As living expenses in many places across the world continue to rise and wages struggle to keep up, people are having a difficult time adapting.
For example, a 2023 Forbes Advisor survey revealed that nearly 70% of Americans either identified as living paycheck to paycheck (40%) or—even more worrying—reported that their income doesn’t even cover their standard expenses (29%).
Interested in ways of surviving such situations, Reddit user _JosiahBartlet made a post on the platform, asking others to share the frugal tips that worked for them better than expected.
Reusing normal ziploc bags. My parents did it all the time growing up in the 80s and 90s. Not sure why people think they’re single use. They are durable enough to use many times over with enough care.
This is one from a long time ago, but thrift store plates that don’t match. They tend to be less heavy, and they all do the same thing a little different than the other which is good depending on the kind of food you’re having.
And if one plate breaks, you don’t care.
The idea of maintaining a ‘four piece set’ when a plate breaks seems just another thing to manage, that really does not matter.
Buying clothes secondhand only. 3 years in and frankly I no longer see the point of ever paying retail prices for new clothes. I thrift about once a week and over time have easily found everything I need. Bonus: it’s helped with my mindset in sort of training myself out of immediacy/instant gratification and into longer term planning and patience.
I will buy shoes new as needed, however.
Buying an upright freezer made it easier to prep meals in bulk at much lower cost thus saving not only money but also time. Why cook rice 9 times for 9 meals when I could do it once and portion it out and freeze in the time it takes to cook it for 2? Why do bolognese sauce for 8 portions when I could do 40 in the same time plus another 10 minutes for portioning? Even my skeptical husband has admitted it was highly worth it.
Getting rid of my new high trim vehicle to drive a 2008. Getting rid of the loan and warranty saves me 12k a year. I’m so happy to be driving this piece of s**t that’s good on gas with no car payment. I do not envy anyone with a brand new car anymore. Especially the high trim models. I’d rather save the money for the apocalypse.
Quitting smoking. It came, of course, with better health benefits. But the initial greatest impact was my wallet. Smokers are literally burning up their dollars.
We have a Swiffer mop, but we haven’t bought the pads for years. My husband knits reusable pads out of cheap cotton yarn that last for several years, and we just use regular floor cleaner in a bucket to mop.
Learning how to cook.
Status-Soup-2974:
I second this. Used to eat out 2-3 times a day, then moved to a more expensive city and was forced to start eating at home. Now I prefer having my own home-cooked meals over fast food.
Cutting the tops off tube containers like face wash, lotion, etc. and scooping out the rest of what is left has been a big money saver! You’ll be amazed at how much is still left once it stops squeezing out. To keep the product from drying out, slide the cut piece down onto the area where you made the cut.
Menstrual cup – been using the same silicone one for more than 6 years. So much prefer to tampons for many reasons besides saving cash.
Cycling ! Super cheap mean of transportation (basically just maintenance and even that is super cheap), good for your health, makes you smile. Can’t believe there aren’t more people doing it, it truly feels like a cheat code. It’s my main way to go from A to B. I’ll buy a cargo bike for sure.
Giving up alcohol. I quit last year after going through my budget at the end of 2022 and realizing the insane amount I spent going out. I still go out with my friends, but I drink club sodas instead now- which normally bartenders don’t even charge me for or are free refills. Went from spending $500+ /month on alcohol to maybe $30 on flavored seltzers. Huge huge win, and I am not only better off financially, but mentally and physically also.
I stopped driving to run small errands. I walk instead.
I really enjoy the walks through my neighborhood. I stop at the store to pick up whatever I need, or run into the bank.
I cut my gas cost in half. And I get the exercise.
This year I stopped getting coffee and drinks outside. This saves me about $125-$150 per month. I’m unexpectedly not even missing it and I’m planning to throw this money into my retirement account.
Did a no spend year on clothes. It was way easier and more enjoyable than expected. I made myself “shop” my own closet and discovered so many cool pieces I’d forgotten about. Other than to replace essential things that get worn out/fall apart, I really don’t need any new clothes. That was a liberating discovery.
Eliminating waste. It feels good to use up food before it goes bad. Prior to getting serious, we would throw out so much food waste as it spoiled.
I bring every snack, drink, breakfast and lunch from home every day when I go to work. I work in Downtown Brooklyn in NY which is about as expensive as Manhattan… saves me roughly $400 a month!
Cutting my own hair. I started during the pandemic because none of the hair salons were open, and I figured if it looked terrible no one would see it anyway. I tend to prefer simple cuts that are easy to do on myself, and this also cuts out the awkward small talk and all the chemical smells that trigger my asthma. If I decide I want a more complicated hairstyle I’ll pay a professional, but if all I want is a trim I can do it myself for free (the hair scissors paid for themselves with the first haircut).
What about eating less and portion control? My wife and I sometimes split meals, at least when we ate out. Though I’m pretty sure I still eat way more than I need, I think developing healthy eating habits or not eating after you’re 80% full could be great for your finances as well as your health.
Wool dryer balls. It reduces the price of laundry and at the same time it reduces the amount of fragrance there is. Win Win. Reducing the amount of stuff that I have. I’ve always liked my stuff, after all I bought it all. 🙂 But having less stuff means work taking care of it, cleaning it and storing it.
Moving into my tiny house. Major downsizing. One room, bathroom and closet. Catio. Honestly I love it. No kitchen. I have a microwave and a toaster oven. Mini crockpot and a mini noodle pot. Small fridge. And a futon. My cats are happy and so am I.
Note: this post originally had 66 images. It’s been shortened to the top 30 images based on user votes.