I didn’t expect something like an automatic litter box to mess with my head this much.
I’ve built part of my identity around “just do the work yourself.” Cook at home. Fix things. Scoop the box. Do not outsource what you can handle.
But I live in a small apartment and work long shifts, and some weeks I am just tired. The litter situation turns into a small daily reminder that I am falling behind on basic upkeep.
Frugal brain says it is a luxury gadget I do not need.
Exhausted brain says it is sanitation, time, and reducing stress in a small space.
I am realizing this is not just about the price. It is about the identity shift. Spending on convenience feels like breaking a personal rule, even when it might make daily life smoother.
I am trying to figure out where the line is between staying disciplined and making life unnecessarily harder.
Debating the automatic litter box for apartment makes me feel like I’m losing my frugal edge
byu/Maleficent-Net-4702 inFrugal
Posted by Maleficent-Net-4702
25 Comments
They are pretty great, though
They are also known to kill. You have to be sure it the right brand.
If you put this much thought into it, just buy it! Sounds like it will increase quality of life for you. And your cat.
Get the auto litter box. The point of being frugal is to give you financial choices.
It’s ok to be kind to yourself and buy something that is doing yourself a favor. Sounds like it would be a worthwhile investment.
Just do it.
There’s nothing worse than cleaning a litterbox. Buy the robot one! Buy a good one though. The cheaper ones can be disgusting.
It will pay for itself in stress relief.
That’s saving your sanity and the peaceful enjoyment of your home-priceless.
Think about it this way. This would be doing a nice thing for your cat, your little friend who you love and loves you. I’m sure they don’t like a dirty box even more than you do. You aren’t the one who has to use the box.
If you can’t keep up with the box this is certainly a worthy investment to improve your cats quality of life. Frugality isn’t about being cheap, it’s about knowing where to spend your money.
For me, being frugal doesn’t mean that I never allow myself any luxuries/conveniences. It means being frugal in certain aspects of my life, so I can afford the things that I enjoy/will make my life better.
If you want the automatic litter box, I say get it. Don’t look at it as losing your discipline, but rather allowing yourself something that makes your life easier/more enjoyable.
For the love of Dolly Parton, if you get an automatic litter box do NOT get an off brand/cheap one. Some cats have died horribly because of off brand/cheap automatic litter boxes.
To get an off brand/cheap one would be the definition of a false economy, some things cannot be unseen & some traumas are impossible to recover from.
I like my neakasa.I waited for it to go on sale
Frugality isn’t about spending *nothing*. It’s about spending intentionally and carefully. If this is going to make a material difference in your life, stress, and mental health, then it’s worth doing.
I have ultimately chosen to automate other things rather than the litter box. The automated litter boxes are expensive, the reviews aren’t awesome, some of the cheaper ones have serious safety concerns, and there is absolutely no guarantee a cat will use it, like the litter, and use it appropriately. Years ago my brother tried one. His cat peed right where the rake was so it always gummed up and never worked. Not saying this could happen with some of the newer kinds, but who knows. I did ultimately splurge and get a robovac that I love and it works great. I still scoop my litter myself.
It’s pretty anti-frugal, but hiring an occasional house cleaner is amazing as well. They have skills I never learned and can clean 2x as thoroughly in 1/2 the time it takes me. It’s such a relief to have that help sometimes.
Based on what you wrote, you cant handle the scoop anymore..you’re exhausted and tired, and you’ll still have to take out the trash anyway.
You’ll also still have to clean and potentially repair the box too. There will be plenty of ‘things’ you can do. Scooping cat litter isn’t something I’ll ever do, if i can avoid it.
It does not bring me joy, and it doesn’t teach me anything, and waste is toxic. We flush ours, why scoop other animals if we can avoid it?
You’re not losing your identity, because you aren’t gaining anything valuable by ‘doing it yourself’
If you can afford it, do it. If you work long shifts this is something your cat will appreciate. They hate using dirty litterboxes and it will cut down on the smell as well
Seems wild to me that you’re struggling to shift your personal identity away from loving scooping cat turds???? Just get it. You, your cat and any guests you have will appreciate it
It’s an investment in your, and your kitty’s, quality of life. I don’t have cats, but if I did I would absolutely have one of those. My daughter and my brother each have one and say they would never go back and it’s worth every penny.
Your time and mental health have value. You’re beating yourself up about not completing this “simple task,” but it’s a terrible task (I have had kitties in the past) and there is no reason for you to not make it easier for yourself. I went back and forth in a similar way about my robot vacuum/mop and my only regret is not getting it sooner.
Not a frugal related comment… but what kind of litter do you use? We used the arm and hammer and I think they changed their formula.
We just (in the last 2-3 weeks) changed to the Walmart brand crystals, which is the offbrand of pretty litter and it’s been a game changer!!!
I share this because I was also starting to look into the auto litter scooper but cannot rationalize the money or space compared to our current litter living in the tv entertainment center.
We have a 9m baby and it’s been hard to scoop the litter more than 2 times a week(max), compared to scooping daily or every other day before baby (2 cats, 2 boxes)
The crystal litter has been so nice because it’s unscented but actually covers the smell. The weirdest part is you don’t scoop pee??? It doesn’t clump, you only have to scoop poop. And then you just replace the litter every 20-30 days it says (we’re on day 18 and it smells great, I’ve only been scooping the poop once a week but we have mega size boxes)
Plz don’t report me to the cat Reddit because those people must either be unemployed/retired or work from home beside the litter box and scoop the box anytime the cat looks it 😅
I hope this comment helps your situation with the kitty litter, not trying to give unsolicited advice, just wanted to share my very similar story that’s pretty recent 🙂 good luck!
I’ve had a litter robot for about 15 years. Best investment. Keeps things cleaner, uses less litter, easier maintenance/upkeep not needing multiple boxes, etc. Totally worth it IMO. I added the staircase steps as my cat got older to make it easier for him to get on and out.
I tried the raking ones, 2 diff brands and the one that washes the crystals that I hooked up to the laundry room water and still litter robot was my preferred one. The rakes made a mess and we’re still soggy litter and the one that washed itself scarred the cats.
People don’t quite grasp frugal. Frugal is making good decisions with your money. Not just being cheap.
If this litterbox although expensive helps you save time and improves your life longterm then it’s a good choice.
Money vs Time vs Value.
Frugal to the point it affects your quality of life becomes cheap. Get it, for you, for your cat, for the literal health of the both of you.
It’s not just a convenience or luxury gadget, it’s a quality of life upgrade for you *and the cat*. It’s still something you have to tend to regularly, so it’s not totally removing responsibility for the task. You’ve considered the purchase for a while, getting it isn’t necessarily going to be a slippery slope for your other habits: having a litter robot doesn’t mean you still don’t have to take care of the cat, meal prep or fix stuff, it means you can conserve your energy on a few extra days a week.
Don’t be too hard on yourself, you are very allowed to get an appliance that you’ve researched and still consider yourself handy, frugal and disciplined!
I get what you’re saying re: $ and not taking short cuts but I do think this is a situation with a bit more to it. Many of the feeders have trackers that help monitor the cat’s bathroom trips so can help warn you of any urinary tract issues, plus an always clean litter box is a better environment for the cat (not to mention helpful to you!). I don’t have the litter robot but I did buy an automatic cat feeder and wow was it worth it as it enabled me to feed my cat 4 tiny meals a day instead of 2 larger ones which really made him happy. Just something to consider. 🙂
Ask yourself, what is your frugal brain actually saving the money for? Being frugal for the sake of being frugal will just make you unnecessary miserable.
Saving money so you can, for example, go on a nice vacation: makes sense, because you’ll have something fun to look forward to.
Saving money so you can have a lot of money like Scrooge McDuck isn’t actually going to make you happy.
Personally, I look at being frugal as a way so I can have more money for a few select hobbies I greatly enjoy, which improves my life.
If getting the litterbox will improve your life, get it.
Being frugal means saving money in some areas so you can spend on what matters to you. I bought a $600 robot vacuum and the quality of life it’s given me was SO worth it!
If you can solve a problem by throwing money at it, and you have said money, why not?
What is the point of having money if you don’t use it to make your life better?
Peace of mind is priceless.
Go get your litter robot or whatever. 🤣