“It was way easier and more enjoyable than expected.”
Being frugal isn’t just about cutting down on spending.
Reducing waste and appreciating what you already have are also big frugal goals.
Here are some of the top replies:
1.
They are essentially super-thin cloths that roll onto a core, just like paper towels.
We wash them in our normal loads of colors and roll them back up.
The two of us never run out during the time between laundry days."
I work in downtown Brooklyn, which is about as expensive as Manhattan.
It saves me roughly $400 a month!"
u/Risalee81
3.
“Cutting my own hair.
u/Greyreadseverything
4.
“I did a no-spend year on clothes.
It was way easier and more enjoyable than expected.
I made myself ‘shop’ my own closet and discovered so many cool pieces Id forgotten about.
Other than to replace essential things that get worn out/fall apart, I really dont need any new clothes.
That was a liberating discovery.”
“This year, I stopped getting coffee and drinks outside.
This saves me about $125 to $150 per month.
Im unexpectedly not even missing it, and Im planning to throw this money into my retirement account.”
u/iridescent__wings
6.
“Giving up alcohol.
Went from spending $500-plus per month on alcohol to maybe $30 on flavored seltzers.
Huge, huge win, and I am better off not only financially but also mentally and physically.”
u/Ok-Minimum-5942
7.
“Bought a bread machine from Goodwill for $15.
“Buying clothes secondhand only.
I thrift about once a week and over time have easily found everything I need.
Bonus: Its helped with sort of training myself out of immediacy/instant gratification and into longer-term planning and patience.
I will buy new shoes as needed, however.”
u/Hopeful_Annual_6593
9.
“Adding insulation to my attic and air-sealing my house.
u/name_of_the_user
10.
“Switching to an old-school razor blade razor instead of the plastic ones.
Shaves fantastically, lasts forever, and razor blades are incredibly cheap.”
“Menstrual cup and menstrual underwear.
I never even feel that I’m on my period anymore.”
u/floriish
12.
Youll be amazed at how much is still left once it stops squeezing out.
u/Icy-Tomatillo-7556
13.
“I got some more containers and now make as much food as possible.
Doubling the amount of food rarely involves twice the work.
Then I freeze what I know I can’t eat.
“I switched coffee filter papers to a reusable coffee filter made from steel.
It turns out I need 25% less coffee per cup when using the reusable filter.
Apparently, some of the coffee doesn’t get through the paper.”
u/Ambitious-Sssnake
15.
Even my skeptical husband has admitted it was highly worth it.”
u/Direct-Chef-9428
16.
“I switched to a plant-based diet almost four years ago for health issues.
My grocery bill is almost half of what it was before I changed.”
“I used to eat out two or three times a day.
Then I moved to a more expensive city and was forced to start eating at home.
Now I prefer having my own home-cooked meals over fast food.”
u/Status-Soup-2974
18.
“AirThreds makes reusable air filters for your HVAC system.
We bought two and haven’t looked back since.
The best reusable investment I have ever made for our house!”
u/pamburger85
19.
It came, of course, with better health benefits.
But the initial greatest impact was on my wallet.
Smokers are literally burning up their dollars.”
“Not eating fast food at all.
As weird as it is to say, I am glad they upped the prices.”
u/wungawunga
21.
It saves a ton of money and gets us to try new products all the time!
Then we get to cook new stuff all the time.
It’s been great!”
u/oldmacbookforever
22.
“Eating beans for lunch every day.
On the weekends, I make a large amount of some key in of bean dish.
Falafel, beans and rice, navy bean soup, bean burritos, etc.
Then I just pack it for lunch during the workday.
Buying dry beans is like $1.50 for five meals.
Its delicious and healthy.”
23.And finally: “Not trying to ‘keep up with the Joneses.’
So much less of a burden to take a step back and watch my nest egg grow.
It also makes the times I DO splurge that much more special.”
u/rhad_rhed
Note: Some responses have been edited for length and/or clarity.
