If you’ve been feeling the impacts of inflation especially hard recently, you’re not alone, pandas. It seems like every time I go grocery shopping, I end up taking home less but spending the same amount as the week before. So if you’re in need of some easy money-saving tips that will leave your bank account and your stomach feeling a bit more full, we’ve got the perfect list down below.

Frugal Reddit users have recently been sharing their simplest tips for spending less that can really add up over time. From remembering reusable shopping bags to bundling up in a cold house, we hope you find some useful advice below, and remember to upvote the tips you plan on utilizing!

#1

When you see something you want on Amazon (or Sephora or any other online shopping), put it on a wish list and do t look at it for 48 hours. 98% of the time you won’t go back to buy it.

mozzarellafitzgerald: Similarly, if I get an email telling me about a sale, I immediately delete it, and I almost always forget about it completely

Image credits: Joygernaut

#2

I do a thing I call “piggybacking”. As much as possible, I only drive when I can hit two spots on one road trip. If I need to go to Costco, I wait until I also need to a)stop at whole foods to drop off an Amazon return, b)pop into home Depot for a needed tool, or c) visit the library. A road trip that is 10 miles round trip seems short, but if you do the math, using the federal rate for mileage, which accounts for wear and tear, that’s a $6.55 trip. Why would I spend that twice when I can spend it once, AND help the environment?

Image credits: Ill_Drop1135

#3

I learned that I can use half, or even a quarter as much shampoo, toothpaste, body wash, hand soap, than I used to. It’s a very little thing, but I really do think it adds up especially because when I go to CVS or Walgreens to get shampoo, I always end up getting a bunch of other c**p I don’t need.

Image credits: rumtiger

#4

I’m based in the US.
1. Buy your cellphone outright (not Apple) and then use a prepaid month to month plan
2. Cloth napkins and swedish dishcloths instead of paper towels – this has saved us a lot!
3. Go easy on the gas pedal
4. Take stock of the pantry and freezer and menu plan around what is already on hand.
5. We have a toddler in diapers. We just aren’t cut out for cloth diapers. In our area, the Target diapers are the best value and if you buy $100 worth, they’ll often give you a $20 gift card back.
6. Last year I made $1600 by churning checking account and credit card bonus offers. Only do this if you understand credit ratings and are responsible enough to not let a credit balance accumulate, though!
7. We make our own laundry soap. About $3 for a three month supply – only takes me about 10 minutes to make a batch. Also, line drying.
8. I only buy the exact same socks. When one gets a hole, the other still has a match! Also saves time because I don’t have to match 20 different pairs of socks every time I wash them.
9. Drink water at restaurants; skip dessert and appetizers
10. Keep nuts or other protein-rich snacks and water in my car.
11. Aldi, baby!
12. Rotate between streaming services so we only pay for one per month.
13. Use the library, or buy used books from Abe.
14. High interest checking and savings accounts
15. I’m not a sweaty person and I work a desk job – some garments can be worn multiple times between washings.
16. Buy high quality garments second-hand on Poshmark or at the thrift store

Image credits: quadrophonicdaydream

#5

Not eating meat at every meal has really saved a significant dollar amount for me. Also, challenging myself to recipes with like 2-4 ingredients so I buy less overall. I don’t sacrifice a good meal either, I know how to make it taste good.

#6

Every few days, I take stock of the odds and ends in my freezer and fridge, and I come up with ways to incorporate into meals.

A favorite way to deal with random veggies is to make a stir fry.

A favorite way to deal with random bits of bread is to freeze them and make bread pudding when I’ve accumulated enough.

Image credits: saveswhatx

#7

Selling things we don’t use. Selling a $10 item here and there really does add up. It takes pretty low effort and we save the money for vacation. The benefit of less stuff is even better than the money to be honest.

Image credits: spenceandcarrie

#8

1) Using the library- they have low cost Internet access, magazines, study areas and info sharing for community activities. We pay for public libraries with tax money so in reality you’re using something you already paid for….

2) Brewing coffee and tea at home. BTW many people give away coffee and tea pots when they upgrade to new ones. I.e. you can get a free coffeemaker if you can’t afford one.

3) Yard sales and Estate Sales- pennies on the dollar pricing. Also most Estate sales are done on a short time limit, meaning you can haggle and most will take Best Price Offered. A good way to get a used vehicle, as many retirees barely use their cars & the vehicles get sold to resolve estate debts.

Image credits: GOODahl

#9

Switching to a safety razor, the blades are SO much cheaper. It’s been so long I can’t remember the exact savings, but I think I saved about 80-90% of the cost of razor blades when I made the switch.

Image credits: Automatic_Bug9841

#10

Don’t drink alcohol or sodas. Don’t smoke.

Image credits: Cinisajoy2

#11

I stopped buying everything in bulk.

We would make ourselves use up the bulk item before it went bad, the kids would eat through their snacks because there’s so many, or sometimes we couldn’t go through it fast enough.

Now I decreased the amount of items I buy in bulk, and I get smaller portions even if they’re slightly more expensive. The kids’ eat more food than snacks, we have more variety and less goes bad.

Oddly, the amount of I spend on food decreased.

#12

Vinegar as fabric softener. It’s cheaper to buy a gallon of distilled white vinegar, it’s better for your machine, and it’s better for your clothes. Takes only about 1/4-1/2 cup in the liquid softener dispenser. No smell, clothes feel less “coated”, and it has significantly reduced the amount of mildew/musty smell in our washer.

Eta: our towels absorb waaaay more water now too!

Image credits: derprah

#13

I only buy out-of-season clothes. I have a $700 coat that I bought brand new for $100, and it will last me for life with proper maintenance. Helps, too, that I’m a man. We don’t really do fashion trends, lol

Image credits: franklinsuglydolphin

#14

We started saving lots of money during the pandemic when we used Walmart grocery pickup. I buy a lot less when I’m not wandering the aisles, and I stick to a meal plan that I then select through the app.

Image credits: Mango_38

#15

I bought a used yogurt maker on facebook marketplace, and it was the best $15 I ever spent!! 1 gallon of milk makes 6 large servings (for me, ymmv), which is much cheaper than buying yogurt. Also, it’s fresher, tastes better, has no preservatives (never lasts long enough to go bad!) and I can mix in whatever I want. Lately I’ve been buying bulk hazelnuts from Whole Foods, roasting them, and putting them in the yogurt with chocolate chips. Delicious!!

Image credits: neuroundergrad

#16

I rent DVDs and stream shows through the library instead of having a streaming service subscription. Each month I go through rotten tomatoes and make a list of things I want to see, then request them from my library. It meets my needs, and saves me roughly $30 a month.

Image credits: Ok-Fact7320

#17

I *never* buy brand new furniture. In fact, anything not consumable, I first see if I can get for free, by perusing my local Buy Nothing group, checking Facebook Marketplace & Craigslist, and by asking around.

If I can’t get it free, I look for it cheap.

Of course, I live in an area with a lot of turnover, so that’s possible to do for me.

I also build/make things rather than buy them. For instance, my husband, son, and I built extra long twin bunk beds, for my six-foot-plus sons, out of lumber and a used Ikea king sized box platform, which is only actually two XL twin box platforms, screwed together.

I want a greenhouse, so I tore down a free junky shed for the lumber and anything I could salvage, and have been collecting old fancy wrought iron or steel storm/security doors I got for free or cheap. For the floor, I hauled away a patio’s worth of pavers I got for free. The only thing I haven’t been able to find for free is what I need for the roof.

Editing to say: we seldom eat out, and only get carry-out when we do, bring beverages with us for the road so we don’t buy drinks, no manicures, no hair coloring, and I stick to one thing with cosmetics & don’t shop for novelty items. For example, once I find a good lipstick, that’s my color all the time until they discontinue it.

Image credits: MrsBeauregardless

#18

I hang most of my clothes to air dry so that the heat from the dryer won’t damage the fabric.

Pricey coffeehouse coffee is too strong for me, so I get much cheaper iced coffee at Wendy’s.

Nine times out ten the store brand is better than the name brand. The dollar stores have the best store brand.

#19

Put warm socks and a sweater on before turning up the heat.

Image credits: nogalisanisland

#20

I refuse to pay for 12-cent bags at Aldi. I keep reusable bags in my car, and if I forget one, then I will just throw things in my trunk and grab a bag from the house to carry everything in. If I don’t buy bags each week, I save a little less than $19 a year (12 cents per bag times three bags a week times 52 weeks per year). Seems insignificant, but it adds up.

#21

I buy less than one roll of paper towels a year. 15 years ago, I bought a king size flannel sheet at a thrift store for $3. I cut it into 1 foot squares and put two together and finished the edges on my serger. I keep them in a basket in my kitchen and use them for everything most people use paper towels for, including draining bacon and wiping up spills. I have about a dozen of them and wash them several times a week.

At a conservative estimate of $3 per roll of paper towels and one roll per week, I save $156/year. Over 15 years, I have saved $2340, enough to buy five sergers and a tall stack of used sheets, even considering the laundry expenses.

Image credits: LafayetteJefferson

#22

Menstrual cups. I’m straight up not having to buy pads/tampons anymore. (Aside from keeping an emergency stash stocked). Saves around 10 a month.

Handheld French press. All I need is boiled water and coffee grounds to make my own coffee anywhere. I choose this over coffee pots and keurigs at home, but it’s also super convenient when traveling. (Hotel/Motel coffee makers can be super gross if you look too close.)

Buy frozen fruits veggies when they’re cheaper. Freeze them yourself when they’re not. There are reusable bags made for this, but using and cleaning out a decent/sturdy ziploc bag works for me.

Image credits: Heliantherne

#23

When any container seems empty I used to throw it away. Now I cut it open and get 4-5 more uses out of it. The amount of shampoo I was wasting was shocking.

Image credits: Seasoned7171

#24

1. Take your lunch to work every day.
2. Never buy coffee from a coffee shop.
3. Rarely eat out.
4. Brew your own beer from kits.
5. Grow a good garden from seeds
6. Let a couple of plants you grow go to seed so you have seeds for next rounds.
7. Buy socks in bulk online for a fraction of the cost.
8. Save the planet and your wallet by having the mentality that everything you can buy second hand saves resources and your impact on the planet.
9. Ride a bike and leave your car at home.

Image credits: giftfromthegods

#25

When something you use regularly is on sale, stock up. My family likes to make Starbucks espresso at home and a small bag is now $10. When it’s back on sale to it’s precovid i buy 2 or more extra and start to build up a stock pile. Eventually a lot of the foods you use you will have so your weekly bills will be fresh foods.

Image credits: Southern-Yam-1811

#26

Carry tea bags with me to school. It’s $1 for a cup of tea, but $0 for a cup of hot water. If I get tea on campus 3x a week for a 14 week semester that’s $42 (minus the cost of the tea bags I bring) I can save each semester.

Off campus food is a whole other thing, though.

Image credits: TheMonkeyDidntDoIt

#27

We grow a big garden and are going to harvest potatoes and sweet potatoes soon. I hope to be able to keep them stored and use them until spring. This is really free food because we used the sprouted ones from last year to plant this year. I have a dog and am going to make my own dog food. It’s important to follow a good recipe because they need specific vitamins and minerals along with carbs and proteins in balance, but I want to give it a try. I can’t imagine eating only dehydrated, packaged foods every day so I wonder if it will make a big difference in dog health. I also think that some table scraps, like meat from neck bones or gizzards, could actually be incorporated into the dog food instead of just being a treat in addition to dog food, which would be more economical

Image credits: Active_Recording_789

#28

I make my own oat milk every week. A few cents for a cup of dry oats + water, blended and strained vs $3.99 for packaged oat milk from the store. Also, my homemade milk has no weird ingredients like emulsifiers, etc.

I also refill our hand soap pumps with a rablespoon of castille soap + water for foaming hand soaps.

Image credits: Wee_Besom

#29

I pick up fast food receipts off the ground and enter the receipt code into my fast food apps for the reward points. Then I get free food items and spend nothing. That has added up to 187 free food items on just the app that keeps track of full history. The redemption value so far has been $925 since I always take the most expensive food item reward offered each time. Also, if I see someone waiting for food and they spent a lot without using the app I will ask if I can scan the code for the reward points. They usually have no idea that it is a free item for about $24 worth of spend so sometimes I get a free item by scanning the receipt some guy is holding for a big order.

I pick up discarded hardware store receipts and send them in for the 11% rebate so I get the rebate without spending anything. I do the same for the stores that price match. That has added up well over $2500 since I started doing that. Then I buy tools and hardware that I want or need for my side hustles. I checked my tracking spreadsheet for the totals but they changed how the tracking works so I can’t track it all the way back to see what I got once they are delivered so it is more than the total on my spreadsheet.

Image credits: inkseep1

#30

I have a 80 lb dog and before we were flying through various stuffed hoofs, bones, etc., and I was spending *at least* $50 a month on treats alone. Now I stuff a large kong with peanut butter, some dog food or treats, freeze it – and call it a day! It’s saved a lot of money over the past year and a half. 

Image credits: meltink745

#31

I pay with everything using cash back credit cards and pay my statement in full every month.

#32

When I feel like having something sweet, which is often, I make a mug cake (~$0.36 each) instead of going out and spending $7 on ice cream

Image credits: magicxcg

#33

My dad keeps a notebook in his car to track his MPG over time. Every time he fills up with gas, he writes down the number of gallons and odometer reading. It also helps him know if there’s something going on with the car if the MPG suddenly drops

#34

I noticed the grocery store I shop at has digital coupons, and you ‘clip’ them in their app. I usually save about $15–$30 when I go, depending on what I’m getting. Yesterday, our groceries were on track to be over $100, but had $18 of coupons so only spent $88. Digital coupons mean I don’t have to track those little slips of paper (though I’ve done that!)

#35

Pay credit card bills weekly, not monthly ?

Image credits: LowTerm8795

#36

I make about $5 a month using Bing instead of Google (through Bing Rewards), 11 cents a day for my kid’s college fund through Upromise, and a couple other similar things.

#37

I reuse plastic bags for the trash or dog poop. I make meal plans ahead of time and seldom waste food. I either freeze it reuse leftovers somehow or if appropriate feed my pets. I have an amazon wish list and I get notifications of price drops. I buy used books and sometimes shop at Savers, Aldi and market basket. I wash clothes on cold. I do my own pedis and color my own hair and go to Supercuts. I don’t have cable,,rotating streaming only. .

#38

Look for the cheapest gas station on a road trip. If it’s 2-3 cents, whatever – but finding ones that are 10-15 cents less might save $5 on a trip and add up over time. On top of that, other discounts can boost the savings even higher.

#39

I used to buy a coffee every morning.
It’s only $2.50, but I did that everyday all year.
I added it up and it’s a ton.
I make coffee at home every morning now

#40

I don’t buy cards with gifts. I tell the recipient “ I spent the extra $5 on your present, rather than a card you will throw away.
Gift +card is a scam.

Image credits: Maorine

#41

Not eating fast food. Making my daily coffee. Buying the big bag of Halloween candy and eating a piece or two a night to satisfy late night junk food craving.

Image credits: CaliDreams_

#42

Drive to Aldi for groceries which is a few miles further from me than the other grocery stores. The money I spend on gas is easily offset by the lower prices at Aldi.

#43

I scour Facebook marketplace for all my furniture. Everything in my livingroom has been free furniture which allowed me to spend for a decent new couch. If you’ve got a way to haul stuff and are a little handy you can get way better quality furniture for 0$. Just spent a few hours fixing a chair that would have cost me over 400$

#44

I think about purchases in terms of “return on investment”.

So if I spend $25 for a haircut, and get a haircut every 2 months, I’m spending $150/year on haircuts… I went to the store and bought a $100 set of hair clippers. I “break even” after 4 haircuts, and everything after that is money saved.

Or my Instapot.. I think it was about $125. I make huge meals with it most Sundays, and usually get to eat that food through Wed or Thurs. I don’t know how much that saves me, but its a lot. I’m eating 6 or 8 meals out of it, and it saves me hours of work in the kitchen each night.

#45

Air dry clothes. Less power, less wear on the cloth.

Cook at home. Goes for coffee too.

Buy and eat whole foods that cost less than $2 per pound (oatmeal, beans, rice, squash, bananas, carrots, onions, cabbage, peanuts, quinoa, lentils, corn, peas, tomatoes, potatoes, yams, flour, barley, etc) rather than prepared foods like Cheerios, hummus, pasta sauce, muffins, soup cans, juice, etc.

Drive an “economy” car, and drive it for 10+ years.

Bicycle or walk where I can.

Coast a lot in the car. Less gas spent into grinding your brake pads into dust.

Don’t carry unnecessary junk in the car, including a spare tire. All that stuff takes gas to move around and brakes to stop.

Do all the house maintenance. Clean your fridge coils, kill moss on your shingles, flush your water tank and lift the relief valve, protect ya deck. Maintenace is cheaper than repair.

Keep your indoor temperature as close as comfortable to the outdoors.

Buy quality clothes but don’t buy for brand.

Don’t drink, or at least not much. Same with smoking, vaping, cocaine, etc.

Don’t get new clothes unless you don’t have something else that can fill the function. Get a new item once the old one is worn through.

Don’t worry about a perfect lawn. Just accept some natural plants. No water or chemicals needed. No landscaper to pay.

Don’t shampoo. You don’t need it.

Spend extra on health stuff. e.g. an electric toothbrush is cheaper than a filling and a helmet is better than a hospital visit, sun screen is cheaper than skin cancer.

Don’t get insurance for stuff you can afford. Self-insure. e.g. If you put $15 per month into a pet account it will work out better than pet insurance.

Don’t have kids. :P. I joke, do it if you want to but they are hella expensive.

Comparison shop everything. Get 3 quotes for insurance. Tell your telecom you’re switching. Check out the used markets.

Just wait on stuff before buying. Maybe one will appear at a garage sale, or a buddy will have one to give away. Or a sale will happen. If you wait it might just land in your lap for next to nothing.

Borrow stuff instead of buying. Be ready to return favours.

Keep stuff off when not using it. Lights, TV. Even stuff like your router if you’re going to be away a few days.

Get into cheap hobbies. Reading, chess, surfing, hiking, biking, writing, drawing, playing music, using duolingo, swimming at the beach, cooking, yoga, jogging, podcasts. Skip golf, motorsports, heliskiing.

DIY. The cost of materials is only like 10% of the price a contractor will bill you. You might even do a better job because you actually care. Youtube can teach you anything.

Let your electronics get old. It was fine 5 years ago, it’s fine now.

Play old video games. You get the fully polished, DLC included version at 80% off after a couple years. /r/patientgamers

Garden. Cheap produce if you do it right. Cheap entertainment at the very least.

Flip streaming services. Watch what they have and move on, just pay for one at a time.

Don’t shop for fun. Get your happiness from good health, good relationships, and doing things you’re good at. The important stuff in life.

Don’t pay any bank fees. Look for no fee options because they are out there. Get 0.05% cost index fund investments rather than paying 1% or whatever for a mutual fund.

Get a roommate.

Host a dinner party. Cheaper than a bar night.

Don’t buy jewelry. It doesn’t do anything.

Get a home gym. Adjustable dumbbells and a foldable bench can fit under a bed and are an easy way to do everything with weights. Running or biking for that endurance side.

Drink tap water, not juice, soda, sports drinks.

Stick to basic tools in the kitchen. Don’t go chasing the newest air fryer/foreman grill/slap chop/magic bullet/smoker/sous vide/vitamix/stand mixer/spiralizer/etc. That junk just sits on shelves after you use it twice.

Use adblock. Junk to buy is out of sight out of mind.

Consider not owning a car. Renting works out if you just need it the odd time.

Spray your shoes for water protection.

Mend clothes. It’s not that hard.

Let your home be a little messy. Those housekeeping magazine looks are more money and trouble than they’re worth. Don’t worry about stuff that’s dated or worn, it still works.

Make art for your own walls. It’s cheaper and more fun.

Buy the cheapest thing that fits your needs, rather than the best thing you can afford.

Keeping a running gift idea list. It’s the thought that counts, and more thought often means less money to still get a great gift.

Don’t gamble. Unless it’s just a few bucks between friends.

Buy the mid range version of stuff you use often. Don’t get the cheap one that will end up in the trash and don’t get the expensive one with bells and whistles you won’t really make use of.

#46

Think of all purchases in terms of percentage. If I can get a can of tomato paste for $1 instead of $2 I’m saving 50% rather than just a dollar.

#47

Never buy napkins.
Buy a few washable ones and reuse them.

If I ever get fast food, I take like 50 napkins from the dispenser. In grad school, I would go to the on campus Chik Fil A and get their world-class best napkins for my apartment. I used them like paper towels … they were high quality LOL.

#48

Stack savings when you can, as well. The big jug of laundry detergent we use is regularly $9.48 at Walmart, and more expensive anywhere else. One other grocery store here recently had it on sale for $6.99, plus a $1 digital coupon in their app, bringing it to $5.99 per jug. In Ibotta, I had an offer for $3 back on each with a limit of five, so naturally, I bought five of them at essentially $2.99 per jug. At the rate we use it, we likely won’t have to buy laundry detergent for a decade or more

#49

Never order anything but water to drink when dining out. I don’t have any idea how much I didn’t spend, but I’m 64 so I imagine it’s got to be in the thousands by now. I also carry my water bottle or ask for free tap water if I’m going somewhere that sells bottled water.

I once was at the cafe at an aquarium. I got free tap water with my sandwich. I saw a family with 3 kids eating lunch at a nearby table. They had 5 bottles of water that they paid for. $3 each. And nobody finished drinking theirs, they threw away most of it and all that plastic. $15 just for water! They could have had free water, or one bottle and 5 free cups.

#50

The Ibotta app and the Rakuten app combined over the last three years have netted me over $1,500. Sometimes it seems so insignificant to get change amounts back on purchases, but they add up, and I use them consistently

#51

Use fast food apps like McDonalds especially. Their reward system is okay but they usually have a 30% coupon. Basically every 4th trip is free then.

We’ve been going to Sam’s Club once a month. We load up on TP, baby formula, K-cups, etc. It’s nice to have a stockpile of stuff we use a lot and it’s also cut our weekly grocery bill in half.
Source: boredpanda.com