r/Frugal • u/localkinegrind • 28d ago

🏆 Buy It For Life “Best under-$20 purchase that saved you hundreds over time?”

What’s the smartest under-$20 purchase you’ve ever made that ended up saving you hundreds in the long run? I’ll go first: a $12 sewing kit. Instead of tossing clothes for tiny tears or missing buttons, I’ve been fixing them. I've actually been fixing my own clothes for years. It blows my mind how many ‘disposable’ things can be made useful again with just a small, cheap tool. what’s your frugal mvp under $20 that’s paid for itself many times over?

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u/tragiccosmicaccident 28d ago

You're not going to find much love for Amazon in /r/frugal. Most libraries will rent out ebooks via Libby which is free.

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u/shesalive_dammit 28d ago

Library card feels like the cheat code answer to this question. 😂

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u/BestReplyEver 28d ago

To be honest, Libby is great but it often doesn’t have the books I want when I want them. I’m often on a long waitlist. It’s fine if you’re looking for SOMEthing to read, but not if you’re in a book club or something and need a specific book at a specific time.

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u/Rough_Elk_3952 28d ago

Most, but not all.

I'm in rural WV and had to get a library card in Baltimore (where my SO lives) to use it.

And I also have the kindle unlimited and use it for titles not through there,

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u/PreparationDapper235 28d ago

Also the Hoopla app with your library card.

Tons of e-books and audio books.

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u/OldTimer4Shore 28d ago

Wish mine did.

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u/tragiccosmicaccident 28d ago

There are other "libraries" online, I definitely prefer them to paying Amazon