20 frugal people share their most underrated and unexpected money-saving habits
These overlooked tips can save you lots of money.

Frugal people share their best unexpected money-saving tips.
Frugal people are experts at saving money. From being mindful about how much and how often they make purchases to adopting no-buy lifestyles, they know all the practical ways to save money
But they also have some creative and overlooked ways to save even more. In the subreddit thread r/Frugal, members opened up about some of the most underrated and self-proclaimed 'weird' ways they've been able to put more money away.
These are some of the most unexpected and underrated ways to save money, according to 20 frugal people.
- YouTube www.youtube.com
"Multiply supposedly low monthly costs by 12. The yearly cost is often a wake up that I don’t need something." - SCNewsFan
"Buying or making snacks, meals and drinks ahead of time for road trips." - ReadingConstantly
"To ease the transition to eating out less, try to recreate similar meals at home as a treat. If you try to go cold turkey from eating out frequently to nothing but beans at home, it’ll be hard to sustain long term. Store bought frozen chicken tenders (for example) are more expensive than homemade lentil soup, but they’re also a lot cheaper than chicken tenders at a restaurant." - PollardPie
"Being content and not going in an inner complaint spiral." - kehrw0che
@alisontalksmoney More unhinged hacks for saving money #personalfinance #moneytips #budgetingforbeginners
"I started saving veggie scraps in the freezer to make broth, and it’s cut down on food waste and my grocery bill." - radik266
"Use the app toogoodtogo as well for cheap takeout. If you’re flexible, you basically sign up for a cheap meal of whatever excess a restaurant has. I’ve done this with Indian joints and it’s great. Usually $7-10 for multiple servings of food." - treedoct-her
"The public library. Many now offer free streaming services, audio books, and ebooks for free." - ObjectiveUpset1703
"I think mine would be hauling my own trash to the landfill. I used to have trash service that cost $33 a month with recycling picked up twice a month. So the cost came out to $7.50 per week for household trash and $1.50 biweekly for recycling. I haul my own trash 2-3 a month and spend less than $5 total." - Ok-Box6892
"Borrow this book from the library: Make The Bread , Buy The Butter. The woman has gone to great lengths to figure out the cost of making tons of different things (including gas for the stove). She's straight up if something is worth the cost and or hassle to make it from scratch or purchase it. Her everyday bread recipe is super easy, makes two loaves in under 15 minutes (plus only 2 hours to rise, then an hour to bake) I make it once a week and use one, freeze one. It's delicious toasted and I've started adding in extras like chopped walnuts for a taste change." - k8ecat
- YouTube www.youtube.com
"As a gardener, I got tired of wasting money on annuals, especially the modern kind of seed that doesn't reseed itself. Flower companies hate selling plants that reseed themselves. I started buying old-fashioned, heirloom annual and perennial seeds that reseed themselves yearly. Google heirloom or reseeding seeds to find places that sell the older kind of flowers - I go with Seed Savers in Iowa. Additionally, I buy annuals that can be taken indoors during the winter (geraniums and begonias mainly). After the summer, take them inside and prune them back by 1/3 to keep them healthy. Many gardeners will also share starts or extra bulbs with other people - get to know your neighbors for this, or go on a neighborhood website and ask if anyone has perennials they need to divide or extra bulbs. Using seeds does mean a slower growing time, so you have to learn to be patient and live like our great grandparents did, with the rhythm of nature instead of forcing it to move ahead of schedule with pre-grown nursery plants." - StartledDungbeetle
"I don't buy any drinks or snacks at the grocery store. I buy meal food only, and tea bags. I make fresh fridge tea every day, a small thing of caffeinated and a small pitcher of SleepyTime or some other decaf for the evenings. It's delicious, no sugar, and VERY cheap. My grocery bills are about half of what they once were." - Soft-Craft-3285
"I spend money on just 1 day per week." DutchBelgian
"Buying things second hand from Facebook marketplace or while it's on liquidation. Also getting free stuff from the free local Facebook groups. I got so many helpful things over the years! Buying Christmas and birthday gifts for people throughout the year when I find the gifts on sale. Not being addicted to alcohol and soft drinks is a big money saver too :) Also knowing how to do own aesthetic services (I do my own eyebrows, I shave my own legs, I don't get my nails done, I straighten my own hair instead of getting salon blowouts, etc). Freezing leftovers!" - psykolojist
"Same answer I always give; switching away from cartridge razors and going to double-edge (DE). It's a bit more upfront (anywhere from $50-$100 trying to find the best razor/blade/soap combination that works for you) but the long term savings more than make up for it." - neekogo
- YouTube www.youtube.com
"Get at least a basic tool kit. That along with YouTube and Amazon and you can learn how to fix basic things instead of calling someone or throwing it away and buying another. Just fixed the wheel on my suitcase instead of spending on a new one." - rich22201
"See if there any 'discount grocers' in your area. We're lucky to have several. They buy food in lots from supermarkets that are near or past expiration, discontinued items, damaged packages, etc. We've rarely gotten any food that was stale and the savings can be pretty big. They'll also have restaurant-sized items like huge cans of baked beans for a couple of bucks, which we'll divide out and freeze." - p38-lightning
"Ordering groceries online. I’m guilty of impulse buys and simply ordering groceries for pickup saves me $20+ dollars each time." - RightToBearGlitter
"When I go grocery shopping, I only buy sensible things. Except I allow myself one candy/cake/treats every time. It feels like splurging and a bit of cheating. It makes it much easier for me to stay on track with the strict buying habits." - Sagaincolours
"When I get a rotisserie chicken from Sam's Club, I save the skin, bones, etc. to use to make chicken stock. They're already roasted and seasoned so they make great stock." - gt0163c
"Double check your insurance policies annually. Do you still drive x amount of miles a year? Some people who now work from home drive much less, but are still paying commuter rates. Consider removing collision insurance from very old vehicles, unless you absolutely need it. If you are paying separately for an emergency roadside assistance program, see if your auto insurance offers similar coverage for less." - BestReplyEver