People Share 30 Tried-And-Tested Money-Saving Hacks Might Help You Out

Making ends meet...

Damjan

• Published in Interesting
• June 9, 2023

As we were growing up, we came across an interesting story about some hares who got stuck on top of a hill because of a big flood. They were trapped and couldn't get down to safety.

But then, a wise owl came along and gave them some advice. The owl told them that they should grow wings and fly away to escape the flood. One of the hares, who was shy and hesitant, asked the owl how they could do that.

But instead of giving a clear answer, the owl spoke mysteriously, talking about tactics and their role in guiding them. Now that we are adults, we have noticed something funny about that story.

It has a deeper meaning that relates to the advice we get about money and finances. We often hear tips and suggestions from financial experts, but not all of them are useful for everyone.

It's important to be careful and think critically when we receive financial advice. We should consider our situation and think about how the advice fits with our goals and values.

If possible, we can even talk to professionals who can give us personalized guidance based on our specific circumstances. While financial advice and frugal tips can be really helpful, we have to remember that not all advice works for everyone.

Just like the hares couldn't grow wings, blindly following general financial recommendations without considering our situation might not lead to success. By being smart and tailoring our financial strategies to our own needs, we can navigate our money matters better and have a brighter and more successful future.

Lets talk about money....

1. Prioritizing peace of mind and comfort over financial savings

For me, it’s got roommates and live somewhere cheaper. I have PTSD from an old roommate pulling a knife on me, another ex-roommate SAing me, and I’m also a massive introvert. Home is my happy place. I don’t drink or go to bars, my hobbies are v low cost, and so I spend more of my paycheck on housing costs than others might. Solely for peace of mind.

At the end of the day, money isn’t everything and quality of life is important. Being frugal means not spending money frivolously, but ensuring peace of mind and comfort isn’t frivolous imo.

2. Save money by making your own coffee at home

3. Struggling with paycheck-to-paycheck, saving feels impossible

I hate it when people are like “if you save ten bucks a day/week/etc you’ll have X amount by the end of the year!” Like bro, I’m living paycheck to paycheck , if I don’t run out of money after rent that’s a major victory for me.

4. Growing your own food isn't always cheaper or time-saving

I'm really annoyed with the "grow your own food, it's cheaper" tips. Has anyone ever managed to keep basil alive? And then you have to buy pots, soil, fertilizer and in summer water the plants every day. It's very time consuming. And the whole plant could die on you.

I grow some stuff as a hobby, chilis, chokeberries, grapes and strawberries, but it doesn't save money.

5. Frustration with ineffective online coupons

Googling coupons! Love the concept but the ones I find are always fake & unusable!

6. Coupons target processed foods, not whole foods, to manipulate consumer choices

Coupons. They only have them for boxed, packaged, processed stuff that is not really whole food. You never see coupons for produce, for meat, for flour, etc. And I think this is by design. They're not going to trick me into buying c**p I don't want.

7. The cold weather makes it impossible to exercise outside during winter

It’s the opposite for me. Winter are -20C to -40C. Ain’t no way I’m exercising outside in the winter.

My pet peeve is telling me to shop at Costco because it’s cheaper. I live alone so the portions of fresh things are just too big. The membership and driving to a separate store doesn’t save me any money.

8. Prioritize comfort over cost

I’m in Texas, no way I’m turning this AC down, or working out outside. I will pay those bills if it means I don’t have to live in this swamp a*s humidity.

9. Referring to unfamiliar stores and unrealistic prices

References to stores we don’t have. “Just go to Sam’s Club and get beef for $3/lb”.

Firstly what the hell is a Sam’s club? And second beef hasn’t been that cheap where i live since the war.

10. It's better to wait for sales and buy better quality clothes from regular retail stores

Thrifting as your main source of clothing. It's great if you're on a smaller size, which is cool, you'll have lots of options and can take things in. I wear 14-16, L-XL depending on brands. My options are all either really short things, really out of style things, or just unavailable because they're already gone. A

nd now with resale market booming the good stuff is gone off the racks quick, and i'm not willing to pay $12 for an old navy shirt that I can buy on sale for 5.99. All good brands are gone before I even get there.

I used to get decent work stuff, leggings and other work out clothes, even got a nice, outdoor branded puffer jacket for like $15. But now, a stained tshirt goes for 7.99+. I just wait for sales, and buy better things at retail stores.

11. Expressing frustration with people endorsing unethical companies despite their mistreatment of employees

When people endorse  thee most  unethical companies on the damn planet. I'm not perfect at all, as a consumer, or as a person...I'm f****d up too.

But endorsing WalMart, Amazon, McDonalds... these companies very loudly & proudly treat their employees like dog s**t.

( If someone is dirt poor & lives next door to WalMart, ok -- that I understand. No other option in life, to survive. )

But dude, I usually hear these endorsements from people who are upper/middle class, & have more dough than me.  it's so annoying.

"You don't have Amazon?!?!? Huh?! Why not?!?"

Because they treat human beings like slaves.

12. Unplug appliances when not in use to save minimal energy and money

Unplug appliances when you aren't using them bc they draw a tiny amount of power. so spend a whole bunch of time running around my house so I can save like less than a dollar per year

13. Preference for airport terminals over cheap, bed bug-infested hotels.

Cheap hotels. I would rather live/stay in an airport terminal than a cheap a*s bed bug museum. And I have.

14. Avoiding delivery services and shopping at multiple stores for coupons

One tip that doesn't really work for me is to stop using delivery services and buy my groceries at different stores based on coupons etc.

I buy the same stuff weekly from the same online only store that offers free delivery for purchases at just about my standard base weekly shop cost, and the few dollars I may save more buying at physical stores with coupons etc is just not worth the time and hassle I would have to spend getting everything home myself.

15. Negative experience with cheap shampoo causing hair and scalp problems

Cheap shampoo. My hair looks like s**t with that stuff and I get sores on my head.

16. Gardening can be expensive and time-consuming without the right tools and knowledge

Gardening. If you don’t have anything to garden with, it’s a little pricey. Also, if you don’t have the knowledge, the trial and error is costly of money and time. In season produce bought at the farmers market is so low cost that I can’t seem to bring myself to garden

17. 50/30/20 budgeting strategy

That 50/30/20 is a valid budgeting strategy. No one talks about what to do when your debt payments are 50% of your take home income.

18. Not all advice is applicable globally

All the US-centric advice, tbh. Yes, I understand that most of the sub is probably from the US, but not everyone, and it's fairly grating when people just assume that everyone is from the US.

Eg. "Buy in ethnic stores!" - yes, they're probably cheaper than supermarkets/etc... *IN THE USA.* But where I live, "ethnic" stores are crazy expensive because they do in fact carry imported "exotic" stuff.

There are the so-called "Chinese" stores usually ran by Chinese or Vietnamese owners that carry a lot of items that are off-brand/downright fake/sourced in less than fully ethical or legal ways, they used to be a bit cheaper than supermarkets, but not anymore... or when they *are* the product is painfully low quality or downright dangerous.

19. Energy, discomfort, and personal preferences influence various aspects of life.

Anything concerning energy and being uncomfortable. Yes, I can always put a sweatshirt on. Yes. I can always take clothes off.

But no a/c meant I couldn’t comfortably cook. Turning heat off or down in the winter meant arthritis flair ups, and I was miserable, cranky, hated life. Either means poor quality sleep.

Anything that involves changing skin care or hair care. I have a lot of sensitivities, and while I’ve tried all of the cheap brands, I always end up going back to the stuff that works and doesn’t make me miserable.

Meal prep. I don’t get how people do this. I’ve yet to see a TikTok demonstration that looks like it would be good for every single day.

20. Using physical cash for purchases instead of cards may not necessarily lead to spending less

Pay with cash. I don't mean making sure you have the money in the bank for big purchases but literally having bills on you at all times and only buying things with cash rather than card. People who preach this say you spend less when you have to part with physical money, but I have found that to be the opposite with me.

21. Buying quality boxes from a hardware store is affordable and makes moving easier

The advice that you should acquire moving boxes by driving around town and begging for boxes at liquor stores and grocery stores is a huge waste of time and will only create a ton of agony when you're trying to load a truck with a bunch of irregularly shaped dilapidated boxes that don't easily stack on a dolly.

Quality moving boxes from a hardware store only cost about $2 and will make moving day a breeze. They're also going to hold up well to be used to subsequent moves, so store them under a bed or in the back of a closet

22. Using produce to stretch meals might not always be effective

Has anyone else noticed that the tips about stretching meals with stuff from the produce section doesn't really work well? Carrots or onions for some things- sure, I guess- but I keep seeing the suggestion to use $6/lb mushrooms to bulk up the $3/lb ground beef. Like, what?

23. Gym membership is worth it for the affordable daily cost and access to various facilities and amenities, making it a top priority expense

Gym membership is a great value. It cost me little over a dollar a day. I get access to a pool, locker room, shower, bathroom, all the machines, all the weights, an indoor basketball court, other people to play basketball with, and I can bring a guest with me any time. As long as I am able to use it regularly a gym membership is one of the last expenses I'm willing to cut.

24. Avoid homemade washing powder

Homemade washing powder . Just no .

25. Performing car maintenance like oil changes can save money in the long run but may not be significantly cheaper than going to a mechanic

26. Frustration with high electricity bills despite efforts to save energy

27. Cheap toilet paper!

28. Changing jobs and relocating to a low-cost-of-living area

Change jobs and move to a LCOL. I’ve spent 20+ years in my film career. I have rent control. No, I’m not moving to live in a dull city with no job for me.

29. Shopping at warehouse stores is not cheaper than regular supermarkets

For me, Costco & Sam's Club are NOT cheaper than supermarkets. And, when I do shop there I spend way more than I would regular grocery shopping. When I had a four person household, the main savings were the pharmacy, roasted chicken, smoked salmon, lunch meat and sliced cheese.

Now the household is down to me and my son, who works at a restaurant and gets 1-2 meals free per day. I was buying the roasted chicken weekly and converting that to soups, meat for casseroles and salads but have gotten a little tired of that.

Neither store has good rolls, bagels, or bakery breads in my opinion. Sam's had good deals on wine but no longer. I also go tired of, after returning home, having to immediately repackage bulks products into smaller packages to freeze or store.

And, maintaining plastic bags and containers for packing is a pain.

30. Budget-friendly staple foods

“Buy rice and beans!”

I am not a fan of rice or beans at all and I’m tired of people always telling me to buy it.

It is important to approach financial advice with caution and consider its relevance to our own unique circumstances. Tailoring strategies to individual needs and seeking personalized guidance can lead to better financial outcomes.

By being proactive and making informed choices, we can work towards a brighter and more secure financial future.

Damjan