I am already putting leftovers and any meat in the freezer. Also, I buy meat in bulk when found on sale. I try to watch utility bills and weatherize windows,etc In addition, I watch sales and only buy household items and clothing when on sale. I try to repair items to make them last longer and get more use out of them. What other unique ways have you learned that save you the most money?
What frugal habit has saved you the most money?
byu/melissaw328 inFrugal
Posted by melissaw328
24 Comments
Always packing lunch
Are you couponing effectively? Are you using the grocery store app if they have one?
Tracking my expenses.
1. always packing lunch
2. cook 75% of our meals
3. coupon or buying essentials on sale only
4. buying gifts ahead on saleee
Buy quality used cars for cash. If I could do cash, not finance more than 50% of purchase and pay 10-20% above the monthly payment.
I hate that I’m saying this, but stop buying sweet treats. Personally, I always deserve a treat when I’m out. But my wallet (and my waistline) thank me for skipping them.
Ordering water with meals.
Not using streaming subscriptions (Netflix, Amazon, HBO…) and sailing the Carribean instead. Before someone asks: in a lot of countries it’s not illegal.
Being so fucking busy that I don’t even have time to spend money on dumb shit
Limitare le uscite a pranzo e a cena, infatti ora me le godo di più. Contare le sigarette invece di fumare un pacchetto, ora 3 al giorno e me le godo di più. Farmi autocritica e prendere uno stipendio e trasferire i soldi in eccesso in qualsiasi investimento ogni mese, in poche parole mi do la paga per vivere e divertirmi. Non frequentare più i bar solo poche volte, avere hobby senza costi. C’ho guadagnato sia di soldi che di salute
Using an antenna, free streaming services, and paid streaming services only when I can get them at a sale price, which I’ve been doing since 2019.
I’m currently paying $16.23/mo total for 7 services, including:
– Netflix Ads ($7.99/mo)
– Hulu Ads/Disney+ Ads ($0/mo @ $4.99/mo – $4.99/mo AmEx Blue Cash Everyday Stmt Credit Thru 11/26)
– HBO Max Ads ($2.99/mo Thru 11/26)
– Starz No Ads ($1/mo @ $11.99/yr Thru 11/26)
– Peacock Premium Ads ($1.58/mo @ $19/yr ($29.99/yr Retention Offer – $10.99 AmEx Blue Cash Everyday 1x Stmt Credit) Thru 11/26)
– Paramount+W/Showtime No Ads ($2.67/mo Via SportsLine @ $39.99/15 mos Thru 8/26; May End Up $2.22/mo For 18 mos Thru 11/26)
I get my streaming subs every year when there are Black Friday/Cyber Week deals, or when I find other deals, using new email addresses when necessary, excluding Netflix, which never goes on sale. I also have Prime Video, but only because I have Amazon Prime; I wouldn’t pay for Prime Video separately, but I use it while I have it. I also use free services, like Tubi, Philo Free (w/DVR), Sling Freestream (w/DVR), MyFree DirecTV, The Roku Channel, Plex, Xumo, Pluto, Filmrise, and others, along with Hoopla and Kanopy to “borrow” from library streaming selections. I use a $60 (sale price) Tablo Gen 4 with an old $10 antenna in an upstairs window of my house to get all the local channels and subchannels in my area for DVR and streaming OTA TV on my 6 TVs via the Tablo Roku app. I love how much money I save with streaming combined with Tablo! Note 1: I don’t mind commercials, and I don’t need cable sports or cable news channels, although a good amount of sports and news can be watched with what’s described above. Note 2: AmEx Blue Cash Everyday=$0 Annual Fee; My Internet=$10/mo (Grandfathered); My Cell Service=$10/mo
Shop and compare prices on the most expensive items in your budget. I switch homeowners insurance last year on my 2 properties. Better coverage & saving $250/mo. Lower interest rate on mortgages saves $500/month. Buying used cars with low mileage with cash. Keeping cars well maintained and for a very long time. And being happily childfree. All add up to huge savings.
not going out for meals or drinks (by extension bringing lunch to work). not giving a crap about brand clothes. living close enough to work to walk there and living in a city that doesn’t require a car (and walkable to grocery stores)
I signed up for Panera sip club. I got it for $99 a year. I was buying 1 soda every day paying around $1.50 so almost $550 a year on soda. Saved me over $400 this year and since it’s “free” I sometimes go 2-3 times a day.
As soon as the money is in the bank put a part of it in savings. Automatically. The money is non-existant in my eyes. It is just another bill that’s paid automatically.
housing well below my means. living in a walkable city and getting rid of my car.
Growing fresh herbs will vastly improve your flavors without much more cost if you normally buy dried herbs. If you buy fresh herbs, it will be approximately the same price for a lot more supply.
Basil, Parsley, sage, mint, and Thyme do well in pots. Dill, rosemary, and Chamomile do well in the ground.
Not buying coffee and tea from shops.
Learning to cook.
Quitting Amazon, Target, and online shopping.
Buying almost everything secondhand.
Hair cuts at home!
Meal prep. Most of my meals only cost about 2.50
eating vegan, not drinking, not using nicotine
Switching from AT&T to Mint Mobile during their Black Friday deal (which I think runs until March 4). I’m saving $100/mo.
Don’t buy stuff you don’t need.
Using my debit card or cash over credit cards. There’s just something about knowing that this is real money coming out of my account that keeps me in check compared to using credit.