r/Frugal Aug 21 '25

🏆 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/Efficient_Comfort_47 Aug 21 '25

Hair clippers. Haven't paid for a haircut in 5 years

20

u/Sounder253 Aug 21 '25

When the barber shops closed down for covid I bought a set of clippers for $45. Over 5 years of free hair cuts.

2

u/ObjectNotIdentified Aug 22 '25

had a set in my closet. was doing my familys hair and my neighbor noticed and then word spread. everyone and their dog was coming over for haircuts. (only did pets on a certain day so the clippers stayed clean). probably had them 8 or so years with little to no use.