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20 frugal people share their most underrated and unexpected money-saving habits

These overlooked tips can save you lots of money.

Image via Canva/David-Predo

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

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Frugal woman shares the one critical question she asks herself before making any purchase

"It’s such a simple question, but it’s changed my spending habits completely."

Image via Canva/Delmaine Donson

Frugal woman shares question she asks herself before impulse buying.

Being a smart and savvy shopper is one of the cornerstones of living a frugal lifestyle. And one of the biggest financial downfalls that can prevent you from living a frugal life is impulse shopping. But one frugal woman may have found the key to curbing it.

"I started asking 'Do I actually need this?' before every purchase. It’s saved me hundreds," user sarah_west_1 wrote in a Reddit forum dedicated to frugal living tips and stories. She went on to explain, "For years, I’d buy things just because they were on sale, looked cute, or felt like a good deal. I didn’t really think about whether I’d use them or if they were actually necessary."

However, things changed when she started intentionally asking herself this one question. "Now, before I buy anything, I pause for 10 seconds and ask: 'Do I really need this right now?' It’s such a simple question, but it’s changed my spending habits completely," she shared. "Most of the time, the answer is no and I just walk away without feeling like I’m missing out. This little habit has helped me save more than I expected and made me more mindful about what I bring into my life."

don't buy, no buying, no buy, smart shopping, frugal shopper Debbie Downer Reaction GIF by Saturday Night Live Giphy

And her wise frugal advice resonated with fellow frugal shoppers. One commented, "I do the same, asking myself if I will actually use this item everyday, or at least often enough to be worth the money and space, because I'm going for minimalism too. No books, no decorative items, no knickknacks. Minimal amount of kitchen gear, egged before I had ice cream maker, pasta maker, ice maker, bread maker, not to mention tons of kitchen gadgets that I can't ever find when I need it." And another added, "My money saving mantra: 'you can go broke saving money'. Just because it's for sale at a 'great' price does not mean you should buy it."

And her insightful post inspired other frugal shoppers to share the questions that they ask themselves before making any purchases. These are 10 more frugal questions they offered that have also helped save them lots of money.

stop, no buying, smart shopping questions, think before buying, stop shopping No Way Stop GIF Giphy

"I started asking 'how many hours of work does it cost me to buy this?' Know your rate." - kickit

"That ['how many hours of work does it cost me to buy this?'] and how long it lasts. A quick $5 purchase every day for a year is $1,825. In 10 years, it's $18,250. A product that costs $1000 and lasts you 10 years, comes down to $0.274/day. If you replace the same product at 2 years because you wanted a new one, now it's $1.37/day. (But less if you sell the old one)." - hatemakingnames1

"This is how I frame it for myself. That ['how many hours of work does it cost me to buy this?'] and 'what else can I buy with 'X' dollars instead?'. I've avoided a bunch of impulse purchases this way 😂." - cakeversuspie

cost, how much, how much does it cost, cost savings, cost questions Finance How Much Does It Cost GIF by StickerGiant Giphy

"Let me take you to the next level, grasshopper: now ask, 'how many hours of use/enjoyment will I get out of it?' I'm currently buying a TV, will probably spend about $2k including tax. but if it lasts as long as my current TV, it will only cost about 40 seconds of work per hour of enjoyment I get out of it, not even counting anyone else in my household. that is a deal I am willing to make 🧘." - kickit

"I always use the 'wants and needs' method, do I need it or do I want it, that has saved me a lot of money over the years." - Oldmantim

"One thing I do is create a 'wishlist' where I write down what I feel like buying and why (including the date). A lot of the time I forget about half the things on the list within a week. For the ones I still really want, I know it's more than just an impulse buy!" - HolidayExtrasTravel

add to cart, impulse buy, impulse shopping, shopping, online shopping Add To Cart Black Friday GIF by Rooster Teeth Giphy

"My question is 'When does this become landfill?'" - VapoursAndSpleen

"And 'Do I already have something like this I could use instead?'" - Human_Bad5547

"Yes! This! I also tack on….'where will I put this?'" - trig72

"I try to ask 'what problem does this solve?'" - PeitriciaMae

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Women over 30 share their 'frugal girl hacks' that help them save big money

"Have you tried the massage gun trick on heavy duty lotion bottles that you can't cut?"

Image via Canva/Monkey Business Images

Frugal women share their best money-saving hacks.

Living a frugal lifestyle means making decisions that will save you the most money.

Over on a Reddit subforum of women over 30, member u/hauteburrrito posed the question: "What's your frugal girl hack/flex?" She went on to share, "I cut open all my toothpaste, lotion, etc., bottles after I can't squeeze anything out anymore, and then use a scraping tool to transfer the (usually substantial) remnants into a travel-sized Muji container."

She also shared a hack she adopted from a friend: "I have a friend who not only reuses her plastic Ziploc bags, but actually runs the grodier ones through the dishwasher. (I also reuse my plastic Ziploc bags, but alas, my few attempts at putting them through the dishwasher have mostly just resulted in semi-mangled Ziplocs.)," she added.

frugal, frugality, being frugal, frugal lifestyle, frugal living Cheap GIF by 60 Second Docs Giphy

She concluded her post with a call-out to fellow money-saving females: "Anyway, I'd love to hear from all my frugal girlies here (even if you're, like me, only part-time frugal) - what's your frugal, let-me-milk-every-last-bit-of-value-outta-this-thing hack/flex?"

In response, frugal ladies over 30 had a bevy of money-saving tips to share, and then some. These are 25 of the best 'frugal girl hacks' that have saved women major money.

"Most frugal is doing a no spend month, pulling out every stitch of clothing - hanging them up and committing to one outfit per day in public. I got rid of so much crap, love everything that remains, and broke my obsession shopping - I am content with watch reels online to get my shopping fix." —Rough_Commercial4240

"I regularly we-have-mcdonalds-at-home myself, aka talking myself out of purchases because dang it, I do have something at home that is just the slightly less efficient or less easy version of the thing that I'm thinking about getting. A recent one was one of those quick heating heat pens to neutralize mosquito bite itches. I've already had 20+ bites this season (please send help) so this seemed like a godsend due to how easy it would be to treat the itch on the spot. But ehhhhhh... microwaving some water in a cup and heating a spoon in the resulting hot water and then pressing it on the bite does the same thing. Blasting the bite with a hair dryer also does the same, and I already own all of these things." —caramelpupcorn

"Have you tried the massage gun trick on heavy duty lotion bottles that you can't cut?" —Catty_Lib

- YouTube www.youtube.com

"Put money in savings the day you get paid. Not the end of the month after the bills are paid. I rarely eat out, cut my own hair and bought supplies to do my own manicures. Ditch the serums and expensive beauty products… drug store basics or making my own works just fine. Probably most impactful and easiest one to implement: If I get the urge to buy a thing (that I didn’t plan for, just want), I have a waiting rule - I have to wait 1 days for every $10 the item costs. So if something costs $70, I have to wait a week before I allow myself to buy it (some flexibility if it’s a really good sale or time limited or whatever). If I still want the thing, I buy it. More often than not, I forget or change my mind before the waiting period is over… this has done wonders for removing compulsive spending and random splurging." —rjwyonch

"I only buy natural fiber clothing. It can be repaired, wash by hand, dries quickly. Online i get designer silk and cashmere for less than I'd pay for a tank top at target-- which wont survive a single wash-- just by allowing myself to take my time looking and hunting through piles of listings." —babycrow

"I find adding things to the cart and just leaving it really helps. 90% of the time I start coming up with excuses to wait longer or just forget about it." —User Unknown

add to cart, online shopping, shopping online, shopping cart, shopping Shopping Spree Money GIF by Cosmopolitan Giphy

"This is slightly unethical, but I travel a lot for work. When I get my per-diems, instead of eating out on my trips, I go grocery shopping and eat microwavable foods while also stocking up on essentials I will use but won't fully use on my trip such as oatmeal, canned beans, apples, bananas, cheese, etc. I have a really nice cooler so even if I'm travelling far, I can just shove all the perishables into the cooler and they'll be fine for the 3-10 hour drive home. My per-diem usage is still less than my colleagues because I don't eat out for every meal so no one bats an eye at my spending. My other hack is kind of silly, but living in the country. There's no door dash, very few restaurants, and hardly any shopping so there's very little temptation to spend frivolously. There are only thrift stores, so if you need things like a t-shirt or mixing bowls, unless you're willing to drive 30-60 miles away, thrift stores are where you're going to. In addition, people still do labor trades up here. My boyfriend fixed the heater of the guy who patched our roof. Roof guy was happy his heater will run during the winter and we're happy our roof won't leak and everyone is happy to just throw cash for supplies and not charge or pay for labor. Lastly, the cabin I'm in doesn't have any heating system, so you just have to start a fire and bundle up, which is fine and we're not tempted to run a costly heater because we simply don't have one. I can imagine we'll be a little miffed come the dead of winter, but we both grew up in homes with no central heating so it's not something we're unaccustomed to. Last hack- do activities that you already have access to and make your own fun. Restart an old hobby, go for a walk, read a book, draw, bake, etc. There are a lot of things you can do that don't involve spending a ton of money. Maybe this seems obvious but I feel like I know several people who seem to only be able to 'have fun and relax' doing activities that are costly such as going bar hopping, having a spa day, taking a weekend trip. Not that any of these are bad, per se, but it can really dip into your wallet. Inviting friends over for a small potluck can be just as lovely as a time as going out for a really expensive dinner." —skinsnax

"Use the library. They rent out all kinds of stuff. Also get the Libby app." —Pinklady777

"My best frugal life hack has been improving my cooking skills. It took a few years, but I now cook most of my meals from scratch at home, saving hundreds per month. I even started baking my own bread this year. Another powerful hack has been tracking every single penny that I spend through a budgeting app. My preferred app is You Need a Budget (YNAB). I find it worth the high subscription fee, though there are also cheaper options if $100ish/year seems too much." —ConcentrateTrue

cooking, cook, cooking skills, cook at home, home chef Chef Kitchen GIF by Jukebox Saints Giphy

"I lost my job back in July. I've been a lot more frugal since then and am currently about breaking even on my spending/expenses and 'income' (unemployment and some side gig money). One thing I did regarding food was used up all the food I had in my kitchen that I was kind of ignoring for awhile. I had maple syrup I never used, so I bought a box of frozen waffles. So maybe it was a boxed dinner that was expired by two years, or just a condiment I didn't use often. I used everything up. And then I mostly eliminated the impulse shopping, as someone else mentioned. I collect Pokemon cards, so I was regularly making $50+ orders on eBay. Alas, I am not even browsing them at the moment." —DarmokTheNinja

"I'm in NYC, and mostly, it's having a roommate (not where I thought I'd be over 30, but saves so much money) and living in a rent stabilized apartment (super old, no amenities, and has its issues). Also, I only eat out socially, not for convenience. Focusing on saving hundreds a month on the big things (e.g., rent) allows me to not have to focus on cutting out a few bucks here and there for the small luxuries. Other than that, it's mostly that I started saving money in my retirement accounts early (definitely make sure you take advantage of any employer matches!), and am relying on compound interest to make it so that I can hopefully actually retire. $10k saved in your 20s ends up giving you SO much more than $10k saved in your 50s. Plus, I can live more frugally when younger than when I'm older and less active." —MerelyMisha

"One of my fav upgrades is just.. CLOTH napkins. Can use for a few days gently. Much nicer experience. Throw in wash. If they start to be sad over many years they become cleaning rags. Soooo much less expensive than buying wasteful paper towels! We have one roll of paper towels for really gross random stuff that we have had for like 5 years cause we so infrequently need them."
—more_pepper_plz

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"This is a fun one that I enjoy. I decided not to buy any luxury items on my salary. When I want to buy something, I invest money and try to make the price of the item in profits(post taxes of course). Sometimes it is quick and sometimes it takes a while. This gives me time and prevents an impulse buy. By the time I have the money in hand, I have either changed my mind about the purchase or I go for it. Either way, I ain’t losing money(maybe girl math) 🙈 My salary or funds are only for necessary expenses that cannot wait." —calm_momentum38

"This is probably not weird to you but it is where I live - we don't have a car (I haven't owned one since 2011, and my partner sold his in 2020). In addition to all the obvious ways we're saving money - this also limits impulse shopping for me (do I really want to carry this home?)." —Hold_Effective

"Put a few drops of eye drops in your drying out mascara. Works amazing every time." —kimberleeeee_

mascara, mascara gif, putting on mascara, applying mascara, mascaras Audrey Hepburn Fun GIF Giphy

"I'm not sure if it's more frugal or just convenient, but when I cook, I save extra portions and freeze them in my preferred serving sizes. I don't like leftovers once they've been in the fridge more than a day or two, so this method has really reduced my food waste and also has kind of turned my freezer into a pantry. Helps to keep me from eating out too! If anyone is curious I use silicon Souper Cubes to freeze and then store in freezer ziplocs or Stasher bags." —SuitcaseOfSparks

"Facebook marketplace/ buy/sell or free groups. Most of my stuff in my apartment is gently used/thrifted/have me down/gifted. Kids grow quick and usually their clothes can be passed along, sports equipment second hand, kitchen appliances, furniture. I rarely buy new, mostly because I'm poor but I can't justify the cost of buying certain things new when it's fine gently used and much cheaper." —ladybug11314

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Frugal people say these under $50 upgrades saved them more money than expected

These 35 small investments really paid off.

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Frugal people share the best $50 or less investments that have saved them exponentially more.

Sometimes you have to spend money to save money, and people who live a budget-conscious, frugal lifestyle have perfectly mastered how to do it.

In a Reddit post, member jul_on_ice posed the question: "What’s one small upgrade (under $50) that saved you more money than you expected?"

They continued, "Talking about small wins that compounded over time over one thing that made a drastic difference. Frugality is often about not spending but sometimes investments can pay off. Maybe something that made work easier. Made life better. Made you more comfortable. Or something bought once that replaced lots of things you once had to spend on."

Fellow frugal people had lots of money saving hacks to share. These are 35 things that frugal people spent less than $50 on that have saved them lots of money.

"Vacuum sealer. I’m single and most shopping/recipes are four or five meals for me. Often I would have food waste because I no longer wanted the food after the third meal. Now I cook, have the leftovers I want, and vacuum seal the rest in portions. Keeps the food fresh and saves room in my freezer." —mercfan3

"Don’t rent the modem/router combo from Comcast. Just buy your own." —Dove_of_Doves

"A couple of incredibly mundane purchases that I should have made years earlier: having extra sets of measuring spoons (~ $3 per set) makes cooking so much easier; a digital cooking thermometer (~ $15); and a tire inflator that plugs into the car's cigarette lighter ($35) so I can top up the tires at home, rather than trying to find a place with a working air hose. ETA: A french press ($20) and electric kettle ($25). Have used the same french press for more than a decade, and get better tasting coffee without buying filters or K-cups. An electric kettle is surprisingly useful." —Taggart3629

"$9 3-cup rice cooker." —CeleronHubbard

"Popsicle molds. I live in the desert and we eat so many popsicles. Making them myself has saved money and they’re healthier." —Adventurous-Fig-5179

"Dropped cable, kept internet only. Pay for separate Netflix and Disney and all total we save $35 a month over the cable bundle. We did not watch 90% of the channels included. Definite win for us." —GarudaMamie

"Adding an over-the-air antenna. Is a great addition to cutting that “cable tv” cord. It is much easier than you think." —williamtrose367

"We got a renter friendly bidet and it has saved us SO MUCH in toilet paper usage." —Specific_Wait_8006

"We went with cloth diapers when the kids were little it saved us a bunch and kept a bunch of garbage out of the landfill. Once they were potty trained we were able to sell a lot of them." —Responsible-Charge27

"Maybe not a quantifiable dollar amount of a change, but I switched my mindset from “Unitaskers are bad” to “Unitaskers are acceptable if they do the 1 thing better than anything else”. Example: Those plastic pulled pork meat claw things are not better than a fork for the task of shredding meat, but a good mandolin slicer is much faster and probably safer overall than a knife, and rice cookers can cook rice exceptionally well, even if that’s all they do." —Ryutso

"Needles and threads. You can fix anything material with small rips or tears. I’ve extended the life of clothes, bags, and kids stuffed animals by years." —baldbutthairy

"I know this sounds crazy, but realizing I could buy more than one of something (e.g. bath mats, reading glasses, chargers, etc.) I had to really work on changing my thinking around this due to past financial challenges." SomeTangerine1184

"Second hand slow cooker. Money saving meals made from cheap tinned foods: daal, chilli, casserole, soups." —Ambitious_Ad1844

"Anything like this is usually an inexpensive household repair that I waited too long to do. Replacing loose door handles, fixing a leaky faucet, repairing the drip line from my A/C. Little cheap things that just made my life... better." —gogomom

"My aeropress has been a ridiculously good investment. It’s much more portable than a french press. I have it with me now while I’m travelling and I can access a good cup of coffee using the hotel kettle." —mrjasong

"I am a freezie human and nowhere is that more apparent than on airplanes. So I had this 'warm fuzzy' vest for wearing on the plane with a tougher outer fabric and a soft fleecy inner. I paid a seamstress to add an invisible zipper to one of the seams on the inside of the vest and now the gap in between the fleece inner fabric and the tougher outer fabric is what in the 1920s would be called a 'passthrough pocket' or modern hunters might call it a 'game pocket'. But you know what else? It's now my personal item and I wear it on the plane, Scott-e-Vest style, but cheaper. And now because of that, I can fly more budget airlines because I have less luggage-as-in-bags." —heinfamousj

"The jury is still out, but I recently made the switch to rechargeable AA batteries. I'm optimistic this will save me money as I use AAs in my camera flashes and go through a lot of them. It's not a purchase, but rather a process that I think is going to help a lot. I put everything on my 2% cash back credit card and pay it off at the end of the month. Recently, to get a better handle on my daily spending, I decided on what my monthly credit card bill goal should be. Divide that number by 30 and I get my daily spending goal. I then created a spreadsheet and track how much I spend each day and have a column with a running total for over/under. It's motivating to look and see 'Hey, I'm $XXX under budget so far for the month.' The daily goal is high enough to account for things like gas in my truck, haircuts and groceries." —No_Blueberry_8454

"Yearly paper planner. No more missed rendez-vous or deadlines, no more late fees. I tried going digital, but it doesn't work for my ADHD brain. I just snooze the reminders and forget about it. Until it's too late. So I went back to paper, and it's worth the $12-ish per year to me." —Duck__Holliday

"Bought a dead battery Dyson vacuum on Facebook market. Did the Ryobi battery upgrade. Got cheap 8ah Ryobi battery off ebay. Got a cheap Ryobi battery Charger off facebook market. Total all was about $50-60 and it works great." —antsam9

"Dying my hair at my hairdresser rather than at home. No more stains from the home dye. No wrecked towels, clothing or hair." —JoyCrazy

"If you drink a lot of soda or sparkling water, a Soda Stream can help you save. Just the CO2 canisters comes out to about $0.11 for 12 ounces vs paying about $0.50 per can of store bought soda. What gets you are the syrups… that can bring the price up to $0.40 ish per 12 ounces. So to be extra frugal, you could make your own fruit syrups and skip the store-bought stuff. Make a simple syrup (one part sugar, one part water; boil on the stove) and add lemon or lime or orange juice or whatever… I’m sure there are recipes all over the internet. And boom, homemade La Croix. It’s an investment to start, but saves over time." —Drooly_Cat_1103

"Somewhat location dependent but if you are in a dry climate like me and rely on humidifiers running 24/7, buy a cheap water distiller on Amazon (I think mine was like $60 but close enough, you might even find one under 50 if you look/wait for a sale). Distilled water gets pricey, but not using distilled water will junk up your humidifier with minerals which is both a bitch to clean and can eventually cause problems with the function. Save yourself the trouble. Also useful for steam cleaners, mixing your own cleaning sprays from concentrates, misting bottles, etc. At least if you have hard water, anything where you are repeatedly putting a lot through a very small line, distilled is preferred to prevent mineral buildup." —ilanallama85

"I got a Walmart+ membership (got it for $49, it renews at half off the $99 at anniversary). I get free shipping, so when I need something small (like shampoo), I don't need to run to the store. I've used Walmart+ so much more than I ever used Amazon Prime. It costs less, and I find I buy less random crap with Walmart+ than Prime." —sbinjax

"Three inexpensive manual coffee makers: Bialetti Moka Express pot, Bodum French Press, and V60 pour over. Bought all 3, virtually new, at the thrift shop for under 20 total about 5 years ago. The Bialetti makes an espresso-like cup, the Bodum is rich and strong, and the V60 makes a softer, smoother cup of coffee." —zeitness

"Not sure this will ever meaningfully 'pay out' on the investment, but a timer switch for the bathroom fan. I have ADHD and benefit from as many "set it and forget it" items as I can possibly get. Now I can set the fan, have a shower, walk away, and it'll turn itself off after a decent airing-out, and I don't end up walking by the bathroom 4 hours later like 'how long has the fan been on??' Less electricity used, less wear and tear on the fan, less conditioned air lost. Is it more savings than the amount I spent? Probably not for a long time. But it feels better!" —Kitchen-Owl-7323

"A shutoff valve to go above the shower heads in my kids’ bathroom’s so I can limit the flow. We have high water pressure and my kids universally put the faucets at max flow. I used the valves to cut the flow in half. The water pressure is still great but now they use half the water and the hot water now lasts through all six of our showers. I haven’t calculated the savings but I know we are using much less energy in water heating and much less water." —nottherealme1220

"A $30.00 pair of very high quality sharp scissors bought at a sewing machine store 20 years ago freed me forever from paying for haircuts. One YouTube video showed me how to trim & maintain - done. My brother bought a clipper set for $20.00 at the same time and does his own cuts. All that money gets plunked into savings!" —VulcanGreeting

"i switched from some fancy expensive work boots id been wearing to some 18 dollar shoes with 10 dollar insoles i got at walmart. i added the extra insoles on top of the existing ones for extra comfort. this saved me however how much i would have spent for my foot pain that was nearing bad enough to warrant medical attention. these are seriously the most comfortable shoes i have ever owned, i even wear them outside of work, on hikes, just going out on a wet day. over a year in and the extra insoles might need replaced in a few months but the shoes and their original insoles (the ones on bottom) are holding up perfectly. I'm in a better mood at work now too." —cccameronnn

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