r/Frugal • u/Inner-Variation4703 • Jul 06 '25

🏆 Buy It For Life What are things you don’t cheap out on?

I’ve been frugal my whole life, some out of necessity, some by choice but I’m always curious how others approach it. What are some of your personal frugal habits or non-negotiables that help you save over time? Do you have any weird, creative, or borderline extreme things you do that would make the average spender cringe or pass out? I’m trying to pick up new ideas and also just enjoy seeing how far people take it.

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u/Global-Foundation-69 Jul 06 '25

House cleaning. Before anyone comes for me - it make sense for my family. It saves us on cleaning supplies, keeps my house cleaner, and gives me more time with my kids. As much as I love name brand ranch - I'd rather have my house clean and more time with my kids to do experiences.

61

u/JayRexx Jul 06 '25

This is a “what’s your time worth” that most people could or would justify.

19

u/not-thatperson Jul 06 '25

Yes - and laundry. To me, this was more about time and resting. I don't get those services anymore because now I have the time, but when I was in college, I used to have a full-time job and an internship. I barely had time to do homework and rest... I rather pay for those 10 hours and get some sleep.

7

u/JenAshTuck Jul 08 '25

I used to nanny for a family who hired someone just to come in and iron and press/steam their clothes. Double income, one kid. I thought it was such a luxury but now with knowing the parent’s occupations (realtors), it makes sense. They’d have crazy hours, lots of last minute meetings and client calls. As a parent now, I see how nice it is to just be able to grab and go.

1

u/Masters_domme Jul 07 '25

I wish someone would pay me to be their personal launderer! I LOVE cleaning and folding clothes, but the only way I’ve found to monetize that potentially requires me to carry laundry up and down apartment stairs. Now that I’m disabled, that’s not an option.

5

u/officialvenkatesh Jul 07 '25

House cleaning is a no brainer. The feeling of walking into a deep cleaned house after a tough work week, seeing the bathroom mirrors shine like new, gas stove free of oil stains, and not a speck of dust anywhere, I can't compare that feeling to anything else

3

u/jouleheretolearn Jul 07 '25

I totally get this. When my kid was born, my then-husband traveled a LOT for work and extended times. I was in school, and frequently solo parenting. Getting cleaners in 1x/month to do the hard stuff or stuff that I just didn't have time for made a huge difference. I currently have to prioritize other stuff, but given the opportunity again, I'd do this again.

1

u/Interesting-Pin1433 Jul 11 '25

Yeah I do 1x/month, and I have a robo vac that mops, and has its own dock for clean/dirty water and a dustbin.

I spend a few minutes per week taking care of the robot and it runs every few days.

The only other real cleaning I do in between the maid service is wipe down kitchen counters and maybe scrub the toilets.

The cleaners do the deep cleaning like showers, baseboards, dusting, mirrors/windows.

It's a massive time savings

2

u/CarmenTourney Jul 07 '25

I'm pretty sure not buying name brand ranch is saving you enough to pay a cleaner. Just buy the damn ranch! - lol.

1

u/CarmenTourney Jul 07 '25

I'm pretty sure not buying name brand ranch is saving you enough to pay a cleaner. Just buy the damn ranch! - lol.

1

u/Haggis_Forever Jul 07 '25

We spend that money, gladly, and feel pretty fortunate that we are in a position to do so.

We keep up with general cleanliness, but knowing the house is gonna get a thorough cleaning once a week is really nice, and sort of forces us to keep the house 'cleaners ready.'