20 Weird But Effective Ways to Save Money: Tips from Thrifty People

The Reddit platform has collected tips from thrifty people who talk about how to save money better. The useful habits developed by those who know a thing or two about saving money will be useful to many of us, especially the spenders, the publication writes. BuzzFeed.

Photo: Yodkamon Noon | Dreamstime.com

1. Write down your expenses in a notebook

"I write down all my expenses in a real budgeting notebook. I've tried budgeting apps off and on over the years, but they never really caught on. Having a real notebook to write down my expenses in has made me much more frugal in all aspects of my life. Carrying cash also helps. Parting with a $20 bill is harder for me than using a card."

2. Don't make purchases right away

"I put things in my Amazon cart, but I don't check them out right away. I come back a few days later and realize I DON'T NEED them, so I delete them. You can write down everything you want to buy in the Notes app on your phone. Most of the things you want, you just forget about over time. Only the things you really need remain."

On the subject: Family budget: how much do residents of different states spend on household expenses

3. Buy products at discounts

"I started buying products with discounts that were approaching their expiration dates. There were no quality issues, but now we save several hundred a month on groceries."

4. Get a library card

"I finally got a library card and connected to my Kindle through Libby and haven't bought a single book, e-book or paperback, all year. Now I 'read' audiobooks through Libby, and a lot more, which is great!"

5. Use powdered sports drinks

"I buy powdered mix instead of bottled sports drinks after every workout, it's much cheaper. For example, Walmart sells a large container of Gatorade. I got it when I worked at camp, and one container lasted me the whole summer, with some left over."

6. Unsubscribe from advertising mailings

"One morning when I had some free time, I checked my email and unsubscribed from almost all of them. Not only did this completely clear out my inbox, but I was no longer tempted by sales, coupons, etc. It really helped curb impulse spending! I only subscribe when I'm expecting a sale, and then unsubscribe as soon as I buy what I've been eyeing.

For places I shop more often, I filter out promotional emails in Gmail and send them straight to my cart. Then, when I need something from one of the stores I follow, I look in my cart for a sale or coupon. Plus, my cart gets emptied every 30 days, so I won't be bothered by old promotions."

7. Transfer your savings to a high-yield savings account

"I moved the savings from my old account to a high-yield savings account (4% a year or so). It's not an account you can easily withdraw money from, so the savings are safe there. I went from one cent a month to almost $30."

8. Refuse cable television

"Gone cable. No one was watching 'regular' TV. We kept Prime and Hulu. No one in the house noticed."

9. Use frozen convenience foods

"I stopped using DoorDash and started using frozen chicken nuggets and tater tots when I need to cook something quickly."

10. Go through your closets

"I started going through all the drawers, cabinets, wardrobes and found things I had forgotten about. I also saw where and when I made impulse purchases that I later regretted. This helped me not to make the same mistakes again."

11. Review your insurance

"I changed my car and home insurance. Our car is now two-thirds less valuable and our house is half that. I don't even want to think about the money we've overpaid over the years.

Choose a reputable insurance company that will pay your claims quickly and has a good reputation for customer service. If you decide to take out a package and they don't offer you a price like their competitors, tell them you're looking for the best value for your money."

12. Remove credit card details from all online stores

"I've removed my credit card information from all online stores. First, it's safer. Second, my need for a product is significantly reduced if I have to get up from the couch to grab my wallet."

13. Ditch the paper towels

"Instead of paper towels, I bought rags and now take them to the laundromat from time to time."

14. Prepare in advance

"I make five oatmeal meals, five chicken, pasta and gravy meals, and five chicken, rice and black beans meals. It saves me so much money and time! I mix fruit in bowls for breakfast and lunch. I usually use pineapple or tangerines. I eat much healthier now and save money."

15. Go to the grocery store less often

“I’ve started going to the grocery store only once a week. This limits opportunities for unhealthy impulse purchases, forces me to use and consume fresh produce and supplies I already have on hand instead of throwing them away. It saves on fuel for commuting (if I need something urgently, I force myself to bike). The major grocery chain in my area offers a weekly coupon for 4x fuel points on Fridays. By limiting most grocery shopping to Fridays, I can optimize this benefit, which is a great bonus.”

16. Meet friends in the park, not in a restaurant

"I used to meet friends at restaurants by default, and it was very expensive. Now I suggest just meeting for dessert (instead of drinks and food), going on a hike, or walking in the park to relax and chat. It's all about just being together."

17. Do your own manicure

"I started taking care of my nails myself. I have a whole collection of polishes that need to be used!"

18. Cook at home

"I started cooking for myself instead of eating out. It got better and better. Now I'm at the point where the food served in restaurants isn't good enough for me."

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19. Buy and then sell expensive power tools for the home

“If I need a big power tool for a project around the house, I’ll buy it on Facebook Marketplace, use it, and then resell it there. It usually sells for the same price, but sometimes I get more. For example, my kids wanted a basketball hoop. To install it, I needed a drill, which I bought for $100, and when I was done, I sold it for $160. Or I bought a cement mixer for $150, used it, and sold it for $175. For another project, I bought a table saw for $100, and when I was done, I sold it for $100.”

20. Try the "month without shopping" quest

"I tried going a month without buying anything. It sounds crazy, but trying to live with what you have (furniture, clothes, gardening and home tools) makes it easier to figure out if the purchase is worth the money... because you can't buy anything anyway. I ended up finding this practice so useful and easy that I decided to make myself a 'year without buying anything' quest."

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