Curious as to what you’ve done to cut back on expenses that have moved the needle; not like saving 50 cents or $1 every time you shop. Like saving several hundred dollars. I’m in the camp of saving $1-2 at the drug store but sometimes I wonder if it’s even worth my time and effort. I’ve been criticized by family members for going out of my way to save a few bucks here and there but I’m also still paying off my student loans (several hundred a month).
Things you’ve done that actually moved the needle
byu/TrickSingle2086 inFrugal
Posted by TrickSingle2086
44 Comments
Budgeting is one that most people do on here, but for those who don’t, it’s 100% the best way to *really* move the needle fast
It’s always the big purchases that move the needle the most. Next time you need a car look for the best deal you can, for example.
I try to be frugal but what I learned I think from Brandon Turner? is that you can cut expenses here and there, sure don’t get your weekly coffee. But what really makes a difference is a revenue driver. Something that brings money. I’m currently working on it but I have some real estate and I sell on eBay along with having a full time job. It’s a tricky balance but I do believe a lot of people see it backwards.
Meal planning, making a biweekly grocery list, and only buying what’s on the list.
After rent, food was our biggest expense. We save hundreds on food per month now. Plus it drastically reduces ordering take out so you save that money as well.
Gone from 2 cars to one.
No delivery or restaurant apps.
Drinking only (filtered) water.
Made a deal with family- No gifts for anyone except kids.
Keeping a big box of protein bars in the car, at work, etc. so there’s 0 excuse for buying convenience foods.
Doing a budget from averaging what we spent the last 3 months, not from other numbers. And then cutting one category by a realistic, doable amount for a budget goal.
Snowball debt repayment.
Taking on extra gigs.
Never buying a new car.
Fixing stuff that breaks.
Keeping cars and phones for many years.
Only buying one computer every 10 years and sharing it.
Getting rid of my Amazon account saved us a lot. Other things: comparing insurance (car and home), calling the Internet provider to “cancel” and getting a reduced rate, switching from paper towels to using dish rags, hanging clothes to dry, and shopping grocery outlet stores.
There are so many things that are non-negotiable. Rent or mortgage, water, electricity, gas. Just about the only thing you can change anything in is groceries and gasoline. Gasoline: stay home more. Groceries: shop every sale paper and the cheapest store. I have gone so far as to alternate weeks and would shop a week for pantry and a week for meat.
Got back into couponing. Its all digital now and everyone’s selling my info,I might as well save money doing it too
I try to repair things I have that a lot of people would toss and buy a new one of. My dryer stopped heating. I did some youtubing and discovered the heat coil was completely burnt out. A $25 part got it working good as new. As opposed to buying a new $800 dryer. My steamer mop’s handle is basically all busted up. I duct taped it back together as the steamer still functions. It’s been a few years like that and I still haven’t replaced it. A split seam, mended. Etc. etc. etc. I could go on, but those kinds of things add up to lifetime savings.
I avoid buying things on impulse. I shop groceries on sale cycles and keep my grocery bill down.
The biggest thing, though, is tracking your spending and making a realistic budget. Know where your money is going and where you can cut. My current budget is frugal, but I could cut it back if I needed to.
Deposit paychecks into a savings account and move over money into the checking as needed. Really helped me see and assess my spending. I used to do the opposite.
Big habit changes really add up. I used to eat fast food for lunch every day, spending $10-15 each time. Now I spend my lunch eating my leftovers or my sandwich in my car while I take a couple DoorDash/uber eats, making $15 in my lunch hour. That swings things in my favor by $25/day, which translates to $500/month.
I have the privilege of living near a decent DoorDashing location as well, so I turn it on while I sit at home at night, only going out when it’s really worth my while. Usually averages out to $30 a night without much effort. It’s not stressful because I don’t take things that aren’t worth my time
Changed auto insurance carrier – saved $50/mo.
Haggled with my ISP – saved $25/mo.
Switched cell service to same ISP for a 2 year, $0/mo. promo – saved $80/mo.
Mindful purchase. Get out of the habit of mindlessly putting things in the cart, online or in store. You don’t need a new pants or tops just because it’s on sales or a different season. Same goes with grocery. I’m also a weird one coz I don’t eat junk food or snacks or soda. Now they make my stomach queasy ¯_(ツ)_/¯
Find the best deal on large purchases like cars, houses/apartments, insurances etc. Shop around, compare, can you comprise on something etc. Some people can make lifestyle changes that lead to bigger savings like quitting or reducing drinking, smoking, restaurants, shopping etc.
Replaced ineffective A/C, quit Netflix and Angie’s List, got financial management for investments, set mortgage and credit cards (Costco and Amazon Prime/Whole Foods) to autopay. Don’t get fast food or coffee out.
I got special training at work so I could scoop up overtime.
Also I removed a non functioning hot tub, unplugged a freezer that wasn’t in use, and replaced a toilet that was leaking into the waste pipe. I also compared prices for my phone and internet, and switched to more reasonable plans.
Your options are to make more, or spend less. Or both. Both is good.
Not saying this will work for everyone or if I’d suggest it for everyone but:
Going vegetarian.
We didn’t just do it to save money but we’ve saved lots of money.
Edit: even vegetarian/vegan half the week makes a difference. That’s where we started out
Budgeting: Know how much is coming in, going out and WHERE it is going. Actually take the time to reconcile bank accounts and ledgers to find out what you are paying for and when.
Utilities: a few degrees on the thermostat make a huge difference annually. Do you really need to spend $80/mo on internet when $40 will suffice for your use? That is a few hundred a year. Turn lights off, unplug unnecessary items that are easy to plug in when you use them like airfryers, microwaves, entertainment centers (a power strip with everything on it with one switch will do it).
Cars: No one but you cares what car you drive and the features that it has. Drive one you can afford.
cutting my own hair
growing a garden
avoiding eating out
doing my own oil changes
Got rid of cable and only buy internet.
Side jobs.
No amount of savings can make the needle move like making thousands of extra tax free dollars.
Shop health insurance, shop home insurance, shop auto insurance, re-finance auto loans with local credit unions, shop at Wally World/Aldi, grow a garden in the summer, drink water, skip breakfast (i’ve never been a morning eater), black coffee, cheap beer, sell stuff on FBMP….it all adds up.
My wife and I are saving HUNDREDS per month after shopping around the last 4-6 weeks and we’ve racked up probably $250-300 of sales of household stuff on FBMP.
When I need to save a lot of money really fast (or when I just feel like saving), I take out 200$ every paycheck and live off that. That includes grocery, gas, restaurant, everything that is not an automatic bill.
Of course, during those times, I don’t buy anything online. I have thought about doing it with only 100$, I might, out of curiosity.
investing in the stock market
Canceling and downgrading subscriptions saved me $80 a month.
Cooking bigger meals to freeze for later caused me to not get takeout when I’m too tired to cook.
Making my own cleaning supplies.
Letting items sit in my cart for a week before purchasing. Either the store offers a discount, or I decide I no longer need it.
•only going out to restaurants if it’s something we can’t make at home. This dramatically reduced our going out, and we end up trying a slew of fun new restaurants with a variety of cuisines
•no uber, DoorDash, or delivery. If we can’t go get it ourselves, we don’t need it
•one car household. Small, new sedan.
•no new clothes – only second hand. Exceptions for underwear, technical gear, and replacements of known and loved items
••caveat: buying the nice thing first instead of trying to thrift a dupe and buying a bunch of “okay” things instead of the one thing you actually like
•regular vehicle maintenance and tire swaps
•when travelling we always get accommodations with a kitchen
•ingredient prepping instead of meal prepping
•no purchasing books, or subscribing to tv; all media is from the library
•lots of math around interest, and being comfortable with debt. My car loan is 1.9% – it’s cheaper to pay interest than pull my investments making 6% to buy a car outright. I pay minimum on my student loans because they’re interest free.
•grocery shopping every day, buying from the skrunky food section with the half price stickers, and using food apps
•mainly vegetarian foods and adding lentils to our diet
I think one thing that’s really helped my savings is making sure I’m sending a portion of my paychecks to my savings. I basically kept paying my car payment to myself.
Keeping snacks in the car, and not letting myself leave the house without eating first. Not buying convenience food or snacks helped with saving money and losing weight.
My husband lost his job a couple of weeks ago and the savings on gas from the commute has been big. Not ideal though
Bought a ten year old car a decade ago with cash and put that $400 monthly payment into an index fund. Three cold brew carafes in the fridge full of coffee and teas. Haven’t set foot in a Starbucks this decade. Current net worth in the low seven figures.
Cook at home, pack lunch.
Only paying cash or always paying off my credit card at the end of the month. If I waned something I saved for it.
CC debt is a huge trap that will suck you down.
For me it’s taking advantage of everything my job offers. They will pay a portion of my cell phone bill – they have made it as difficult as possible to claim. But if I do the work and pull together the bills and do the spreadsheet and their form, I can be reimbursed 1k for the year.
You do YOU, and forget/ignore what your criticizing family members are saying…
buying not what I think I want but according to the prices and seasons: fruits and veggies of course
frozen for the rest
looking at the sales before going shopping. and sometimes hitting several shops .
buying loose leaf tea : you’s be surprised how much cheaper yet better quality.
herbs in the garden : I don’t buy a lot of other seasoning
when I plant pumpkins I have a supply for months (from basically august to april or may)
sunchokes are expensive yet I have them in my garden without really doing anything (they regrow year after year)
I don’t snacl
cooking for oneself
no subscriptions, no take out …etc
cooking in batches, saves me time and money (electricity/gas)
baking several things at once
steam baskets: cooking many dishes on one fire!
no soda, no bottled water
foraging: exercise and free food
bidet
no paper towels
vinegar replaces many things: air freshener, cleaner, anti limescale …
public transport or walking
no gym exercise at home, outdoors and swimming in nature
making my car maintenance and repair
fixing stuff that brakes
no buying unnecessary stuff, so usually just groceries
plenty of free entertainment and activities
library
gifts: consumable or handmade, second hand (if it’s something they need). not because of the price but I hate waste and giving away useless things or future clutter
Planning ahead 100%. This includes budgeting regularly and together with my spouse. $25/month is a lot easier to manage than fronting $400-800 all at once for a summer camp, as an example.
Cooking. I can’t stress enough how much cooking your own food will save.
Pre-paid cell service a year in advance. No BS fees. 911 fee paid just once. No bill to forget, be late, or be attached to a credit card, potentially incurring interest.
Get an air miles credit card. Disclaimer, if you are in credit card debt or don’t trust yourself not to max out a card, don’t do this. For those of you who can pay the balance before the payment is due? This is a way to get a free holiday every year.
I have a Visa card with no annual fee that collects air miles. Outside of things that come directly out of my bank account, every single purchase I’m making my life is done on that card. I get paid every second Friday on payday I look and see what the balance is on that card and pay in full. I have never paid one cent of interest on that card… but have enough air miles every year to fly anywhere I want within Canada. And sometimes enough to cover hotel as well.
Again, only a strategy if you trust yourself with credit cards and don’t carry a balance.
I’ve lived 55 years of discipline and responsible financial decisions. EVERY dollar is precious, as you never again get the choice of where to use it once it’s gone.
I haven’t had a job since 2004, and live life free on my own terms. All this to say: i reject the entire thesis of your original post! Not that saving large amounts is unimportant, but those $1 and $5 savings every day are absolutely the key for a lower earning frugal person who’s priority is financial freedom.
Coupon your laundry detergent and all cleaning products and use reusable for everything you can. For example, instead of buying paper towels, use dish rags and throw them in the wash with your regular towels.
Monthly meal plan vs weekly.
Going ahead and buying a few frozen meals that maybe costs $5 to prevent myself from wanting to eat out.
Cut my own hair just leave it short, no barber or haircare products. Got a used hybrid car, saving a ton on gas. Cut back on buying all the grocery extras like snacks and beverages, making my own snacks and teas.
I made 3 lists.
Things that I actually use and need for my existence.
2, Things I desire for instant gratification.
3, a list of things I can live without.
I make list 3 longer than list 2.