What is the most frugal (or cheap) thing you do to save money?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Rent a 2 bedroom in a good school district ($2400) in a centrally-located DC neighborhood.

No car. Take the bus or walk everywhere. Jobs are within walking distance.

20% of pre-tax income goes to Fidelity 403(b) (index funds only) and I get an employer match. Max out annual contribution in Vanguard Roth IRA via bi-monthly automated deposits.

All purchases go on my AMEX (PRG - annual fee is worth it for the perks). We have been able to avoid paying baggage fees on airlines, have received our money back on final sale items, and have used points to buy big-ticket items with this card.

Most grocery shopping is done at Target, Giant, and Trader Joe's and sometimes at local mom & pop stores. Cartwheel app is invaluable and Giant doubles coupons and often has sales on things we eat. We don't eat meat, so that in and of itself is a major savings.

Costco trips every few months to stock up on things like toilet paper, quinoa, olive oil, etc.

Make most meals and coffee at home.

Buy secondhand whenever possible (clothing, baby gear, furniture, etc.)

Exercising restraint when buying in general. Most of the time when we want something, we don't *really* need it. I've been listening to The Minimalist's podcasts for inspiration.

Also:

Live in <1000 sq ft and purge things we don't need (donate/sell/give to friends) on a regular basis.

Repair items instead of trashing them.

Don't you find yourself giving away things to make space only to find that - oops - you wish you hadn't given away that staple gun, art supply kit, or whatever.

One of the reasons that we prefer a bigger place than 1000sqft is because it's nice to be able to store a shop vac, car jack, work bench, etc even though we may only use those items once or twice a year, if that.

Those can be stored in a garage. Find a house with a garage.

Different PP, but we have found it is about 1 in 100 things we throw out/give away/sell we end up purchasing again. If you are worried, put it in a box with other things and label the outside. Put it in storage. If you do not open it up in a year or two. Throw the box out/donate without looking through it.

Yeah, those are just examples of items. What about extra blankets, pillows, quilts, jackets, coats, clothes, etc that may only come in handy very occasionally but need to be stored in a climate controlled area of your home.

Why can't they go in an attic?

An attic is not a climate controlled area. It is sheltered from water (most of the time), but 99% of homes with attics do not air condition them in the summer or heat them in the winter. And why would a reasonable person pay for that, given the design of roofs?

What? Who cares if it's not climate controlled.

[Anonymous]

how about this.
I am in IT so I know how to get most of digital stuff for free. So:
1. Free internet.
2. I get IPTV password from friend so I watch HBO/Cinemax/all channels for free
3. I have passwords for hbo now, netflix, hulu all for free
4. I rent out my 3 bedrooms in my basement which offset my mortgage 100%
5. My mortgage rate is 1%, due to me signing in for a special program(we talked about it here). I do have to go to a couple of classes a year
6. I greatly reduced my house taxes by applying and getting a tax abatement approved(down from 10k taxes per year to under $1000 per year now)
7. I get 90% off grocery bills by using employee rates, coupons, cashbacks, giftcard schemes, I barely pay for groceries, and I always go to Costco, Whole Foods, never to Giant, Safeway, etc.
8. When I pay for gas it is like 40c per gal again due to cashback schemes and programs.
9. When I need to shop at Kohls, Walmart, etc. I usually score 70% plus off again due to coupons etc.
10. My 2 kids go to private school for free( well close to free, like 2k per year total - cant divulge more)
11. We both drive 2016 Priuses and barely use any gas
12. just as anybody else no haircuts, my DW does everything herself.
13. We earn 700k each year and grow every year and are still like that but TBH this is how we became rich, by being frugal and reinvesting back.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My stapler broke years ago. I take papers to work and staple them. Then I bring them home.

Do you also save your sh!ts for work to save on toilet paper and (hopefully) water and soap?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:how about this.
I am in IT so I know how to get most of digital stuff for free. So:
1. Free internet.
2. I get IPTV password from friend so I watch HBO/Cinemax/all channels for free
3. I have passwords for hbo now, netflix, hulu all for free
4. I rent out my 3 bedrooms in my basement which offset my mortgage 100%
5. My mortgage rate is 1%, due to me signing in for a special program(we talked about it here). I do have to go to a couple of classes a year
6. I greatly reduced my house taxes by applying and getting a tax abatement approved(down from 10k taxes per year to under $1000 per year now)
7. I get 90% off grocery bills by using employee rates, coupons, cashbacks, giftcard schemes, I barely pay for groceries, and I always go to Costco, Whole Foods, never to Giant, Safeway, etc.
8. When I pay for gas it is like 40c per gal again due to cashback schemes and programs.
9. When I need to shop at Kohls, Walmart, etc. I usually score 70% plus off again due to coupons etc.
10. My 2 kids go to private school for free( well close to free, like 2k per year total - cant divulge more)
11. We both drive 2016 Priuses and barely use any gas
12. just as anybody else no haircuts, my DW does everything herself.
13. We earn 700k each year and grow every year and are still like that but TBH this is how we became rich, by being frugal and reinvesting back.

Care to elaborate on 1,6,7,8?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:how about this.
I am in IT so I know how to get most of digital stuff for free. So:
1. Free internet.
2. I get IPTV password from friend so I watch HBO/Cinemax/all channels for free
3. I have passwords for hbo now, netflix, hulu all for free
4. I rent out my 3 bedrooms in my basement which offset my mortgage 100%
5. My mortgage rate is 1%, due to me signing in for a special program(we talked about it here). I do have to go to a couple of classes a year
6. I greatly reduced my house taxes by applying and getting a tax abatement approved(down from 10k taxes per year to under $1000 per year now)
7. I get 90% off grocery bills by using employee rates, coupons, cashbacks, giftcard schemes, I barely pay for groceries, and I always go to Costco, Whole Foods, never to Giant, Safeway, etc.
8. When I pay for gas it is like 40c per gal again due to cashback schemes and programs.
9. When I need to shop at Kohls, Walmart, etc. I usually score 70% plus off again due to coupons etc.
10. My 2 kids go to private school for free( well close to free, like 2k per year total - cant divulge more)
11. We both drive 2016 Priuses and barely use any gas
12. just as anybody else no haircuts, my DW does everything herself.
13. We earn 700k each year and grow every year and are still like that but TBH this is how we became rich, by being frugal and reinvesting back.

Care to elaborate on 1,6,7,8?

For #5, what is the special program that gets you a mortgage of 1%? For #10-nearly free private school for a family with an HHI of 700K, I understand you can't divulge the name--but can you let us know why they'd give you that type of aid.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My stapler broke years ago. I take papers to work and staple them. Then I bring them home.

Do you also save your sh!ts for work to save on toilet paper and (hopefully) water and soap?

I don't do this but I'm convinced some of my coworkers do though.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Make over 400k but:

1. One car
2. Bring lunch to work
3. Make coffee at home
4. Take the bus
5. Cook often at home
6. Groom our own dog
7. Clean our own house

Dontnthink this list is frugal or cheap. We make a bit more than yiu andnit has never even occurred to me to pay someone to wash our dog and clip her nails. Taking the bus seems frugal though, but all other things are pretty normal.

Sadly I think they aren't that common. Always every couple we know at our income level sends their dog to the groomer and has a cleaning lady. They also buy their lunch at work.

We make half of that and I can learn from you. I don't bring my lunch and often buy coffee,
. These are attainable changes! Thank you

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Make over 400k but:

1. One car
2. Bring lunch to work
3. Make coffee at home
4. Take the bus
5. Cook often at home
6. Groom our own dog
7. Clean our own house

Dontnthink this list is frugal or cheap. We make a bit more than yiu andnit has never even occurred to me to pay someone to wash our dog and clip her nails. Taking the bus seems frugal though, but all other things are pretty normal.

Sadly I think they aren't that common. Always every couple we know at our income level sends their dog to the groomer and has a cleaning lady. They also buy their lunch at work.

We make half of that and I can learn from you. I don't bring my lunch and often buy coffee,
. These are attainable changes! Thank you

Pp here. You'll find these changes will add up. I used to think that paying for some of these services or goods (like a dog groomer or lunches out) were a drop in the bucket. When I cut back I found they really add up.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:how about this.
I am in IT so I know how to get most of digital stuff for free. So:
1. Free internet.
2. I get IPTV password from friend so I watch HBO/Cinemax/all channels for free
3. I have passwords for hbo now, netflix, hulu all for free
4. I rent out my 3 bedrooms in my basement which offset my mortgage 100%
5. My mortgage rate is 1%, due to me signing in for a special program(we talked about it here). I do have to go to a couple of classes a year
6. I greatly reduced my house taxes by applying and getting a tax abatement approved(down from 10k taxes per year to under $1000 per year now)
7. I get 90% off grocery bills by using employee rates, coupons, cashbacks, giftcard schemes, I barely pay for groceries, and I always go to Costco, Whole Foods, never to Giant, Safeway, etc.
8. When I pay for gas it is like 40c per gal again due to cashback schemes and programs.
9. When I need to shop at Kohls, Walmart, etc. I usually score 70% plus off again due to coupons etc.
10. My 2 kids go to private school for free( well close to free, like 2k per year total - cant divulge more)
11. We both drive 2016 Priuses and barely use any gas
12. just as anybody else no haircuts, my DW does everything herself.
13. We earn 700k each year and grow every year and are still like that but TBH this is how we became rich, by being frugal and reinvesting back.

A lot of this sounds more like theft than frugality. Using other people's passwords for Netflix? You sound like a dirty cheapskate with no moral boundaries.

[Anonymous]

I save old cool whip containers and use them for tupperware type purposes. I like cool whip bowls specifically for this because they stack neatly, they come in different sizes, and they use the same size lids for the smaller and larger containers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I save old cool whip containers and use them for tupperware type purposes. I like cool whip bowls specifically for this because they stack neatly, they come in different sizes, and they use the same size lids for the smaller and larger containers.

That is good until you get cancer.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:how about this.
I am in IT so I know how to get most of digital stuff for free. So:
1. Free internet.
2. I get IPTV password from friend so I watch HBO/Cinemax/all channels for free
3. I have passwords for hbo now, netflix, hulu all for free
4. I rent out my 3 bedrooms in my basement which offset my mortgage 100%
5. My mortgage rate is 1%, due to me signing in for a special program(we talked about it here). I do have to go to a couple of classes a year
6. I greatly reduced my house taxes by applying and getting a tax abatement approved(down from 10k taxes per year to under $1000 per year now)
7. I get 90% off grocery bills by using employee rates, coupons, cashbacks, giftcard schemes, I barely pay for groceries, and I always go to Costco, Whole Foods, never to Giant, Safeway, etc.
8. When I pay for gas it is like 40c per gal again due to cashback schemes and programs.
9. When I need to shop at Kohls, Walmart, etc. I usually score 70% plus off again due to coupons etc.
10. My 2 kids go to private school for free( well close to free, like 2k per year total - cant divulge more)
11. We both drive 2016 Priuses and barely use any gas
12. just as anybody else no haircuts, my DW does everything herself.
13. We earn 700k each year and grow every year and are still like that but TBH this is how we became rich, by being frugal and reinvesting back.

A lot of this sounds more like theft than frugality. Using other people's passwords for Netflix? You sound like a dirty cheapskate with no moral boundaries.

+1000

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

A lot of this sounds more like theft than frugality. Using other people's passwords for Netflix? You sound like a dirty cheapskate with no moral boundaries.

NP. I agree that a lot of this sounds like theft (especially the parts where s/he proudly states that s/he can't divulge more information), but subscription providers like Netflix are actually set up so you can share passwords. Both the Netflix CEO (https://techcrunch.com/2016/01/11/netflix-ceo-says-account-sharing-is-ok/) and HBO CEO (https://www.buzzfeed.com/mattlynley/hbos-ceo-doesnt-care-that-you-are-sharing-your-hbo-password?utm_term=.jrNJewoAd#.ajGjAe1nz) have stated as much.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I save old cool whip containers and use them for tupperware type purposes. I like cool whip bowls specifically for this because they stack neatly, they come in different sizes, and they use the same size lids for the smaller and larger containers.

That is good until you get cancer.

From the plastic or the cool whip? I confess that I have never bought a container of cool whip. It seems so 1970s.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:how about this.
I am in IT so I know how to get most of digital stuff for free. So:
1. Free internet.
2. I get IPTV password from friend so I watch HBO/Cinemax/all channels for free
3. I have passwords for hbo now, netflix, hulu all for free
4. I rent out my 3 bedrooms in my basement which offset my mortgage 100%
5. My mortgage rate is 1%, due to me signing in for a special program(we talked about it here). I do have to go to a couple of classes a year
6. I greatly reduced my house taxes by applying and getting a tax abatement approved(down from 10k taxes per year to under $1000 per year now)
7. I get 90% off grocery bills by using employee rates, coupons, cashbacks, giftcard schemes, I barely pay for groceries, and I always go to Costco, Whole Foods, never to Giant, Safeway, etc.
8. When I pay for gas it is like 40c per gal again due to cashback schemes and programs.
9. When I need to shop at Kohls, Walmart, etc. I usually score 70% plus off again due to coupons etc.
10. My 2 kids go to private school for free( well close to free, like 2k per year total - cant divulge more)
11. We both drive 2016 Priuses and barely use any gas
12. just as anybody else no haircuts, my DW does everything herself.
13. We earn 700k each year and grow every year and are still like that but TBH this is how we became rich, by being frugal and reinvesting back.

A lot of this sounds more like theft than frugality. Using other people's passwords for Netflix? You sound like a dirty cheapskate with no moral boundaries.

+ 1. This sounds unethical.