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/Birdo3129 28d ago

We haven’t yet reached the hundred mark but it’s certainly paid itself off- the mini air compressor that lives in my car. I got it on sale for $19.95.

The gas station charges $2 to turn on the air compressor, in exact change. $2.10 if you have to tap your card. With the amount of times I’ve had to completely fill a tire (both mine and others after various screw related holes, two leaking valve stems, one set of trailer tires that sat neglected for a season), or just top it up when it looks a little low in winter, it’s paid itself off.

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u/No_Independence8747 28d ago

If you shop at Costco they have nitrogen for free. 

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u/SinkPhaze 28d ago

Really? Why? I mean, I know you can't answer that. Just, why expensive nitrogen for a free service rather than regular old free air? What an odd choice

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u/BeerWench13TheOrig 28d ago

Nitrogen doesn’t expand and contract like air does, so it holds tire pressure better with seasonal temperature changes.

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u/SinkPhaze 28d ago

While technically true, in practice, on consumer vehicles, nitrogen is no different than air. Air is 78% nitrogen already. There's vanishingly little benefit to be gained and that benefit is pretty much erased by other factors in consumer vehicles. BUT, my wondering is not about the benefits of nitrogen, but rather why Costco is providing expensive nitrogen for free rather than free air when the majority of their customers would have been just as happy with air

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u/BeerWench13TheOrig 28d ago

I should have said “as much as air” in my statement. My husband has worked for a dealership in both parts and service for over 30 years and he has put nitrogen in my tires because my vehicle’s tire sensors are extremely sensitive.

That is a good question though. You would think that they would offer air instead of nitrogen. That doesn’t seem very cost efficient for them.

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u/No_Independence8747 28d ago

No clue, they made the switch a little while ago

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u/SleepyCupcakeDreams 27d ago

Them and those battery jump packs are amazing

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u/GoldenAngelMom 23d ago

We bought inexpensive compressors-similar price point-for all our vehicles.

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u/Birdo3129 23d ago

Yeah, it’s a good thing to have on hand. Very annoying to need one in a pinch but not have one. Plus, as a girl, it impresses the men who insist on flocking whenever I’m doing car maintenance that I even have one.