Money Saving Life Hacks From People Who Now Have Money

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19-07-2025

It's just the nature of life, it seems: one week, we're flush with cash, and the next, we're scrounging under the couch cushions for a few extra coins. But even through the ups and downs, we all learn helpful financial habits along the way. Recently, u/KiraAzura posed the question, "What's a 'poor person life hack' that you still do, even if you're no longer broke?" over on Reddit, and these 29 responses were incredibly enlightening:
"I obtain unfathomable amounts of toothpaste from an 'empty' tube."
—ShittalkyCaps"I got a paint tube crimper-like device just for this."—Key_Stuff281"I just use the edge of our vanity's top and pull the tube from the bottom while bending it over the 45-degree edge. Not sure how to explain it better than that, but it forces every last ounce of toothpaste to the top."—Grandmaster_Bile
"Use plastic grocery bags for my bathroom and office trash cans."
—rotavator0986"Along that same line, I use the veggie bags to clean up after the dog."—Dismal-Remote-3906"I have a plastic bag full of smaller plastic bags. The small plastic bags get used as trash bags, lunch bags, cat litter disposal bags, packing bags for shoes, etc., while going on trips and so on."—NervousSeagull
"Continuing to drive my 2005 Camry (my original car). If it runs, why replace it?"
—Illustrious_Hotel527"I'm in the same boat with the '01 Dakota I've had since high school. Although with it being a Dodge, I could probably tell you the size of every fastener in the engine bay off the top of my head by this point."—Facetiousgeneral42"I still have my 1999 Jeep Cherokee. It's in almost perfect condition. Why get a car payment when I haven't had one in years?"—Appropriate_Win9538
"Adding lots of extra ingredients (like chopped vegetables and canned tomatoes) to Hamburger Helper to make more of it."
—armaedes"I do this too. It also adds some nutrients that wouldn't otherwise be in there. Also, you don't actually need to buy Hamburger Helper — just brown some ground beef with finely chopped veggies, add a can of diced tomatoes or some salsa and some seasonings of your choice, water, and pasta. Cover and simmer. You can change up the seasonings, veggies, or pasta type, and it's like making entirely different meals."—there_should_be_snow
"I never eat out for lunch on workdays."
—TheDadaMax"My biggest 'raise' was working from home permanently. Between lunch, coffee, and parking, I'm saving $600-700 a month. The bulk of this is just from not eating out daily."—explicitspirit"This is a real GOAT pro-tip: 1) It saves money. Simple. Fast food is $11. Five days a week equals $55, four weeks a month equals $220. Over a year? $2,640. 2) It saves calories. 3) It saves time. No driving, no waiting in line, no waiting for them to make it. Boom, I'm eating and saving at least 15 minutes."—supergooduser
"I like to use bars of soap, and putting the little piece of the old bar onto the new bar is mandatory."
—Skyccord"The soap of Theseus."—The_Band_Geek"Another thing that works is to throw soap and any slivers into a mesh bag/short nylon stocking, or whatever, and rub that directly on your skin. It tends to lather up really well, and depending on the fabric, it sometimes exfoliates as well."—Curiouso_Giorgio
"When I couldn't afford meat, I used tinned brown lentils as a mince meat substitute in pasta sauce/lasagna sauce. I can now afford mince meat, but add a tin of brown lentils to extend the amount. (I like the taste, too.)"
—little-marmalade-jar"My boyfriend grew up poor, and his mom would add oatmeal to ground beef to extend it. It works really well in things like meatloaf and meatballs."—ipromiseyouitstaken
I check thrift stores and Facebook Marketplace for everything before I buy it new. About the only things I truly buy new are socks and underwear."
—whole_chocolate_milk"On Craigslist, you can 'save searches' and it will notify you when new things are listed. It has saved me THOUSANDS. All you need is time and patience, and the item will find you."—Ill-Air8146"I just started using Facebook Marketplace about a year ago. I agree with you. I'm hooked and astounded that you can buy nearly anything you need. I get all of my shoes, winter coats, some clothes, as well as kitchen items, furniture, household decor, rugs, and curtains. Most are 75% off retail. I decided to re-paint all rooms on our second floor. I'm slowly gathering cheap paint. I'll save hundreds on paint. I'm sure you've found many treasures too!"—majordashes"I still buy gently used second-hand clothes, accessories, and furniture where possible! I love thrifting and strongly prefer vintage products. They're often cheaper with higher quality fabrications that would be 3-5x the cost today."—fatchamy
"Save all of your vegetable scraps. All the things you cut off of your vegetables when prepping food, freeze them. You can use them all later to create your own vegetable stock or other things like chicken stock. Just be sure to wash them well. Save your scraps of even meat, like chicken bones. All the stuff you don't like the look of still has good flavor."
"I know the ends of onions look a little iffy, but you aren't eating them in stock. You're just extracting all the flavor from them. By the time they're finished cooking down, they're going to be basically mush anyway. Homemade stock is so much better for you than store-bought and will save you a lot of money. Likewise, some people will probably pay you for good homemade stock if you feel like selling it."—the-novel"Take it even further and use scraps to grow more food. Pineapples will grow new plants if you remove and plant the top. You can stick green onions in water after cutting them, and they will grow back several times. This works for celery, lettuce, and bok choy, too. Use old potatoes to grow more. Ginger can be planted much like a potato. You can harvest seeds from tomatoes, peppers, squashes, etc. Growing your own fresh herbs and spices is cheaper, whether you buy dried or fresh, and you'll always have fresh seasoning, which beats dried every single time.Produce is expensive, and you can have a steady supply that won't spoil (until you harvest it)."—FriedSmegma
"I almost never buy coffee outside. Either make it at home or drink free crap coffee at work."
—Lolyer"This is a big one. I splurged on a used espresso machine, and it has paid for itself in a couple of months, and it tastes better too because I get better than average beans."—explicitspirit"I think I've honestly saved myself an absurd amount of money on coffee by just drinking the coffee at work. I'm not one of those 'I can't function until I've had coffee' people. I can drive to work and wait, and by the time I do have it, I've been awake for like two hours or so. I have my own at home for days off, and it takes me a long time to get through it since I only drink it one or two days a week."—5k1895
"Only buying when things are on sale (discounted)."
—Turbulent-Today830"The on-sale price is the real price. The other price is the 'bend-over' price."—Metasynaptic"My favorite way to shop at Costco. I buy eggs, milk, and then anything on sale that catches my eye. Like yogurt, fruit, and frozen stuff! Also, obligatory call out on sharing a Costco membership with someone."—MakesNegativeIncome
"Rice, beans, garlic, olive oil, and soy sauce for days, baby. This 10-dollar budget for a week's worth of food got me through college, but I'm still doing it once in a while 10 years later."
—JagdCrab"I like to change it up and do different cuisines. For example, Spanish rice using red/kidney beans or more of a Caribbean style using black beans. Honestly, my advice is to buy a can of each type of bean and try cooking them to see which one you like best. I typically buy basmati rice, but jasmine is also good.Once you know the type of bean you like best, buy a bag of them dried and keep a can or two on hand. If you have the planning ability, soak the dry beans overnight the day before you are going to cook them. It saves on cooking time and reduces the amount of gas you'll produce. Dry beans are a lot cheaper, but require more forethought."—CanuckBacon
"I live near several well-known universities. Want free or extremely cheap and barely used furniture? Know which apartment complexes the wealthy college students live in and when they move out."
—csgirl1997"Move-out day at universities, aka 'Hippie Christmas.' Dumpsters full of stuff like microwaves they don't want to haul home."—RedditZamak
"Hiding money from myself."
—blondiemariesll"Omg! I do this! I have ADD so bad I just forget where I put it, haha. It's usually just dollars I find in the laundry and leftovers from change I stash somewhere. I have little stashes all over the house. I was cleaning out the cabinet we keep all the medicines in the other day and found $15, ha! My best find ever, though, was years ago when portable phones were a thing. We had a landline at our first apartment and were cleaning…found a $100 bill under the charging station! Totally forgot I put it there!"—Odd-Trust8625"Dude, the amount of times I find a $20 bill in my wallet every time I go through them to see what works best with my outfit, or what I might want to donate. I then realize I did that as emergency gas money, congratulate myself, put it back (if not using or donating), and then forget about it again until I do the process once more."—animepuppyluvr
"I'm still broke, but a good hack for food is learning to make meals that last all week and freeze well. If you don't have a lot of time to cook, make weekly soups."
"Secondly, it's a little cheaper to buy one pound of hamburger and one pound of sausage and mix the two. Sausage is usually cheaper than beef, so you'll save a little money when cooking and come out with way tastier food because sausage gives your dinner's meat a better bite."—the-novel
"Calling my internet and cable company every 6 to 12 months, telling them I'm going to cancel. That keeps me at the best price. I have saved quite a bit of money for the same service over the last decade."
—CasaBlanca37"Keep up with it and be sure to note any changes each time you do this. Providers have a retention algorithm that will eventually improve with AI implementation, which will be harder to outsmart. E.g., it could know how little it needs to offer you to keep your business. It's not there yet, but still keep an eye on what others are offering so you have a baseline (if not doing this already) each time. Most countries aren't very up to date on AI regulation, and corporate surveillance (especially in America) is quickly becoming a reality."—catholicsluts
"Kindness. Always pays back enormously."
—astroproff"I cannot agree with this more. Build a network of like-minded folks. We are only so alone as we allow ourselves to be. Share what you have, and others will often do the same."—Affectionate_Ad_7570
"I dye my own hair and never, ever have a car payment."
—NeitherNorX"Along the same lines, I learned to cut my own hair as a broke college student. Now, I'm 40 and still do it. I've literally saved like $5,000 so far, and it's one less appointment/errand I gotta go do."—withoutapaddle
"Free entertainment. Beach, hike, hanging out in a third space, general involvement in local community, and having an awareness of free events, which are super common."
—NewcastleElite"These are all great ideas for ways to spend your time. I also recommend checking out your local library for programs and events. Some libraries have collections of things you can borrow for about a week at a time. These collections can include electronics, musical instruments, lawn games, baking supplies, and all sorts of random things. Many libraries also offer free passes to nearby museums. I've saved so much money over the years by taking advantage of what my library has to offer. "—FlapjackFilibuster"Completely agree! Even economical entertainment such as camping, investing in a park pass, or splitting a cottage with friends/family. There are great ways to get a great experience at a reduced cost."—pizzarunningcoffee
"Thrifting 100% of my super fancy office clothes. They have no idea."
—EdgeCompetitive"I go thrifting in areas I can't afford to live. Rich people donate the fanciest things."—AgonisingAunt"All of my favorite clothes are thrifted. My latest find was a pair of dress shoes. Brand new, and I mean not worn once, dress shoes exactly my size that retail at $130. I paid $8. Around that same time, I found a brand new Corsair gaming keyboard. It was $17, and it sold on eBay for $150."—FriedSmegma
"Learn to freeze and thaw food, and buy as much of your groceries from Costco as possible. In my opinion, if you learn how to use that volume. You pay about 50% vs the normal store."
—bloomsday289"Vacuum sealer to augment that. I buy all my meat at Costco. I live alone, so I vacuum seal it all and freeze it. It's how I can go through a 5+ pound boneless lamb leg easily. I get about 10+ meals from it, because I portion it out into three pieces. And that salmon is fantastic."—powerlesshero111"Vacuum sealer is a life changer. Salmon used to go bad by day three, now it's still fresh by day seven! I usually freeze most of them right away, except for one or two, and I don't get to them right away."—happy--muffin
"I take tampons from my gym. Never ever paying for them again."
—SprinklesBulky4943"At a fast-food place, I'll take a large number of napkins for home. My grandma did it, and I'll keep the family tradition going."—allahandro"Also, those little grape jelly packets or coffee creamer are all fair game."—zatro
"Not buying bottled water. That tap water will do just fine."
—hp_rice1"Having a Brita or generic equivalent pitcher makes tap water taste better. Also, you don't need to change the filters nearly as often as they say, so they last forever. Do be careful to keep the pitcher clean.I never buy beverages in a container with the liquid (bottles, cans). It's way cheaper, and you don't need to haul heavy beverages when you buy groceries. The only beverages I buy are tea and coffee for a special treat. And I only drink water with meals—you can taste and enjoy your food better that way."—Amuseco
"Running some lines of hot glue on the areas of your shoes that get worn out quicker before a long walk or a game of basketball or pickleball, etc., will extend the life of your shoes. Epoxy works as well."
—iwouldhugwonderwoman"There's a glue called Shoe Goo that's designed for this. I haven't tried hot glue or epoxy though, so I'm not sure if it works better or not."—catcontentcurator
"I make my own liquid laundry detergent and Dawn Powerwash. It's so easy and so cheap! I do five gallons and one gallon at a time for not even close to the cost of a one-time purchase."
—BothImpression9544
"I add water to soap and shampoo bottles when they get low, and the diluted soap still works fine. Learned it from my mom; do it out of habit now."
—sphinx90724"I intentionally dilute all my shampoo, even from full bottles. I use less, and it's easier to rinse."—LeftArmFunk
"The miscolored stack in the paint store. I'll happily keep checking until a colour I love pops up. It's a fun hunt, especially if you've got an idea but aren't absolutely set on precisely one exact color — and there isn't a chance in hell I'm paying $80 for a gallon of paint."
—Missscarlettheharlot"Any remotely light color will work as a primer, too."—mmss
"I have a full-time job that pays well enough that I could live off it comfortably, but I have two side hustles that I maintain. If my main job ever went away, I could easily put more time into the side gigs and not immediately have to start living off my savings."
—WhatIsItToBurn"This is literally how I survived the '08 recession. I went right to full-time at my part-time job."—LeftArmFunk
And finally, "I cut my sponges in half."
—SampleWest4421"They fit better in my hand that way!"—viciousfishous08"And they dry out much faster, helping them stay clean and last longer."—Amuseco
Do you have your own money-saving hacks to share? Let us know in the comments. Or if you'd like to remain anonymous, you can fill out the form below.