"I Haven't Paid For This In A Very Long Time": People Are Sharing The "Effortless" Little Thing They Do To Save Money
I love a good money-saving tip, and if it's so easy that it's basically foolproof, even better! So when I came across this Reddit thread of people sharing their favorite little "effortless" tips for saving money, I was instantly hooked. Though what's effortless for one person might be a heinous chore for someone else, I think there's something for everyone on this list. Here are some of the top comments:
1."When our dishwasher is full and ready to be started, I set an alarm on my watch for 9 p.m. I start the dishwasher when the alarm goes off since the electricity rate goes down after 9 p.m."
2."Write every transaction down in a spiral notebook using a pen. The process makes every purchase feel tangible and immediate. It also gives me time to reconsider buying something."
3."I keep my cell phones for several years. I use apps like Ibotta, Fetch, and Honey and save all my points /money for years and use that to buy a new cellphone in full. Haven't paid for a phone in a very long time."
4."When grocery shopping, I look at the unit prices vs. sticker prices. You’d be amazed at how many equivalent products are right next to each other on the shelf and one is two or three times more expensive than the other."
5."When I go shopping, my mantra is, 'if I have to think about it, I don't really want it.' Nine out of 10 times, I talk myself out of buying whatever it is."
6."Fill my bottle of water at work."
7."Use my credit card that gets rewards points for all purchases and bills that I can."
"…and pay it off at the end of each month so I don’t pay interest and get the rewards."
8."I use only two tablespoons of laundry detergent in most wash cycles, use a solid shampoo bar, solid soap bars, and a solid dish soap bar in the kitchen. Bars last far longer, take up less space, and I’m not paying for a product that’s mostly water."
9."When I'm in a town with cheaper gas than mine, I do as many of my chores first before filling up so I use up more expensive gas and make room for more cheap gas."
10."Re-wear clothing a few times before laundering (not socks, underwear, or t-shirts)."
11."I saw a video in a store like TJ Maxx or whatever. It described all the items in there as waiting to become Goodwill donations, and it really made me rethink how I view stores and how much new crap I need."
12."Mend our clothes — patching, darning. Well, not the formal office wear (my office has a rather strict dress code) or going-out dressy things, of course, but all home and casual stuff."
13."Save all my chicken bones from my chicken to make stock."
14."Use used food bags to pick up the dog's poop."
15."Buy a reliable car, do routine maintenance like oil changes, and don’t replace it until it is more expensive to keep than replace. I have a ‘93 Camry that still runs great and still requires few repairs."
16."When my dog tears up a stuffed toy, I put all the stuffing back in and sew up the hole with some upholstery thread. Occasionally, if the toy is completely shredded, I will swap arms and legs from toy to toy to make new animals."
17."I have my TV and cable box/Apple TV on a timer plug so that it switches off all night and almost all day and comes on at 6 p.m. when I get home from work. So, it saves me 18-ish hours of appliances on standby."
18."I have a pantry book that I update every time I do a food shop. That way, I won't buy things twice next time."
19."I hold onto my receipts from Costco for a month. When they announce their specials, I go to the customer service desk and ask for the cash back on any items that had a price reduction."
20."Save the water before the hot water warms up."
"I have a 5-gallon bucket that I leave in my shower for this purpose, then use it to water the plants around the house and porch. I mainly do it because we have a well and septic tank, and I don't like to waste any water that I don't have to."
21."I spit toothpaste into the toilet so I don't have to waste water washing it down the sink drain."
22."I have a vegetable garden. I estimate I have saved about $4.28 in food costs so far this year."
23."Cut open lotion, toothpaste, shampoo, and conditioner bottles to get every last drop."
24."Whenever CVS gives me a coupon for $5 off an item or 30% off a full-price item, I buy either sunblock or deodorant, whether I need it or not, because they’re both wildly overpriced and at some point, I’m GONNA need it."
25."Ride the bus. It drops me off a few blocks from my job downtown. Driving gets expensive, and a bus fare is much less than paying for parking and gas."
26."If you can afford it, always set your paycheck to direct deposit a couple of bucks into a savings account."
27."I only use a coupon if it is A: something I was already planning on buying and B: makes the item cheaper than the other brands."
28.And finally, "If I go outside and play all day, I don't have consumerist urges to buy stupid shit."
Do you have a simple money-saving habit? Tell us all about it in the comments!
