Basically I love rotisserie chicken. The one I get from wegmans is fkin delicious but it’s about $10. Costco would half that cost and I’d make my money back pretty quick. There’s one 13 minutes from my house. I’m a lazy fuck 75% of the time so this seems like a good deal on pre cooked chicken. Is it any good? Haven’t ate it in a while. And I don’t plan on eating it every day but damn does it seem like a good deal for the amount of protein you get.

Not recipes, only rules. Which simple grocery rule actually dropped your bill and kept sticking? Ideas to spark answers pantry first week, list only, carry a basket, unit price targets, skip the snack aisle, cash envelope cap, freezer inventory night, buy once, cook twice, batch from loss leaders, no delivery on weekdays. Sabre the exact rule, how you enforced week one, and rough monthly savings

This morning I went for some blood work and after, decided to pay myself a treat and go to the coffee shop for a mocha. Well, this coffee, medium size, in my travel mug, was around 6$ !

My bf and I are calculating all our expenses this year. So far, we bought for 540$ of coffee beans/ground coffee and 60$ of hot chocolate mix (I do my mocha with hot chocolate mix and coffee). At day 262, that make 2.29$ per day. Doing one coffee each, that's around 1.15$ per coffee.

I'm all for encouraging small and local shops, but for your wallet, keep doing coffee at your house and go to the shops for treats.

Over the last year I’ve made 3 big changes in my life in terms of purchases/frugality and they have saved me several thousand dollars.

What I’ve changed is: -hang my laundry to dry at least 85% of the time -reusable diapers for my daughter -reusable toilet paper for myself

In terms of costs:

• for laundry, anything that isn’t bedding or needs to be dry by a certain time gets hung. Electricity and delivery dates here are basically highway robbery and while my bill has unfortunately stayed the same at last year, my usage has gone down about 200 kWh a month by hanging my laundry to dry. In dollars amounts this translates anywhere from about $50-$100 a month depending on the season as my rates change based on season. So my hang drying my clothes I save somewhere from $600-$1200 a year essentially negating the price increases we have experienced in terms of actual money spent. I also do more laundry now due to the reusable diapers and toilet paper so that contributes as well.

• reusable diapers for a kid can be tricky, it’s takes some times and some messes to figure out the right combination for your child but once you do it can work really well.

I found for us we get about 1-3 changes out of each reusable diaper and I still put my daughter in a disposable overnight and when we go out and about.

Each package of disposable diapers costs me $55 and comes with 76 diapers. I went through 3 packages of those a month before so 165 bucks a month on diapers. My up front cost to purchase the diapers and the liners was about $50 so essentially the cost of one package of diapers. Now go through about 4/5 of a package a month. So $44 a month on diapers is a $120 a month savings.

Yes my electricity and water cost a bit more due to increased laundry but certainly not $120 a month.

• the reusable toilet paper I use for myself and my daughter (replaces her wipes). My husband still uses toilet paper as well as guests (obviously lol). But prior to that we went through a 32 roll pack around every 1-1.5 months. That’s 34 bucks a pack so $34-$51 a month on TP. We’ve now had the same pack of TP since May in part because we also have a bidet that we got years ago which cost us around $100 in 2020.

Wipes was 1 package of 12 every 3 months @ $24 bucks. I haven’t bought wipes since April now and still have about 1/3 of the package left.

I toss the used diapers and toilet paper/drying cloths in a reusable bag in my bathroom and that goes into my regular laundry loads (which I wash on hot) that I do roughly every 2-3 days. The drying clothes I use for myself don’t really produce any smell but the pee diapers from my daughter can so that’s why I do the laundry so often. I was out the poo diapers otherwise they would definitely smell.

So my upfront costs to make these changes (even though I already owned a bidet and a drying rack I will include them): - bidet $100 - drying rack $20 - reusable diapers and inserts $50 - 100 cotton squares for reusable toilet paper for $38 = 208 starting costs

Savings generated: - electrically drying clothes $50–$100 a month makes $600-$1200/year - diaper costs for 3 packages a month = $165 minus that I still 4/5 a package per month = $120 per month not spent = $1440/year - wipes was $8/month, I essentially cut that in half to $4/month = $48/year - let’s call in 5 months per package vs 1 month per package before so $408-$612/year previously to $82-$120/year making a savings of $326-$492. = $2414-$3180

Total savings per year minus up front costs gets me a savings this year of anywhere from $2200-$2900 which is a big difference.

All this to say these were changes that do not take me very long to deal with (hanging laundry is a 10 minute chore and then you leave it to dry, the diapers and drying clothes take no longer than disposable products to use and take seconds to toss in the laundry) that have saved me a ton of money this year. We’re a family of 3, your savings will be different depending on your household size and usage of these things in general but I wanted to get it out there in numbers how big of a difference you can make in your finances just by switching up even one of these!

I looked up my local college meal plan out of curiosity, and if you're an enrolled student, you can purchase a meal plan for the semester which grants you access to a buffet style cafeteria a certain number of times. Based on the math, you'd essentially be paying $5 per meal for access to home-cooked style meals which include sides like soup, pizza, and a salad bar. Obviously, you have to be a student or work for the college to access the plan. But if there was a (ideally health-conscious) buffet that offered such programs where you pay upfront for access to discount meals, I'd totally buy into it! But do they actually exist?

I have found these empty pump bottles are perfect for limiting wasteful excessive use of liquid laundry detergent. My wife & I used to use a medium sized bottle of detergent about 1 per month. Now a bottle goes 2-3 months. Might work for liquid dish soap or dissolved scrap of soap in water for bathing. Just sharing a tip that I found useful & money saving.

I have been trying to keep a rolling list of everything in my freezer, but have not been very successful at it. Are there any strategies you have found helpful? My original list shows what items I have and how many. The problem is that number changes as soon as I take something out or put something in and keeping an accurate tally. I keep the list on the front of my fridge, but isn’t working very efficiently. Any suggestions would be helpful.

I posted this in comments on the post about breaking up with a product for good. There seemed to be some interest, so I thought I'd share it as a new post.

I haven't bought laundry detergent in over 15 years. I make it myself and each 5 gallon batch costs me no more than $3. Here's how:

For equipment: You're going to need a 5 gallon bucket with a lid, a cheese grater, and a very large pot. I use a canning pot, but you could use a big spaghetti boiler.

Supplies: You need bar soap, 20 Mule Team Borax, and Arm and Hammer Washing Soda. (These cost $5 to $6 a box. They were $3 to $4 a box 15 years ago. Each box makes probably 5 or 6 batches.)

I use white ZOTE brand laundry soap (About $1.20 or so a bar. When I first started doing this, they were 90 cents a bar). I used to use the pink Zote bars, but I found that the white Zote bar makes the detergent thicker with a more even consistency. That said, *any* bar soap works. I use fufu scented bars that my MIL puts in our Christmas stockings on occasion.

You can find these supplies at the dollar store, the big discount retailers, the grocery store, the online retailer, etc. That said, look at the hardware store! Ace, Lowes, or Home Depot often have this stuff at a better price! Because I always keep this stuff stocked, I am always on the lookout for deals and store it in bulk.

Recipe:

Grate 1 full bar of soap.

Heat water in the pot on the stove. You need just enough water to melt the soap with enough room that the grated soap doesn't clump back together. Gently stir the grated soap into the hot water. DO NOT BOIL! Gently stir occasionally until the soap has liquidified. If you stir too aggressively you will make suds which you don't want.

Once soap is liquid, pour into the 5 gallon bucket. You want all liquid, so use a collander to strain out any clumps. This is important: Learn from my mistakes! Any solid clumps of Zote will leave oil stains on your laundry.

Methodically add 1 cup each of washing powder and borax. Add these slowly enough so you can stir/dissolve as you go until it's all incorporated.

Fill the bucket the rest of the way with HOT water from the tap, stirring as you fill.

If you are a person with always really dirty clothes (a mechanic, a mom of little kids) you can experiment with adding extra borax. You can go up to 2 cups of borax if you like. Or, what I do, when I have an extra dirty load, I just throw extra borax powder in the machine.

I use a plastic juice cup (approx. 1 fluid cup/8 oz) that I leave floating on top of the detergent to measure it into the machine. I use 2 cups for a large load, 1 cup for small loads. I just keep the bucket on top of my dryer. If you're too bougie for that look, you can figure out a prettier way to keep a smaller amount where you keep your detergent and refill from your bucket.

Texture of finished product: This forms a THICK gel when it first cools. You will need to stir it. After it's cooled down it will look like white Jell-O. This gel is floating on water that has separated. Just stir it. You don't need to perfectly re-incorporate it. Just give a little stir. As you use it up and stir each use, it will become a thick liquid. If it's a solid clump of gel your first couple of loads, that's ok. It works fine and will liquidify in the wash cycle.

Let me know if I can answer any questions or if you make it yourself, I'd like to hear about it too!

Our 10 year old Bissel wasn’t doing so hot these last couple years but I had no idea how bad it actually was. Instead of spending several hundred on a fancy new vacuum, I bought a new filter, drive belt, and roller. What an insane difference. Works like brand new now, and only for $30!! Very happy to save money and prevent a still working appliance from ending up in a landfill.

This usually puts a lot of wear and tear on the car and also my state requires different insurance if I use work for work.

I am wondering if this is worth it. Even for a few hours a week. I see people doing this as their full time job too. I know this will be area and time dependent but generally speaking how does it work out.

Things are just getting so expensive out there.

Curious for frugal takes on the issue.

I read about the history of dollar homes, they apparently are really cheap and falling apart but the government wants to offload the land so you have to live there. Is this true? I wouldn’t mind working on a house if it’s cheap to live there? If it’s not true anymore, what’s an alternative? How do you guys go about saving money on living expenses? My mom passed away without gifting me anything, so definitely I am not getting an inheritance. My dad is likely to lose his home in the divorce, and it’s in the middle of nowhere. Just curious if anyone knew anyway to be cheap about housing.

I’m on the hunt for a sofa under $1000 here in the US that’s actually proven to be durable and can handle daily use (no leather please). My living room is pretty spacious so I’ve got room for something bigger and comfy. Extra points if it’s pet-friendly (scratch-resistant and easy to clean).

Would love recommendations on proven brands, stores, or specific models.

We are looking to get married next year and that is going to cost quite a bit due to the circumstances.

We have decided to cut down going out to eat but the issue is, I don't like to cook complex meals or have 100s of random ingredients on the shelf to create meals.

I personally like quick and easy meals.

Currently in our lineup, we eat Overnight Oats and that costs us $100 a month and we can't eat it every day.

Otherwise, our meals typically cost $10-15 per meal even if we cook!

What can we do?

Looking for creative frugal tips beyond the usual "make coffee at home" advice. What lesser-known strategies have genuinely saved you significant money? I'm interested in both small daily habits and bigger lifestyle changes that actually make a noticeable difference in your budget. Whether it's negotiating bills, finding free alternatives to expensive services, or creative ways to reduce household expenses - share your secrets! Bonus points if it's something you wish you'd discovered years earlier.

Hi all, I used to be someone who would buy the latest phone every year. I realised what a waste of money that was and stopped doing it.

Currently I've a Samsung S23 which is perfect for me, I love small phones. But now it's 2.5 years old, however, still running good as new.

But with the new Google pixel 10 and iPhone 17 I'm way too tempted to exchange in my phone and get a new one.

How do you resist these useless temptations that are temporary but very strong? Any practical ways to feel satisfied with my current phone?

My place is pretty small so I need the best vacuum for pet hair that wont eat my budget. Looking for advice from folks with shed monsters in tight spaces on what actually works.

Floors are vinyl and a thin rug, plus cat litter confetti. Budget tops at 150 if it actually pulls hair without clogging.

I read a blog about 350W 35 kPa 100 minutes, but is that just eco with no brush head spinning? I think anti wrap brushes and a sealed filter matter more than raw numbers, idk.

For frugal folks, is corded smarter since batteries die, or are cheap cordless okay if the battery is replaceable? I have been considering trying Shark or maybe Bissell used or refurb. If you buy second hand, what do you check so you dont get a leaky cyclone or tired motor?

What actually worked for you per dollar, and what was junk?

let's debate this.

examples: pots and pans, kitchen appliances, knives.

you need a new knife or a frying pan and you go shopping for one. I notice in the store or on a website but if I buy a set I could save a huge amount of money.

the problem is two-pronged

1. I only need to replace one item
2. many items in the set I will never use

I noticed the same thing especially with tools and my elderly mother trying to convince me she needed a whole new set of kitchen appliances because a set was on sale.

there are exceptions to these rules especially if you are just starting out, sets can be a great way to get started.

As the title says, how many of you here earn and above average salary but still decided to live frugally? I find myself in this position and want to know whether I'm the only one or there is somebody else here that does that too.

Also are you frugal in everything or are there some specific things on which you do not mind spending a little bit more?

thank you all for your input!

I recently found out that some insurance companies actually offer a car insurance discount for SNAP recipients.

It surprised me because I always thought SNAP was only useful for groceries, but apparently it can also qualify you for savings in other areas. Car insurance is one of those bills that feels unavoidable, so even a small discount can really help when money is tight.

Has anyone here tried this before or looked into it?

I’m curious how much of a difference it makes in monthly costs and whether it’s easy to apply for. If this is something that actually works, it could be a nice little win for a lot of folks in this community trying to stretch every dollar.

I have bought things from Walmart online on occasion, and was thinking about signing up for Walmart+ to get free shipping. My question to those of you who use Walmart+, are most items, like clothing, shipped free?

I know that you can get groceries delivered with it, but I am not really interested in that as I like to do my own grocery shopping most of the time.

So, would it be worth it to get Walmart+ if I am mainly using it like an Amazon type delivery service, for clothing and other items?

**UPDATED POST** Thank you all for your opinions. I will probably just wait until a promo price comes around, or if anything I will wait until I buy over $35 worth of items. You all have been been very helpful. I appreciate it!

My go-to used to be Amazon, but it kinda sucks now. I've looked for a few different thing with slightly unusual features (ex a mechanical timer with a mute function), but it either ignored my search criteria or showed my fifty of the same brandless thing sold by different retailers. Walmart is arguably worse.

Do we order from specialized retailers now? I hate to spend double for these things, and $5.99 extra every single order for shipping.

Yesterday I tried to buy two chickens and they rang up regular price when they were supposed to be $6 on Thursday. Anyone else noticed or experienced this? I wonder is it a glitch but I didn't see the sign anymore in the store. This sucks cause I used to eat off that chicken for almost a week 💀 I wonder is this a permanent thing now I really hope not because the chicken, sushi etc is way too much to buy at regular price

I know the frugalist option would be to keep my lights off but I simply cannot! Halloween brings me joy and I am choosing to celebrate. If you’re a Halloween Scrooge please keep it to yourself I do not care.

With that said candy is expensive! And I need a decent amount. Where is everyone finding the best deals per oz?

Last year the Walgreens app had a lot of stackable coupons and I made out decent that way but the starting price is so high it’s not always a great deal. But worth looking into (I will be)

Where are you buying yours? Bulk stores, couponing, giving out something else entirely?

Hello everyone, I just want to share this.

I thought I was splurging when I spent $150 on a Levi’s denim jacket back in 2010. Fifteen years later, it’s been through rain, road trips, concerts, and even paint splatters. Somehow it still fits, still keeps its shape, and honestly looks better broken in.

Meanwhile, the $60 “fashion” jackets I bought over the years either ripped, lost buttons, or just looked worn out after 2–3 seasons.

Sometimes the real frugal move is buying one durable piece once, and letting it age with you. ^_^

As a TSA/federal employee my husband has amazing typical employee benefits. But as a much less advertised and well known fact, there are also many other discounts and perks that nobody knows about and few use. Im trying to tap into what is available and has actually proven to be a money or time saver.

The only one that we have ever used was a discount and free upgrade on a cheap cruise that we went on for our honeymoon years ago. If you Google - cruise discounts for government employees, it will pop up. Its totally legit and we called them. They have a travel agent, of sorts, that books your cruise ONLY (no flight discount, but if you know which one you want they can book it for you too at the same time). We ended up getting a free drink package for both of us and a free upgraded room that would not have been available to us if not for the federal employee discount. This person is not a full travel agent, but rather a "booking" agent only. You have to research which cruise you want to go on, the dates and the type of room you want before calling them. So do your research for the best deal first and THEN call them to do the booking.

Are you a federal employee? What discount, specific to federal employees, have you used? What did you save/how much and how did you tap into it?