Frugal People Are Sharing Tips To Stretch Their Money

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7 hours ago

A few days ago, Reddit user u/9254522345 asked "What's a 'poor people life hack' that you swear by but rich people would never understand?" All of these make so much sense. Half of them I already do and half of them I'm adopting immediately.
"When the shampoo and conditioner bottles stop pumping, I cut those things open and there's still enough for another 3–4 uses!"
"If you have a back massager, you can put it against the bottle to get the last dregs out fast, and I add it to my collection bottles of shampoo and conditioner."
"Using the oven heat after baking to warm up the kitchen in winter."
"Having a hotdog in sandwich bread."
"Keep the wrapper from sticks of butter in the freezer and when you need to "oil" a pan to be non-stick just use one of the old wrappers and wipe it around on the surface of the pan. One wrapper works quite a few times."
"This is old, but if I couldn't afford stamps to pay bills, I would write the addressee's address also in the upper left so no matter what it would get there."
"Fix it, don't replace it. A little glue, thread, or duct tape can save you money. Rich folk wouldn't bother with it."
"A pinch of baking soda in room temperature water works better than over-the-counter antacids."
"Buy a footlong sub and save the second half for dinner."
"I add red lentils to the mix for any mince beef recipe, like bolognaise sauce. It's cheaper, better for the environment, and less fatty. I think we should all be doing this. It tastes meaty enough at half the price."
"To expand on this, especially for my fellow Americans: Make a habit of throwing in one 'extra' vegetable to all of your recipes. I find that recipes with meat (chili, stews, etc.) tend to be meat-heavy and could use more veggies, regardless of your finances. Throwing in just one more onion, potato, or can of beans will accomplish three things: make the meal last longer; save money since you're making the overall meal cheaper per serving; and help with food waste (saving more money) by making sure you actually consume all your veggies."
"Whatever other job you have, try to get a part-time job in catering. They don't pay much, but in catering you're usually allowed to eat after everyone at the wedding or whatever has eaten AND you're allowed to take home uneaten leftovers, which means I often had 5 lbs of mashed potatoes, a few portions of the entree (usually roast beef and turkey) and lots of dinner rolls, salads, etc."
"I'm at a point in my life where furniture costs so much and is made so poorly that I'll do without buying something I want and can afford just because I know sooner or later I'll find an older one made out of actual wood (instead of sawdust and glue) on the side of the road or Facebook marketplace."
"Discount stores and timing out purchases from said stores. I grew up in Maine, which has a franchise called Renys, which buys bulk from other stores to sell at a discount. They buy off-season, cosmetic issues, anything that brands need to get rid of, and recoup some of their losses. The trick to Renys/discount stores is shopping in the opposite season. Height of summer? Their winter jackets are dirt cheap. Freezing cold outside? Time to buy shorts. They won't have as much selection at the time, but you can get necessities for dirt cheap."
"Loads of breadcrumbs in minced meat to make it seem more in portion size and more filling at dinner."
"Compare online and IRL prices. By the name of everything good, YOU CAN GET THE PRICE DOWN BY 50% MAX."
Finally, "The one my mom still uses now is making soup out of literally nothing, and it's kind of amazing. She has various recipes using leftovers, but her celery soup, to me, is the most impressive. She makes enough soup for four people out of a bit of celery and onion, a bit of milk, corn starch, and seasoning and it's good?!"