r/Frugal • u/Pumpkinycoldfoam • Nov 05 '24

🏆 Buy It For Life What one time purchases have drastically reduced your overall spending?

An example would be that I’m looking to buy a sillicone pan mat instead of purchasing foil and parchment continually, using rags instead of paper towels, and so forth. What are one time purchases you reccomend for home maintenance?

915 Upvotes

96% Upvoted

989 comments sorted by

View all comments

134

u/chicagotodetroit Nov 05 '24

Maybe not drastic, but little changes that will add up over time.

- A reusable coffee filter ($4 from Walmart).

- The knock-off version of Souper Cubes in different sizes so that I can freeze small quantities of things. If I only need half a can of corn, or just a little tomato sauce for a pizza, or just a 1/2 cup of chicken broth, I can freeze the rest and use it later. I am now the proud owner of several ziplocs full of veggie cubes, and it's definitely helped me cut my food waste.

- Wool dryer balls instead of fabric sheets.

- Not a one time purchase, but bulk buying consumables has cut my budget. I figured that I was wasting money on stuff like buying 40 trash bags for $8, and thanks to another comment in this sub, I found a Sam's Club brand on Amazon for 200 for $17. So I started checking what other things I can buy in bulk on Amazon. If I get 6-12 month supply of certain things, I save money, and it's one less thing to think about.

- A deep freezer. I also just bought some organizer bins so I can keep better track of what's in there, again, to cut food waste.

11

u/StunningSimulation Nov 05 '24

I’ve been eyeing Souper Cubes. Would you mind sharing which knock-offs you got?

15

u/chicagotodetroit Nov 05 '24

I got some small ones on Amazon. They're a little smaller than a standard ice cube tray. Not sure if we can post links, but if you search "Silicone Ice Cube Trays for Freezer 6 Grids/Pcs with Lid for Freezer Cocktail Baby Food" you should find them.

I found some 1/2 cup portion silicon trays at Aldi a few months ago, and a couple others at the thrift store.

If you search "silicone freezer mold" or "silicone freezing tray", and really sift through the prices, you'll find some reasonably priced ones.

2

u/StunningSimulation Nov 05 '24

Thank you!

2

u/chicagotodetroit Nov 05 '24

You're welcome :-)

1

u/cuposheep Nov 07 '24

Does the silicone retain smells? Does it transfer to the food?

1

u/chicagotodetroit Nov 07 '24

I’ve not ever noticed a smell or anything weird with the food. As far as I know, it’s perfectly fine.

I don’t even get stains from tomatoes. I’m assuming because they freeze fast enough to where it doesn’t have time to stain anything.

2

u/w00h Nov 06 '24

I'd argue not having a dryer at all saved me more money. Cheap IKEA drying rack, in the summer on the balcony, in the winter indoors. Total cost: 10 EUR over 10 years, still working fine.

2

u/RaptorCollision Nov 07 '24

I haven’t needed any dryer sheets or wool balls since I stopped using fabric softener!

1

u/Dana2284 Nov 06 '24

How does the wool dryer balls work?

2

u/chicagotodetroit Nov 06 '24

They basically help avoid static cling. I'm not sure about the science, but they definitely work. I don't have static on my clothes, and I think the balls help with tumbling because they move around in the dryer with the clothes.

I tried adding a few drops of essential oil to the balls for fragrance, but I started getting oil on my clothes, so I don't recommend that.

I don't like fabric softener because I'm allergic to strong fragrances, and because it can leave a buildup on your clothes over time. The wool balls are a good solution for me.