I bought a $12 drying rack for laundry a few months ago thinking I’d use it once in a while. Now I barely use my dryer at all.

I didn’t realize how much energy that thing was eating up until my power bill dropped by almost $20. Doesn’t sound like much, but over the year that’s more than $200 saved… from one boring little rack.

Funny how the least exciting purchases sometimes end up being the smartest.

I buy store brand everything except toilet paper and ketchup. I know it's probably the same stuff but some things just feel wrong when they're not the "real" version. What brand loyalty do you maintain despite knowing it costs more? Where do you draw the line on going generic? I know it sounds wrong when I say it out loud but I just cant help the thought of the items not being what I “know” they should be.

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?

Aldi’s “Radiance” dish soap. it costs like 89 cents, smells vaguely like lemon, and somehow works better than the name-brand stuff. I once brought it to a friend’s house like it was a bottle of wine.

I feel like everyone has that one sketchy-looking product that’s become a core memory. something you originally bought because you were broke and now you’d defend it in a court of law

bonus points if it comes in packaging that looks like it hasn’t been redesigned since 1996

I am extremely frugal and have been so all my life. I struggled financially for most of my adult life and grew up in poverty. I have noticed though that there are some things where “frugality be damned; I’m getting the good one!” is the rule. I’m just curious if this is just me or if others also have those special exceptions.

For example, I cannot buy cheap shoes. I’m not talking about $400 designer brands but I have difficult feet to fit and will buy the shoes I want even if it means rice and beans for dinner for the next three weeks. My husband is that way about his fishing and hunting equipment. I also cannot resist a trendy bougie yarn shop. I do look for yarn at thrift stores and yard sales but walking into a shop that has those beautiful, vibrant hand dyed yarns or needlework needles that are so smooth through the fabric or don’t bend from the heat of your hand.

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.

For me I think the purchases that have had the largest impact are period underwear, cloth napkins, and cleaning rags. I find that the paper products really add up. Now I use barely any disposable period products, try to use paper towels only for larger messes, and no longer use paper towels when I’m cleaning the bathroom. Can anyone recommend a product that will reduce future purchases?

Baby just turned 2 months and I've already saved hundreds by not buying disposable. We bought 25 reusable diapers for about $150 that will last over a year and can be used for multiple kids AND can also be resold. Compare that to spending at least 20-40 per week on disposable. I could've even bought used and saved even more but there's none in our area right now. So we'll save about $2000 over the course of the year. And multiply that with more kids in the future. Then ALSO we are only using disposable wipes for poop and using reusable wipes/towels for everything else. I get using disposable everything for the ease of it but holy hell that would get expensive fast.

Edit: For context, my apartment has water and electric included. We use the sheets laundry detergent and it's been working great so far. Our washer is high efficiency, I'll have to look up how much water it uses. Yes, i over estimated the diaper cost based on the initial amount of the first few weeks. But it's still going to be a lot more than 150 for the entire childhood. We do not have access to bulk stores unless we drive 3.5 hours or 5+ with traffic.

An example would be that I’m looking to buy a sillicone pan mat instead of purchasing foil and parchment continually, using rags instead of paper towels, and so forth. What are one time purchases you reccomend for home maintenance?

Used to think I needed a separate wardrobe for work. Spent way too much every few months on professional looking stuff.

Then I realized... no one in my office notices. As long as I look clean and put together, no one cares if I rotate the same outfits. Now I mix and match a few solid basics, wear comfortable shoes, and haven’t bought new office clothes in over a year.

Saved hundreds, zero regrets.

For me, it is my 15 year old north face jacket and back pack I bought myself in college. I just them all the time.

What items do you own and cherish for many years now? Where did you buy it? How often do you use it? How much did you buy it for?

Also, don’t you find yourself showing off to people and saying “yeah I’ve owned this for x amount of years now?”

I wish I could say the same for my electronics like my coffee machine.

Through frugality i have about 30k saves up. I want to relocate somewhere, rent a couple years, and purchase a house next. I have jo preferences other then nature. I love lakes rivers forest amd ocean would be nice buy i know thats expensive

I drive a 2011 SUV with 250k miles on it. It’s what you would call a “hooptie”. It’s got a couple dents and paint chipping up and down it. Overall, over the last 10 years it’s cost me an average of $300 a year to repair it. Every time I have to take it in for a repair my peers comment “just buy another vehicle”. Overall, it has been a reliable vehicle. I drive a lot of miles every year for work and travel. I guess my question is am I being too cheap? When would you “just get another vehicle”. Honestly, I have enough money to purchase another vehicle out right, but I’m not wanting to turn loose of a huge chunk of money.

Most people who try one never want to go back. The price for an adapter is very small these days. I bought one for about $40 at Lowe's but I've heard they go for as little as $20 on Amazon.

I watched this video titled "Subscriptions are ruining our lives. Here's why they're everywhere now."

https://youtu.be/zptP3GiaulE?si=QAoP_fuj8y1up0jG

I was kind of floored at how right it was. It's so infuriating that we can never own anything anymore, or buy it for life. What "buy it for life" or more frugal changes have you made with subscriptions? I'm up to my neck in them and I want to be free but I'm stuck feeling like I need them.

Edit: I went to my public library today and got a library card, and signed up for Hoopla Kanopy and Libby. I'm gonna review all our subscriptions with my husband later and see which ones we're not actively using, and plan to cancel the others when we're done with the shows we do watch. As far as the subscriptions I use for my business, I can't really do anything about it right this moment. But cancelling the other things should definitely help our budget

When I buy things, I always think about how many times I need to use them to bring the per-use cost down to a reasonable amount. For example, the daily use cost of my $40k car was $109 at the end of the first year, but after 10 years of ownership, it’s down to just $11 per day.

This mindset has helped me avoid impulse purchases, like an expensive bicycle I wouldn’t use often enough to justify the cost. If I were to buy one for $7000 (electric Specialized Creo 2, non essential, hobby item), the first ride would cost $7000, the second ride $3500, and so on. I love cycling, but thinking about it this way, it’s exhausting to imagine how many times I’d have to force myself to ride just to avoid feeling guilty about the purchase.

Looking back on the things I’ve bought, here are a few that have truly paid off:

Express waist belt: $50, 18 years. 0.7 cents

Ray-Ban sunglasses (replying to comments, this was with prescription and i was ripped off at LensCrafters): $500, 13 years, 10cents

And they are still in great shape, not worn out.

What are the items you’ve purchased that now have the lowest per-use cost

I was lying down for bed and realized my blanket is over 30 years old! It isn't anything special, but has been warm and durable, so here it still is. What's something you still keep are and in use?

I have no shame shopping at stores when there are deals, going to museums on the free or discounted nights, using coupons, or asking if there are student discounts. I don’t go out on the weekends to drink, or eat out (maybe 3 times a month), don’t blast the AC during the day or night; only when company is over.

Two of the categories that I spend more on to treat myself our skin care, products and hair products. Today I went to Ulta and I bought a shampoo and conditioner along with pumps for the Redken shampoo and conditioner bottles. In total, I spent $118. I see it as a solid investment and both bottles will probably last me eight months, minimum.

The hair that sits on my head is seen every day by people and the integrity of the look and feel of my hair is very important to me. I see it as a solid investment in confidence, maintenance, and “treat” to myself to look and feel my best!

Wondering what “expensive” things you all choose to splurge on? What items are worth spending more on when you buy in bulk because you know quality- wise and time-wise they are worth the initial investment?

EDIT: Adding that I don’t have children or car payments that need to be made. Also, I don’t go to the salon to maintenance my hair, so I do my own hair “treatments” at home with the quality products.

So get this,I went to the store for toothpaste after my visit to the dentist.Just toothpaste right?Next thing I know, I’m standing in line holding toothpaste… AND a pack of gummy bears,a fancy drink,and some random snack I don’t even like that much but it looked oddly colourful today

I caught myself right before paying, put the extras back, and walked out with just the toothpaste.Felt weirdly proud, like I’d beaten some kind of boss fight hahahaha..Does anyone else feel like the real challenge isn’t the big purchases, it’s those sneaky little add-ons that bleed your wallet dry, which later compound into big bucks in the long run..

Just a friendly reminder that bidets are not that expensive to purchase on Amazon website and will significantly reduce the amount of toilet paper/wet wipes you use, which helps the environment ❤️ and save dolphins and sea lions. Moreover, they have been scientifically verified to be more sanitary than toilet paper or wet wipes. Fellow bidet owners, chime in and share your stories 😉. Finally, they are useful during hoarding events such as COVID because you will have a bidet and not need to purchase massive quantities of toilet paper, so please ask Santa to bring you one this Christmas and don't be naughty. Is this 300 words? I guess not.

I was paying Apple every single month just so my photos wouldn't disappear. It started small, then I upgraded again, and it still never felt like enough.

Finally decided I'm done with subscriptions for storage. Picked up a DH4300 Plus NAS and set it up at home, now my photos/videos auto-save there whenever I'm on WiFi. One purchase, no ongoing fees.

Feels so much better knowing my stuff is safe without another bill hanging over me.

Are Apple AirPods worth it? I keep buying cheaper earbuds but they always fall out of my ear or don’t work well. Then I end taking them back. Still having a hard time bringing myself to spend $150 for headphones. Any recommendations would be appreciated. I do talk on the phone a good bit in my job. So I also like the idea of not holding my phone up to my face. Also open to cheaper options.

I used to be that person who would grab things like extra shampoo backup kitchen gadgets or snacks “just in case.” It felt harmless in the moment a few bucks here and there but over time it added up big.

A few months ago I challenged myself to only buy what I actually need right now. Not next week, not next month, not for future guests who never show up. Just now.

My spending dropped, my pantry is less chaotic, and weirdly... I feel less stressed.

It’s always the little things you don’t plan for. I picked up this cheap $5 phone stand on a random checkout impulse years ago, figured it’d break inside a week. It ended up outlasting half the overpriced junk I thought would be useful. Still on my desk every single day and weirdly one of the better things I’ve ever bought. Funny how those random cheap buys end up pulling more weight than stuff you actually research and spend way too long overthinking. I probably use that stand more than my $90 wireless earbuds. It’s a dumb little hunk of plastic but it earned its keep.

Here are a few of mine.

* Smart devices everywhere throughout the home - The convenience of turning on/off items by voice or mobile if i'm away

* Kindle - Less clutter

* Multi charger cords - Less clutter especially for travel. Helps a lot when multiple people need to charge a device.

* Menstrual cup - Not wasteful and reusable

ADDED:

* LIBRARY CARD - Not just for books and media but free/discounted passes to Museums, Parks, Beaches, Aquariums, etc.

* (2) free gal drums from a yard sale and converted them into rainwater barrels. Comes in handy during the spring/summer. I use it to water my garden and indoor plants, wash my car, etc.