's animal product intake, no need to go fully vegan."
MisterXnumberidk replied:
"I eat meat once a week. Fish twice, sometimes thrice. Sustainability is less about trying to take less by limiting intake, it's more about using the stuff you take better and making it last. A phone does not need to be replaced every 2 years. Clothes with holes can be repaired. As long as the fabric isn't worn out, you still like it and the fabrics are not worn out, and you don't need to replace it. Those sorts of things. Fixing stuff is often pretty easy if you're willing to develop some useful skills."
Neuridivergent 1 year ago
I spill and stain my clothes a lot. But i stopped buying white and buy as much from thrift stores as i can.
#32
"Glasses and eye exams. Get a free exam and then order online with your prescription."
#33
unappliedknowledge said:
"I remember being surprised at how cheap it is to change your name. There are probably MMOs where they charge more for the privilege."
thedudedylan replied:
"Not sure where you live but if you are changing your name outside of a marriage in the US it can be very pricy. it cost me $450 to change my last name. It wasn't even a big change. Just to remove a dash that was placed by mistake when I was born."
jairatraci replied:
"It cost me under $200. I’m in the US."
Brenda 1 year ago
During a divorce, either party can change their name for free. Had mine changed to (step)dad's I had used since HS. Got son's birth certificate and SS card changed for cheap/free. Hospital misspelled his last name, they can easily have it changed (free for them). After it was reissued, I purchased a copy (less than $15) took to SS office and they changed his card free..
#34
Parrot-Kiwi said:
"Literally, everything if you go to garage sales."
dog_in_the_vent replied:
"You gotta get there super early. Like "be waiting before they open" early. Great place to find used tools which you can use to do work or pawn for a quick profit."
#35
Wowpanda42 said:
"I used to think camping equipment was very expensive (i would always browse the LLBean catalog growing up) so I would always borrow a tent, sleep on the ground, etc, then I looked at the tents at Walmart and got a tent for like $30 and an air mattress for $7."
Maleficent-Hawk-318 replied:
"One recommendation I'd have for people who want slightly better but still affordable gear is REI. They've got a lot of super-expensive high-end stuff so I've noticed a lot of people seem to think of them as an expensive store, but their store brand is pretty inexpensive but also better quality than the Walmart store brand (Ozark Trail, IIRC). Though I've had some decent enough Ozark Trail stuff so I wouldn't knock it for casual camping or for someone just starting out and trying to decide if they want to invest in more expensive stuff. But yeah, getting started with camping is really cheap, and then you can just gradually upgrade stuff over time if you get really into it. That's what I did."
Lisa H 1 year ago
REI pretty much only sells high quality stuff so it's more of an investment. Their equipment will start to pay for itself if you use it enough. I got a small and simple Gerber pocketknife (only about 4 1/2") for about $15-$20 over a year ago. I have used it many times and the blade is still razor sharp as the day I bought it. I also go there when I need maintenance supplies for my roller skates (such as lubricant for my bearings). Not to mention their presidential library-sized selection of extremely useful outdoor guides. Another plus about REI is they REFUSE to open on Black Friday. I cannot express enough how much I love that!
#36
"Basic car maintenance. There is so much you can do that does not require expensive tools or trips to the garage. You can change bulbs, top-up fluids, replace air filters, and a whole range of other stuff for very little and there are videos to help you online."
R.A. Haley 1 year ago
Even professional auto techs use youtube. It's impossible to know everything, and someone may share a time-saving shortcut.
#37
"Being an ethical consumer... the key is to just consume less and buy things second hand, including clothing, furniture, kitchen/cooking supplies, etc almost anything can be bought secondhand and is cheaper/ more durable. maybe not as trendy or “fashionable” but who cares."
#38
metropolitanpuddle said:
"A yacht club membership. I sailed competitively in high school and paid $50/mo for access to boats, parties, food, scholarships, etc."
Singer-Such replied:
"Plus all the sweet sweet networking with rich people."
#39
"A cleaning service once a month."
R.A. Haley 1 year ago
Trying to talk my wife into that. Who knew wood floors show so much dirt?
#40
"Projectors. You can get a 1080p 60Hz projector for like £600 and a crappy 1080p TV costs £300-400 decent/good ones end up being more than a projector. I play games etc. on a projector and it's amazing!"
#41
"Pedicures. If you have issues with your hips or back and can’t care for your feet yourself, there’s no shame in getting a regular pedi. It’s literally self-care and much cheaper than courting problems with calluses, corns, ingrown toenails, etc."
#42
"Cyclist insurance. Not for if it gets lost or stolen, but for third-party liability insurance. Costs me £20 a year and I am covered if I cause an accident. There was a case recently in the news where a cyclist hit a pedestrian and had to pay around £30,000 in compensation, not including legal costs."
#43
"Power tools. Thought a mitre saw would be like £250 at least. Nah only £60~ for a basic price. You get what you pay for obviously, but if what you want to pay for is an entry-level tool you're just dabbling with. They're not super expensive."
#44
"Making your own bread/pasta takes little ingredients, but when you get the hang of it, you can do fancier stuff, while still making it cheap and delicious."
#46
"Telescopes. Most folk see a Dobsonian and think it costs thousands, where in actual fact, you can a decent baby one from 150, and a big boy one from just over 200."
#47
"Tailoring. If you really love something, buy a size larger than you need and take it to a seamstress (there's usually one next to a reputable dry cleaner somewhere nearby) and have it fit you. It's probably a lot less expensive than you think."
Huddo's sister 1 year ago
Where I live tailoring is quite expensive. Where my aunt and uncle have been living overseas it is much cheaper.
#48
"Making your own cleaning supplies. All you need is dish soap, vinegar, baking soda, and a spray bottle. Sometimes hydrogen peroxide and/or rubbing alcohol. Maybe costs like 10-20$ total and you're set for quite a while."
#49
"E-bikes. They’re not just for fun—an e-bike is another vehicle that can manage ~80% of your neighborhood trips. Instead of spending ~$5k on a used car plus ~$2k/year in insurance, fuel, and maintenance, you can spend $2k on a decent e-bike and get to most places very easily. They’re also a great source of exercise even with the motor assist because you are still pedaling."
#50
TheEitan said:
"Weights - kinda. I made my own using filled water bottles, broomsticks, and tons of duct tape."
fduniho replied:
"You may be able to pick up second-hand weights for less than new at a local sporting goods store."
#51
CuriousTsukihime said:
"Financial planning!"
SeanBannister replied:
"However do be careful as many financial planners are paid commissions on the products they recommend, which may encourage them to recommend riskier products that pay them better commissions."
#52
"Car parts. The dealership wanted $400 alone for a passenger side mirror + $200 for labor. I found the same thing on amazon for $50 and a tutorial on youtube was free!"
#53
"Homebrewing. Yes, there are the fixed costs with getting a kit(under hundred bucks for a 30L kit from Costco), but after that, there are a bunch of different things you can make on the cheap. And your brewing in 30L increments... That's a lot of savings if you're a regular consumer of beer, cider, wine, mead, and other fermented things. Are you tired of searching for a local Kombucha cafe only to find out there's just one and it's awful? Make some slightly less awful Kombucha in the comfort of your home, and pocket the ridiculous price they were charging you."
#54
"Swords. You can order a real sword online starting from 200€."
#55
"Private school. There are so many funding options and scholarships available that the price can fit most budgets. Everyone thinks they are only for rich people so few people even apply."
#56
"Toasters. I went to Walmart to see if I could get a fancy four-slot one, and they were like, all under $50."
#57
Reddit user said:
"Cooking gear. Much kitchen stuff is perfectly usable quality at a dollar store. You don't need a huge matching set of pots and pans either. You can get some truly decently made pots and pans at unlikely places like grocery stores or heck, thrifting. Get the basics and don't sweat the rest, which is mainly specialized single-purpose gadgets you don't really need."
randomcanyon replied:
"Pots pans iron cookware, pretty much all kinds of good kitchen stuff is available at every estate sale in the United States for pennies on the dollar."
#58
Jump_Yossarian said:
"AAA membership. If you own a car it's the best $55 you can spend."
who-are-we-anyway replied:
"Some insurance carriers offer this type of coverage as well. At Allstate (at least in my state) you can get roadside coverage for $6.45 every six months, so like $12.90 a year."
leendadll 1 year ago
AAA also provides most DMV services (except licences) - that svc alone is a bargain! They also provide rate svc centers, provide maps, sell travel guides, have free travel agents, free car safety events (free vin etching onto windows and cat converter), car/driving & travel classes, a magazine with all kinds of info, and the card gets discounts on all kinds of things. When my car died on a holiday weekend, they called 11 car rental agencies to find and arrange a rental - while I just waited on the phone.
#60
G-3ng4r said:
"Pet Insurance."
vampzombiewitch replied:
"Yes! My cat decided to get Hepatitis, chuff know how? (Sex or drugs? She puts a nightly show on for the neighborhood cats, licking her bits in the window and this one cat just looks dodgy). Seriously tho, she is an indoor cat and never goes out (her own choice, she was abused by her previous owner and has anxiety). The vet and I were confused by this. Luckily I had savings. Both cats are now insured and learned my lesson, just in time for the other cat to develop thyroid problems and a broken leg. It was easier when I had giant African land snails!"
Julie Wright 1 year ago
I would not reccommend pet insurance. They are a business and have to be profitable. Better to keep those profits yourself and just save what you can each month. My little dog was insured when I got her at 10 weeks old. She fell off the verandah several months later and they claimed it was a pre existing condition. Nothing I could do except cancel my subscription.
#61
"Chill pills. Not enough people know they even exist, let alone that they're free. Take some."
#62
"Leaf Blowers. I saw some at Lowe’s the other day and I was astonished that at a glance, the most expensive ones were around $70, and the cheapest around $30. I realize that it’s a fan with a funnel, but for the number of people I see use them, you’d think it’s a luxury item."
#63
"Motorcycling. It's cheap to buy a used bike, take a class and buy cheap gear. Maintenance can be a weekend and something new and stress-free to learn, especially if you're treating it as a hobby. If you give up just sell everything and you pretty much make most of your money back."
#64
"Birds of Prey in Britain. Sadly, predatory birds are extremely affordable in the UK. A barn owl is around £25. This leads to idiots thinking that owning a bird of prey is a good idea when in actual fact they take a huge amount of work to train and maintain. This then leads to them escaping into the wild and negatively affecting the natural ecosystem. Don’t get me wrong, birds of prey are beautiful, and seeing them in the wild is an incredible experience however, they will continue to munch their way through all of our small rodents and animals. Alternatively, because they may have been raised by humans from a chick, they fly off into the wild and die of starvation because they haven’t had parental hunting training. Don’t buy birds of prey."
R.A. Haley 1 year ago
In the U.S. if you even have an owl *feather* you'd better be from an indigenous tribe.
#65
"This is a really small thing, but Echo dots? They’re only like $40, and you can connect your music services to them, so you don’t need to buy Amazon music if you don’t already have it. No one in my family owned one, and I impulse-bought one a few months back."
