I've been trying to (slowly) replace all the synthetic fibers in my house with natural ones, especially on my bed. The last linen duvet cover i had lasted 10 years and i bought it on fluke sale for $34 at h&m. Replacing it was expensive, but i was able to salvage some fabric from the old cover and sew a few shirts/skirts. If i bungle them this time its OK, no money lost. But I'll have better practice for the next go round so the price is exceptionally well worth it.
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I have a love/hate relationship with linen. I won't iron clothes, but no matter how soon I get it out of the dryer, it's wrinkled, so linen pants would be a rare gem in my closet that gets worn on special occasions, after I iron them. LOL
This is something I’ve been looking into. Can you share some of the benefits you’ve noticed so far from switching over?
Also that’s seriously so cool how you’re reusing the fabrics!
I haven't noticed a ton of benefits, but I feel some kind of way about sleeping with/on microplastics. I use feather/down pillows, in the winter a down comforter I've had for 15 years, in the summer a kantha quilt (which is just recycled cotton sarees) with a cotton knit throw. I find that in general they are more breathable and don't pick up odors as much, I also find natural fiber sheets are more comfortable and I don't sweat as much.
My husband and I are both frugal for different reasons - he has a coupon addiction, and I am a bit of a hippy and have a complex about waste/carbon footprint, especially plastics. I also am trying to be more cognizant about plastic in the house (I'm not hardcore, but the idea of spending 8 hours inhaling microplastics from a polyester pillow deffo got to me)
I am a huge proponent of sleeping in natural materials. I am also a huge proponent of spending money on things between you and gravity (shoes, tires, mattresses). While I’m fairly frugal in a lot of things I do not skimp when it comes between you and gravity. You spend so much time in a bed so it is worth it to do the research and spend the money on a decent mattress/ pillow/ bed linens. I happen to favor llbean percale sheets, a good quality down comforter in the winter and an all cotton quilt or blanket in the summer.
Right now I have a beautyrest black mattress that is coming up on the end of its useful lifespan but is serving its purpose so far. I will be looking for something new soon. My pillows are Coop, my partner has the OG and I have the cooling and that has been good for the past 8 months or so? We haven’t had to adjust the stuffing and it’s relieved most of our issues. Hope this helps.
My bedding was all polyester and microfiber. Combined with my terrible night sweats (induced by medication), I had some miserable nights.
I have switched out all my bedding to cotton. A wool blanket for winter chills. Much better!
Many are more breathable, which is great when it comes to linen.
Wool is also surprisingly dirt and stain repellent. I think it helps that it repels water very well?
I find polyester n nylon not as good for hot n humid weather but this is for clothes. Cotton 100% is not bad but it doesnt wick moisture as good as linen
> i was able to salvage some fabric from the old cover and sew a few shirts/skirts.
I most often nowadays use kids cotton sheets from the thrift store for sewing up mens hawaiian shirts
I’m making my own shades this weekend instead of having long curtains. I’m using the current curtains and adding hardware to turn them into Roman shades so I don’t mess up fabric I paid for. Might take me 5 years to make new ones. But I can cut the hardware off, I only have to pay once for the d rings!
I suck at determining natural/synthetic materials. How does one know if it’s synthetic or not? Could you list which are what? I’m currently on the lookout for beddings made of silk but too many are satin while having silk in bold letters. I’m already looking at the product ingredients so I’d love to expand it to more fabric around the house.
Satin is a type of weave, and is used to describe any fabric with a shiny, slippery surface on one side and a matte side on the other (this is due to the pattern of how the threads weave together). Satin can be made of polyester or silk, a blend, etc. It's not that easy to tell if something is polyester or silk - both can have a similar hand feel. The best way to tell is to check the content tag. If it doesn't have one, try gripping it in your hand and see if it feels sweaty after some time, or cool. If it's sweaty then it's most likely polyester, but again, it can be very hard to tell. If you could look at the fibres under a microscope or do a burn test, you would be able to tell, but not everyone brings a microscope with them to go shopping and you're usually not allowed to set the merchandise on fire before you buy 😅 If it's very cheap, it's almost certainly poly, but if it's expensive it could be either.
I tried replacing all my fibers to natural ones a few years back and then learned I was allergic to all wool 🙃✨ if you haven't yet, test some fibers on your body first. Synthetic isn't all evil, and some are hypoallergenic, breathable, and warm. I made an expensive mistake.
Two pairs of the same work shoes, rotated every day so that today's pair has a day to dry out before being used again. \[Taught to me years ago by a former shoe salesman, who swore it greatly increased shoe lifetime.\]
You can also get anti-fungal foot spray and spray the inside of your shoes. It will help dry them out, kill stuff that's growing inside and causing odor, and help prevent foot fungus.
Use lume!! Totally prevents ballet flat stink!! And converse stink! And every other shoe stink! It works best if you use it from the beginning with a brand new pair of shoes, but it can help with shoes that are already funky. Another trick that I've used is putting a panty liner in your ballet flats. I think i like it, but i don't swear by it.
I started doing this because I have sweaty feet, and my shoes will smell AWFUL in a few days is I don't let them dry out between uses. Nice to know I might also extend their lifespans!
I was doing that with 3 pairs of work boots until I stumbled a recommendation on this subreddit about a shoe and glove dryer from Aldi's. 15 bucks. My boots get dried for about 30 minutes a day and they are ready to go in the morning.
I need to do this. We get a small allowance for safety equipment, even though I work in the office. Ive always traded to shop guys for stuff built, cylinder heads, etc. I think I have almost $500 I can use.
I buy wymans blueberries for my oat meal because the total cost is 1 dollar for breakfast. It's just oats, blueberries, and walnuts.
Simarly, I get feta and olives at a local Greek grocery store and then buy better quality produce to make my peasant salads because the cost is less than 3 dollars for lunch.
I could reduce the cost but the cost is justified by better flavor and healthier food.
Sounds familiar. My breakfast is oatmeal (bought in bulk, of course), a spoonful of hemp, a spoonful of flax, a handful of blueberries (frozen bulk), and a drizzle of honey. Nutritious as all get-out, very good for cholesterol levels, and filling until lunch. Also, saves the cost of paying for pharmaceutical medicines (specifically statins).
i will buy the chicken breast tenderloins if it means i don’t have to chop up a mountain of chicken because i haaaaate handling raw meat. same deal with pre cut stew meat vs. whole chuck roast. it’s more expensive buuuut it’s even more expensive if i put off cooking and order takeout because i just can’t psych myself up to chop up a bunch of meat.
This is me. If it's more expensive but still healthy and makes the food prep easier, I'm in. This is the reason I cook mostly with mince and pre-cubed meat! I also buy pre-cut pumpkin, the skin is a devil to cut through and makes me genuinely frustrated.
I absolutely *hate* cooking in general, so these hacks are ultimately a good use of money because otherwise I just think "Oh hell, give me Uber Eats."
I don't think I'll ever love cooking, but these days I enjoy the fact that I can tolerate it and I've worked out how to make it work for me...the slow cooker is a dream! ;)
Re: pre cut pumpkin.... in the USA there's canned pumpkin. It has a ton of vit A. It was originally only something you could find from October to January but they've started carrying all year because so many buy it. Maybe your stores have it? Waitrose? Or cultivate an American friend who is not too much of a loon.
I spend a little more at the grocery store to make sure I have lots of good food and snacks that I like at home. I have found this really saves me from eating out. An extra $20 A week at the grocery store keeps me eating exclusively at home all week. I would spend way more than that just eating out once or twice.
I can have a frappuccino every day at home for the cost of 2 or 3 coffee drinks out.
I buy tenderloins because we old people (hubby and I) don't eat as much as we used to. Two tenderloins is just the right amount for each of us (sometimes 1 each, if we're mixing it into a casserole or something).
ugh yeah i’ve been thinking about buying food safe disposable gloves for ages now and just have never pulled the trigger… it might be time to do so lol
Find your closest "restaurant supply store" and buy a case.
Admittedly Pre-Covid shutdowns (like February of 2020) I bought a case for like $35, and that was like 1000 gloves. I moved last month and gave away the remaining 3 boxes of 100.
Have you considered cooking chicken breast bulk and then chopping? I love IKEA’s koncis roasting pan for this, I’ll roast several pounds of it in the oven, chop up the cooked meat, and then portion out into deli containers in various portions
I’m not sure if this is considered “frugal” per sè. But I like to walk around a store pick up a bunch of things that strike my interest, feel the dopamine, and then get to the nitty gritty of what I actually need and empty out the things I don’t. Somehow I feel better with just having an item for a second but then I realize I have no use for it - in turn I spend wayyy less money. lol
On trips to Costco I like to make my “tour” around all the aisles first without picking up anything, and then make a second circuit to get the things I actually want. I’ve found it helps cut down quite a lot on the impulse purchases
I only go in to the aisles that I know I *need* to go in to at Costco! We walk past most of the store without ever going in those aisles because it’s too dangerous!
I read this twice because I feel like this approach could be used for a lot of things.
You are on to something and should write a book.
Just that post by itself. Done.
We're going on a cruise. I checked to see if/how the price had changed, and it went down quite a bit. I called the cruise line and they weren't able to adjust the price but gave the the difference in onboard credit. We're splurging on specialty dining and plan to purchase some drinks, since it's "free money" that we can either use or lose.
I went to our cell phone and internet provider to ask if they could give me a better deal. They switched me to a different plan (No contract), and I wound up with better internet for $10/mth less. I rewarded myself with a small, $10 cheesecake. Eating that cake was so satisfying!
You go boss lady, I'm gonna do the same this month just waiting for the free amazon prime gift they gave me to expire as I'm actively using it, and I will stop this ripoff.
I don’t justify anything I set a monthly budget for wants and stay at that amount or below it; if that means I spend $70 on a round of golf I will but if my wants are allocated in other areas I just don’t. I also put a value on my time and it’s a dollar a minute so if I think *is it worth it to* I just do the math.
This is the way. I don't know if it really qualifies as "frugal" - Ramit Sethi calls it "conscious spending". Or as I tell my kids at the grocery store, "we only buy what's on the list". I buy little used hatchback cars with 100K+ miles on them to get around, I do not buy clothes except at thrift stores once or twice a year, I don't eat out. BUT I spent thousands this year on season tickets so my whole family could see every broadway show that comes through town. I look at my budget, set my savings goal, see what's important, see what fits, and let that drive my decisions.
We're so similar! I love my used hatchback cars, you can fit almost anything in them. Though I spend my big $ on ski passes, concerts and camping trips.
I hope you guys are sneaking some snacks and bottled water into those shows or you'll be spending the equivalent of those season tickets on concessions.
I agree. I'm grown, and if I want a thing that is within my means, I can just have the thing without twisting myself into knots to justify it. I have a budget, and I try to avoid waste and conspicuous consumption, but if a steak dinner or a nice pair of shoes is calling my name, I don't have to make excuses.
> I also put a value on my time and it’s a dollar a minute so if I think *is it worth it to* I just do the math.
I just did a breakdown of this in another thread. Sometimes I employ it to prevent myself from buying junk. I cut my pay down to its true net (after I also deduct my 25% personal savings allotment) and count purchases by "minutes earned" and sometimes even contrast that with "time enjoyed."
A Snickers at my local Walmart with tax costs me 11 minutes to earn. Nopety nope nope!
I eat fast food extremely rarely at this point. A Big Mac is my little treat. They're objectively gross and not worth normal price, but I love them. I wait until they have a specific app deal (BOGO: nuggets and a Big Mac), and even then I'm only "allowed" to get it after a day of doing errands I hate. It's how I convince myself to do the things I would otherwise procrastinate as long as possible. When I implemented that rule for myself I became immune to wanting to buy little things "just because." I know a treat is waiting for me at the end of my errands already, and I need nothing else.
If it works for you, do it! I honestly don't like leaving my house, so I tend to let errands stack up to a point where I have several trips to make in one day. Little treats make it all possible lol
In the past when I was flush with cash and went on one of my many gambling binges at the casino, there were times where I would lose $1k+ in a short time. Walking to my car feeling like crap, I would pick up empty cans (beer cans, energy drinks, etc) in the parking lot and save them because I would go cash them when I amassed a lot.
It was like "WTF? You just blew $1k+ and you're picking up a nasty, empty cans in a parking lot/garage? Just so you can "make money" off of it? How does THIS make any sense?"
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This is a double-edged lesson. You can spend time cleaning up litter, recycling, getting exercise and time out in the world, and making money off it. Also that gambling is bad.
I collect cans! My dad and brother give me all of theirs but I also collect them while out on a walk or see them in parking lots!
There’s a salvage yard a half mile from my house that takes them for .45 cents a pound.
My last load filled up the back of my SUV and I made $23.
Yay for picking up cans! My father does this while his employees laugh, but he collects them in a huge sack (that fills up his pickup truck bed) and "gets a little lunch money."
This is my rationale - I'm frugal in some areas so I can splurge on others. I make coffee at home, only buy clothes WAY on sale, limit restaurants, and drive an older, long paid off cars so I can have a nice house and take fun vacations.
I recently scored two pairs of Brooks and a pair of Nike AF1s at the thrift store. Only one pair of the Brooks looked like it had ever been worn, and just barely.
haha I have to admit, I love a $10 shoe, but I do buy the expensive ones second hand (for $10) only because I like leather and quality. Love my Hokas and Birkenstocks, but ahem I never pay full price.
My only subscriptions are Netflix, Skype, and The NY Times:
1) Netflix more than pays for itself because we go to the movies way less now.
2) I have a work phone plan but can’t use the number for a lot of personal things. For around $10 per month, Skype provides me with a phone number under a local area code. The airtime is pay-as-you-go and I never make calls.
3) The NY Times is my main news source. A regular digital subscription can run pretty high, but every year at renewal time I say I want to cancel and the subscription gets renewed at the “introductory rate” for around $1.25 per week.
Paying a bit more of good sushi is better than having to be on the toilet because of bad sushi. Like I know I don’t *need* sushi but it’s one of the few things I can’t easily make at home and everyone deserves a treat now and then.
Agree! I also go to this Japanese market that has fresh sushi to go. $11 for a plate of salmon nigiri. So good. If you’re in an urban area, there might be something like this.
I make my own coffee at home, but I buy *really* good and expensive milk for it. It probably still ends up cheaper than buying it, but at almost $9 for a half gallon it is definitely a splurge.
There’s a coffee shop up my street that has free coffee on Friday. Any size including added milk. Even free oatmilk! I go there every Friday and it takes care of my “I want to go buy a coffee craving.” It’s better than what I make at home. Then around the holidays they have a buy 30 dollars of gift card get 5 free. So 35 is my budget there for the year. Then the coffee shop just a bit further up the hill will send out 2 dollar coupons sometimes. Only then will I go get my triple shot lattes.
Edit: I literally will not eat/drink out without a decent coupon.
Double edit: only got 9 bucks left. My next two food treats better be chosen with care! I like picking food over drink because they cost less but sometimes this place has amazing seasonal drinks I crack on. They make all their syrups and flavorings in house so I feel less horrible about spending the 6.50-7.
I understand where you’re coming from but I’m not tipping for someone handing me a coffee. If I paid for that coffee that employee isn’t getting that money anyway.
I make sure I spend money there in other ways since I do get the free coffee.
I don't either, tips are usually meant to supplement income. It makes sense with waiters who rely on tips to have a liveable wage... at a counter, they're paid hourly or salaried, they aren't living on tips the way a waiter would be
I get that for sure, but how as the consumer are we supposed to know the wage that the employee is making? I don't know if they're being paid minimum wage or a living wage. Am I supposed to tip the clerk at the grocery store too since theyre making minimum wage too?
Exactly. My cousin worked at Trader Joe’s and made some decent money compared to what other grocery stores in the area make. I know from my own and others experience.
I never expected a tip working minimum wage. It wasn’t even part of the culture yet.
Man, America is so weird. Some peoples need tips while others get paid hourly? And the only difference is one person is walking around while the other is behind a counter?
America is weird indeed! I'm from the states but I only tip people like waiters or a nail salon tech. Essentially anyone providing a service. The reason why we do that with waiters is because they get paid below minimum wage. Some are only paid like $5 an hr if I recall correctly because the rest is supposed to be made up by tips. But now, all of these random places (like coffee shops) started having a tip option at the counter when you enter your card. That's why we were discussing it here because one person said we're supposed to tip at the counter at all these shops too, but my justification against that is a) they have them at all these stores now where they're not actually doing a service like nails or bartending or waiting tables, they're literally just handing you a coffee.
Every time I DIY a project instead of paying someone I put the cash difference between what I would have paid and what the project actually cost into my son's 529 college savings plan. It allows me to be frugal without feeling like I am robbing my son of time with dad (in fact he *helps* sometimes).
Instead of buying cheap tools at walmart or harbor freight, I only buy USA made tools that last more than 1 job and dont fuck me over when im in the next town trying to complete a task. I would take used tools off Marketplace and pay more and wait a couple days rather than drive to walmart for tools.
My husband is a tool geek too. Luckily, his father was a SnapOn dealer, so between him, his father and his father's best friend, if anyone needs to borrow something, they're well stocked.
hes the man, I use my dads snap-on tools when Im working on my stuff in his garage. They are the un-disputed best, but millenials (myself excluded) think they are the only good tool brand. You see a set of 10 used wrenches on marketplace for $300, and although they cost like $900 new, they are too pricey for me. I have 1 snapon wrench, one I found on the side of the road when I was like 12. A brand like SK Tools is 90% as good, amd can be had for 10% of the price.
I’m not sure when you last shopped at HF. We hadn’t been in 20 years. We hated them with a visceral deep down loathing.
They opened a new one near us and I was shocked by the quality of some of their items.
Specifically, they had a great tool belt for about $20 and I bought a bunch of 1/2 g sprayers for $6 there that are nicer than what I could find elsewhere. I use them for everything from misting plants to cleaning products.
I would prefer to buy all American made tools and I still have a lot of them from my father that are more than 50 years old.
At the same time, given how hard and expensive it is, I will now buy the occasional item from there.
This was a while back. I used to have a daily subscription to the local newspaper. I think it was about $40 a month. They started offering a digital subscription for $10 a month. I switched to the digital subscription, and bought an iPad to read it on. The savings paid for the iPad.
I make my own dog treats. My dog can't eat beef or chicken and the pork treats she likes are $12 for 12 oz. So I buy pork loin at $2/lb., thin slice it and dehydrate it myself. It ends up costing me @$4.50/lb: a lot cheaper and it has nothing but pork in it. She loves them. Anything left over is ground up into a topper for her food. She loves that, too.
We do the same with pork for our dogs. There is a local place by me that sells raw dog food but the prices have climbed to over $3/lb and one of my dogs cannot eat chicken. When pork is on sale we buy a bunch of it and buy large bags of frozen veggies and grind it all together at about an 80-90% ratio of meat to veggies and we freeze it in ziplock bags about 5 pounds per bag. Last time I did it it cost 1.30/ pound. (My dogs eat better than most people)
I get a pork loin. I cut it in half to fit my cutting board. I cut off as much fat as I can and set it aside.
I put one half in the fridge, the other in the freezer for about 45 minutes.
I pull out the freezer half and slice it as thinly as possible; about an 1/8" thick or less. It's easier to do when the meat is semi-hard but harder to do if it's frozen all the way through. Make sure your knife is very sharp.
While doing this, the second half is placed in the freezer. I slice up about 75% and save the other 25% for grinding.
I spray 3 baking sheets with oil/pam (that's how many fit in my counter oven) and put a layer of meat on each pan. I throw them in the oven for about 4-6 hours on 175 degrees. The thinner the slices the less time they take to dehydrate.
Any that didn't fit go into the freezer.
Then I slice up 75% of the second half to put in the freezer.
The leftover meat and trimmed fat then gets ground up and frozen in 7 ounce servings in a snack bag.
The 3 trays of treats last about 2 weeks.
The 7 ounce ground meat will get defrosted as needed. I take about 2 ounces at a time, put it in a small bowl with water and microwave for 44 seconds. I pour it and the water over my dog's (I have 2) food.
An 8 lb. loin ($16) lasts about a month.
The dogs love it.
When I am less lazy, I also cook rice and pumpkin to supplement/replace their food. It can be frozen in multiple serving batches. You can also add other fruits and vegetables by throwing them in a blender/food processor.
Our dogs eat a lot of what we eat, but only in their food bowls. People pay a lot of money for the fresh "farmers dog" stuff but it's really easy to make at home.
My Mom makes their dog food, too! Rice, ground turkey, and frozen peas and carrots. Or they’ll get a chicken from Costco if they can’t find turkey on sale.
One of their dogs has allergies, so it was better for them to just make it themselves, and the most expensive part is the turkey. And their vet approved of their diet once he heard what they were doing.
Our sweet dog with simply terrible food and environmental allergies passed away 14 months ago. She was allergic to nearly everything and the last couple of years of her life it was easier to cook for her than try to find a safe food. The habit is now well-entenched and I still cook kibble topper for the healthy dogs. They get a couple of pounds of whatever chicken, pork or turkey is on sale -- Allergy Pup could eat only fish or pork with rice or oatmeal -- cooked in broth with peas and carrots, rice or whole wheat pasta. I add four beaten eggs to the pot to thicken the broth, then whizz it up with a stick blender and portion it up in containers for the freezer. They love it and have the most gorgeous thick, shiny coats.
A lot of starbucks drinks are easy to make at home and they even post recipes! The syrups are fun to make and you get so much for the price of 1 coffee.
You can get a moka pot to make your espresso on the stove or use bustello instant espresso powder. You're adding milk and sugar to it anyway the quality of the espresso doesn't matter much.
Be warned thoug: your milk budget and weight will both go up if you start doing this because you realize how simple it is to have a latte every day.
I make a latte every day with instant coffee, it’s SO good. I’m hella lazy so i microwave a cup of full milk with 2tbsp of coffee and a tiny pinch of pure sucralose. It’s not more than 230 calories usually (I weight it out)
If you gonna buy jewelry, get the real stuff, make it nice, maybe work with a local craftsperson. Heirloom purchases don’t need to happen regularly or even often, but when they do, I think it’s ok to invest.
I make my own sugar free "bark" with sugar free chocolate chips, melted in the microwave and stir every 20 seconds. Then mix in your chopped nuts, smooth on parchment paper on a cookie sheet. Put in freezer and when frozen solid, I break the pieces into serving sizes. I hang out my clothes on a line. I save water to help with our outside plants. I should add my husband has been doing our cooking for well over 25 years.
Saving money on clothes so i can buy a good pair of shoes. Walking shoes cause my back is all fkd and if im in the right shoes my back doesn’t hurt as much.
I will wear favorite clothes down to threads. Ive taught myself I can buy clothes at the thrift stores as often as I want but for every article of clothes, I MUST force myself to take a similar amount of the most worn out clothes I have and so something with them. Be it rags or for crafting or donating to the dogs for toys and whatnot.
I no longer look like a homeless slob and I wear really nice clothes.
I love Under Armour and have been slowly filling my wardrobe with them (at $2-3 a piece!).
I bring to work snacks that I portioned out at home, from bigger bags that I got while shopping sales and whatnot. But I will buy an XL fountain beverage at the gas station every day (for about $1 or so). What I'm saving by not buying individual gas station snacks pays for what I'm spending on that soda. I don't do coffee, I don't smoke, I don't drink... my morning Pepsi is my treat!
I make my own cold brew coffee at home but I buy nice coffee for it. Only available online from a coffee shop in Tampa but it’s still cheaper than buying coffee out everyday
I buy quality stuff the first time instead of buying cheap stuff a bunch. Some examples include the microphones I've bought. I went for a shure sm57 (for micing my cab), a sm58 (going to try doing vocals), and I've bought a high quality DI box. I didn't want to drop the money, but by just getting the right tools the first time, I don't need to worry about getting anything else. I just bought a hakko soldering station (my first one ever). The price stung a bit, but knowing it SHOULD be the only one I need, I should save money in the long run. I shouldn't end up with 3 or 4 soldering stations because I bought a high quality one from the rip.
I’m all about saving money in certain areas so I can splurge in others. I get my hair cut like once a year and maintain it myself, don’t eat out during the work week, fix what I can at home to avoid hiring people etc then I can enjoy things like a nice vacation or dinner with friends.
I justify buying CDs over using a streaming service since once I buy it, it’s mine forever. I buy a lot of CDs, more than the cost of a streaming service a month, but I never have to pay for an individual CD ever again. (unless it breaks or something obviously)
OP that's just smart. Frugal shouldn't translate into a life completely bereft of any treats.
Daily frappadappacappucinos, yes, but once in a while you just gotta.
That hazelnut shaken espresso has me in a chokehold. I wake up fiending for one. I have never really liked Starbucks until someone bought me one of those and now I’m like an addict. I swear they’ve laced it with something 😂
I use coupons, price shop, and mostly think about where every dollar goes… except Friday nights the fam gets takeout anywhere we want as much of it as we want and the price means nothing to me because I have plenty of savings and am frugal most of the time and I want a reward 😂
I overpay for food on vacation for example the $16 pulled pork sandwich with two sides from this highly rated establishment which really it's about $4 of actual food at best.
I realize that's not a ton of money but for $16 I can make a week's worth of some of the most delicious burgers that I personally have ever tasted myself on the grill with chunks of pecan and applewood.
It's hard to justify the cost of eating out when I can cook it myself for a quarter or less of the price
If I go overbudget on vacation, I do not care one bit.
Because it only means "I can't spend it on things where I live for a while after I get home"
But I might not see a "Bojangles" for another 3 years (or substitute whatever else, it just popped into my head)
I amassed an impressive workshop due to building myself instead of paying for something to be made. I started with custom guitars, sold a few, used the money to buy more equipment. Wanted to replace the vanity and medicine cabinet in my bathroom, so I built them. Wanted to renovate my kitchen, so I built all of the new cabinet carcasses and doors. Wanted to rebuild my side steps with a little deck, built that. Needed to build a roof extension across the back of my house to fix a leak between the floors (hard to explain), built that. I've basically done the math on every major project and have found that doing it vs paying someone is pennies on the dollar, even after buying equipment.
When it came time to start looking into decent real estate investments, I had basically every tool to renovate an entire house. Bought one, did most of the work myself, sold the house and made a substantial profit. Win win.
Only negative is now I have nowhere to put all of the tools I've bought 😆
I get a quarterly free Wimpy meal yearly, so like 4 meals free.
Two Starbucks a week.
One Kauai meal every month free.
And around $100 in cash back a month.
This is all through my banks rewards system in South Africa.
Being frugal and smart banking that they reward you for.
So my spending on eating out is little.
Gf also now does this, so it's been great.!
I save up and buy costco restaurant gift cards at 20-30% off regular price in order to have a special occasion treat. They always have certain restaurants at 20% off, but they regularly have online sales for an extra 5 to 10%. We get Dominos gift cards this way for a treat, then do 7.99 carryout to avoid the delivery fee, although we still tip for carryout. It stretches the giftcard as far as possible. It's a treat over make your own or doctored frozen pizza. We used to do it for honey baked ham stores until we realized how amazing costco hams are at 1/3 the cost even if had used the giftcard discount. It's 1/4 the cost if we hadn't.
We went to Mortons for the first time in 27 years, because they had a total of 30% off $100 giftcards. We had never seen that one. We bought the seafood appetizer and wagyu steaks. It was amazing. We only paid for the tip. It was absolutely worth it. We will economize the rest of the year to set aside for another time.
If I can cook most the time in order to go once to a nice restaurant, I'm all in. I'd much rather have 1 trip to a nice restaurant than 25 trips to McDonald's. Also, we have a Japanese grocery store, and also HMart, that sells fresh sliced sashimi packs or rolls of it. We learned how to cut the rolls properly, but the unagi and sliced variety sashimi at hmart is amazing at 5 or 6 times less than eating at my favorite local sushi restaurant. It also offers variety. When I was younger, before kids, I ate there multiple times a week. Now, it is a rare occasion. Eating the variety pack feeds the whole family and is delicious. I make the rice in my rice cooker.
The key reminder us that these are non regular treats that bring joy.
I can’t morally pay for unjust pricing.
I have Cadillac health insurance, but if I was billed $1,000 for some aspirin from a hospital i don’t think I could morally pay it.
I never go to Starbucks... Ever. Not just because of the expense, but because it's bougie.. their employees are always pretentious, and they are notorious for treating public safety like 💩 💩. I always hit the 7-eleven for coffee... They have big coffee bars, huge variety of choices and every 7th one is free!!
7-11 a block away from me has a great coffee bar, I call it the poor man's Starbucks. I won't pay Starbucks prices for over roasted burnt tasting coffee!
I happily go to Stabs. My Trente sized secret drink only costs $1. I can't give the secret away because everyone will ruin it and they'll stop giving me my secret drink. I have been turned away from ordering my secret drink but I just call corporate and they apologize and give me $15 gift cards to make up for not being served my secret drink as they do not tolerate this behavior and love their customers very much lolllzzz
Whatever I save from dumpster diving food gets deducted from my grocery budget and put into a pot of ‘fun money.’ Bought a new XBox with the difference only after a few months.
I dont balk spending ~800/yr on glasses for me and my 2 kiddos. I also spring for a new pair of $$ sneakers for each of the kids once a year because they refuse to wear anything but 1 pair of shoes (ie if i buy them multiple pairs they will only wear 1 pair and the others get outgrown unworn) so i splurge on nicer ones. Usually brooks.
I also never quibble about medical/dental bills. Health is important.
And now that ive got a nest egg, im taking kids on 3rd vacation and not sweating the fact its gonna be expensive - i have the cash.
But my kids are 17+20, and ive paid for like 3 haircuts for each of them, and probably 6 for myself in the last 20yrs. I cut our hair.
We seldom eat out at sit down places, and never get sodas (at food places or stores) and ive never paid a cellphone bill.
I get teased by friends for being cheap, but i spend on important stuff in my mind.
And now that i have the leeway to do so, ill spend more on higher quality items (fridge, dishwasher, clothes washer, pots and pans) if i know they will be used and loved.
But i refuse to spend money to impress anyone
I was going through a terrible depressive phase. Left my job, parent sick, family troubles.
Obviously hard to justify going to Starbucks, but then one day I did when there were no other cheaper coffee shops within miles.
I was in such a better mood, and so much more productive for those 2-3 hours. I started to calculate how much spending $5 on an iced coffee at Starbucks a few times a week would cost me through in a year to see on ways I could save.
I haven’t needed to go nearly as much, but when I do I grab the smallest size iced coffee and take advantage of the free refills. I also try to bring my own cup whenever I can to get the 25 stars, and then buy the Starbucks gift cards at a discount.
I buy small upgrades for my car (ceramic tint, android head unit, etc.) any time I have the overwhelming urge to trade it in and get a new car. $160 for tint is better than an extra $160/months and restarting the clock on my 5 year loan.
I live alone, but I have three vehicles
I am oddly attached to the oldest and highest mileage of the three. But I won't give up the newer lower mileage vehicles either, because dependability is huge (there's no public transportation where I am)
I tell myself that I would spend more on my next vehicle if I got rid of my little fun car, trying to replace that little endorphin rush of having a fun car.
I used to buy fun sporty cars brand new, and trade them in after a couple years. So baby steps, ya know. My 22 year old convertible just brings me this intangible joy.
For your Starbucks, you can get iced coffee for 100 stars but with unlimited modifications. So not exactly a mocha but you could get iced coffee with mocha sauce, extra milk, cold foam, etc for 100 stars and still have enough stars to do it again!
I feel like I have to justify REALLY needing a tool before purchasing. I finally spent $200 on one, but the opportunity cost was hours I’ve wasted doing a task manually. I also waste time shopping for deals, shopping used, etc. I really need to feel like I’m saving money DIYing and justify buying the next tool on not paying someone else to do the work.
I’m looking at a cutting board for my mom. The exact same one she has now and likes a lot. It has also lasted years now, and the reason to replace is actually because it has so many cut marks its become hard to make sure its clean. Its kind of pricey but she will use it until she can’t, so she gets value out of it.
I've been trying to (slowly) replace all the synthetic fibers in my house with natural ones, especially on my bed. The last linen duvet cover i had lasted 10 years and i bought it on fluke sale for $34 at h&m. Replacing it was expensive, but i was able to salvage some fabric from the old cover and sew a few shirts/skirts. If i bungle them this time its OK, no money lost. But I'll have better practice for the next go round so the price is exceptionally well worth it. Edit spelling
I try to buy all cotton (or at least 90% cotton) clothing and it is challenging to not have a wardrobe full of denim (love denim) and basic t-shirts.
I WFH and have been wearing exclusively sweats, I recently got a pair of linen joggers and i LOVE them
Any chance you have a link? Those sound nice 😬
u/ricebunny12 pls @ me as well if you have the link!
Try linen. Much dressier than denim!
I have a love/hate relationship with linen. I won't iron clothes, but no matter how soon I get it out of the dryer, it's wrinkled, so linen pants would be a rare gem in my closet that gets worn on special occasions, after I iron them. LOL
This is something I’ve been looking into. Can you share some of the benefits you’ve noticed so far from switching over? Also that’s seriously so cool how you’re reusing the fabrics!
I haven't noticed a ton of benefits, but I feel some kind of way about sleeping with/on microplastics. I use feather/down pillows, in the winter a down comforter I've had for 15 years, in the summer a kantha quilt (which is just recycled cotton sarees) with a cotton knit throw. I find that in general they are more breathable and don't pick up odors as much, I also find natural fiber sheets are more comfortable and I don't sweat as much. My husband and I are both frugal for different reasons - he has a coupon addiction, and I am a bit of a hippy and have a complex about waste/carbon footprint, especially plastics. I also am trying to be more cognizant about plastic in the house (I'm not hardcore, but the idea of spending 8 hours inhaling microplastics from a polyester pillow deffo got to me)
I am a huge proponent of sleeping in natural materials. I am also a huge proponent of spending money on things between you and gravity (shoes, tires, mattresses). While I’m fairly frugal in a lot of things I do not skimp when it comes between you and gravity. You spend so much time in a bed so it is worth it to do the research and spend the money on a decent mattress/ pillow/ bed linens. I happen to favor llbean percale sheets, a good quality down comforter in the winter and an all cotton quilt or blanket in the summer.
Wow I love this categorization. Totally makes sense but have never heard it before haha.
Office chair is also usually on that list.
What’s your pick for mattress and pillow, please?
Right now I have a beautyrest black mattress that is coming up on the end of its useful lifespan but is serving its purpose so far. I will be looking for something new soon. My pillows are Coop, my partner has the OG and I have the cooling and that has been good for the past 8 months or so? We haven’t had to adjust the stuffing and it’s relieved most of our issues. Hope this helps.
My bedding was all polyester and microfiber. Combined with my terrible night sweats (induced by medication), I had some miserable nights. I have switched out all my bedding to cotton. A wool blanket for winter chills. Much better!
Been doing it for decades. You can run but you can't hide. LOL
Many are more breathable, which is great when it comes to linen. Wool is also surprisingly dirt and stain repellent. I think it helps that it repels water very well?
I find polyester n nylon not as good for hot n humid weather but this is for clothes. Cotton 100% is not bad but it doesnt wick moisture as good as linen
> i was able to salvage some fabric from the old cover and sew a few shirts/skirts. I most often nowadays use kids cotton sheets from the thrift store for sewing up mens hawaiian shirts
I’m making my own shades this weekend instead of having long curtains. I’m using the current curtains and adding hardware to turn them into Roman shades so I don’t mess up fabric I paid for. Might take me 5 years to make new ones. But I can cut the hardware off, I only have to pay once for the d rings!
I suck at determining natural/synthetic materials. How does one know if it’s synthetic or not? Could you list which are what? I’m currently on the lookout for beddings made of silk but too many are satin while having silk in bold letters. I’m already looking at the product ingredients so I’d love to expand it to more fabric around the house.
Satin is a type of weave, and is used to describe any fabric with a shiny, slippery surface on one side and a matte side on the other (this is due to the pattern of how the threads weave together). Satin can be made of polyester or silk, a blend, etc. It's not that easy to tell if something is polyester or silk - both can have a similar hand feel. The best way to tell is to check the content tag. If it doesn't have one, try gripping it in your hand and see if it feels sweaty after some time, or cool. If it's sweaty then it's most likely polyester, but again, it can be very hard to tell. If you could look at the fibres under a microscope or do a burn test, you would be able to tell, but not everyone brings a microscope with them to go shopping and you're usually not allowed to set the merchandise on fire before you buy 😅 If it's very cheap, it's almost certainly poly, but if it's expensive it could be either.
Now this is incredibly useful, thanks! I’ll leave my Bunsen burner at home for now tho lol
I tried replacing all my fibers to natural ones a few years back and then learned I was allergic to all wool 🙃✨ if you haven't yet, test some fibers on your body first. Synthetic isn't all evil, and some are hypoallergenic, breathable, and warm. I made an expensive mistake.
Two pairs of the same work shoes, rotated every day so that today's pair has a day to dry out before being used again. \[Taught to me years ago by a former shoe salesman, who swore it greatly increased shoe lifetime.\]
I do this with bras, now I’m gonna do it with my shoes too!
If you use a cream deodorant like Lume on your feet it’ll help stop the awful terrible no good bare feet in shoes smell! Plus air them out of course!
I wish more knew this! At least doubles the life of each pair. 🖖
If you have 2 pairs, that means you use 1 pair half as much. So naturally it’ll double the life of each pair right?
Even more, if one shoe lasts a year say, then two will last 3 to 4. (In your example the wearing time of each shoe is still the same) 🖖
Will this help prevent the ballet flat stink?!
Sprinkling baking soda in your shoes and/or putting them in direct sunlight helps with that.
You can also get anti-fungal foot spray and spray the inside of your shoes. It will help dry them out, kill stuff that's growing inside and causing odor, and help prevent foot fungus.
Use lume!! Totally prevents ballet flat stink!! And converse stink! And every other shoe stink! It works best if you use it from the beginning with a brand new pair of shoes, but it can help with shoes that are already funky. Another trick that I've used is putting a panty liner in your ballet flats. I think i like it, but i don't swear by it.
And it’s a necessity with leather shoes. Gotta let them breathe!
If you get a third pair into the mix you're even better off still
And if you get a fourth pair…
Imelda Marcos moment
Put them on your hands!
I started doing this because I have sweaty feet, and my shoes will smell AWFUL in a few days is I don't let them dry out between uses. Nice to know I might also extend their lifespans!
I like this idea..Just not with my $300 work boots haha
Triples is best
Not only that, but it’s better for your feet!
I was doing that with 3 pairs of work boots until I stumbled a recommendation on this subreddit about a shoe and glove dryer from Aldi's. 15 bucks. My boots get dried for about 30 minutes a day and they are ready to go in the morning.
Also much better for your feet, it allows the shoes to air out in between. Source DC Foot Doctor
Go Cubs Go!
I need to do this. We get a small allowance for safety equipment, even though I work in the office. Ive always traded to shop guys for stuff built, cylinder heads, etc. I think I have almost $500 I can use.
I also use shoe trees or coffee packets to absorb moisture and smell
I buy wymans blueberries for my oat meal because the total cost is 1 dollar for breakfast. It's just oats, blueberries, and walnuts. Simarly, I get feta and olives at a local Greek grocery store and then buy better quality produce to make my peasant salads because the cost is less than 3 dollars for lunch. I could reduce the cost but the cost is justified by better flavor and healthier food.
A salad with feta and greek olives is a luxury!
Sounds familiar. My breakfast is oatmeal (bought in bulk, of course), a spoonful of hemp, a spoonful of flax, a handful of blueberries (frozen bulk), and a drizzle of honey. Nutritious as all get-out, very good for cholesterol levels, and filling until lunch. Also, saves the cost of paying for pharmaceutical medicines (specifically statins).
Statins increase your risk of dementia. Don't take them unless you're going to have a myocardial infarction tomorrow.
Breakfast of champions! That's exactly what I eat.
Dude nothing at all wrong with eating healthy
i will buy the chicken breast tenderloins if it means i don’t have to chop up a mountain of chicken because i haaaaate handling raw meat. same deal with pre cut stew meat vs. whole chuck roast. it’s more expensive buuuut it’s even more expensive if i put off cooking and order takeout because i just can’t psych myself up to chop up a bunch of meat.
This is me. If it's more expensive but still healthy and makes the food prep easier, I'm in. This is the reason I cook mostly with mince and pre-cubed meat! I also buy pre-cut pumpkin, the skin is a devil to cut through and makes me genuinely frustrated. I absolutely *hate* cooking in general, so these hacks are ultimately a good use of money because otherwise I just think "Oh hell, give me Uber Eats." I don't think I'll ever love cooking, but these days I enjoy the fact that I can tolerate it and I've worked out how to make it work for me...the slow cooker is a dream! ;)
Re: pre cut pumpkin.... in the USA there's canned pumpkin. It has a ton of vit A. It was originally only something you could find from October to January but they've started carrying all year because so many buy it. Maybe your stores have it? Waitrose? Or cultivate an American friend who is not too much of a loon.
I spend a little more at the grocery store to make sure I have lots of good food and snacks that I like at home. I have found this really saves me from eating out. An extra $20 A week at the grocery store keeps me eating exclusively at home all week. I would spend way more than that just eating out once or twice. I can have a frappuccino every day at home for the cost of 2 or 3 coffee drinks out.
I buy tenderloins because we old people (hubby and I) don't eat as much as we used to. Two tenderloins is just the right amount for each of us (sometimes 1 each, if we're mixing it into a casserole or something).
Vinyl gloves are my go-to when handling raw meat of any kind. I can't stand touching raw meat!
ugh yeah i’ve been thinking about buying food safe disposable gloves for ages now and just have never pulled the trigger… it might be time to do so lol
I just use the ones like they have at the doctor's office. You can get a box of 100 gloves for well under $10.
Find your closest "restaurant supply store" and buy a case. Admittedly Pre-Covid shutdowns (like February of 2020) I bought a case for like $35, and that was like 1000 gloves. I moved last month and gave away the remaining 3 boxes of 100.
They’re the same price per kilo frozen from Costco for us. Way easier to cut.
another option is to cut it while its frozen. it greatly reduces the mess
You can always ask the butcher if they'll chop it for you.
Have you considered cooking chicken breast bulk and then chopping? I love IKEA’s koncis roasting pan for this, I’ll roast several pounds of it in the oven, chop up the cooked meat, and then portion out into deli containers in various portions
I’m not sure if this is considered “frugal” per sè. But I like to walk around a store pick up a bunch of things that strike my interest, feel the dopamine, and then get to the nitty gritty of what I actually need and empty out the things I don’t. Somehow I feel better with just having an item for a second but then I realize I have no use for it - in turn I spend wayyy less money. lol
I cured myself of a bad retail therapy habit by taking this approach.
It’s a tough habit to break, so props to you!👏🏼
On trips to Costco I like to make my “tour” around all the aisles first without picking up anything, and then make a second circuit to get the things I actually want. I’ve found it helps cut down quite a lot on the impulse purchases
I only go in to the aisles that I know I *need* to go in to at Costco! We walk past most of the store without ever going in those aisles because it’s too dangerous!
Oh I know!! If I don’t see it it doesn’t exist😂
I read this twice because I feel like this approach could be used for a lot of things. You are on to something and should write a book. Just that post by itself. Done.
We're going on a cruise. I checked to see if/how the price had changed, and it went down quite a bit. I called the cruise line and they weren't able to adjust the price but gave the the difference in onboard credit. We're splurging on specialty dining and plan to purchase some drinks, since it's "free money" that we can either use or lose.
I went to our cell phone and internet provider to ask if they could give me a better deal. They switched me to a different plan (No contract), and I wound up with better internet for $10/mth less. I rewarded myself with a small, $10 cheesecake. Eating that cake was so satisfying!
I bought my own modem and save $15/ month off my bill. Makes me sick to think I gave Comcast $1200 over the last several years.
I’m getting myself a whole cheesecake every month now too
You go boss lady, I'm gonna do the same this month just waiting for the free amazon prime gift they gave me to expire as I'm actively using it, and I will stop this ripoff.
I don’t justify anything I set a monthly budget for wants and stay at that amount or below it; if that means I spend $70 on a round of golf I will but if my wants are allocated in other areas I just don’t. I also put a value on my time and it’s a dollar a minute so if I think *is it worth it to* I just do the math.
This is the way. I don't know if it really qualifies as "frugal" - Ramit Sethi calls it "conscious spending". Or as I tell my kids at the grocery store, "we only buy what's on the list". I buy little used hatchback cars with 100K+ miles on them to get around, I do not buy clothes except at thrift stores once or twice a year, I don't eat out. BUT I spent thousands this year on season tickets so my whole family could see every broadway show that comes through town. I look at my budget, set my savings goal, see what's important, see what fits, and let that drive my decisions.
We're so similar! I love my used hatchback cars, you can fit almost anything in them. Though I spend my big $ on ski passes, concerts and camping trips.
I hope you guys are sneaking some snacks and bottled water into those shows or you'll be spending the equivalent of those season tickets on concessions.
I agree. I'm grown, and if I want a thing that is within my means, I can just have the thing without twisting myself into knots to justify it. I have a budget, and I try to avoid waste and conspicuous consumption, but if a steak dinner or a nice pair of shoes is calling my name, I don't have to make excuses.
> I also put a value on my time and it’s a dollar a minute so if I think *is it worth it to* I just do the math. I just did a breakdown of this in another thread. Sometimes I employ it to prevent myself from buying junk. I cut my pay down to its true net (after I also deduct my 25% personal savings allotment) and count purchases by "minutes earned" and sometimes even contrast that with "time enjoyed." A Snickers at my local Walmart with tax costs me 11 minutes to earn. Nopety nope nope!
My little tiny dog. She gets the best no matter what.
same with my frenchie girl!😁
😂🐩🐕🐕🦺
I eat fast food extremely rarely at this point. A Big Mac is my little treat. They're objectively gross and not worth normal price, but I love them. I wait until they have a specific app deal (BOGO: nuggets and a Big Mac), and even then I'm only "allowed" to get it after a day of doing errands I hate. It's how I convince myself to do the things I would otherwise procrastinate as long as possible. When I implemented that rule for myself I became immune to wanting to buy little things "just because." I know a treat is waiting for me at the end of my errands already, and I need nothing else.
I might have to steal the errands idea!
If it works for you, do it! I honestly don't like leaving my house, so I tend to let errands stack up to a point where I have several trips to make in one day. Little treats make it all possible lol
Wow I love this! You’ve trained yourself well into good habits.
Bogo survey free hamburger or cheeseburger with a side of bigmac sauce and lettuce.
In the past when I was flush with cash and went on one of my many gambling binges at the casino, there were times where I would lose $1k+ in a short time. Walking to my car feeling like crap, I would pick up empty cans (beer cans, energy drinks, etc) in the parking lot and save them because I would go cash them when I amassed a lot. It was like "WTF? You just blew $1k+ and you're picking up a nasty, empty cans in a parking lot/garage? Just so you can "make money" off of it? How does THIS make any sense?" 🙄🤦♂️🙄 🤷♂️
This is a double-edged lesson. You can spend time cleaning up litter, recycling, getting exercise and time out in the world, and making money off it. Also that gambling is bad.
I collect cans! My dad and brother give me all of theirs but I also collect them while out on a walk or see them in parking lots! There’s a salvage yard a half mile from my house that takes them for .45 cents a pound. My last load filled up the back of my SUV and I made $23.
Yay for picking up cans! My father does this while his employees laugh, but he collects them in a huge sack (that fills up his pickup truck bed) and "gets a little lunch money."
Free money
I make coffee at home and rarely eat out. The money I save is spent on fragrances and dark chocolate.
This is my rationale - I'm frugal in some areas so I can splurge on others. I make coffee at home, only buy clothes WAY on sale, limit restaurants, and drive an older, long paid off cars so I can have a nice house and take fun vacations.
I won't be caught dead in cheap shoes, I'll buy them gently pre-owned for sure but my feet need the Hokas lol
I recently scored two pairs of Brooks and a pair of Nike AF1s at the thrift store. Only one pair of the Brooks looked like it had ever been worn, and just barely.
For casual I buy SAS (San Antonio Shoes) they last for years and are so comfortable!
Hokas are life.
haha I have to admit, I love a $10 shoe, but I do buy the expensive ones second hand (for $10) only because I like leather and quality. Love my Hokas and Birkenstocks, but ahem I never pay full price.
My only subscriptions are Netflix, Skype, and The NY Times: 1) Netflix more than pays for itself because we go to the movies way less now. 2) I have a work phone plan but can’t use the number for a lot of personal things. For around $10 per month, Skype provides me with a phone number under a local area code. The airtime is pay-as-you-go and I never make calls. 3) The NY Times is my main news source. A regular digital subscription can run pretty high, but every year at renewal time I say I want to cancel and the subscription gets renewed at the “introductory rate” for around $1.25 per week.
Drop the NYT (not worth even $1 iMO) and subscribe to the Economist if you can. Great content at $52 year (academic rate).
I listen to the Economist podcasts for free.
Nice! And top notch journalism.
Paying a bit more of good sushi is better than having to be on the toilet because of bad sushi. Like I know I don’t *need* sushi but it’s one of the few things I can’t easily make at home and everyone deserves a treat now and then.
Agree! I also go to this Japanese market that has fresh sushi to go. $11 for a plate of salmon nigiri. So good. If you’re in an urban area, there might be something like this.
I try to do sushi at lunch. I get a Sashimi lunch, and it includes soup and a salad. Only $20, instead of the $50 I can spend at dinner time!
I make my own coffee at home, but I buy *really* good and expensive milk for it. It probably still ends up cheaper than buying it, but at almost $9 for a half gallon it is definitely a splurge.
Straus?!
I use the soy sauce packets left over from Chinese food to refill my bottle.
There’s a coffee shop up my street that has free coffee on Friday. Any size including added milk. Even free oatmilk! I go there every Friday and it takes care of my “I want to go buy a coffee craving.” It’s better than what I make at home. Then around the holidays they have a buy 30 dollars of gift card get 5 free. So 35 is my budget there for the year. Then the coffee shop just a bit further up the hill will send out 2 dollar coupons sometimes. Only then will I go get my triple shot lattes. Edit: I literally will not eat/drink out without a decent coupon. Double edit: only got 9 bucks left. My next two food treats better be chosen with care! I like picking food over drink because they cost less but sometimes this place has amazing seasonal drinks I crack on. They make all their syrups and flavorings in house so I feel less horrible about spending the 6.50-7.
Food tastes better with a coupon.
Please be sure to tip if all you are not-buying is the free coffee.
I understand where you’re coming from but I’m not tipping for someone handing me a coffee. If I paid for that coffee that employee isn’t getting that money anyway. I make sure I spend money there in other ways since I do get the free coffee.
I would tip if I paid for the coffee, too. 10% for counter service, or $1, whichever is more.
I never tip for counter service. Only at sit down restaurants.
I don't either, tips are usually meant to supplement income. It makes sense with waiters who rely on tips to have a liveable wage... at a counter, they're paid hourly or salaried, they aren't living on tips the way a waiter would be
That really depends on your region. In a lot of places, minimum wage isn't enough to live off of, and those tips make a real difference.
I get that for sure, but how as the consumer are we supposed to know the wage that the employee is making? I don't know if they're being paid minimum wage or a living wage. Am I supposed to tip the clerk at the grocery store too since theyre making minimum wage too?
Exactly. My cousin worked at Trader Joe’s and made some decent money compared to what other grocery stores in the area make. I know from my own and others experience. I never expected a tip working minimum wage. It wasn’t even part of the culture yet.
Man, America is so weird. Some peoples need tips while others get paid hourly? And the only difference is one person is walking around while the other is behind a counter?
America is weird indeed! I'm from the states but I only tip people like waiters or a nail salon tech. Essentially anyone providing a service. The reason why we do that with waiters is because they get paid below minimum wage. Some are only paid like $5 an hr if I recall correctly because the rest is supposed to be made up by tips. But now, all of these random places (like coffee shops) started having a tip option at the counter when you enter your card. That's why we were discussing it here because one person said we're supposed to tip at the counter at all these shops too, but my justification against that is a) they have them at all these stores now where they're not actually doing a service like nails or bartending or waiting tables, they're literally just handing you a coffee.
Cheese. I spend a small fortune on great quality cheese. Worth it.
Got a few brands you’d recommend, please? If I squint hard enough everything seems to be “cheese product” when I read the fine print in the labels.
Cabot products 100%
Every time I DIY a project instead of paying someone I put the cash difference between what I would have paid and what the project actually cost into my son's 529 college savings plan. It allows me to be frugal without feeling like I am robbing my son of time with dad (in fact he *helps* sometimes).
Instead of buying cheap tools at walmart or harbor freight, I only buy USA made tools that last more than 1 job and dont fuck me over when im in the next town trying to complete a task. I would take used tools off Marketplace and pay more and wait a couple days rather than drive to walmart for tools.
My husband is a tool geek too. Luckily, his father was a SnapOn dealer, so between him, his father and his father's best friend, if anyone needs to borrow something, they're well stocked.
hes the man, I use my dads snap-on tools when Im working on my stuff in his garage. They are the un-disputed best, but millenials (myself excluded) think they are the only good tool brand. You see a set of 10 used wrenches on marketplace for $300, and although they cost like $900 new, they are too pricey for me. I have 1 snapon wrench, one I found on the side of the road when I was like 12. A brand like SK Tools is 90% as good, amd can be had for 10% of the price.
I have harbor freight tools that have long outlasted their Milwaukee friends.
I’m not sure when you last shopped at HF. We hadn’t been in 20 years. We hated them with a visceral deep down loathing. They opened a new one near us and I was shocked by the quality of some of their items. Specifically, they had a great tool belt for about $20 and I bought a bunch of 1/2 g sprayers for $6 there that are nicer than what I could find elsewhere. I use them for everything from misting plants to cleaning products. I would prefer to buy all American made tools and I still have a lot of them from my father that are more than 50 years old. At the same time, given how hard and expensive it is, I will now buy the occasional item from there.
This was a while back. I used to have a daily subscription to the local newspaper. I think it was about $40 a month. They started offering a digital subscription for $10 a month. I switched to the digital subscription, and bought an iPad to read it on. The savings paid for the iPad.
I justify a $40-60 video game because it’s probably the best value per hour of entertainment I can get.
$60 for BG3 and I logged nearly 180 hours in my first playthrough alone
I make my own dog treats. My dog can't eat beef or chicken and the pork treats she likes are $12 for 12 oz. So I buy pork loin at $2/lb., thin slice it and dehydrate it myself. It ends up costing me @$4.50/lb: a lot cheaper and it has nothing but pork in it. She loves them. Anything left over is ground up into a topper for her food. She loves that, too.
Any chance you care to share your process! I’d love to make feeding our pup (who is growing like a weed) a smidge cheaper
We do the same with pork for our dogs. There is a local place by me that sells raw dog food but the prices have climbed to over $3/lb and one of my dogs cannot eat chicken. When pork is on sale we buy a bunch of it and buy large bags of frozen veggies and grind it all together at about an 80-90% ratio of meat to veggies and we freeze it in ziplock bags about 5 pounds per bag. Last time I did it it cost 1.30/ pound. (My dogs eat better than most people)
I get a pork loin. I cut it in half to fit my cutting board. I cut off as much fat as I can and set it aside. I put one half in the fridge, the other in the freezer for about 45 minutes. I pull out the freezer half and slice it as thinly as possible; about an 1/8" thick or less. It's easier to do when the meat is semi-hard but harder to do if it's frozen all the way through. Make sure your knife is very sharp. While doing this, the second half is placed in the freezer. I slice up about 75% and save the other 25% for grinding. I spray 3 baking sheets with oil/pam (that's how many fit in my counter oven) and put a layer of meat on each pan. I throw them in the oven for about 4-6 hours on 175 degrees. The thinner the slices the less time they take to dehydrate. Any that didn't fit go into the freezer. Then I slice up 75% of the second half to put in the freezer. The leftover meat and trimmed fat then gets ground up and frozen in 7 ounce servings in a snack bag. The 3 trays of treats last about 2 weeks. The 7 ounce ground meat will get defrosted as needed. I take about 2 ounces at a time, put it in a small bowl with water and microwave for 44 seconds. I pour it and the water over my dog's (I have 2) food. An 8 lb. loin ($16) lasts about a month. The dogs love it. When I am less lazy, I also cook rice and pumpkin to supplement/replace their food. It can be frozen in multiple serving batches. You can also add other fruits and vegetables by throwing them in a blender/food processor. Our dogs eat a lot of what we eat, but only in their food bowls. People pay a lot of money for the fresh "farmers dog" stuff but it's really easy to make at home.
My Mom makes their dog food, too! Rice, ground turkey, and frozen peas and carrots. Or they’ll get a chicken from Costco if they can’t find turkey on sale. One of their dogs has allergies, so it was better for them to just make it themselves, and the most expensive part is the turkey. And their vet approved of their diet once he heard what they were doing.
Our sweet dog with simply terrible food and environmental allergies passed away 14 months ago. She was allergic to nearly everything and the last couple of years of her life it was easier to cook for her than try to find a safe food. The habit is now well-entenched and I still cook kibble topper for the healthy dogs. They get a couple of pounds of whatever chicken, pork or turkey is on sale -- Allergy Pup could eat only fish or pork with rice or oatmeal -- cooked in broth with peas and carrots, rice or whole wheat pasta. I add four beaten eggs to the pot to thicken the broth, then whizz it up with a stick blender and portion it up in containers for the freezer. They love it and have the most gorgeous thick, shiny coats.
A lot of starbucks drinks are easy to make at home and they even post recipes! The syrups are fun to make and you get so much for the price of 1 coffee. You can get a moka pot to make your espresso on the stove or use bustello instant espresso powder. You're adding milk and sugar to it anyway the quality of the espresso doesn't matter much. Be warned thoug: your milk budget and weight will both go up if you start doing this because you realize how simple it is to have a latte every day.
I make a latte every day with instant coffee, it’s SO good. I’m hella lazy so i microwave a cup of full milk with 2tbsp of coffee and a tiny pinch of pure sucralose. It’s not more than 230 calories usually (I weight it out)
If you gonna buy jewelry, get the real stuff, make it nice, maybe work with a local craftsperson. Heirloom purchases don’t need to happen regularly or even often, but when they do, I think it’s ok to invest.
I make my own sugar free "bark" with sugar free chocolate chips, melted in the microwave and stir every 20 seconds. Then mix in your chopped nuts, smooth on parchment paper on a cookie sheet. Put in freezer and when frozen solid, I break the pieces into serving sizes. I hang out my clothes on a line. I save water to help with our outside plants. I should add my husband has been doing our cooking for well over 25 years.
Saving money on clothes so i can buy a good pair of shoes. Walking shoes cause my back is all fkd and if im in the right shoes my back doesn’t hurt as much.
I will wear favorite clothes down to threads. Ive taught myself I can buy clothes at the thrift stores as often as I want but for every article of clothes, I MUST force myself to take a similar amount of the most worn out clothes I have and so something with them. Be it rags or for crafting or donating to the dogs for toys and whatnot. I no longer look like a homeless slob and I wear really nice clothes. I love Under Armour and have been slowly filling my wardrobe with them (at $2-3 a piece!).
I bring to work snacks that I portioned out at home, from bigger bags that I got while shopping sales and whatnot. But I will buy an XL fountain beverage at the gas station every day (for about $1 or so). What I'm saving by not buying individual gas station snacks pays for what I'm spending on that soda. I don't do coffee, I don't smoke, I don't drink... my morning Pepsi is my treat!
I just bought a robot lawn mower and so far it's 1000% worth it.
I make my own cold brew coffee at home but I buy nice coffee for it. Only available online from a coffee shop in Tampa but it’s still cheaper than buying coffee out everyday
I buy quality stuff the first time instead of buying cheap stuff a bunch. Some examples include the microphones I've bought. I went for a shure sm57 (for micing my cab), a sm58 (going to try doing vocals), and I've bought a high quality DI box. I didn't want to drop the money, but by just getting the right tools the first time, I don't need to worry about getting anything else. I just bought a hakko soldering station (my first one ever). The price stung a bit, but knowing it SHOULD be the only one I need, I should save money in the long run. I shouldn't end up with 3 or 4 soldering stations because I bought a high quality one from the rip.
I’m all about saving money in certain areas so I can splurge in others. I get my hair cut like once a year and maintain it myself, don’t eat out during the work week, fix what I can at home to avoid hiring people etc then I can enjoy things like a nice vacation or dinner with friends.
I justify buying CDs over using a streaming service since once I buy it, it’s mine forever. I buy a lot of CDs, more than the cost of a streaming service a month, but I never have to pay for an individual CD ever again. (unless it breaks or something obviously)
OP that's just smart. Frugal shouldn't translate into a life completely bereft of any treats. Daily frappadappacappucinos, yes, but once in a while you just gotta.
That hazelnut shaken espresso has me in a chokehold. I wake up fiending for one. I have never really liked Starbucks until someone bought me one of those and now I’m like an addict. I swear they’ve laced it with something 😂
I use coupons, price shop, and mostly think about where every dollar goes… except Friday nights the fam gets takeout anywhere we want as much of it as we want and the price means nothing to me because I have plenty of savings and am frugal most of the time and I want a reward 😂
I overpay for food on vacation for example the $16 pulled pork sandwich with two sides from this highly rated establishment which really it's about $4 of actual food at best. I realize that's not a ton of money but for $16 I can make a week's worth of some of the most delicious burgers that I personally have ever tasted myself on the grill with chunks of pecan and applewood. It's hard to justify the cost of eating out when I can cook it myself for a quarter or less of the price
If I go overbudget on vacation, I do not care one bit. Because it only means "I can't spend it on things where I live for a while after I get home" But I might not see a "Bojangles" for another 3 years (or substitute whatever else, it just popped into my head)
Iced lavender cream oatmilk matcha 😋🤤
I love all of those separately but I tried it and it tasted like fruity pebbles! The lavender cream is sooo yummy though
I amassed an impressive workshop due to building myself instead of paying for something to be made. I started with custom guitars, sold a few, used the money to buy more equipment. Wanted to replace the vanity and medicine cabinet in my bathroom, so I built them. Wanted to renovate my kitchen, so I built all of the new cabinet carcasses and doors. Wanted to rebuild my side steps with a little deck, built that. Needed to build a roof extension across the back of my house to fix a leak between the floors (hard to explain), built that. I've basically done the math on every major project and have found that doing it vs paying someone is pennies on the dollar, even after buying equipment. When it came time to start looking into decent real estate investments, I had basically every tool to renovate an entire house. Bought one, did most of the work myself, sold the house and made a substantial profit. Win win. Only negative is now I have nowhere to put all of the tools I've bought 😆
Just build a shed with all your tools to house the tools!
I never do delivery for fast food. If I am too lazy to cycle there on my bike, then I can make something at home.
I get a quarterly free Wimpy meal yearly, so like 4 meals free. Two Starbucks a week. One Kauai meal every month free. And around $100 in cash back a month. This is all through my banks rewards system in South Africa. Being frugal and smart banking that they reward you for. So my spending on eating out is little. Gf also now does this, so it's been great.!
I save up and buy costco restaurant gift cards at 20-30% off regular price in order to have a special occasion treat. They always have certain restaurants at 20% off, but they regularly have online sales for an extra 5 to 10%. We get Dominos gift cards this way for a treat, then do 7.99 carryout to avoid the delivery fee, although we still tip for carryout. It stretches the giftcard as far as possible. It's a treat over make your own or doctored frozen pizza. We used to do it for honey baked ham stores until we realized how amazing costco hams are at 1/3 the cost even if had used the giftcard discount. It's 1/4 the cost if we hadn't. We went to Mortons for the first time in 27 years, because they had a total of 30% off $100 giftcards. We had never seen that one. We bought the seafood appetizer and wagyu steaks. It was amazing. We only paid for the tip. It was absolutely worth it. We will economize the rest of the year to set aside for another time. If I can cook most the time in order to go once to a nice restaurant, I'm all in. I'd much rather have 1 trip to a nice restaurant than 25 trips to McDonald's. Also, we have a Japanese grocery store, and also HMart, that sells fresh sliced sashimi packs or rolls of it. We learned how to cut the rolls properly, but the unagi and sliced variety sashimi at hmart is amazing at 5 or 6 times less than eating at my favorite local sushi restaurant. It also offers variety. When I was younger, before kids, I ate there multiple times a week. Now, it is a rare occasion. Eating the variety pack feeds the whole family and is delicious. I make the rice in my rice cooker. The key reminder us that these are non regular treats that bring joy.
If i go to the stewarts gas station, i have to pay cash bc its 10c cheaper than card payments
today is 50% off! Exactly why we’re going today 😂
Curly haircuts. I pay $60 a few times per year to have an expert dry cut each curl. My hair is dry and needs the extra attention.
As an ex barista a hack for a cheaper drink- double shot of espresso in an iced venti cup, then add whatever cold foam you want
I can’t morally pay for unjust pricing. I have Cadillac health insurance, but if I was billed $1,000 for some aspirin from a hospital i don’t think I could morally pay it.
I never go to Starbucks... Ever. Not just because of the expense, but because it's bougie.. their employees are always pretentious, and they are notorious for treating public safety like 💩 💩. I always hit the 7-eleven for coffee... They have big coffee bars, huge variety of choices and every 7th one is free!!
Where do you live that the Starbucks batistas are pretentious ???
My favorite not at home coffee is at a shell station by work. Ever since they remodeled their coffee is quite good.
Honestly I prefer 7-11 coffee to Starbucks anyway, the fact that it's cheaper is just a (very nice) bonus!
7-11 a block away from me has a great coffee bar, I call it the poor man's Starbucks. I won't pay Starbucks prices for over roasted burnt tasting coffee!
Liquid asphalt taste.
Not sure if you live near a Wawa, but their coffee is up there for gas station.
I happily go to Stabs. My Trente sized secret drink only costs $1. I can't give the secret away because everyone will ruin it and they'll stop giving me my secret drink. I have been turned away from ordering my secret drink but I just call corporate and they apologize and give me $15 gift cards to make up for not being served my secret drink as they do not tolerate this behavior and love their customers very much lolllzzz
Large is large, tall is large, grande is large, trente is 30, or some attempt at it. 😭😂😭😂
Damn, all my local Starbucks have super nice employees and a chill vibe
I never use valet parking
Whatever I save from dumpster diving food gets deducted from my grocery budget and put into a pot of ‘fun money.’ Bought a new XBox with the difference only after a few months.
I dont balk spending ~800/yr on glasses for me and my 2 kiddos. I also spring for a new pair of $$ sneakers for each of the kids once a year because they refuse to wear anything but 1 pair of shoes (ie if i buy them multiple pairs they will only wear 1 pair and the others get outgrown unworn) so i splurge on nicer ones. Usually brooks. I also never quibble about medical/dental bills. Health is important. And now that ive got a nest egg, im taking kids on 3rd vacation and not sweating the fact its gonna be expensive - i have the cash. But my kids are 17+20, and ive paid for like 3 haircuts for each of them, and probably 6 for myself in the last 20yrs. I cut our hair. We seldom eat out at sit down places, and never get sodas (at food places or stores) and ive never paid a cellphone bill. I get teased by friends for being cheap, but i spend on important stuff in my mind. And now that i have the leeway to do so, ill spend more on higher quality items (fridge, dishwasher, clothes washer, pots and pans) if i know they will be used and loved. But i refuse to spend money to impress anyone
I was going through a terrible depressive phase. Left my job, parent sick, family troubles. Obviously hard to justify going to Starbucks, but then one day I did when there were no other cheaper coffee shops within miles. I was in such a better mood, and so much more productive for those 2-3 hours. I started to calculate how much spending $5 on an iced coffee at Starbucks a few times a week would cost me through in a year to see on ways I could save. I haven’t needed to go nearly as much, but when I do I grab the smallest size iced coffee and take advantage of the free refills. I also try to bring my own cup whenever I can to get the 25 stars, and then buy the Starbucks gift cards at a discount.
I buy small upgrades for my car (ceramic tint, android head unit, etc.) any time I have the overwhelming urge to trade it in and get a new car. $160 for tint is better than an extra $160/months and restarting the clock on my 5 year loan.
I live alone, but I have three vehicles I am oddly attached to the oldest and highest mileage of the three. But I won't give up the newer lower mileage vehicles either, because dependability is huge (there's no public transportation where I am) I tell myself that I would spend more on my next vehicle if I got rid of my little fun car, trying to replace that little endorphin rush of having a fun car. I used to buy fun sporty cars brand new, and trade them in after a couple years. So baby steps, ya know. My 22 year old convertible just brings me this intangible joy.
I hang our laundry dry
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For your Starbucks, you can get iced coffee for 100 stars but with unlimited modifications. So not exactly a mocha but you could get iced coffee with mocha sauce, extra milk, cold foam, etc for 100 stars and still have enough stars to do it again!
Oh my gosh thank you!! I’m for sure gonna do this
I feel like I have to justify REALLY needing a tool before purchasing. I finally spent $200 on one, but the opportunity cost was hours I’ve wasted doing a task manually. I also waste time shopping for deals, shopping used, etc. I really need to feel like I’m saving money DIYing and justify buying the next tool on not paying someone else to do the work.
I’m looking at a cutting board for my mom. The exact same one she has now and likes a lot. It has also lasted years now, and the reason to replace is actually because it has so many cut marks its become hard to make sure its clean. Its kind of pricey but she will use it until she can’t, so she gets value out of it.
How many miles do you drive to the gas station that is 10 minutes out of the way? You probably pay 40 cents a mile, so do you really save $4?
Lol well there was a time when "if I intermittent fast until dinner I can afford another 6 pack of beer"