Frugal People Are Sharing Their Favorite “Effortless” Money-Saving Habits, And Some Of Them Are Surprising
I love a good money-saving tip, and if it’s so easy that it’s basically foolproof, even better! So when I came across this Reddit thread of people sharing their favorite little “effortless” tips for saving money, I was instantly hooked. Though what’s effortless for one person might be a heinous chore for someone else, I think there’s something for everyone on this list. Here are some of the top comments:
1.
“When our dishwasher is full and ready to be started, I set an alarm on my watch for 9 p.m. I start the dishwasher when the alarm goes off since the electricity rate goes down after 9 p.m.”
2.
“Write every transaction down in a spiral notebook using a pen. The process makes every purchase feel tangible and immediate. It also gives me time to reconsider buying something.”
āu/agile_makes_no_sense
3.
“I keep my cell phones for several years. I use apps like Ibotta, Fetch, and Honey and save all my points /money for years and use that to buy a new cellphone in full. Haven’t paid for a phone in a very long time.”
āu/yamerpro
4.
“When grocery shopping, I look at the unit prices vs. sticker prices. Youād be amazed at how many equivalent products are right next to each other on the shelf and one is two or three times more expensive than the other.”
5.
“When I go shopping, my mantra is, ‘if I have to think about it, I don’t really want it.’ Nine out of 10 times, I talk myself out of buying whatever it is.”
āu/bowandbat
7.
“Use my credit card that gets rewards points for all purchases and bills that I can.”
8.
“I use only two tablespoons of laundry detergent in most wash cycles, use a solid shampoo bar, solid soap bars, and a solid dish soap bar in the kitchen. Bars last far longer, take up less space, and Iām not paying for a product thatās mostly water.”
āu/jbblue48089
9.
“When I’m in a town with cheaper gas than mine, I do as many of my chores first before filling up so I use up more expensive gas and make room for more cheap gas.”
āu/greypouponlifestyle
10.
“Re-wear clothing a few times before laundering (not socks, underwear, or t-shirts).”
11.
“I saw a video in a store like TJ Maxx or whatever. It described all the items in there as waiting to become Goodwill donations, and it really made me rethink how I view stores and how much new crap I need.”
āu/racheldotpsd
12.
“Mend our clothes ā patching, darning. Well, not the formal office wear (my office has a rather strict dress code) or going-out dressy things, of course, but all home and casual stuff.”
āu/puzzleheaded-emu-138
13.
“Save all my chicken bones from my chicken to make stock.”
14.
“Use used food bags to pick up the dog’s poop.”
āu/bezere
15.
“Buy a reliable car, do routine maintenance like oil changes, and donāt replace it until it is more expensive to keep than replace. I have a ā93 Camry that still runs great and still requires few repairs.”
āu/im_not_here2day
16.
“When my dog tears up a stuffed toy, I put all the stuffing back in and sew up the hole with some upholstery thread. Occasionally, if the toy is completely shredded, I will swap arms and legs from toy to toy to make new animals.”
17.
“I have my TV and cable box/Apple TV on a timer plug so that it switches off all night and almost all day and comes on at 6 p.m. when I get home from work. So, it saves me 18-ish hours of appliances on standby.”
āu/me_version_2
18.
“I have a pantry book that I update every time I do a food shop. That way, I won’t buy things twice next time.”
āu/forfina
19.
“I hold onto my receipts from Costco for a month. When they announce their specials, I go to the customer service desk and ask for the cash back on any items that had a price reduction.”
20.
“Save the water before the hot water warms up.”
āu/smartquokka
“I have a 5-gallon bucket that I leave in my shower for this purpose, then use it to water the plants around the house and porch. I mainly do it because we have a well and septic tank, and I don’t like to waste any water that I don’t have to.”
āu/gnericbear
21.
“I spit toothpaste into the toilet so I don’t have to waste water washing it down the sink drain.”
āu/lamppostboy
22.
“I have a vegetable garden. I estimate I have saved about $4.28 in food costs so far this year.”
23.
“Cut open lotion, toothpaste, shampoo, and conditioner bottles to get every last drop.”
āu/norcalkerry
24.
“Whenever CVS gives me a coupon for $5 off an item or 30% off a full-price item, I buy either sunblock or deodorant, whether I need it or not, because theyāre both wildly overpriced and at some point, Iām GONNA need it.”
āu/rich-past-6547
25.
“Ride the bus. It drops me off a few blocks from my job downtown. Driving gets expensive, and a bus fare is much less than paying for parking and gas.”
26.
“If you can afford it, always set your paycheck to direct deposit a couple of bucks into a savings account.”
āu/oliverbluedog0630
27.
“I only use a coupon if it is A: something I was already planning on buying and B: makes the item cheaper than the other brands.”
āu/apadley
28.
And finally, “If I go outside and play all day, I don’t have consumerist urges to buy stupid shit.”
āu/looney417
Do you have a simple money-saving habit? Tell us all about it in the comments!
