Here’s what people had to say:
Note: Comments have been edited for length and clarity.
“I started combining my daily walks for exercise/relaxation with trips to the store.
u/rusty0123
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 its painful and joyous all at once.”
u/frithar
4.
“Community events, for sure.
My city library offers fun adult craft nights for free once a month.
It’s fun to meet new people and just relax.
u/ynicole22
“I havent heard of Cloud Library, but I use Libby, and its great!
I highly recommend taking advantage of getting a library card.”
u/cucumberappleblizz
“Kanopy and Hoopla come with many libraries, as well.
Movies and more e/audiobooks.
Also, city passes to cool places.”
u/emu30
6.
“I stopped drinking!”
u/stinertron_1979
“This supercharged my savings.
I also ended up eating at home more once I did this.”
u/blbrd30
7.
I take my leftovers from the week’s dinners and make soup every Sunday.
I keep three portions fresh for that week’s 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.
“A tip I always tell people is to think about how much time that money took to earn.
u/unendingone
9.
“Buy in-season fruit and veg.
The fresh ones are usually gross.
Oh, and watch your store ads for meat sales.
Get some freezer bags, split it up, and freeze it.
Or make a big batch of whatever and eat off of it for a few days.”
u/teamdogemama
10.
“Increasing the time between recurring expenses like haircuts adds up to savings over time.
So act a little extra broke.'
Also, the sooner you invest, the more compound interest can work its magic.”
u/lonely-bat-42
12.
“Keeping an eye on car maintenance and service.
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. u/liscetta
13.
“Frugal tips for travel: Travel in off-seasons.
Buy groceries when you arrive so you lessen your dining at restaurants.
Look for parks or other public spaces when considering sightseeing.
Many cities have incredible parks!
Take public transportation when feasible over renting a car.
So many of my best times traveling have been on foot, too!”
“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 last maybe 2-3 years, while jeans bought 20 years ago still hold up.”
u/zosmie
15.
“I hang my clothes to dry.
Not only does it save on my power bill, but my clothes last a LOT longer.”
u/floatastone
16.
“I wrote down every penny I spent for one month.
Started bringing a quart of ice water with me when I was out running errands.
This alone helped me save a great deal of money when I needed to cut back on expenses.”
u/birdywoman4
18.
“Paying yourself back.
For example, I just bought a new pair of expensive shoes.
I use this for a lot of things.
Quite honestly, it is probably too much, haha, but it only saves me money.”
u/ketchupandcheeseonly
19.
Learning to DIY everything from drywall to minor electrical has saved soooo much money over time.”
“It’s not a huge money saver, but it is 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.”
u/unable_answer_179
21.
There are a few things this can help with.
You have oatmeal for breakfast every day, and always add whatever fruit you oughta use up.”
“My personal favorite is beans and rice.
Its also easy to turn any leftovers into soup.”
u/gullible_concept_428
22.
“Sign up for EVERYTHING.
I always use the 15th because my real birthday falls on October 15.
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!!
“Buy the sample size first before you commit to the full product.
This has saved my ass on shampoos I didn’t like, makeup, sunscreens, and even food.
u/meatballbusiness
24.
“If you work for a nonprofit, verify you submit your paperwork for thepublic service forgiveness program.
Saved me a ton of money.
All of my student loan debt is forgiven.”
u/mocha913
25.
“Use curbside pickup as much as possible.
If you dont go into the store, then you wont buy unnecessary stuff.
It also saves a lot of time and hassle.”
“Using the ClassPass app.
u/real-impression-6629
27.
“Learn a new default.
It is cheaper, and you don’t have to shout to make conversation.”
u/tenaciouslyteetering
28.
I hold everything in my hand.”
“Don’t throw money away.
It seems simple but look at anything you buy for the sole purpose of throwing it away.
Some examples: I don’t use very many paper towels.
One roll lasts me 2-3+ months because they’re for oil/grease cleanup only.
For everything else, I have white kitchen towels.
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.”
u/psycosilly
30.
Ill usually save the item and wait at least a month to see if I still want it.
If I do, then I will buy in a sale.
OR my other little hack: I look at the brand’s tagged photos on Instagram.
Quite often, you will find a tagged pic of an influencer with a discount code!”
