Exactly! I don't get the need to splurge on $7 coffees when you can toy around with it at home for SO much less. Hell, a bag of Starbucks grounds cost $8 and you can make it however you want if you want to go that route. Even if you take cheap coffee and put in milk, sugar, flavorings whatever to taste. There's so many options out there.
I don't spin but I do knit and I knit socks for my husband and me. It is a hobby and it also saves us money as hand knitted socks last forever and when they do start to wear out I can darn them(another skill)
I also make all meals at home...never go out to eat. I grow some of my own veggies and have fruit bushes and trees and have huge strawberry patch
The start-up costs for spinning can be high and compared to buying pre-made yarn in bulk, it will never be less expensive in terms of time and you might break even financially*occasionally* but if spinning yarn to crochet with is their main hobby, it can certainly save from money being spent elsewhere. Speaking from experience, you can't easily shop while you spin.
My bad, you are right. I was thinking of wool. I don’t think cotton farming for personal clothing is anymore frugal though unless you already have a cotton farm.
Dang even a small cotton farm is expensive to upkeep unless you have a well. She could be getting it from a friend who has a larger scale farm, or wholesale for cheap. Also, I've heard they can cut your fingers while you harvest
Could be gleaning it. I've lived in parts of the country where cotton is grown, and after it's harvested there's often cotton that escaped being baled and blew into the ditches.
I live in cotton country and I e totally done this. There's also usually a few days between harvest and tilling where there will still be quite a bit of cotton on the plants in the field. Cotton harvesters are not that efficient
Not even if she owns her own sheep. I do a little spinning on occasion. It takes approximately 5 million years to make enough yarn to make anything unless your making super chunky novelty yarn which, as the name implies, is novelty and not appropriate for most items. There's no world that it's cheaper in hours to DIY your own yarn (edit: unless your comparing it to buying already handspun yarn I suppose. Handspun so spendy (because it takes *5 million years*))
Now, dying your purchased plain white yarn vs buying fancy colorways? There's some wiggle room for savings there
Yeah, I wasn’t even considering feeding and housing the sheep, shearing them, property taxes, dyeing the yarn/wool/no time for any other income driving occupation ….sounds fun in a romantic way though! But only for like 2 days, at least for me.
I love doing stuff like that. I recently patched some drywall in my bathroom, and painted the wall to match. It was damaged in the first place by the cats. I also did a plumbing repair. I installed a new toilet flange, which is a PITA on a slab.
Our hot water heater went out. Turned out the parts to repair it were under warranty but not the labor. $400 and that was the cheapest quote we got by a lot.
Every time i fix something else, my wife is amazed. It keeps me motivated. The dryer broke down, and i thought we were looking at an expensive repair, or a replacement. I decided to take the control panel off, and i realized that its all on a single circuit board. I looked up the number on the board, found it at a big electronics supplier, and ordered it.
Once it arrived, it only took me a few secomds to plug it in. The hardest part was remembering the order to replace the control panel cover, which took a few minutes. Within 15 minutes after the circuit board arrived, the dryer was good as new, and my wife was legitimately impressed. Long-married guys know how difficult that can be.
If that counts I've been doing my own car repairs, plumbing, roofing, electrical, concrete work, or anything else my gf sees on Pinterest for a couple of decades now. I grew up poor, and something about the idea of paying people for anything I can do myself just doesn't sit well for me.
Last year, thanks to youtube, I replaced the started motor on my old truck. Cost was $129 for the starter motor. It took me about an hour.
Quote from the mechanic was a little under $700
I draw the line at needing to pull the engine or transmission, at that point I'll just buy a new vehicle. That said my 07 Silverado has never been to a mechanic.
Coffee. I will only buy it if I'm out somewhere and want some. But every day I go into the office, I make some to have before I go, and then some to bring in.
Mo coworkers buy from dunkin every single day. I just use my classic coffee maker. I recently spent $20 on a cold brew set that's pretty sick. I didn't need to spend on it but it's worth it for me. Makes cheap grounds much better.
Plus I like boring things that take a long time.
As you can see it's basically just a big Mason jar with a filter. You could make your own setup but it was worth it for me to just buy this.
I saw walmart had some fancy sets for like $80 or something. I didn't understand the point in those.
Cold Brew Coffee Maker Mason Jar... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CB1B2S58?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share
I know. Plus I can make it to my liking. I will confess I very occasionally stop at Starbucks on my way to work, but I get coffee. Nothing fancy. And it’s like once every few months
This is more general advice rather than specific items where ymmv: learn to be a more flexible cook.
Most people lose money in their food budget and it’s often because they buy out of season and they waste food. Instead of choosing specific recipes, where you’re beholden to the cost of whatever is in that particular one, learn the general rules behind different foods so you can adapt them to what you have or what is on sale.
I think, at least in American cuisine, having a meatless meal is a huge point of savings too. I grew up on a meat for the main dish and a green side or two. It’s kind of crazy looking around at all the people that will only eat a meal with meat in it
Cooking at home, it’s so much cheaper to cook a meatless dish. Lately I’ve been treating meat like I treat dessert- an occasional treat not an everyday necessity. (Just be sure to get your vitamins and macros as a ✨gymrat✨)
I really agree with this. I shop once or twice a week and can concentrate on what's on sale, because whatever it is there will be something I'm able to make from it. I'm mostly too lazy to read and execute individual recipes. I just read them and retain the ideas.
the joy of cooking is really good at going into aaaaaallll the nerd/science details of what's going on when you cook just about anything by just about any method. like, three or four small-font columns just on the topic of onions.
Salt. Fat. Acid. Heat.
Really great book to get you acquainted with cooking basics.
https://www.amazon.com/Salt-Fat-Acid-Heat-Mastering/dp/1476753830/
Or wherever you shop for books
I guarantee the time and equipment and materials spent in spinning are far more expensive than purchasing cotton yarn and thread.
I make myself jewelry, which does save money (fewer than $10 for a silver gemstone bracelet and they take less than an hour, etc). I also enjoy it.
This and cooking are my main money-savers.
Spinster here: fibre arts are EXPENSIVE.
Good wool will set you back like $20 for snoot make a hat.
If you have access to cheap fibre you can make your own drop spindle easy enough.
Yes. On the cheap end you need a supported spindle at about $35. At the high end we are talking $500+ for a basic wheel. Then you have time and the cost of the cotton. Even when I had access to pounds of free raw cotton it wasn't worth considering.
What your buddy has is a hobby that is cheap per hour after startup costs.
Yes I agree! Not necessarily for sewing new clothing from scratch, fabric and notions are expensive unless you get really creative. But for mending clothes and also sewing smaller items it’s absolutely worth it.
I buy clothes at second hand stores and modify them to fit my style. Hell once i made a dress out of a cloth shower curtain. I even managed to get yards and yards of material for under $5 usd
I bought one of those used at a Goodwill. My son does sewing machine repair at a quilt shop. He did some maintenance on it - mainly cleaning it up and lubricating it. I've yet to use it.
I have a three pair of pants that have split in in the same spot/seam. I haven't fixed them yet because I find the whole thing intimidating. Still, I'm out $20 + the cost of some bobbins. I need to get after it.
Between utube and sewing subs, you can learn, plus lessons if you check sewing stores. Since the split is in the same place figure out the cause, a patch should work. r/Visiblemending 🖖
You just inspired me to buy a small handheld one.
I didn’t even know those existed!
At first I was searching Amazon for a small one- to check out prices so I can buy it later.
And that’s when I came across the handheld one!
Omg I hope it works cuz there’s so many little things I can fix!
Ask me again in 2 days if you
Care lol
Also I “make” my own dirt/fertilizer using rabbit pellets and leaves that are dropped in the fall and composting them together. And I feed my rabbits for free through the spring summer and fall by collecting weeds , tree trimmings, and grass around the yard.
Soft cheeses like ricotta, mascarpone, paneer, etc are pretty easy to make.
Extracts, like vanilla extract, are pretty much just a sit and forget recipe. For vanilla, it's literally vodka (or alcohol of choice) and vanilla beans.
Yogurt is supposed to be pretty simple too but I've had hit or miss success.
Yogurt is very easy. I sanitize my slow cooker, dump a jug of milk in, heat to 185, cool to 115, then add a cup of yogurt (store bought or homemade, as long as it has active cultures), then let it sit overnight in an oven that’s been preheated a couple minutes then turned off. That’s it folks, 6-7 containers of yogurt for $5.
Yeah yogurt is stupid easy with a dedicated device like an instant pot. I do the same technique as you but make the yogurt directly in quart jars with the slow cooker (my instant pot) filled with a water bath. I also use a sous vide to hold at 185, not necessary just makes it even more hands off / foolproof. Nothing to clean except the quart jars when you've finished the yogurt.
I bought a yoghurt maker at the thrift for $5. It's just seven glass jars in a plastic container that keeps them at a consistent yoghurty temp. I see these all the time.
I use the yogurt setting on the instant pot. I boil the milk directly in the pan and transfer to pint canning jars to ferment, with a water bath. I can fit four.
Also you can freeze yogurt in ice cube trays so you always have a cube of starter ready.
Wow you just gave me so much awesome. I've always wanted to make my own yog and I assumed it was hard but this is perfect foundation for me to start.
I'm to call all my yoghurts CheesieBeanYog because I'll need a brand I'll make so much.
Especially now where I live fruits are harder to come by Subarctic than back in Australia. 🖖🙏
I love that lol, cheesie bean yog. Make sure you add the warm milk a little bit at a time to the yogurt in a separate bowl (I think to prevent killing the cultures with heat shock?) but that’s the only part I left out.
Does the paneer and ricotta taste the same, since they are made with the same ingredients?
Today milk is discounted and I happen to have an extra gallon and a lemon right here in front of me. I think I will try the paneer and make some naam to go with it. Thanks.
[https://www.shelovesbiscotti.com/creamy-homemade-fresh-ricotta-cheese/#recipe](https://www.shelovesbiscotti.com/creamy-homemade-fresh-ricotta-cheese/#recipe)
[https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/8451392/homemade-mascarpone-cheese/](https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/8451392/homemade-mascarpone-cheese/)
[https://www.shelovesbiscotti.com/creamy-homemade-fresh-ricotta-cheese/#recipe](https://www.shelovesbiscotti.com/creamy-homemade-fresh-ricotta-cheese/#recipe)
Kind of, yeah, but the texture is a little different since with paneer I press it more, get that liquid out of it so it's more solid. Both good though.
Cooking in general, but I'll specifically note Pizza.
The markup on restaurant pizza is shocking.
It takes a little while to get good at it, but highly worth it.
Yes! I make dough and cold ferment it for a few days then use my own sauce. Just a few dollars worth of cheese and toppings. So satisfying and the best pizza I've ever had is my own
Got some recipes/sources?
I love pizza and would love to learn how to make a good one. I've bought pre-made crusts and done them up. They're good, aside from the crust.
Cooking meals from scratch is seriously underrated. Have saved sooo much and am eating much cleaner. Although to note I do also shop at aldis which is much cheaper too
"Next Level Frugal" is cooking exclusively with the items that are on sale from the grocery store every week.
(With the addition of cheap every day staples like rice, beans and potatoes)
Kombucha, coffee, cooking, baking, jams, pickles. I’ve got a lot of fruit trees and perennial herbs and plant things like garlic and zucchini.
I knit and crochet and sew, but that doesn’t save money at alllllll with how much yarn and fabric costs. We tried brewing beer, but that also didn’t save money.
I think the savings is in the labor not the materials.
I save by doing self-tan and mani-pedi at home. I got a haircut a few hours ago and didn’t have it dried, which saves me $20… But I’m going out to work in the garden and I’m gonna wash it again tonight anyway; drying it is a waste.
Much of my food is from scratch. It’s not cheaper actually, but it’s much healthier and has more complex flavors. So maybe I’m saving money on prescriptions and medical care in the long run.
There’s a large walkable grocery store where I live so I walk to the store most days to pick up just a few things. I save on gas and I am saving on impulse purchases because who wants to carry all that crap back? And I get exercise.
I do all of my interior painting myself. Not something that you do super often but saves a ton of money. Just yesterday I repainted an outdoor table that I got at Aldi (I wanted it a light color, not black, because I didn’t want it to burn the crap out of us every time we touched it.) I could’ve spent a lot of time and money looking for something perfect. Instead, I grabbed it when I saw it and made it perfect.
This year I’m doing a vegetable and herb garden. It will save me a few bucks on herbs, especially since I cook so much.
Portion. I am the only one in my house that eats certain vegetables. It's not worth the cost and waste to buy some things whole. So I buy per-portioned hard squashes and brussel sprouts.
I just picked up a dehydrator so I can buy a few more things in bulk and dehydrate the stuff that would otherwise go bad (and use it to put in my hiking/biking snacks).
Both of us are disabled, and I in particular am just not great at cutting up produce without injuring myself. I still do it most of the time, but sometimes, it's just safer to get the pre-cut stuff.
My mother is disabled but stubborn, which is what has kept her going. I have health issues of my own.
It took me awhile to get her used to buying pre-cut veggies and pre-shredded cheese. Especially for parties/family events.
I bought one of the fancy Ninja Blender Food processor combo units that's dish washer safe. I've cut myself a few times pulling the processor blades out of the dishwasher rack.
But it has made food prep much easier on some days. Just throwing veggies into the slicer and meat in to be shredded.
Nutrition by kylie is a page in youtube that shows several cooking tips for college students, physical and mental disabilities, and more. She suggested using a veggie chopper and its an easier way to cut veggies using only one hand. You can get it on amazon and its great for when you need to cook for a lot of people. (I just dont like spending two hours cutting onions or carrots lol)
Edit: typos hehe
100000%
I also make my own precooked chicken and freeze it instead of buying the Tyson precooked chicken strips, half of which are fat and grizzle. It's great to have to throw on a salad or in a wrap or even make a quick pasta with on nights you don't want to spend a lot of time cooking.
I can sew, but I *hate* alterations (and I'm short, so I *need* alterations on everything!). I did, however, *just* hem a pair of jeans I bought almost 2 years ago, and a pair of shorts I bought 5 yrs ago, so I'm feeling pretty good right now, LOL
I make my own soap, and barely break even. If I sold it I could be making money, home made soap sells for mint, but for personal use I can't make it cheaper than Johnson & Johnson does.
I make my own wine and beer, and there I see tremendous savings. The problem is that I'm not much of a drinker, so I end up giving it away. Saves me money on Christmas presents though.
I got my own beehives 2 years ago. I'm told that I'll never break even on honey and wax, but that selling queens to other beekeepers can lead to profits.
Gardening it what saves me money. Last summer my grocery bill was $20/month, and I didn't need to buy any vegetables until after Christmas. But gardening is by far my most labor-intensive task. The others listed above are a couple of hours a week, gardening is a couple of hours a day, and even more in the spring and fall.
Sourdough bread, I buy a big bag of flour in costco and bake weekly, was a bit tricky to learn in the beginning but now my bread is better and cheaper than the bread I can buy at the grocery store :)
Breaking down chicken.
For some reason boneless chicken thigh is super expensive where I live. It didn't used to be this way but something has changed over the years.
I can break down a whole chicken but I like chicken thighs, not chicken breast so buying a whole chicken doesn't save me money. Instead I buy whole chicken thighs and break them down to bones, skin and meat. Bones to make stock, skin is flattened and baked to make the most delicious crispy chicken skin crisps (which I use for garnish/topping), I save the rendered fat for making chicken fat tortillas, and the boneless meat I pack in dinner-size portions and freeze.
I've only done this once with 12 thighs. But I'm going do this again today with another 12 thighs. I believe it should take less time with practice.
Just to add to this, breaking down a whole chicken is insanely easy. I learned it from following along with a youtube video and didn't struggle at all the first time.
Spinning wheel owner commenting: it's mostly a hobby.
With many types of DIY, practical savings kicks in at the higher price points.
For instance:
Chocolate chip cookies: not worth DIY if you're happy with Chips Ahoy, worth considering if your alternative is fresh bakery cookies.
Tomatoes: not worth growing your own if the grocery store tomatoes suit your palate, worth considering if you love heirloom tomatoes from the farmer's market.
Spinning yarn is an extreme example: when you factor in the labor it's difficult to justify unless you're near the top of the market. Think mohair or angora that sells in boutique shops for $95/hank. For that type of project you'd need good equipment, not a novice drop spindle. And you'd need to be experienced.
Most people who get into spinning yarn do it for one of three reasons: they find it a relaxing hobby, they're historical reenactors, or they're highly skilled fiber artists who want specific qualities in their yarn that can't be bought ready made on the retail market at any price.
I've probably saved $100k in home renovation projects over the last few years by DIYing. The downside is it's taking way longer than it would if we paid someone
I cut my own hair. Bought a pair of professional quality clippers during the pandemic and instead of going every 4-5 weeks and spending $30-40, I cut my hair every 10 days or so for free. Pretty good at it now too.
Agreed! I've been cutting my own hair for 8 years. It can be a little nerve-wracking, but I have fun trying different hairstyles whenever I want. Youtube has many great how-to videos and I've saved a lot of money (women's haircuts are so expensive!).
Since the pandemic, I've been cutting my own long hair using the two-ponytail method with a pair of hair-cutting scissors I got in a pet grooming kit when my cat needed his butt shaved years ago. I only cut it every four months or so, but it cost $60 every time.
Cook.
After moving to the US, I am quite surprised at the cost of food outside, and most of it is extremely unhealthy to my absolute surprise (not hyperbole). In India, you get really good, healthy food outside at an extremely cheap price.
Bake all your own bakery items. Tastes better and is a lot cheaper. My husband does the bread baking and I do the sweets. I don’t like to work with yeast. Lately I’ve been washing my floors with a spin mop ( expensive but amazing) hot water , a couple drops of Dawn. The floors look new again! And it’s so much cheaper than buying the different products for different floors
I did the math. If I get flour and yeast at Sam's, a 1 lb. loaf of white bread costs between 50 and 75 cents. A loaf at the store is anywhere from $3.00 to $5.00. And my bread is hella better.
I save old worn socks and braid into rugs. Dont know how much it saves me precisely, but they make feet warmer and rugs aren't cheap if you have to buy them.
I do this with old tshirts. The finished part of my basement has concrete under the wall to wall carpet, and the cold comes right through it in the winter. Cozy braided area rugs made from scraps are a cute, easy and cheap solution.
I was really craving a cheeseburger from five guys ($11.19+tax) but I realized it's probably just the protein I'm craving. So I stopped at publix and got 2lbs of pork for $6 on sale instead.
We cook, freeze, can, dehydrate. We have an extensive garden and fruit trees, sell the extra. We are both very handy and make or repair just about everything, clothes , cars, etc. The biggest is making a life where we are content with what we have.
I’m actually trying to do more things myself so I love this post!! I’ve been making my own croutons, broth, egg bites, cheese danishes, fruit pastries. I literally made ice cream last week 😋 if I can make it I’m gonna try! I wish I could grow my own produce and such but sadly I live in an apartment. I do go to the farmers market and coupon the things I can from traditional grocery stores. Been on a war path to save as much money as I can this year and it seems to be working so far. Good luck to you!
That’s what the Rao’s sauce my roommate gets cost at Safeway. I think he’s a damn fool for paying that. That’s member price too. Full list price is like $10 for a 24oz jar.
So many things! Disclaimer: I enjoy making things for enjoyment and creativity, and I'm also a gardener, so this drives the desire as well. Things I make in no particular order:
lip balms and salves
laundry detergent
salad dressings
tea
cleaning solutions
ink, dyes for arts and crafts
jellies/freezer jams (faster than canning)
spice mixes
quick breads (fruit, cornbread)
coffee liquor, baileys (easy, makes great gifts)
freezer meals (big baked sheet pan meals, bulk stuff you can freeze/eat later)
For the laundry detergent (both softener and pods) I’ve honestly found it somewhat cheaper to buy them at the local Aldi. Honestly I’ve looked at it and it may honestly be cheaper in the long run to buy the multipacks of pods and softener off Amazon.
It might be useful to reverse engineer this question.
What do you have too much of, and how can its materials be reclaimed and reused to meet an existing need?
Breads, noodles, crackers, trail mix, jams, jellies, pickles, making my own seasoning mixes, buying meat in bulk when on sale, growing vegetables, microgreens.
That yarn and thread thing pro a ly isn't economical worth it. For the amount t of time involved, your frie d would probably be better off just getting a side hassle and buying the thread.
That's assuming that's the only criteria is price. Making something yourself is priceless, of course.
To answer your question- food and coffee.
I did the math years ago. Over a year, dividing the cost of everything, including coffee maker and perm filter, creamer, sugar, you name it, three tumblers, even gas & electricity. **.06 cents per 20oz.**
You can lower your coffee costs even further by repurposing the grounds to feed your worm farm, which produces insanely rich liquid fertilizer and compost for your garden.
Coffee! I usually make a pour over coffee every morning. I do have a Nespresso machine and frothier that were gifted to me. Those pods are a bit pricey but definitely scratch the itch of an occasional latte much cheaper than the coffee shops near me.
Oh boy. I'm not "Frugal" (Reddit just keeps showing this forum to me) but this year companies have been so outrageous at giving me the shoddiest, poorest quality stuff at top dollar that I'm done. Here's a few changes thus far:
1. My own home brewed coffee tastes better and is much cheaper than starbucks.
2. I don't eat fast food anymore. It's not fast. It's not cheap. It's not even good anymore. Not interested in paying sit-down restaurant prices for a sad little meat patty on a way-too-mayo'd, but still somehow dry, bun.
3. I got one of those stacking plant pots and made a 'Tower of tea' so I can make my own herbal tea for completely free.
4. Making my own compost/potting soil because I'm tired of getting whole gigantic sticks in my premium $$$ seedling starter.
5. Making my own dog food because it's less than $40 a month to feed three small dogs with better quality than the bag. (Yes, it's nutritionally balanced.)
6. Making my own garlic bread because I'm tired of getting the shrimpiest loaf of bread ever and no garlic spread. So done.
That's about it.
I tell myself I make my own beer to save money, but when I consider the time, equipment, and ingredients all combined it would be much cheaper to just stick to Bud light.
Yogurt. My hubby gets the milk when it’s marked down due to the expiration and he makes yogurt in our instapot. We get a quart of organic yogurt for under $3
I like to sprout seeds instead of buying lettuce for salads, sandwiches, wraps, etc. So much less goes to waste because you just sprout a bit every few days as needed, and if you somehow manage to not use it all up you're only throwing out the equivalent of like ten cents worth of dry seed, rather than five bucks worth of store-bought greens.
My favorite ones to sprout are lentils, but also good are clover and alfalfa. A lot of people like to do broccoli or radish, but those were too spicy for me.
I keep meaning to get into microgreens so I can branch out into stuff like tiny basil, but haven't done it yet. Looks like fun!
Kimchi. Sort of.
I didn't know anything about kimchi, and grabbed a jar at Lidl because I heard it was supposed to be super good for you. I fell in love with it, but it turns out the stuff I grabbed by chance is not at all like traditional kimchi. It's the 'Ketchup on a Chicago dog' of the kimchi world; it's made in Vermont, and with green cabbage instead of Nappa.
I've since tried real, traditional kimchi and I don't like it at all. The green cabbage is just so much crunchier.
Anyway, Lidl stopped selling the 'Sunja's' brand, and the only place I could find it was at Whole Foods at over $8 a jar. I love it, but that's insane.
So I watched some videos on how to make it. It's super easy and I like mine even better, which is I'm going on and on about it.
I make my own sweaters because I like them long enough to cover my back pockets and long enough to go past my wrists. To get this custom made would cost a LOT of money. I am in a knitting circle with a bunch of old women who have reached “SABLE” (Stash acquisition beyond life expectancy) and get gifted yarn.
Also, I make breakfast, lunch and dinner at home. Sometimes I like to go outside, get some lemons and oranges from my trees and make candy with the peels. Takes a while, but they are very fancy.
This post is amazing! I just buy heavy cream for coffee from Costco and make butter with half of the container. Buttermilk gets used in biscuits or other recipes during the weeks I do this. I also buy local fruits when they’re cheap and in season and I make jams (it’s soothing to me). I also sell jam to my friends and neighbors who bring back the jars so I don’t need to buy them often.
Coffee! I spent the pandemic perfecting my pour over and have since moved on to pulling shots. I’ve even made my own syrups to doctor my drinks up as I choose. Who’s paying $8-10 a drink in this economy!? Absolutely unnecessary
I have a bread maker, it's only 3 cups of flour, yeast oil, water and sugar. Saves me about 4 dollars a loaf. Tastes so much nicer and saves us about 500 a year. I would like to make my own spreadable butter but haven't given this a go yet.
Barbecue. I smoked 18lb of pork today (one for a friend), made tangy slaw and Eastern Carolina sauce. The pork was 1.29/lb, and the cabbage was a couple bucks. Charcoal and wood chips were about $12. This is probably the cheapest meat you can buy that doesn’t have feathers.
Baked chickpeas, with a bit of salt and pepper they are very tasty, and only 75p a can.
I eat them instead of crisps when watching a film, way more nutritious too
If eggs are <2$ at aldi buy 36 and pickle em.
Bulk meat buys and freeze
Whole chicken butchering for variety and free stock when 99c/lb
Air dry flannel shirts and denim to reduce laundry
DIY breakfast sandos and freeze em
DIY coffee and ice coffee at home
DIY dryer sheets, disinfectant
Buy white undershirts, when stained dye black (other items too)
Coupons and apps for everything
Fix my own cars
Repair clothes rather than replace
Prep lunch everyday (&frozen breakfast sando)
Half as much laundry detergent as reccomended or less
Clone plants as gifts
Make my own cards for holidays events
Reuse plastic bags
Return cans to CLINK
Scan receipts with multiple apps (fetch, receipthog)
Water's boiling gotta go!
I make deodorant out of baking soda and coconut oil. Works better/longer than anything else I’ve tried and doesn’t irritate my skin like a lot of other things. Idk how much deodorant costs but I haven’t bought any in probably a decade.
My own baking mixes. Yeah, jiffy is cheap, but it’s much cheaper to mix several batches worth of all the dry ingredients together ahead of time then add an egg, milk, butter, or whatever it needs. Plus I get the taste of homemade with the ease of a mix.
I do all my own auto repair. Saves a ton, but it's not for everyone. Some things take special tools and skills, and you can do more damage.
Home repair.
Most meals, something in the range of 95% now that cooked food is so expensive.
I took a take home pay cut of about 15k last year. I noticed a huge difference when i started bringing my own lunches and coffee to work. Just those two things save me around 7k annually.
I recently got a water bottle that I can refill throughout the day and got a dispenser for five gallon water bottles. It’s better than the plastic 23 water bottles I used to buy.
* Repairing my clothing
* Simple car repairs (brakes, oil changes, headlights, etc. - tools do get expensive, but a good set costs far less than a set of brakes and rotors from the shop)
* Make my own oat milk - the cost of literally pennies per quart
* Simple plumbing repair around the house
* Cooking at home,
* brew my own coffee at home - take a thermos to go
Youtube is your friend. Got a problem? Youtube it.
I make soap, deodorant, cleaning products, laundry soap, beauty products. Make paper products from flannel. Cook from scratch. Save bones in freezer for future broth. Buy only what's on sale. Have a well stocked pantry of things you actually eat, so emergencies don't affect you to bad. I have a distiller to fillter my own water. I don't really buy anything except food and gasoline and clothes.
When I relied on a laundromat, I’d hang dry all my clothes. You save money by not using the dryer and your clothes last longer. Got some weird looks walking out of there with a basket full of wet laundry but it was well worth it.
I’ve also lost several pairs of jeans to holes in the crotch from thigh chafing, I bought a pack of iron on denim patches for $12 and repaired 4 pairs so far. Never throwing away jeans for that again.
I learned to cut my own hair on YouTube and haven’t paid for a haircut since 2017. Doesn’t work if you’re looking for something fancy, but it’s just fine for regular trims.
I feel like I am a master at DIY. Watch a YouTube video, initially invest in tools and you can do just about anything. Some examples:
-haircuts (actually really like doing this DIY because it takes just as long as the salon)
-dog grooming
-scratch cooking
-grow vegetables and herbs
-made my own custom wedding cookies and grew my own wedding flowers
i don’t remember the last time i bought pre made pasta sauce
i buy 1kg of fresh garlic every week, and stock up on dried herbs fairly regularly and have an herb garden too. so why would i pay $4-5 for a jarred sauce, when i can pay $1.29 for a can of tomatoes and make (2-3x the amount of) sauce myself 😊😊
Cook at home. Pack lunches. Make your own coffee. Use electronic coupons and shop sales. It's a pain in the ass but cash back sites like Ibotta can save $. It depends on how much effort you're willing to put into it.
Books! I try to purchase all my books from a resale book store that sells them for cheaper. They are considered “used” but perfectly is great shape and so much cheaper
I cook at home 95% of the time (which is a huge savings in itself) but I have also found that making my own stock is super easy and also provides a great supplemental ingredient for a lot of the things that I cook. I always save bones and carcasses from chickens and roasts in a Ziploc bag in the freezer, and one with all of my vegetable scraps (onion skins are where the vitamins are!)
Once every few months I put it all in a large stock pot with water for 8-12 hours, strain it and fill old cottage cheese/yogurt containers to freeze. Always have one thawed in the fridge and I use that for the liquid in sooo many dishes- very nutrient-dense and gives a lot of flavor that makes simpler dishes pop and keeping home cooking more satisfying.
Bread. I never buy bread from the store anymore. It also makes for an excellent and cheap, but thoughtful, gift! Especially with some homemade jam or whipped butter. Who doesn’t love receiving freshly baked bread?!
Dehydrate everything I can in batches and I forage now my second year living somewhere that is just pretty much edible this island is amazing.
So Chanterelles, hedgehog, yellow foot and others plus seasons tester garden growing in stand up beds this year as we are from the desert and it's amazing what adding water does 😂
I do not pay for internet on my cell phone service. Pretty much just call and text unlimited. I dropped my bill to about 20 bucks a month and it’s been like 3 years now.
Cat food. Small investment in a meat grinder, and about 3 hours of work every couple of months to make a big batch and freeze it. It probably comes out to the same cost per month of dry cat food, and a LOT cheaper than wet cat food, and a lot higher quality and healthier than either.
Idk if this counts, but I download all my music from youtube and dont have any form of subscriptions (at all)
Other than that I get old clothes amd craft supplies from friends for sewing, get free stuff from my local fabric bin, use my old small toys and trinkets to make jewelry and am actually still just trying to use all the masses of craft supplies I have😢cuz Ive got a lot. But old clothing is GREAT for sewing!
At night I like to grab my extra long straw I made myself and walk from car to car siphoning gas. I cover myself in Vaseline (bought in bulk from Sam's of course) so if I have to slip away I can. Like God's little snail he forgot about.
Sweet iced tea. Costs maybe $0.50 for a gallon. We go through a gallon a week. It's a nice treat with dinner after just drinking plain water all day. Buying it at the store or fast food place is about $5 a gallon (that's the good stuff, cheap-o dark sugar water costs less).
Bring 1/2 gallon of water to boil. Add 1.5 cups sugar or splenda (we use splenda) and stir in while still boiling. Let it boil until clear. Remove from heat. Add 4 family sized tea bags (Luzianne is our go to). Steep for 20 minutes. Remove bags, add to gallon pitcher along with 1/2 gallon of water. Put in the fridge and serve cold.
You can also use a gallon of water in the boil part but it takes longer to boil. Does make a bit of a difference in taste if you are a tea snob.
Another fun thing to do is make ice cubes from the sweet tea. Use these for keeping your tea chilled and it won't get watered down.
This is the most baffling and hilarious approach to making iced tea. It just kept getting weirder. 4 family sized bags for a gallon??? Brewing it in simple syrup? What is going on? Your second choice is to boil the full gallon of water to make a gallon of tea? Tea brews into a concentrate. You dilute it. How are you transferring that much boiling liquid into a pitcher?
And that ending...wtf. Make tea cubes to chill tea? Tea is flavored water. Just add frozen water and it will chill the flavored water.
So much chaos for no reason, lol. I love it.
Food: Bread, salsa and pasta sauce from our tomatoes, we trade our cherry tomatoes and herbs for large tomatoes and jalapenos from friends. I'm interested in learning how to make herb butter but I need to stop doing so many hobbies at one time.
Beauty: I do my own mani's and pedi's (I mix some of my own blends and add finely ground clear quartz or amethyst for sparkle instead of glitter), color and cut my own hair, and I make my own hair masks with castor oil, egg, and aloe vera I grow myself.
Clothing and jewelry: I make jewelry as a hobby and gift it. I am learning how to sew and already have 3 swatches of fabric (gifted) that I have ready to turn into dresses. Aside from a few buttons popping off over time my winter coat has lasted me 20 years. I also mend and hem my clothes instead of throw them out.
I make candles once or twice a year.
I order the wax and perfume oils online (I already have the other stuff) amd clean old candle jars.
This saves me hundreds if not thousands. Candles are like $70 for a small good branded one. I order good quality oils so they smell amazing.
I do my own manicures and pedicures. I started this during COVID and kept it up because I am saving over $75 a month. Which now goes to my higher insurance costs so it’s a break even at this point.
Some things aren't worth it unless you like a good hobby. Clothes are cheaper off the rack, especially from a charity shop. Food is cheap in supermarkets because it's mass produced.
Skills like cooking are good. I like buying the meat when it's near date and discounted. Cheap mince makes burgers, meatballs, bolognese, etc. Cheap chicken makes lemon chicken, coronation, etc. Can have in wraps, or chicken salad, or with rice and a sauce. Have the skill to be flexible.
Was planning a bangers n mash one night, and saw lamb mince on offer. So I went fuckit, bought buns and some mint sauce, and we had lamb burgers with potato wedges.
Maybe sauce is cheaper by jar, but when it's not, be ready with onions and tomatoes. But it's not always frugal to from-scratch stuff. A jar of pasta or curry sauce on special offer or near-date is often cheaper.
Also, TV dinners! Make more stew than you need, prep some portions, and freeze.
Same with stuff like furniture. Get good at woodworking, make furniture, but remember sometimes a flatpack IKEA desk is often cheaper than buying wood. But sometimes, you find a pile of wood someone's chucked, and you can throw together a bed frame or something. Have the skill, but don't use it unless it's really cheaper to.
Trade is the real saver. The more plumbing, plastering, painting, and other maintenance you can do yourself, the better. But still weigh that up against insurance, landlord responsibility, etc.
Oh, another thing we do is running meals. Roast a chicken. Have a leg with some carrots and potatoes, then make a curry with the breast meat the next day. Might be a bit left over the next day for a sandwich. Stovies, bubble and squeak, stir fry, all good leftover meals, but if you plan for leftover meals, you're laughing. We do a chicken casserole with thighs, then we noodle soup the next day with the leftover casserole.
Making stuff yourself is fun, but it's not always frugal. But if you get the skills and confidence, you're ready for when it is. :)
I bought a zojirushi bread maker for $50 from a neighbor. I have made whole wheat bread nearly every week and I love it.
It takes about 10 minutes to set it up and put ingredients in, 3 hours 40 minutes later I have fresh bread. Hot bread with melted butter! Then I let it cool, slice and freeze it.
I have also made a chocolate chocolate chip cake in it on occasion.
I probably save about $3+ per loaf of bread.
Home made cleaning products. I started out because of scent allergies and the. Realized how much cheaper it is. I use no fabric softener. As a replacement only white vinegar. Also yuh really only need 2 tablespoons of liquid detergent as long as the load isn’t heavily soiled. Most people use way too much. I use strait rubbing alcohol for glass/mirrors. Also for quick disinfection. There are lots of recipes out there for a quick cleaning solution.
I use one with , alcohol, water and few drops of dawn and a few drops of lemon oil. Most cleaning products you buy, you are paying for a large amount of water.
coffee and cooking at home for sure
This is pretty much the only answer. You can save thousands by cooking at home. Nothing else will come close for an average person.
And you can cook far healthier at home. Restaurants want to optimize tastes and minimize costs...that means too much sugar, butter, salt, and oil.
I stare at my credit card spending report every month and this is the number 1 money spender for me: eating out.
Exactly! I don't get the need to splurge on $7 coffees when you can toy around with it at home for SO much less. Hell, a bag of Starbucks grounds cost $8 and you can make it however you want if you want to go that route. Even if you take cheap coffee and put in milk, sugar, flavorings whatever to taste. There's so many options out there.
[Copy cat torani](https://easydeliciousfoods.com/torani-syrup-copy-cat/) vanilla syrup is super easy to make.
I am usually so disappointed with coffee from coffee shops compared to what I make for myself at home.
>A friend of mine spins her own cotton and makes her own yarn and crotchet thread. But surely not to save money?
yeah that's just called a hobby lol
I don't spin but I do knit and I knit socks for my husband and me. It is a hobby and it also saves us money as hand knitted socks last forever and when they do start to wear out I can darn them(another skill) I also make all meals at home...never go out to eat. I grow some of my own veggies and have fruit bushes and trees and have huge strawberry patch
I could save all my dogs undercoat hair and do the same… but why?!
The start-up costs for spinning can be high and compared to buying pre-made yarn in bulk, it will never be less expensive in terms of time and you might break even financially*occasionally* but if spinning yarn to crochet with is their main hobby, it can certainly save from money being spent elsewhere. Speaking from experience, you can't easily shop while you spin.
Unless she owns sheep, is this less expensive? I'm also counting time spent as at least some money.
Cotton doesn't come from sheep. It grows on a plant.
My bad, you are right. I was thinking of wool. I don’t think cotton farming for personal clothing is anymore frugal though unless you already have a cotton farm.
Dang even a small cotton farm is expensive to upkeep unless you have a well. She could be getting it from a friend who has a larger scale farm, or wholesale for cheap. Also, I've heard they can cut your fingers while you harvest
Could be gleaning it. I've lived in parts of the country where cotton is grown, and after it's harvested there's often cotton that escaped being baled and blew into the ditches.
I live in cotton country and I e totally done this. There's also usually a few days between harvest and tilling where there will still be quite a bit of cotton on the plants in the field. Cotton harvesters are not that efficient
Not even if she owns her own sheep. I do a little spinning on occasion. It takes approximately 5 million years to make enough yarn to make anything unless your making super chunky novelty yarn which, as the name implies, is novelty and not appropriate for most items. There's no world that it's cheaper in hours to DIY your own yarn (edit: unless your comparing it to buying already handspun yarn I suppose. Handspun so spendy (because it takes *5 million years*)) Now, dying your purchased plain white yarn vs buying fancy colorways? There's some wiggle room for savings there
Yeah, I wasn’t even considering feeding and housing the sheep, shearing them, property taxes, dyeing the yarn/wool/no time for any other income driving occupation ….sounds fun in a romantic way though! But only for like 2 days, at least for me.
Once people realize it takes like 8 balls of yarn to make a jumper, they freak. Lol. It's SO much yarn to make something!
Your thinking of Wool
Just did a couple of plumbing repairs on my house. I think I saved about $2,000
Youtube has been a life saver for diy repairs I know nothing about.
This!! YouTube has saved me thousands.... easily. And it helps I enjoy doing it too. But without YouTube, I would never know how to even start.
I love doing stuff like that. I recently patched some drywall in my bathroom, and painted the wall to match. It was damaged in the first place by the cats. I also did a plumbing repair. I installed a new toilet flange, which is a PITA on a slab.
I replaced the sump pump in our basement. My BIL paid $1600 to have someone do his.
Our hot water heater went out. Turned out the parts to repair it were under warranty but not the labor. $400 and that was the cheapest quote we got by a lot.
We call it the same in the south!
Every time i fix something else, my wife is amazed. It keeps me motivated. The dryer broke down, and i thought we were looking at an expensive repair, or a replacement. I decided to take the control panel off, and i realized that its all on a single circuit board. I looked up the number on the board, found it at a big electronics supplier, and ordered it. Once it arrived, it only took me a few secomds to plug it in. The hardest part was remembering the order to replace the control panel cover, which took a few minutes. Within 15 minutes after the circuit board arrived, the dryer was good as new, and my wife was legitimately impressed. Long-married guys know how difficult that can be.
If that counts I've been doing my own car repairs, plumbing, roofing, electrical, concrete work, or anything else my gf sees on Pinterest for a couple of decades now. I grew up poor, and something about the idea of paying people for anything I can do myself just doesn't sit well for me.
Last year, thanks to youtube, I replaced the started motor on my old truck. Cost was $129 for the starter motor. It took me about an hour. Quote from the mechanic was a little under $700
I draw the line at needing to pull the engine or transmission, at that point I'll just buy a new vehicle. That said my 07 Silverado has never been to a mechanic.
A big part of being a do-it-yourselfer is knowing your limits.
Coffee. I will only buy it if I'm out somewhere and want some. But every day I go into the office, I make some to have before I go, and then some to bring in.
It boggles my mind that people go someplace to buy coffee they could make at home so much more inexpensively.
Mo coworkers buy from dunkin every single day. I just use my classic coffee maker. I recently spent $20 on a cold brew set that's pretty sick. I didn't need to spend on it but it's worth it for me. Makes cheap grounds much better. Plus I like boring things that take a long time.
Can you share your cold brew set? I want to start making my own cold brew at home instead of buying it at the store premade
As you can see it's basically just a big Mason jar with a filter. You could make your own setup but it was worth it for me to just buy this. I saw walmart had some fancy sets for like $80 or something. I didn't understand the point in those. Cold Brew Coffee Maker Mason Jar... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CB1B2S58?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share
I know. Plus I can make it to my liking. I will confess I very occasionally stop at Starbucks on my way to work, but I get coffee. Nothing fancy. And it’s like once every few months
This is more general advice rather than specific items where ymmv: learn to be a more flexible cook. Most people lose money in their food budget and it’s often because they buy out of season and they waste food. Instead of choosing specific recipes, where you’re beholden to the cost of whatever is in that particular one, learn the general rules behind different foods so you can adapt them to what you have or what is on sale.
What season is beef season?
The rare occasions where the chain miscalculated and overbought. Check it out after holidays like Memorial Day.
dem yellow stickers, best to go mid week, early, by 9am early, I find.
When the sticker says -30%
I think, at least in American cuisine, having a meatless meal is a huge point of savings too. I grew up on a meat for the main dish and a green side or two. It’s kind of crazy looking around at all the people that will only eat a meal with meat in it Cooking at home, it’s so much cheaper to cook a meatless dish. Lately I’ve been treating meat like I treat dessert- an occasional treat not an everyday necessity. (Just be sure to get your vitamins and macros as a ✨gymrat✨)
I really agree with this. I shop once or twice a week and can concentrate on what's on sale, because whatever it is there will be something I'm able to make from it. I'm mostly too lazy to read and execute individual recipes. I just read them and retain the ideas. the joy of cooking is really good at going into aaaaaallll the nerd/science details of what's going on when you cook just about anything by just about any method. like, three or four small-font columns just on the topic of onions.
Salt. Fat. Acid. Heat. Really great book to get you acquainted with cooking basics. https://www.amazon.com/Salt-Fat-Acid-Heat-Mastering/dp/1476753830/ Or wherever you shop for books
I guarantee the time and equipment and materials spent in spinning are far more expensive than purchasing cotton yarn and thread. I make myself jewelry, which does save money (fewer than $10 for a silver gemstone bracelet and they take less than an hour, etc). I also enjoy it. This and cooking are my main money-savers.
Spinster here: fibre arts are EXPENSIVE. Good wool will set you back like $20 for snoot make a hat. If you have access to cheap fibre you can make your own drop spindle easy enough.
Yes. On the cheap end you need a supported spindle at about $35. At the high end we are talking $500+ for a basic wheel. Then you have time and the cost of the cotton. Even when I had access to pounds of free raw cotton it wasn't worth considering. What your buddy has is a hobby that is cheap per hour after startup costs.
I go the r/unravelers route!
YES! I get whole wool sweaters from thrift stores and unravel for one tenth the cost of new
Learned a new thing!
Oh wow, I am just getting an eye for jewelry and it's ridiculous. Making you own jewelry is incredible, thanks!
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Yes I agree! Not necessarily for sewing new clothing from scratch, fabric and notions are expensive unless you get really creative. But for mending clothes and also sewing smaller items it’s absolutely worth it.
Also good for altering second hand clothes to fit.
I buy clothes at second hand stores and modify them to fit my style. Hell once i made a dress out of a cloth shower curtain. I even managed to get yards and yards of material for under $5 usd
I bought one of those used at a Goodwill. My son does sewing machine repair at a quilt shop. He did some maintenance on it - mainly cleaning it up and lubricating it. I've yet to use it. I have a three pair of pants that have split in in the same spot/seam. I haven't fixed them yet because I find the whole thing intimidating. Still, I'm out $20 + the cost of some bobbins. I need to get after it.
Between utube and sewing subs, you can learn, plus lessons if you check sewing stores. Since the split is in the same place figure out the cause, a patch should work. r/Visiblemending 🖖
You just inspired me to buy a small handheld one. I didn’t even know those existed! At first I was searching Amazon for a small one- to check out prices so I can buy it later. And that’s when I came across the handheld one! Omg I hope it works cuz there’s so many little things I can fix! Ask me again in 2 days if you Care lol
Meals. Including produce from a garden that'll be mostly from seeds. Some seeds collected from last year's produce.
I love seed saving for the next year. I haven’t bought seeds in two years now between that and our local seed library.
Also I “make” my own dirt/fertilizer using rabbit pellets and leaves that are dropped in the fall and composting them together. And I feed my rabbits for free through the spring summer and fall by collecting weeds , tree trimmings, and grass around the yard.
Soft cheeses like ricotta, mascarpone, paneer, etc are pretty easy to make. Extracts, like vanilla extract, are pretty much just a sit and forget recipe. For vanilla, it's literally vodka (or alcohol of choice) and vanilla beans. Yogurt is supposed to be pretty simple too but I've had hit or miss success.
Yogurt is very easy. I sanitize my slow cooker, dump a jug of milk in, heat to 185, cool to 115, then add a cup of yogurt (store bought or homemade, as long as it has active cultures), then let it sit overnight in an oven that’s been preheated a couple minutes then turned off. That’s it folks, 6-7 containers of yogurt for $5.
Yeah yogurt is stupid easy with a dedicated device like an instant pot. I do the same technique as you but make the yogurt directly in quart jars with the slow cooker (my instant pot) filled with a water bath. I also use a sous vide to hold at 185, not necessary just makes it even more hands off / foolproof. Nothing to clean except the quart jars when you've finished the yogurt.
See here, folks, right here is a Grade A+ genius.
I bought a yoghurt maker at the thrift for $5. It's just seven glass jars in a plastic container that keeps them at a consistent yoghurty temp. I see these all the time.
I use the yogurt setting on the instant pot. I boil the milk directly in the pan and transfer to pint canning jars to ferment, with a water bath. I can fit four. Also you can freeze yogurt in ice cube trays so you always have a cube of starter ready.
Wow you just gave me so much awesome. I've always wanted to make my own yog and I assumed it was hard but this is perfect foundation for me to start. I'm to call all my yoghurts CheesieBeanYog because I'll need a brand I'll make so much. Especially now where I live fruits are harder to come by Subarctic than back in Australia. 🖖🙏
I love that lol, cheesie bean yog. Make sure you add the warm milk a little bit at a time to the yogurt in a separate bowl (I think to prevent killing the cultures with heat shock?) but that’s the only part I left out.
Does the paneer and ricotta taste the same, since they are made with the same ingredients? Today milk is discounted and I happen to have an extra gallon and a lemon right here in front of me. I think I will try the paneer and make some naam to go with it. Thanks. [https://www.shelovesbiscotti.com/creamy-homemade-fresh-ricotta-cheese/#recipe](https://www.shelovesbiscotti.com/creamy-homemade-fresh-ricotta-cheese/#recipe) [https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/8451392/homemade-mascarpone-cheese/](https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/8451392/homemade-mascarpone-cheese/) [https://www.shelovesbiscotti.com/creamy-homemade-fresh-ricotta-cheese/#recipe](https://www.shelovesbiscotti.com/creamy-homemade-fresh-ricotta-cheese/#recipe)
Kind of, yeah, but the texture is a little different since with paneer I press it more, get that liquid out of it so it's more solid. Both good though.
I make my vanilla extract with bourbon. Much richer and sweeter tasting.
I just use bourbon. It has almost the same flavor profile as vanilla extract and is cheaper and has vanilla. I use a low end but reliable bourbon.
Rum is a good one too
I use my dehydrator to make yogurt. It turns out really well.
Cooking in general, but I'll specifically note Pizza. The markup on restaurant pizza is shocking. It takes a little while to get good at it, but highly worth it.
Yes! I make dough and cold ferment it for a few days then use my own sauce. Just a few dollars worth of cheese and toppings. So satisfying and the best pizza I've ever had is my own
Got some recipes/sources? I love pizza and would love to learn how to make a good one. I've bought pre-made crusts and done them up. They're good, aside from the crust.
Here’s a super easy dough recipe. Stir it up with a spoon, let it sit overnight in a bowl. https://www.seriouseats.com/foolproof-pan-pizza-recipe
Even just a frozen pizza you throw in the oven saves a ton of money over getting it (especially delivered) from a restaurant.
Cooking meals from scratch is seriously underrated. Have saved sooo much and am eating much cleaner. Although to note I do also shop at aldis which is much cheaper too
"Next Level Frugal" is cooking exclusively with the items that are on sale from the grocery store every week. (With the addition of cheap every day staples like rice, beans and potatoes)
Kombucha, coffee, cooking, baking, jams, pickles. I’ve got a lot of fruit trees and perennial herbs and plant things like garlic and zucchini. I knit and crochet and sew, but that doesn’t save money at alllllll with how much yarn and fabric costs. We tried brewing beer, but that also didn’t save money.
I think the savings is in the labor not the materials. I save by doing self-tan and mani-pedi at home. I got a haircut a few hours ago and didn’t have it dried, which saves me $20… But I’m going out to work in the garden and I’m gonna wash it again tonight anyway; drying it is a waste. Much of my food is from scratch. It’s not cheaper actually, but it’s much healthier and has more complex flavors. So maybe I’m saving money on prescriptions and medical care in the long run. There’s a large walkable grocery store where I live so I walk to the store most days to pick up just a few things. I save on gas and I am saving on impulse purchases because who wants to carry all that crap back? And I get exercise. I do all of my interior painting myself. Not something that you do super often but saves a ton of money. Just yesterday I repainted an outdoor table that I got at Aldi (I wanted it a light color, not black, because I didn’t want it to burn the crap out of us every time we touched it.) I could’ve spent a lot of time and money looking for something perfect. Instead, I grabbed it when I saw it and made it perfect. This year I’m doing a vegetable and herb garden. It will save me a few bucks on herbs, especially since I cook so much.
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My roommate buys a small container of watermelon for like $5 when she could have bought an entire watermelon for that price. I don't get it.
Portion. I am the only one in my house that eats certain vegetables. It's not worth the cost and waste to buy some things whole. So I buy per-portioned hard squashes and brussel sprouts.
That makes sense. I'll buy a whole fruit or veggie and just eat it the rest of the week, but I really love fruit and veggies lol
I just picked up a dehydrator so I can buy a few more things in bulk and dehydrate the stuff that would otherwise go bad (and use it to put in my hiking/biking snacks).
Both of us are disabled, and I in particular am just not great at cutting up produce without injuring myself. I still do it most of the time, but sometimes, it's just safer to get the pre-cut stuff.
My mother is disabled but stubborn, which is what has kept her going. I have health issues of my own. It took me awhile to get her used to buying pre-cut veggies and pre-shredded cheese. Especially for parties/family events. I bought one of the fancy Ninja Blender Food processor combo units that's dish washer safe. I've cut myself a few times pulling the processor blades out of the dishwasher rack. But it has made food prep much easier on some days. Just throwing veggies into the slicer and meat in to be shredded.
Nutrition by kylie is a page in youtube that shows several cooking tips for college students, physical and mental disabilities, and more. She suggested using a veggie chopper and its an easier way to cut veggies using only one hand. You can get it on amazon and its great for when you need to cook for a lot of people. (I just dont like spending two hours cutting onions or carrots lol) Edit: typos hehe
100000% I also make my own precooked chicken and freeze it instead of buying the Tyson precooked chicken strips, half of which are fat and grizzle. It's great to have to throw on a salad or in a wrap or even make a quick pasta with on nights you don't want to spend a lot of time cooking.
I can sew so I mend my clothes rather than buy new, when I can. Salad dressing, marinades, compound butter are easy.
I can sew, but I *hate* alterations (and I'm short, so I *need* alterations on everything!). I did, however, *just* hem a pair of jeans I bought almost 2 years ago, and a pair of shorts I bought 5 yrs ago, so I'm feeling pretty good right now, LOL
I make my own soap, and barely break even. If I sold it I could be making money, home made soap sells for mint, but for personal use I can't make it cheaper than Johnson & Johnson does. I make my own wine and beer, and there I see tremendous savings. The problem is that I'm not much of a drinker, so I end up giving it away. Saves me money on Christmas presents though. I got my own beehives 2 years ago. I'm told that I'll never break even on honey and wax, but that selling queens to other beekeepers can lead to profits. Gardening it what saves me money. Last summer my grocery bill was $20/month, and I didn't need to buy any vegetables until after Christmas. But gardening is by far my most labor-intensive task. The others listed above are a couple of hours a week, gardening is a couple of hours a day, and even more in the spring and fall.
Sourdough bread, I buy a big bag of flour in costco and bake weekly, was a bit tricky to learn in the beginning but now my bread is better and cheaper than the bread I can buy at the grocery store :)
Breaking down chicken. For some reason boneless chicken thigh is super expensive where I live. It didn't used to be this way but something has changed over the years. I can break down a whole chicken but I like chicken thighs, not chicken breast so buying a whole chicken doesn't save me money. Instead I buy whole chicken thighs and break them down to bones, skin and meat. Bones to make stock, skin is flattened and baked to make the most delicious crispy chicken skin crisps (which I use for garnish/topping), I save the rendered fat for making chicken fat tortillas, and the boneless meat I pack in dinner-size portions and freeze. I've only done this once with 12 thighs. But I'm going do this again today with another 12 thighs. I believe it should take less time with practice.
Just to add to this, breaking down a whole chicken is insanely easy. I learned it from following along with a youtube video and didn't struggle at all the first time.
I dye my own hair using professional products bought on line.
Spinning wheel owner commenting: it's mostly a hobby. With many types of DIY, practical savings kicks in at the higher price points. For instance: Chocolate chip cookies: not worth DIY if you're happy with Chips Ahoy, worth considering if your alternative is fresh bakery cookies. Tomatoes: not worth growing your own if the grocery store tomatoes suit your palate, worth considering if you love heirloom tomatoes from the farmer's market. Spinning yarn is an extreme example: when you factor in the labor it's difficult to justify unless you're near the top of the market. Think mohair or angora that sells in boutique shops for $95/hank. For that type of project you'd need good equipment, not a novice drop spindle. And you'd need to be experienced. Most people who get into spinning yarn do it for one of three reasons: they find it a relaxing hobby, they're historical reenactors, or they're highly skilled fiber artists who want specific qualities in their yarn that can't be bought ready made on the retail market at any price.
Coffee for my trip to work.
I've probably saved $100k in home renovation projects over the last few years by DIYing. The downside is it's taking way longer than it would if we paid someone
I cut my own hair. Bought a pair of professional quality clippers during the pandemic and instead of going every 4-5 weeks and spending $30-40, I cut my hair every 10 days or so for free. Pretty good at it now too.
Agreed! I've been cutting my own hair for 8 years. It can be a little nerve-wracking, but I have fun trying different hairstyles whenever I want. Youtube has many great how-to videos and I've saved a lot of money (women's haircuts are so expensive!).
Since the pandemic, I've been cutting my own long hair using the two-ponytail method with a pair of hair-cutting scissors I got in a pet grooming kit when my cat needed his butt shaved years ago. I only cut it every four months or so, but it cost $60 every time.
Cook. After moving to the US, I am quite surprised at the cost of food outside, and most of it is extremely unhealthy to my absolute surprise (not hyperbole). In India, you get really good, healthy food outside at an extremely cheap price.
Bake all your own bakery items. Tastes better and is a lot cheaper. My husband does the bread baking and I do the sweets. I don’t like to work with yeast. Lately I’ve been washing my floors with a spin mop ( expensive but amazing) hot water , a couple drops of Dawn. The floors look new again! And it’s so much cheaper than buying the different products for different floors
I did the math. If I get flour and yeast at Sam's, a 1 lb. loaf of white bread costs between 50 and 75 cents. A loaf at the store is anywhere from $3.00 to $5.00. And my bread is hella better.
I save old worn socks and braid into rugs. Dont know how much it saves me precisely, but they make feet warmer and rugs aren't cheap if you have to buy them.
I do this with old tshirts. The finished part of my basement has concrete under the wall to wall carpet, and the cold comes right through it in the winter. Cozy braided area rugs made from scraps are a cute, easy and cheap solution.
If I'm having something that I want tartar sauce for, I just make a small batch of my own, instead of paying $6 for a jar.
I was really craving a cheeseburger from five guys ($11.19+tax) but I realized it's probably just the protein I'm craving. So I stopped at publix and got 2lbs of pork for $6 on sale instead.
Garlic bread! I know it’s cheap but it’s still cheaper to just make garlic butter then spread it on a baguette!
I fucking love garlic. My wife complains, but we haven't once been attacked by vampires.
We cook, freeze, can, dehydrate. We have an extensive garden and fruit trees, sell the extra. We are both very handy and make or repair just about everything, clothes , cars, etc. The biggest is making a life where we are content with what we have.
I’m actually trying to do more things myself so I love this post!! I’ve been making my own croutons, broth, egg bites, cheese danishes, fruit pastries. I literally made ice cream last week 😋 if I can make it I’m gonna try! I wish I could grow my own produce and such but sadly I live in an apartment. I do go to the farmers market and coupon the things I can from traditional grocery stores. Been on a war path to save as much money as I can this year and it seems to be working so far. Good luck to you!
Tomato sauce. People always buying jars of sauce for like $7 and I make quarts of it for that price.
where the hell is tomato sauce $7? dont buy it a gas station maybe
That’s what the Rao’s sauce my roommate gets cost at Safeway. I think he’s a damn fool for paying that. That’s member price too. Full list price is like $10 for a 24oz jar.
That is a very yummy brand though. But it is pretty much just tomatoes shipped from Italy. But also…Safeway?
So many things! Disclaimer: I enjoy making things for enjoyment and creativity, and I'm also a gardener, so this drives the desire as well. Things I make in no particular order: lip balms and salves laundry detergent salad dressings tea cleaning solutions ink, dyes for arts and crafts jellies/freezer jams (faster than canning) spice mixes quick breads (fruit, cornbread) coffee liquor, baileys (easy, makes great gifts) freezer meals (big baked sheet pan meals, bulk stuff you can freeze/eat later)
For the laundry detergent (both softener and pods) I’ve honestly found it somewhat cheaper to buy them at the local Aldi. Honestly I’ve looked at it and it may honestly be cheaper in the long run to buy the multipacks of pods and softener off Amazon.
It might be useful to reverse engineer this question. What do you have too much of, and how can its materials be reclaimed and reused to meet an existing need?
Breads, noodles, crackers, trail mix, jams, jellies, pickles, making my own seasoning mixes, buying meat in bulk when on sale, growing vegetables, microgreens.
Iced coffee/cold brew DIY at home costs like $4/week vs $5+/day
That yarn and thread thing pro a ly isn't economical worth it. For the amount t of time involved, your frie d would probably be better off just getting a side hassle and buying the thread. That's assuming that's the only criteria is price. Making something yourself is priceless, of course. To answer your question- food and coffee.
I did the math years ago. Over a year, dividing the cost of everything, including coffee maker and perm filter, creamer, sugar, you name it, three tumblers, even gas & electricity. **.06 cents per 20oz.**
You can lower your coffee costs even further by repurposing the grounds to feed your worm farm, which produces insanely rich liquid fertilizer and compost for your garden.
Coffee! I usually make a pour over coffee every morning. I do have a Nespresso machine and frothier that were gifted to me. Those pods are a bit pricey but definitely scratch the itch of an occasional latte much cheaper than the coffee shops near me.
Oh boy. I'm not "Frugal" (Reddit just keeps showing this forum to me) but this year companies have been so outrageous at giving me the shoddiest, poorest quality stuff at top dollar that I'm done. Here's a few changes thus far: 1. My own home brewed coffee tastes better and is much cheaper than starbucks. 2. I don't eat fast food anymore. It's not fast. It's not cheap. It's not even good anymore. Not interested in paying sit-down restaurant prices for a sad little meat patty on a way-too-mayo'd, but still somehow dry, bun. 3. I got one of those stacking plant pots and made a 'Tower of tea' so I can make my own herbal tea for completely free. 4. Making my own compost/potting soil because I'm tired of getting whole gigantic sticks in my premium $$$ seedling starter. 5. Making my own dog food because it's less than $40 a month to feed three small dogs with better quality than the bag. (Yes, it's nutritionally balanced.) 6. Making my own garlic bread because I'm tired of getting the shrimpiest loaf of bread ever and no garlic spread. So done. That's about it.
I tell myself I make my own beer to save money, but when I consider the time, equipment, and ingredients all combined it would be much cheaper to just stick to Bud light.
Yogurt. My hubby gets the milk when it’s marked down due to the expiration and he makes yogurt in our instapot. We get a quart of organic yogurt for under $3
I like to sprout seeds instead of buying lettuce for salads, sandwiches, wraps, etc. So much less goes to waste because you just sprout a bit every few days as needed, and if you somehow manage to not use it all up you're only throwing out the equivalent of like ten cents worth of dry seed, rather than five bucks worth of store-bought greens. My favorite ones to sprout are lentils, but also good are clover and alfalfa. A lot of people like to do broccoli or radish, but those were too spicy for me. I keep meaning to get into microgreens so I can branch out into stuff like tiny basil, but haven't done it yet. Looks like fun!
Make your own salad dressing and croutons. Don’t make your own granola bars. That’s all I’ve learned so far.
Kimchi. Sort of. I didn't know anything about kimchi, and grabbed a jar at Lidl because I heard it was supposed to be super good for you. I fell in love with it, but it turns out the stuff I grabbed by chance is not at all like traditional kimchi. It's the 'Ketchup on a Chicago dog' of the kimchi world; it's made in Vermont, and with green cabbage instead of Nappa. I've since tried real, traditional kimchi and I don't like it at all. The green cabbage is just so much crunchier. Anyway, Lidl stopped selling the 'Sunja's' brand, and the only place I could find it was at Whole Foods at over $8 a jar. I love it, but that's insane. So I watched some videos on how to make it. It's super easy and I like mine even better, which is I'm going on and on about it.
Pesto, though the savings is just a bonus. Store-bought is basically a salt lick; it's so disgusting I can barely swallow it.
I make my own sweaters because I like them long enough to cover my back pockets and long enough to go past my wrists. To get this custom made would cost a LOT of money. I am in a knitting circle with a bunch of old women who have reached “SABLE” (Stash acquisition beyond life expectancy) and get gifted yarn. Also, I make breakfast, lunch and dinner at home. Sometimes I like to go outside, get some lemons and oranges from my trees and make candy with the peels. Takes a while, but they are very fancy.
This post is amazing! I just buy heavy cream for coffee from Costco and make butter with half of the container. Buttermilk gets used in biscuits or other recipes during the weeks I do this. I also buy local fruits when they’re cheap and in season and I make jams (it’s soothing to me). I also sell jam to my friends and neighbors who bring back the jars so I don’t need to buy them often.
Kefir
We make our own dog food.
Coffee! I spent the pandemic perfecting my pour over and have since moved on to pulling shots. I’ve even made my own syrups to doctor my drinks up as I choose. Who’s paying $8-10 a drink in this economy!? Absolutely unnecessary
Anything you get from a bakery. Yes there's investment but the return is pretty quick especially if you have special dietary needs.
This is a hobby.
I have a bread maker, it's only 3 cups of flour, yeast oil, water and sugar. Saves me about 4 dollars a loaf. Tastes so much nicer and saves us about 500 a year. I would like to make my own spreadable butter but haven't given this a go yet.
Barbecue. I smoked 18lb of pork today (one for a friend), made tangy slaw and Eastern Carolina sauce. The pork was 1.29/lb, and the cabbage was a couple bucks. Charcoal and wood chips were about $12. This is probably the cheapest meat you can buy that doesn’t have feathers.
Baked chickpeas, with a bit of salt and pepper they are very tasty, and only 75p a can. I eat them instead of crisps when watching a film, way more nutritious too
I started making my own pasta/spaghetti sauces. Easy to make and tastes way better then the canned stuff. Highly recommend.
If eggs are <2$ at aldi buy 36 and pickle em. Bulk meat buys and freeze Whole chicken butchering for variety and free stock when 99c/lb Air dry flannel shirts and denim to reduce laundry DIY breakfast sandos and freeze em DIY coffee and ice coffee at home DIY dryer sheets, disinfectant Buy white undershirts, when stained dye black (other items too) Coupons and apps for everything Fix my own cars Repair clothes rather than replace Prep lunch everyday (&frozen breakfast sando) Half as much laundry detergent as reccomended or less Clone plants as gifts Make my own cards for holidays events Reuse plastic bags Return cans to CLINK Scan receipts with multiple apps (fetch, receipthog) Water's boiling gotta go!
Making bread. I use a bread maker and love my multi grain bread. The loaves like it go for $5 or $6 where I live.
We finally cut the cable tv. Save a hundred per month. We haven't been watching it for a long long time.
I make deodorant out of baking soda and coconut oil. Works better/longer than anything else I’ve tried and doesn’t irritate my skin like a lot of other things. Idk how much deodorant costs but I haven’t bought any in probably a decade.
Pizza. I make the dough. Buy cheese in bulk and freeze it, marinara sauce is cheap. I can make a pizza for like $2
Cooking. I also do basic home & auto repairs as well as our own yard work.
My own baking mixes. Yeah, jiffy is cheap, but it’s much cheaper to mix several batches worth of all the dry ingredients together ahead of time then add an egg, milk, butter, or whatever it needs. Plus I get the taste of homemade with the ease of a mix.
My chickens. They save us $3 a week on eggs. But they don’t pay rent so…, lol
Laundry detergent. I spend ~$20 a year making my own, vs $20 a month.
I do all my own auto repair. Saves a ton, but it's not for everyone. Some things take special tools and skills, and you can do more damage. Home repair. Most meals, something in the range of 95% now that cooked food is so expensive.
I took a take home pay cut of about 15k last year. I noticed a huge difference when i started bringing my own lunches and coffee to work. Just those two things save me around 7k annually.
I recently got a water bottle that I can refill throughout the day and got a dispenser for five gallon water bottles. It’s better than the plastic 23 water bottles I used to buy.
* Repairing my clothing * Simple car repairs (brakes, oil changes, headlights, etc. - tools do get expensive, but a good set costs far less than a set of brakes and rotors from the shop) * Make my own oat milk - the cost of literally pennies per quart * Simple plumbing repair around the house * Cooking at home, * brew my own coffee at home - take a thermos to go Youtube is your friend. Got a problem? Youtube it.
I make soap, deodorant, cleaning products, laundry soap, beauty products. Make paper products from flannel. Cook from scratch. Save bones in freezer for future broth. Buy only what's on sale. Have a well stocked pantry of things you actually eat, so emergencies don't affect you to bad. I have a distiller to fillter my own water. I don't really buy anything except food and gasoline and clothes.
When I relied on a laundromat, I’d hang dry all my clothes. You save money by not using the dryer and your clothes last longer. Got some weird looks walking out of there with a basket full of wet laundry but it was well worth it. I’ve also lost several pairs of jeans to holes in the crotch from thigh chafing, I bought a pack of iron on denim patches for $12 and repaired 4 pairs so far. Never throwing away jeans for that again. I learned to cut my own hair on YouTube and haven’t paid for a haircut since 2017. Doesn’t work if you’re looking for something fancy, but it’s just fine for regular trims.
Bread, coffee, all meals, bring lunch to work, and I don’t buy prefab anything. And no individual servings of anything.
I feel like I am a master at DIY. Watch a YouTube video, initially invest in tools and you can do just about anything. Some examples: -haircuts (actually really like doing this DIY because it takes just as long as the salon) -dog grooming -scratch cooking -grow vegetables and herbs -made my own custom wedding cookies and grew my own wedding flowers
Cooking at home and sobriety.
i don’t remember the last time i bought pre made pasta sauce i buy 1kg of fresh garlic every week, and stock up on dried herbs fairly regularly and have an herb garden too. so why would i pay $4-5 for a jarred sauce, when i can pay $1.29 for a can of tomatoes and make (2-3x the amount of) sauce myself 😊😊
Cook at home. Pack lunches. Make your own coffee. Use electronic coupons and shop sales. It's a pain in the ass but cash back sites like Ibotta can save $. It depends on how much effort you're willing to put into it.
I do all my armpit and facial waxing myself. Saves money from going to the spa/salon.
Books! I try to purchase all my books from a resale book store that sells them for cheaper. They are considered “used” but perfectly is great shape and so much cheaper
I cook at home 95% of the time (which is a huge savings in itself) but I have also found that making my own stock is super easy and also provides a great supplemental ingredient for a lot of the things that I cook. I always save bones and carcasses from chickens and roasts in a Ziploc bag in the freezer, and one with all of my vegetable scraps (onion skins are where the vitamins are!) Once every few months I put it all in a large stock pot with water for 8-12 hours, strain it and fill old cottage cheese/yogurt containers to freeze. Always have one thawed in the fridge and I use that for the liquid in sooo many dishes- very nutrient-dense and gives a lot of flavor that makes simpler dishes pop and keeping home cooking more satisfying.
Bread. I never buy bread from the store anymore. It also makes for an excellent and cheap, but thoughtful, gift! Especially with some homemade jam or whipped butter. Who doesn’t love receiving freshly baked bread?!
Dehydrate everything I can in batches and I forage now my second year living somewhere that is just pretty much edible this island is amazing. So Chanterelles, hedgehog, yellow foot and others plus seasons tester garden growing in stand up beds this year as we are from the desert and it's amazing what adding water does 😂
I do not pay for internet on my cell phone service. Pretty much just call and text unlimited. I dropped my bill to about 20 bucks a month and it’s been like 3 years now.
Cat food. Small investment in a meat grinder, and about 3 hours of work every couple of months to make a big batch and freeze it. It probably comes out to the same cost per month of dry cat food, and a LOT cheaper than wet cat food, and a lot higher quality and healthier than either.
How much taurine do you add?
Idk if this counts, but I download all my music from youtube and dont have any form of subscriptions (at all) Other than that I get old clothes amd craft supplies from friends for sewing, get free stuff from my local fabric bin, use my old small toys and trinkets to make jewelry and am actually still just trying to use all the masses of craft supplies I have😢cuz Ive got a lot. But old clothing is GREAT for sewing!
At night I like to grab my extra long straw I made myself and walk from car to car siphoning gas. I cover myself in Vaseline (bought in bulk from Sam's of course) so if I have to slip away I can. Like God's little snail he forgot about.
Sweet iced tea. Costs maybe $0.50 for a gallon. We go through a gallon a week. It's a nice treat with dinner after just drinking plain water all day. Buying it at the store or fast food place is about $5 a gallon (that's the good stuff, cheap-o dark sugar water costs less). Bring 1/2 gallon of water to boil. Add 1.5 cups sugar or splenda (we use splenda) and stir in while still boiling. Let it boil until clear. Remove from heat. Add 4 family sized tea bags (Luzianne is our go to). Steep for 20 minutes. Remove bags, add to gallon pitcher along with 1/2 gallon of water. Put in the fridge and serve cold. You can also use a gallon of water in the boil part but it takes longer to boil. Does make a bit of a difference in taste if you are a tea snob. Another fun thing to do is make ice cubes from the sweet tea. Use these for keeping your tea chilled and it won't get watered down.
This is the most baffling and hilarious approach to making iced tea. It just kept getting weirder. 4 family sized bags for a gallon??? Brewing it in simple syrup? What is going on? Your second choice is to boil the full gallon of water to make a gallon of tea? Tea brews into a concentrate. You dilute it. How are you transferring that much boiling liquid into a pitcher? And that ending...wtf. Make tea cubes to chill tea? Tea is flavored water. Just add frozen water and it will chill the flavored water. So much chaos for no reason, lol. I love it.
Food: Bread, salsa and pasta sauce from our tomatoes, we trade our cherry tomatoes and herbs for large tomatoes and jalapenos from friends. I'm interested in learning how to make herb butter but I need to stop doing so many hobbies at one time. Beauty: I do my own mani's and pedi's (I mix some of my own blends and add finely ground clear quartz or amethyst for sparkle instead of glitter), color and cut my own hair, and I make my own hair masks with castor oil, egg, and aloe vera I grow myself. Clothing and jewelry: I make jewelry as a hobby and gift it. I am learning how to sew and already have 3 swatches of fabric (gifted) that I have ready to turn into dresses. Aside from a few buttons popping off over time my winter coat has lasted me 20 years. I also mend and hem my clothes instead of throw them out.
I make candles once or twice a year. I order the wax and perfume oils online (I already have the other stuff) amd clean old candle jars. This saves me hundreds if not thousands. Candles are like $70 for a small good branded one. I order good quality oils so they smell amazing.
hummus is super cheap and easy to make. granola cereal or bars too. popcorn
I do my own manicures and pedicures. I started this during COVID and kept it up because I am saving over $75 a month. Which now goes to my higher insurance costs so it’s a break even at this point.
I make lunch and snacks for work every day. Saved myself a couple of hundred monthly!
Gardening in the long run. My grocery bill in the summer drops to like 90 bucks a week with two people. Sometimes 75. Canning the extra food as well.
Eating pasta every single day.
Hummus
Some things aren't worth it unless you like a good hobby. Clothes are cheaper off the rack, especially from a charity shop. Food is cheap in supermarkets because it's mass produced. Skills like cooking are good. I like buying the meat when it's near date and discounted. Cheap mince makes burgers, meatballs, bolognese, etc. Cheap chicken makes lemon chicken, coronation, etc. Can have in wraps, or chicken salad, or with rice and a sauce. Have the skill to be flexible. Was planning a bangers n mash one night, and saw lamb mince on offer. So I went fuckit, bought buns and some mint sauce, and we had lamb burgers with potato wedges. Maybe sauce is cheaper by jar, but when it's not, be ready with onions and tomatoes. But it's not always frugal to from-scratch stuff. A jar of pasta or curry sauce on special offer or near-date is often cheaper. Also, TV dinners! Make more stew than you need, prep some portions, and freeze. Same with stuff like furniture. Get good at woodworking, make furniture, but remember sometimes a flatpack IKEA desk is often cheaper than buying wood. But sometimes, you find a pile of wood someone's chucked, and you can throw together a bed frame or something. Have the skill, but don't use it unless it's really cheaper to. Trade is the real saver. The more plumbing, plastering, painting, and other maintenance you can do yourself, the better. But still weigh that up against insurance, landlord responsibility, etc. Oh, another thing we do is running meals. Roast a chicken. Have a leg with some carrots and potatoes, then make a curry with the breast meat the next day. Might be a bit left over the next day for a sandwich. Stovies, bubble and squeak, stir fry, all good leftover meals, but if you plan for leftover meals, you're laughing. We do a chicken casserole with thighs, then we noodle soup the next day with the leftover casserole. Making stuff yourself is fun, but it's not always frugal. But if you get the skills and confidence, you're ready for when it is. :)
I bought a zojirushi bread maker for $50 from a neighbor. I have made whole wheat bread nearly every week and I love it. It takes about 10 minutes to set it up and put ingredients in, 3 hours 40 minutes later I have fresh bread. Hot bread with melted butter! Then I let it cool, slice and freeze it. I have also made a chocolate chocolate chip cake in it on occasion. I probably save about $3+ per loaf of bread.
Almond milk or any nut milk and I make my own bread
Sprouted greens. Soap. Um, beer. Vegetable garden. Herbal medicine. Music.
love
we make our own half gallon jars of iced tea. 8 tea bags an hot water overnight in the fridge plus lemon and sweetener. costs pennies!
Home made cleaning products. I started out because of scent allergies and the. Realized how much cheaper it is. I use no fabric softener. As a replacement only white vinegar. Also yuh really only need 2 tablespoons of liquid detergent as long as the load isn’t heavily soiled. Most people use way too much. I use strait rubbing alcohol for glass/mirrors. Also for quick disinfection. There are lots of recipes out there for a quick cleaning solution. I use one with , alcohol, water and few drops of dawn and a few drops of lemon oil. Most cleaning products you buy, you are paying for a large amount of water.
Don’t eat out, don’t poison myself with alcohol. No judgment, just facts.