Frugal People Are Revealing The Must-Have Items That Save Them So Much Money They Basically Pay For Themselves
Recently, u/btb7861 asked frugal people on Reddit to share their must-have items that have helped them save so much money, and the conversation is full of really good ideas. Here are some of the top responses:
1."Our electricity bill went down when we bought our air fryer in July three years ago — the hottest month of the year. We weren’t heating up the apartment with the oven. We were sold after that. Just upgraded to a bigger air fryer earlier this year."
2."Library card. I’ve been listening to a lot of audiobooks using the Libby app, but there are other free resources that having a library card will give you access to as well."
"Seconding the library card! The apps let me rent four free audiobooks per month.
I can also rent free passes to local hiking trails and museums! It's fantastic. That alone is worth, like, $50 per excursion."
3."A chest freezer!"
"I love being able to stock up when I find something at a great price. My favorite are deals on meat and butter."
4."So many! Cloth napkins, rags, reusable menstrual products, safety razor, bidet, knit dishcloths, clothes drying rack, and dark curtains in the summertime to name a few."
"If anyone reading this doesn’t have one, please buy a bidet. I bought a twelve pack of toilet paper four months ago. I’ve maybe used three rolls. Such a money saver."
5."Mattress warmer, not to be confused with an electric blanket. Using the mattress warmer lets us lower the thermostat in winter. Downside/upside: it's a pet magnet."
"I use an electric blanket to do the same. It was a gift, so free! I just turn it on while I'm getting ready, and shut it off when I get in bed. I've had it for many years, and I'll need to purchase one when it finally dies."
6."Toaster oven. Don't know why I waited so long to buy!"
"Spent around $100 on a good quality toaster oven and it's great. I rarely use my full oven unless I'm baking something large or cooking meat. Saves a ton of time and energy vs. heating up the oven, and way more functional than a vertical toaster."
7."Basic hand tools and a willingness to DIY."
"This one is great. Using YouTube and online resources have saved me tons of money. Project Farm on YouTube is great for tool recommendations.
For tools, I strategize some. If it is a tool/device that is important or needed, I will buy the quality tool. If it is not as important, I will buy secondhand or the cheap version and use them until they break and then upgrade."
8."Using Camelcamelcamel to check price history on items I'm interested in buying and Fakespot to check authenticity of reviews."
9."This little octopus thingy I got at IKEA made to hang laundry to dry. It has a bunch of clothespins and can hold all kinds of socks/undies/shorts/etc. Got two of them. Generally, I don’t use my clothes dryer and hang dry 95% of my laundry. Towels/bedding have to be machine dried. And things that I don’t want any wrinkles, gets put into the machine for just long enough to pull the wrinkles out, then they get put on a hanger to finish. A bonus of avoiding the dryer is your clothes last a bit longer."
10."Honestly, my smartphone. I'm old enough that I lived a good chunk of my life before they existed. I remember in the car having a CD Walkman with that tape adapter, a booklet full of CDs, a bunch of paper maps in the trunk for when I got lost, and the pain in the ass that digital cameras were back then. My smartphone has replaced the need for so many other devices in my life, and made a lot of tasks simpler and less of a pain in the ass than they used to be."
11."Electric tea kettle so I don't have to turn on the stove. Water is ready so fast!"
12."Crock pot! I'm working part-time through nursing school. I batch cook things when I go to work, put about two servings in the freezer, and eat it for two or three meals."
13."Electric vehicle. It costs us about 3 cents per mile to drive and our fuel costs don’t fluctuate with the cost of a barrel of oil. Our old internal combustion economy car used to cost us 10 cents per mile to drive when gas was cheap. Right now it would be closer to 12 cents per mile. We sold that car in 2015."
14."Heavy curtains and fans. No AC needed, plus in winter the curtains will keep the room warm."
"I have blackout curtains and notice a massive difference in room temperature depending on if they’re opened or closed."
15."My thermos when I travel. I have lounge access at airports and I can make myself a pot of tea to take for the flight."
16."Vacuum sealer. Keeps frozen food from drying out and allows me to store it for months and months without a problem. I cut my food waste by at least half when I got one of those."
17."A pedicure kit. Pick up a dishwashing tub at the dollar store, a bag of Epsom salt, and a cheap pedi tools kit. I've gotten quite addicted to caring for my own feet."
18."Lots of reasonable quality kitchen items. Pots and pans, knives, utensils, dishware, etc. Nothing too high-end, just stuff that’s built to last. I won’t have to replace any of it for 10 years and at least some of it will last a lifetime. It also all makes cooking easier, which makes me less likely to eat out all the time."
19."My induction wok, since it helps me quickly make food from ingredients at home even when I am tired and sick AF. It generates less ambient heat than my gas stove, thus requiring less AC. Rice cooker: see fast lower effort meals, less heat than gas stove. I have a fancy one that paid for itself in several months."
"Induction has changed my life. Don't miss excess heat in my face and I save so much time not having to do anything more than wipe it down to clean it. On my electric cooktop before, things would burn when they over spilled, but with only the bottom of the pot getting hot enough to cook, no more burnt on anything!"
20."I 'cut the cord' a few years ago by dropping my landline and cable. I have internet through my provider and Sling TV. Save probably $150/month. That, plus YouTube, is enough for me. For my cell phones, I did not go with a more expensive unlimited plan. I have a 6G plan and it’s enough since I use Wi-Fi at home and at work. Plus I don’t game or watch movies on my phone so don’t use much data. Those are the most money-saving tips I have."
21."I order my groceries online, does that count? Prevents me from buying unnecessary junk and I can flip through the flyer and add sales, and have it dropped off first thing in the morning!"
"Yes, this is a huge one for me! I love ordering groceries online. Keeps me from impulse-buying and I can add coupons, like you said. Plus, I can see the total as I go. I have a hard time sticking to lists so I’ve just accepted that I need to order everything online now."
22."Cold brewer. I make my own iced coffee, every day, year round. I use different ground coffees, different creamers, always mix it up. Haven't stopped for coffee in well over two years. Likely saved thousands!!!"
23."Reusable containers that all use the same size lid for leftovers and food storage. I have a bunch from IKEA that are oven-proof glass or plastic, but they all use the same lids. I have tall and short squares of both types. It's so nice to put away leftovers from taco night by just snapping lids onto all the containers. I try to use the glass ones all the time. If something has to go into the freezer, it gets plastic. If it is a red sauce I freeze in plastic, then pop it out into glass and reheat so nothing stains. Saves so much money and carbon footprint on plastic bags."
24."The Flashfood app. If it's available in your area, GET IT! We have saved at least 50% on everything offered. I just got eight slabs (40.5 lbs) of ribs for $24. Yes, slabs were $3 each! Laura's Lean 92% for $2.99 lb. Some fresh food will need to be used or frozen in a day or two. Other items I've purchased are good for a year plus. You will save so much money and help the environment by keeping good food out of the landfills."
25.And finally, "Cash-back credit cards (with no annual fee.) It’s FREE MONEY! I have several of these cards, and I use them in every store or bill that accepts it; including the monthly bills like electric/gas, insurance, phone, etc. Different cards have rewards for various types of purchases, so choose carefully. The secret is that you MUST pay off the entire balance every month, or the interest charges will cancel out any benefit. So the other secret is that I pretend I am spending cash whenever I buy anything. That is, I don’t charge anything that I won’t be able to pay for at the end of the month. If it’s a big purchase, I’ll save up until I have enough for it, then put it on the card and pay it off a few weeks later. Instant discount! I have been doing this since cash-back cards were introduced, and these days I get around $5,000 back per year. Over the years, I have probably made an extra year’s salary this way."
"Before anyone comments, I realize this won’t work for everyone. The old adage 'Know Thyself' applies here. Some people have no choice but to use credit to survive. Others know they can’t resist spending money they don’t have. If either of these describes you, just scroll on and forget you read this. (I say this with love!)
Also, I have noticed lately that some businesses have started adding a surcharge for using credit. (Mostly they’re small, local businesses.) There’s usually a sign near the register, or on the check in a restaurant. So another secret is to pay attention to those signs. There are still times when cash is king.
Oh yeah… it’s also sent my credit rating to the top level 😃."
"I just started doing this this year, and it has been quite surprising how quickly the rewards build up."
