Some so-called money-saving tips take so much time and energy that they’re just not worth it. But when I came across this thread of people sharing the practical frugal habits they’ll stick to no matter how much money they make, I saw so many ideas that are actually useful that I had to share them. Here’s what people had to say:
1.
“Turning lights off. It probably saves barely anything nowadays, but I can’t bear an empty room with the light left on.”
2.
“Using all resources available from my local libraries.”
3.
“Getting the last drop of every cream, lotion, toothpaste, shampoo, conditioner, and facial serum by cutting the containers in half.”
4.
“Baking my own bread. It’s therapeutic, saves money, and makes the house smell amazing.”
5.
“Driving my cars until the wheels fall off.”
6.
“I make a fuckload of money, and have for the last 12 years. I won’t buy berries at the grocery store unless they’re on sale.”
7.
“Buying generic brands. There are very few brands worth the extra money.”
8.
“Never go broke trying to save money. There’s no point in most sales. Buy stuff when you truly need it, buy it used, and only buy one. If all else fails, buy it new, on sale, and with a good warranty. Then sell it when you are done using it so it doesn’t add to clutter.”
9.
“Never paying for parking.”
10.
“Buying everything second-hand. I’ll never give up the hunt for treasure, plus the chance of an actual, unique find. Not to mention the quality of clothing has dropped so drastically, the thrift is better quality if you find older stuff.”
11.
“I don’t use the car for just one errand; there have to be at least two things to be done to warrant driving the car and using gas.”
12.
“Making coffee at home. For me, it’s more convenient to make coffee at home than to go somewhere and wait in a drive-through line. Also, coffee from outside doesn’t taste as good as what I make.”
13.
“I use a grocery delivery service. I pay a $65 signup fee annually, but get free delivery after $35 spend, and as soon as the next day. This allows me to build a list throughout the week, and it also keeps me from going up and down the aisles just finding stuff. Lots of fresh-baked items like breads, donuts, and such aren’t available through the app, much less those alluring discounted Manager Specials that I didn’t need in the first place. My orders are pretty consistent in just replacing the things I use up instead of adding other things on top.”
14.
“Riding my bicycle rather than driving my car when possible.”
15.
“Eating leftovers and planning ahead for no food waste.”
16.
“Comparing prices per unit when buying something. I may opt for higher quality, but I do so on purpose.”
17.
“Not getting a new phone until the previous one dies.”
18.
“Not ordering delivery from services like DoorDash, Grubhub, etc. It’s already a splurge if I’m getting restaurant food, I’m not adding extra fees AND a tip to eat food that is not piping hot in my house.”
19.
“Reusing Ziploc bags.”
20.
“Saving brown packing paper from deliveries to use as wrapping paper for gifts.”
21.
“Doing minor repairs and cosmetic upkeep around the house with my husband. We painted the walls and replaced wall plugs, parts around the bathroom, kitchen sink, etc, ourselves. It’s a fun activity, a great memory, and you learn something new every time, which ultimately helps you take better care of the home.”
22.
“Doing almost all of my self-care at home. I do manicures, pedicures, hair masks, styling, eyebrows, etc. I won’t cut my own hair, but everything else is DIY.”
23.
“I will never stop running a household budget. My wife and I are still working on paying off our debt, but keeping a monthly plan has been so useful that I do recommend every household tracks their spending rather than winging it.”
25.
“Cleaning the house myself. I hate it, but I’d hate paying someone else for it even more.”
26.
“Bringing my home-made lunch to work.”
27.
“I’ll never be able to not look at the weekly ad before grocery shopping. I can look at the digital one now, but that’s my frugal habit that I will take to the grave. And I always look for a coupon code when online shopping. I have a hard time because my husband and I had very different upbringings. We do well now, but some of my frugal habits drive him nuts. Most he’s okay with it, though, since we save money.”
28.
“I love the thrill of not paying retail, so I wait for items to go on sale, look for better prices online, refinish old furniture, or go shopping in our garage before hitting the stores. It just feels good not following the status quo of consuming.”
29.
And finally, “Things that save the earth. That is a large part of the reason I am frugal. I reduce, reuse, and recycle. Turn off lights, buy used if possible, repair, and shop intentionally. I can make more money, but we only have one Earth. My household makes decent money; we just don’t need to waste resources.”
What’s a frugal habit you’ll never give up, no matter how much money you make? Tell us in the comments or via the anonymous form below:
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