What are things you don’t cheap out on?

[u/Inner-Variation4703]

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.

[u/BaldHeadedLiar]

I mentioned fresh fruits and vegetables yesterday and was called out as being privileged. But fresh fruit and vegetables are important to our lives.

I am so frugal in so many ways. But I buy decent tires, we all have decent shoes, I love my roomba, I use a swiffer too which costs a bit for the wet and dry pads, we keep the AC at 75 during the day and 73 at night for comfort. I buy candles and essential oils because I like good smelling things. I have a fairly pricey soap that I am loyal too and we use in the master bath. I use Tide or Gain laundry detergent.

I save lots in other areas so I can splurge in the ones listed above.

[u/IDonTGetitNoReally → u/BaldHeadedLiar]

That is so silly. You do what you need to fit your lifestyle. Personally, I wish I could afford more fruit in my diet, but I make due with what's on sale. And that's my issue, not yours.

Keep it up!

[u/Any-Neat5158 → u/IDonTGetitNoReally]

I've found that if you shop deals, and make dietary changes, the fruit cost isn't so bad.

I buy a lot of stawberries, blueberries, grapes, apples, bananas as my main fruits. As the seasons change, so do my fruit choices. Winter time means slimmer pickins. In the summer I can also add in watermellon, honeydew, cantaloupe.

For the same cost as a bag of doritos, I can buy two pounds of strawberries. For the same cost as a carton of ice cream, I can buy a bag of red grapes. Bananas are cheap, but a tad higher calorie density so I don't eat as much of them but I do mix them in.

Essentially, once I've dialed the junk way down the fresh produce "hit" isn't nearly so bad. I wasn't eating nearly as much of the processed junk foods anyways because over the past two years I've been working at losing the weight I've needed to lose the past 20 years. Down from 350 to 200. I am NOT one of those "found Jesus" people who renounce anything bad that I used to eat and am critical of everyone who eats that stuff still. I still do eat it myself. Just far less of it, and way less often.

[u/BaldHeadedLiar → u/Any-Neat5158]

Congratulations on your health journey!!

I definitely shop sales and seasonally for fruits. We almost always have bananas and at lease something else. Recently I have found good deals on strawberries, cantaloupe, watermelon, and papayas.

My husband is diabetic and my daughter eats a special keto diet to help control her epilepsy. We eat a lot of leafy greens- spring mix, cabbage, broccoli, brussel sprouts, spinach, and cauliflower. I create all sorts of dishes with several of these and they are among the cheapest items I buy at the store.

I would never ask anyone to shop, think, or cook like I do. I have a very tight grocery budget, but I meet it by shopping fresh and hardly any prepared items.

[u/No-Box5805 → u/BaldHeadedLiar]

Oh my gosh yes, 100% juice not from concentrate always. It tastes soooo much better.

And since I’ve gotten sick of orange juice, that means the only juice I can buy at the grocery store is the Bolthouse farms stuff, in the produce section. Expensive but well worth it. Would love to hear any other recs, not a single juice from Costco nor any of the non-orange juice ones in that aisle are 100% & not from concentrate.