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Being able to think outside the box is a great skill to have in all aspects of life. Want to entertain your children while they’re home for summer vacation? Arts and crafts! Need your dog to take a pill that they keep spitting out? Find a fun way to sneak it into their food! Looking for a way to make sure your wallet is still full at the end of the month? Start coming up with creative ways to budget!
Frugal Redditors have recently been sharing their favorite unique ways to save money, so we’ve gathered their best advice down below. From tricking yourself into spending less to finding free resources within your community, enjoy scrolling through these unexpected ways to cut back, and be sure to upvote the frugal habits you can’t wait to try!
This post may include affiliate links.
#1
When I started combining my daily walks for exercise/relaxation with trips to the store.
I used to walk to a nearby park, do a few laps on the track, and walk home. One day it occurred to my that I had three stores--a discount store, a dept store, and a grocery store--within an equitable distance as my walk.
So I found a shopping bag that I could fold up and stick in my back pocket, and started walking to a store everyday to buy whatever was on my list that was easy to carry.
Imagine my surprise when I discovered I had cut my monthly gasoline cost in half, not to mention the wear and tear on my car.
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#3
I sat down and made a budget. I realized I had been lying to myself for decades. I am now getting back on track and it’s painful and joyous all at once.
DennyS (denzoren) 7 months ago
Keeping track of your spending really puts everything into perspective.
#4
I hang my clothes to dry. Not only does it save on my power bill, but my clothes last a LOT longer.
#5
A tip I always tell people is think about how much time that money took to earn. Say, if you're paid $15 an hour, and that video game cost 5 hours to earn, after taxes, then you worked 5 hours for that video game. Its a good way to teach someone to be frugal early, especially if they hate their job.
#6
Drive the same car year after year until the wheels fall off.
#7
Joining a buy nothing group and asking to borrow things instead of buying them - great for trying new hobbies. I borrowed a couple different sewing machines before deciding on one with features I really liked and ended up being gifted it because she liked having the space more than the thing.
Regina Holt 7 months ago
Where I live, we have FreeCycle, where you can post stuff you want to get rid of. You can also ask for stuff you need. You can use FreeCycle to get something you need temporarily, then post it to pass along to someone else that needs it.
#8
Cooking at home instead of eating out. Cooking the whole meal instead of packaged convenience food, tho I do get a bag of some Asian food once a week, like spring rolls or various steam buns.
Hoopla and Libby. So much free music, free magazines, free books, free comic books...
BoredPossum 7 months ago
It's healthier and cheaper. Restaurants don't care if you're healthy or not. They care about if you like the food enough to eat there again.
#9
Community events for sure. My city library offers fun adult craft nights for free once a month. Fun to meet new people and just relax.
So far I've taken a canvas paint class, clay project class, and also a free soundbath /yoga class.
Also, if you have a city library card, there's an app called Cloud Library that you can rent audible and ebooks for FREE.
There's a FREE walking /running club you can look into to be more active. In my city they meet twice a week at a local park, I have yet to join, but that's next on my list.
#10
Ultimately, I'm trying to be healthier now to hopefully reduce health care costs for future me.
This includes walking more, learning various legumes and rice dishes from around the world, strength training with barbells and kettlebells at home, and learning more about investing for a comfortable retirement.
#11
Vinegar for most cleaning. One jumbo vinegar jug costs ~$3 and has replaced most of my cleaning supplies. It has replaced windex, spray tub cleaner, toilet cleaner, floor cleaner etc. it also kills mold & mildew.
I found a website where I can type in items that are in my pantry to figure out what I can make with the food I have. Supercook dot com.
When I’m tight before payday, I can type in what ingredients I have available and peruse a list of things I can make with it.
Fun/Extra: I also save all my orange & lemon peels. I let them dry out and dehydrate in the fridge for a couple days and put them in a jar in the fridge. When i have a jar full I make candles with them! Grind them to powder in the blender and add to some plain dollar store candle wax and it smell so fresh in the house!
#12
It's better to buy used old quality stuff, than new quality stuff. Because new stuff isn't meant to last, even if it's good quality. It doesn't mean the same nowadays. Quality jeans now lasts maybe 2-3 years, while jeans bought 20 years ago still holds up. And not just jeans, but it came up in conversation the other day. Not really unique or unexpected, just worth the time and effort spent looking instead of instant convenience buying new.
Melissa Matusevich 7 months ago
I have my mother's blue jeans from 1941. Yes, they have lasted this long! My daughter wore them in high school and loved the funky style.
#13
Use curbside pickup as much as possible. If you don’t go into the store then you won’t buy unnecessary stuff. It also saves a lot of time and hassle.
#14
If you see something you like, but don't know the cost of it - in your head assign a price you'd be happy to pay for. When you find out the price see how much you still want it if it varies greatly from the price in your head.
S 7 months ago
I have a list of things I'd like to buy I find online, I put them in a folder in my email account. Once every few months I go and look at them. If the moment has passed, fine, delete the link, But if I still want the thing I get it. I've been doing this for years and it saves me thousands a year.
#15
Our local appliance store has a “dents and dings” section and we’ve had great success with them. Also, learned about Habitat for Humanity’s Re-store and I’ve found phenomenal deals there for our house projects! Learning to DIY everything from drywall to minor electrical has saved soooo much money over time.
#16
I wrote down every penny I spent for one month. Saw that I was frittering a lot of $ away at convenience stores stopping for drinks etc. It gets really hot here in the summer and I overheat easily so needed something cold to drink. Started bringing a quart of ice water with me when I was out running errands. Wrapped it in a towel to keep it cold and then found a very small insulated ice chest to use. This alone helped me save a great deal of money when I needed to cut back on expenses.
Auntriarch 7 months ago
Mr Auntriarch fills his water bottle with ice, as it melts throughout the morning, he always has cool water
#17
Keeping an eye on car maintenance and service. My old family car had a minor damage that was ignored until the car broke and repairing it wasn't convenient anymore. So we carefully chose a reliable brand and looked for a second hand model available. It happened in 2009 and i still drive the same car, built in 2005. I took care in cleaning and treating the interiors with proper products (add to the frugal list: cleaning my car as a hobby rather than for necessity).
Not a frugal choice, but in 2022 i dropped 700€ at an audobody repair to have logos replaced and minor scratches repainted. People can't believe i drive an almost 20yo car and i'm proud of it.
#18
Cutting my own hair (and everyone else’s in the house). I’ve saved untold amounts of money, time and mileage/gas and unlike going to the hairdresser I end up with the haircut I want.
The other huge money saver is Libby - checking ebooks out of the library. I read a *lot* and instead of spending a fortune on books they’re all free.
#19
Buy in season fruit and veg. Sounds like a no brainer, but it also forces you out of your rut and makes you get creative.
And if you are really craving strawberries in January (I know the feeling, the struggle is real) just get frozen ones. The fresh ones are usually gross.
Oh and watch your store ads for meat sales. Get some freezer bags and split/ freeze.
Or make a big batch of whatever and eat off of it for a few days.
Sheet pan fajitas, big pot of soup, etc.
Never underestimate the power of using carbs to stretch a meal. .
#20
I keep 3-4 frozen meals from Trader Joe’s in my freezer for when the urge for takeout hits.
#21
Brewing my own coffee has saved mega lots.
Not eating out saved mega lots.
Using rags instead of paper towels.
BoredPossum 7 months ago
Seriously, is this post for 4 year olds with no sense of economy? "I saved so much money on not having the pope drive me to work in a helicopter made of gold."
#22
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Catching up with friends on walking dates instead of over lunch!
Buying clothing and accessories secondhand - the number of times I have wanted a particular outfit, only to find it half the price on eBay of marketplace is wild!
A library card to borrow books for my little ones.
Buying groceries at ALDI and if I’m buying at a chain supermarket to ONLY buy what is on special.
I cut my own hair for YEARS and it saved me a tonne. Now I go to a walk in place that is super cheap, but they do an amazing job.
Always pack your lunch for work, buying lunch adds up like crazy. Meal prep in general has saved me a lot of money.
Only replacing products when you actually run out. This is hard for me lol, but don’t buy a new face cream or sunscreen until you’re actually about to run out.
#23
Frugal tips for travel: Travel in off seasons. Buy groceries when you arrive so you lessen your dining at restaurants. Pack snacks for plane rides, including tea or instant coffee if you’ll be in the airport for a while. Consider airbnb and hotels (depends on the area but worth looking at both for price comparison). Look for self guided tours, visit welcome centers/visitors centers for pamphlets that often have discounts in them for things to do. Look for parks or other public spaces when considering site seeing. Many cities have incredible parks! Take public transportation when feasible over renting a car. So much of my best times traveling have been on foot too!
Ripley 7 months ago
So much of this depends on where you're going. Going to London? Sure, find accommodation in Zone 2 and grab a visitor Oyster (PT travel pass) and go and see all of the free museums, art galleries, and parks. Going to see the Canadian Rockies? Yeah, you're going to need a car. There are ways to stretch your travel dollar (or Euro or Pound, etc) but you should also make sure that you are actually enjoying your trip - scrimping to save just a few pennies can sometimes make things so much harder for yourself, so the trick is to find the balance.
#24
Buy the f*****g sample size first before you commt to the full product. this has saved my a*s on shampoos i didnt like, make up, sunscreens, even food. buy the small portion size first then if you like it buy the bulk saving size.
#25
Soup Sunday. I take my leftovers from the week's dinners and make up 2-6 soups every Sunday - I keep 3 portions fresh for that weeks lunches and then freeze the rest. As of today, I have around 50 portions of miscellaneous soups in my freezer for easy to grab lunches.
I've been doing this for just over a year and I figure I've saved over $4,000 with this alone.
At first it was a PITA, but now I've gotten into the routine of it, I find myself packing away leftovers and thinking about what to make for dinner with the soup end goal in mind.
BewilderedBanana 7 months ago
took me a second to realise PITA wasn't referring to the bread :)
#26
"don't throw money away"
Seems simple but look at anything you buy for the sole purpose of throwing away. Some examples:
I don't use very many paper towels. One roll lasts me 2-3+ months because they're for oil/grease clean up only. Everything else I have white kitchen towels for. I use white so I can bleach them really well when they get washed.
Paper plates and plastic forks are only used if the power goes out. I have well water and don't want dirty dishes piling up if it's out for a bit.
Feminine products, I got a reusable cup years ago and stopped buying tampons or pads.
While I still use toilet paper, using a bidet cuts down on that.
Food waste. If a leftover in the fridge is getting close to needing to be tossed and I'm tired of eating it then I put it in a freezer bag and freeze it. Veggies looking sad? Chop them up and have a gallon bag in the freezer going that you can use for soups and stews.
Freya the Wanderer 7 months ago
Also, inedible food can go on the compost pile. That way you don't really waste it.
#27
“Paying yourself back”
Ex. I just bought a new pair of expensive shoes. The deal I had with myself is, I can buy these, but I have to save that amount of money on my next credit card statement.
I use this for a lot of things. Quite honestly, probably too much haha but it only saves me money.
BoredPossum 7 months ago
Never buy on credit if you can avoid it. Only use money that you already have, not money that you might have next week.
#28
Not a huge money saver but one I use almost every day now. Reusing grocery store pickle juice by putting other veggies like onions, cauliflower and carrots in it. I get more use out of the pickle purchase and waste less vegetables.
#29
To save money and waste less food, figure out a few cheap meals that you can eat daily, weekly, or several times a month— beans and rice, oatmeal, grilled cheese and tomato soup, whatever.
There are a few things this can help with. You save money on groceries and waste less food because you’ll use up all the ingredients, bonus points if it’s mostly shelf stable ingredients.
It can save time and decision fatigue because you don’t have to decide what to eat, your brain knows you have red beans and rice on Mondays and you finish any leftovers on Wednesday, etc. You have oatmeal for breakfast every day and always add whatever fruit you need to use up. My personal favorite is beans and rice. There are so many versions from around the world to try and you can always add whatever meat or vegetables you need to use up, even in small quantities. It’s also easy to turn any leftovers into soup.
If you’re trying to monitor your calories or you’re diabetic, it’s easy to do when you always know that your breakfast has x protein and y carbs, etc. Then it’s easier to know how much wiggle room you have for lunch or dinner if you want to eat out.
Milton’s Assistant 7 months ago
My sister has a favorite meal she’ll eat at any time of the day that’s oatmeal, frozen blueberries, vanilla protein powder, and a little bit of milk to make it less dense. It looks disgusting, but tastes great. I call it her gruel
#30
If you work for a non profit make sure you submit your paperwork for the public service forgiveness program. Saved me a ton of money. All of my student loan debt forgiven.
Also, make a price book or at least have the lowest price memorized. If the product you regularly buy is cheaper than that, stock up. Saved me a ton of money.
ScootyPuffJr 7 months ago
Public Service Loan Forgiveness program can be difficult to navigate as they've been updating things and changing platforms---there's an amazing group on Facebook that will keep you aware of changes being made, and will handhold you through the process. I just found out I'm 5 qualifying student loan payments away from getting all of my debt wiped out!
#31
Honestly one of the most unexpectedly helpful pieces of advice I found online was, "everyone expects you to be broke in your 20s. So act a little extra broke." Yeah your 20s are probably when your income is lowest, but you can get away with a ridiculously frugal lifestyle. Nobody will judge you for looking/acting/living like a poor college kid, telling people you "can't afford" concerts and brunches etc. Also the sooner you invest, the more compound interest can work its magic.
Pittsburgh rare 7 months ago (edited)
Are they going to judge me when I'm older then? This is just nonsense. In the current state of things, more and more people over 40-50 are struggling, and being upfront about it should be normal at any age
#32
Factoring in cascading costs. For example I bought some blink cameras to set up around my house. They have no monthly see so I only considered the cost of buying them. Well they require very expensive lithium batteries I have to replace every one or two years roughly. Each unit takes two and I have 6 cameras. This means I have to spend roughly $20 a year on average on batteries. There are many thing that we buy where we only consider the upfront costs. The reality is they cost money to own and add significantly to your fixed expenses.
#33
For us it was house swaps, we use HomeExchange.com. We've been doing house swaps now for 15 years. You do need to own your own home to do this. If you do own your home, it's a very frugal way to travel, as you get a free place to stay with a full kitchen and usually laundry facilities.
That, and if you have a job with travel, and your company allows you to do so, sign up for all the travel reward cards. My company allowed this for years so I racked up tons of airplane and hotel points, before they were acquired. I am still using those points, though I retired a few years ago.
It can also make sense to sign up for an airline credit card and put all your expenses on it, if you can pay it off in full, get the points, have free flights.
And that is how we travel all the time for basically free (not counting car rentals and eating out.... we don't count food in our budget as when we do swaps we can cook our own meals and eat out about as often as we do when not traveling).
For us (retired) this is a game changer as we can travel often for very little money.
#34
Look for programs to help you pay for stuff.
I not only got the down payment on my house paid for by my native tribe for buying a house on tribal land, but I also got my surveillance scans following cancer remission paid for by the hospital administering them because I applied for their financial assistance program -- even though I didn't initially meet the income requirements.
I guess they have money they HAVE to use every year and you may qualify even when you think you may not.
So, if you're up against a big bill, research what financial assistance programs exist for people in your situation. And apply even if you don't meet qualifications (being honest in the application process, of course). They may just have money they need to use by a certain date.
Shine Chisholm (they/ them) 7 months ago
Social service programs are amazing! We just had our whole house insulated through a weatherization program. Completely free. It took almost a year and a ton of paperwork, but it immediately cut our gas bill in half.
#35
Sign up for EVERYTHING. Buffalo wild wings, Jimmy johns, Abercrombie, LLbean rewards, etc. and always use a different month for your birthday on each one, but the same day. I always use the 15th, because my real birthday falls on the 15th of Oct.
When you do this, every month, on the (insert your date) 15th you check your email and see what freebie or discount you can get at some random store/business nearby. I've gotten everything from lotion, to sunscreen, to free apps or sandwiches, etc.
Free goods = things you don't have to buy = saving money!
Furthermore - when you ARE going to one of these businesses **use the app**!! They'll always sweeten the deal on the app and sometimes it's simply more food (or whatever) for COMPLETELY free!
Cheers, and save on my friend!
#36
When I enter a store, I don’t get a cart or basket to prevent overbuying things I don’t need. I hold everything in my hand.
What do you think ?
Ace 7 months ago
Must be at least two weeks since we've seen these and they just seem to get more idiotic each time. Do these people really think that spending lots of money on unnecessary stuff is the norm and that their 'hack' about reducing spending by spending less is somehow new?
Justme 7 months ago
Not a spending hack but a savings hack… and it only applies if you’re making ends meet already. I increase my retirement contribution by 1% every couple of months. Barely noticeable difference on my paycheck.
Bec 7 months ago
Assuming you are relatively debt free, definitely increase your contribution if you've received a raise, you won't really miss a few %
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Ace 7 months ago
Must be at least two weeks since we've seen these and they just seem to get more idiotic each time. Do these people really think that spending lots of money on unnecessary stuff is the norm and that their 'hack' about reducing spending by spending less is somehow new?
Justme 7 months ago
Not a spending hack but a savings hack… and it only applies if you’re making ends meet already. I increase my retirement contribution by 1% every couple of months. Barely noticeable difference on my paycheck.
Bec 7 months ago
Assuming you are relatively debt free, definitely increase your contribution if you've received a raise, you won't really miss a few %
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