10 "Frugal" Things That Are Actually Just Money-Wasters | minimalism + saving money
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- čas přidán 31. 05. 2024
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Have you ever tried to be frugal and save money, only to end up wasting money instead? When it comes to frugal living, here is a list of things I stopped buying or don't do as a minimalist and frugal person of 15+ years that help me get the most bang out of my bucks! Is there anything you don't buy because you realized it's just a money-waster? Drop me a comment below and let me know!
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Hi, hope you are doing well. I do follow your advice and try to buy less reuse tons of things.
There is one thing that I am struggling to do and that is to declutter baby clothes of my child.
It's been more than two years. They are tucked in a place.
But I just can't bring myself to donate them or do something about them. I know that they need to go but at the same time I can't let them go.
Just so let you know I had a horrible postpartum journey and it still affects me. I really try not to remember those days and also struggle with things that reminds me of those days.
Any suggestions on this topic Wil help me so much.
Thank you for reading my comment.
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I got a couch for free from a charity that sells 2nd hand furniture. It was 100% off. Is it comfy? Not particularly but I have put cushions on it and it is not too bad.
An easy way to make your mattress firmer is to insert a piece of plywood between the box spring and mattress!
In Terry Pratchett's Discworld series, much of this advice would come under the Vimes "Boots Theory" of economics: "A man who could afford fifty dollars had a pair of boots that'd still be keeping his feet dry in ten years' time, while a poor man who could only afford cheap boots would have spent a hundred dollars on boots in the same time and would still have wet feet."
Love a good STP reference ❤
Excellent PTerry use on the right video .... *thinks* yes, you can Pterry everywhere, but this is perfect use. Nice.
❤
It's so true! In 2013 I bought a pair of $250 winter Sorrel boots. It's 2024 and I still wear them, and aside from some scuffs on the bottom they look as good as the day I bought them. Cheaper boots that fall apart in less than a year only make sense for children who's feet still grow.
Yeah. The issue is if you're low-income, it's very hard to save for better boots, but you also need boots right now. But definitely, even if you're in the poor side, it's a good idea to squirrel away some money as much as you can to buy quality outdoor gear eventually, even if you have to buy cheap crappy boots in the short term.
In Germany there's a saying "Wer billig kauft, der kauft doppelt" - "If you buy cheap, you buy twice". Especially with tools, kitchen utensils and furniture it's always adviced to go for quality over a (seemingly) cheap deal.
I love this! Said it to husband and he recognized the saying 😂
That’s interesting! My husband grew up in Germany because his parents were DOD school teachers. This has always been his view and I now I think I understand! I grew up in dire straits and had mastered the art of living cheaply and within my budget. So when we were shopping for a wall unit for our television and mementos I was looking at unfinished furniture that still needed to be assembled, stained, varnished etc., while he was shopping in furniture stores for quality cabinetry. I thought he didn’t understand frugality, but he did, he just didn’t want to buy a new junky project every time we moved. He was right in the long run!
My Greek Grandfathet had the same saying "A Frugal Man Always Pays Twice". I swap out Frugal for Cheap - there's a diffetence.
The toilet paper advice is horrible if you have a septic system. That fancy thick stuff will keep your septic guy busy pumping out your clogged tank.
@@billierichter1379 Actually, I have been using a septic system for the last 20 years. We’ve never had a problem with the toilet paper. I even use the flushable wet wipes from time to time. I was also told using chlorine tablets in the tank was bad for the septic system, but eventually went back to using them because nothing else worked better. I think many of the “septic “ horror stories must be from people with really old, small, or damaged septic systems. Our plumbing works great, and thankfully we have had no issues with it! I do understand that it is a nightmare to manage if the septic system doesn’t work properly, but all the rules-especially about toilet paper-are not really applicable in most cases. This is only my experience, I respect that you have different experiences.
Great sensible tips! my favorite, "just remember the money was wasted when we purchased the item, not when we get rid of item" 🙌 Thank you!
That is one I struggle with. I need to remember that I’m not gaining anything back by hanging onto a foolish purchase.
@@lorigalena8330 That is one (...) a foolish purchase.
You won't get the purchase price + interest back, that's true. But to me it makes more sense to keep it until you need/want to use it, or sell it, rather than to give it away (or, worse yet, throw it away).
It’s a hard lesson, but so freeing when you actually apply it.
I’ve sold a bunch of crafting supplies I was never going to use for cheap. And it was such a liberating experience!
@@knrdvmmlbkkn Exactly, that's a point I disagreed with as well. As long as one doesn't cross over into hording behavior, hanging onto things is better than not.
Obviously, going around impulse buying is not good ... but instead of getting rid of the evidence after the fact, I do agree it's better never to have bought unnecessary items in the first place. If it does happen, though, keep a hold of the thing, whatever it is; sooner or later you'll find a use for it.
That’s huge.
I am a softer mattress person because I have a lot of problem with arthritis and joints. But my husband has always been a super hard mattress person. Last year we moved out to Amish country, and an Amish gentleman who makes mattresses custom made us a mattress that is softer on one side and firmer on the other. It’s identical on the other side so that we can flip the mattress whenever we want. The way he bound them together, you cannot tell that it’s two separate mattresses. But if you sit on one side, and then sit on the other, you can totally feel it. And oddly enough, what he charged us, for our custom mattress was not any more than we would’ve paid in a regular furniture store for a mattress like a Sealy.
We bought 2 twin xl mattresses and use them in a king frame.
My parents did that. My mother had back surgery and a lot of back problems, so she couldn’t handle the mattress being moved around. But she and my dad wanted to sleep together. So that’s how they solve the problem.
That's why we got a Sleep Number mattress. Got it at an estate sale from a neighbor for about 1/4 of price new
Could you share a contact for the person who made your mattress?
I meant “ Weaver Bedding “
Here's my 'stuff on sale' mantra. I'm not kidding, I actually do this all the time.
I say out loud "I save the most money by not buying it in the first place."
Works every single time.
What I think is crazy are the people who have a two car garage but can’t park their $25k or more vehicles in it because they use it for a storage space for less expensive items.
Guess I'm crazy then, but two car garages are just that - CAR garages. Our family only drives trucks and we would have to completely empty our two car garage to barely fit one truck inside, and that's leaving maybe a 6" gap in front and behind for clearance. So we park our trucks in the driveway and keep freezers, a large zero turn mower and other things in ours.
@@charlie81dbz that’s different since your vehicles don’t fit.
@@charlie81dbz Yep. Us, too.
@@charlie81dbzsame my husbands truck won’t fit so I park my car and we put lawnmowers and generators and expensive things like that in there.
It sounds "crazy" only to people who have no real skills/hobbies, I find. If you have even a small allotment garden attached to your house and you want to grow a bit of food, you will need half of that garage to store tools/equipment (or a full garage if you do hydroponics). Another half of the garage will be fully occupied by maintenance tools (providing that you/your husband can easily repair whatever is needed around the house) and bikes and such. Less expensive does not mean less valuable.
I consider sometimes paying a delivery fee over going instore actually saves me money as it better protects me from impulse purchases that end up costing more than the delivery fee.
When I started doing grocery pickup, my bill went down dramatically. Even after inflation and with a pickup fee I am still spending $100 less a month on average. I'm a single human household so THAT is insane.
Try doing curbside pick up, it has the benefits of online shopping without the delivery fee and tips.
I used to spread my online orders out to once every 4 to 6 weeks so I could tip really well for delivery but doing curbside saves me $35 in fees/tips!
So far this year I've saved over $500 by using delivery over in store shopping. It started out because I had injured my knee last Fall and had to use delivery. I started noticing that my grocery budget was going further so when the new year started I began tracking my spending as opposed to in store shopping. Those fees and tips are far less than what I would end up spending on impulse purchases!
I completely agree!
You're so right; and personal time should always be calculated in the shop price. I can order from Kmart at 11 in the evening before I go to bed, and know that my day/money is spent wisely.
I think the best way to save money is to not go shopping as a pass time. If you don't see the latest gadget or 'this year's color' or new trend you are not tempted to purchase it. I love tip #10, really helpful.
Good point. I always tell myself that if I didn't even know it existed yesterday, I certainly don't need to go out and buy it today.
Or go thrifting
Also, unsubscribe to store newsletters! They are always trying to tempt you with their sales.
@@larsonfamilyhouseThrifting is worth it for me. Why should I pay retail for items I can get for pennies on the dollar? And only go when I have a specific item in mind for home or business. Scored four chairs for $12 each. They are in our reception area. If kids or dogs destroy them, not a big deal, it wasn't $600 a chair from a designer. And they are easy to clean as well!
I think a cheap bra fits this list nicely 👍
Agree! Life is way too short to be stabbed by underwire. And an ill fitted bra can also give you back problems!
Few cheap bras have lasted me . They end up getting annoying
"I think a cheap bra fits this list nicely"
Why should a list wear a bra?
@@knrdvmmlbkkn Great question 😅
@@claremiller9979My back and shoulder problems weren’t caused by my bras; they were caused by macromastia. I had surgery over the summer to reduce them.
My mother used to call it "penny wise, but pound stupid." Admittedly, it took my youthful American brain until college to understand the pound was the pound sterling, lol, and then the saying finally made sense.
"Penny wise, but pound foolish" is the way I've always heard it. The U.S. Mint would tell you that the U.S. doesn't have pennies. Pennies are a unit of U.K. currency. The U.S. coins are officially called "cents," but they've been nicknamed "pennies" for as long as they've existed.
"Penny wise, but dollar stupid" is how I learned it. Wise words, either way!
@@NeilWickIf it didn't originate with Ben Franklin, I'm pretty sure he popularized it in "Poor Richard's Almanac" before the American Revolution.
@@NeilWick that's what my parents always said... and they were Scottish immigrants.
Letting go of clutter also means wasting less money in future when you move. A question I always ask myself as well while decluttering is: „Do I want to pay for the moving costs of this item?“
Just what I was thinking. Around 10 years ago, I moved house twice, a year apart. I decluttered so much in that year that I was able to hire a smaller van second time, and I did think how much I could have saved on the first move if I'd only done my decluttering a year earlier!
You are soooo right! 😊
Exactly! That's what I'm going to do before the next move, get rid of stuff so I have fewer boxes to pack, the movers have fewer boxes to load and unload, and I have few boxes to UNpack. Now there IS one thing I hung onto for a few years, a Good Season's salad dressing bottle. It was my mother's. I might have made salad dressing in it once. I kept hanging onto it wondering if I should just get rid of it. THEN, I found a use for it. It's a great dispenser for the popsicle stick-like coffee stirrers. One of the few things I'm glad I didn't donate.
I cut and color my own hair now that I'm retired. Saves me a ton of money and I like how my hair looks a thousand times better than when I went to the salon.
First comment I've seen which reverberates with me. The others, so far, have no connection with real life for me.
I guess I'm happy that you are getting results that you are happy with. But it really does seem like if you are saving tons of money, that just indicates that your previous practices were wasteful. My guess is that no one else cares about your hair color, not even your husband or kids if you have them.
@richdobbs. Hope you feel better after dumping that venomous misogyny off your chest...lol.
FYI, I've actually gotten many compliments from my family and friends on my chestnut colored thick wavy hair, which I cut into a layered style.
@@missyperry9510 What a great comment. In the UK women's hairdressers are very expensive. I'm going to try dyeing my hair this week. Wish me luck!
My husband and I started cutting each other's hair during Covid. We bought some nice clippers and a drape and have been doing this for 4 years now. I should say that I don't have a complicated haircut. It's short and can be cut with clippers.
I would highly recommend buying bidets for each toilet. Even post-purchased toilets can have a homeowner-added bidet for about $30 per toilet. It will save money in the long run regardless of which paper you go with. We got ours during the pandemic, and it was a (butt) life saver.
Agreed… I bought a Luxe toilet bidet and installed it myself. It’s not hard. I calculated it would take me a little over a year to make back the money I spent on it, because I no longer buy toilet paper except for guests. But mostly I did it to save trees. Americans are especially wasteful with toilet paper and kill so many forests.
Are they hard to keep clean ( bowl splash back) ?
The only bad thing is you get so used to using a bidet and then go out and need to use restroom that doesn't have one and it just feels so unclean after get used to using one. I got into using 1 before the pandemic even started and it just seems so unsanitary to be wiping with dry tp like most people do.
@@Bamapride1985 A bidet does keep the butt cleaner.
I was looking for this comment. 100% agree, wish I got one years sooner.
"it's only a sale if you need it" I don't shop anymore only when an item is really needed and I sleep on it always. Good Video.
Likewise, you've only saved money if it was something you were already going to buy and you take the surplus money and save it for some other purpose rather than buying more stuff you weren't already going to buy.
Cheap wrapping paper. Bought at dollar store one Christmas and it kept ripping before I could finish wrapping a present! Also cheap generic tape is usually bad.
Agreed! I bought a multi pack of generic blue painter's tape, and it shredded when I tried to peel it off to use it and then wouldn't even stick well. Waste of money.
lol…. Dollar tree (dollar store) wrapping paper is the only wrapping paper I buy, and never had issues.
I bought some wrapping at $$Store for a granddaughters birthday last year (she was 4) and was absolutely surprised at how really nice and very sturdy it was - figured it didn’t matter if it was thin as it would get thrown away. I still have a partial roll - probably just got lucky as I didn’t need a regular size roll and inky got it because it cost me $1.25!!
I don’t mind getting cheap wrapping paper that might rip. I’m just more careful when wrapping & it’s fine. It’s just gonna be ripped off anyway in our family.
Or maybe Australian cheap wrapping paper is more sturdy than US.
OR wait till after the occasion & buy next year’s wrap at 50% off or better.
We have a say for that in our family that my mum read somewhere years ago: " We aren't rich enough to buy cheap things. " That, I can confirm is the best buy-lense you can use in life. With fast fashion I can have clothes that look awful after one season, and I have dresses from a small businesses for 5-6 years. Sometimes I see my overweight battle as a blessing in disguise. If you are cut from the fast fashion clothes chain, you find a fast way to learn the quality over quantity credo.
Yes!! Totally agree with this. I dress in a more traditional style but if I EVER decide to try a trendy piece, it may just be fast fashion.
I like the comment at end to not feel guilty to throw away or give away or sell things we have hoarded, because it makes others happy if they get to use it, and we feel badly holding onto it, plus it isn’t wasting.
I grew up with people very old, who lived through WWII and the Great Depression. So they all hoarded and when died I got it to fill my home and storage. I feel overwhelmed because I feel guilt not only getting rid of things they touched and paid money for, as if I am throwing a bit of them away and as if they did have no meaning to me or that what they left me is unworthy of me, but also that remnant of their thinking “what if in the future I NEED this???”
I like that you mentioned that you can still enjoy your coffee if you’re not ordering it out. I bought a $20 pouch of ceremonial grade matcha and at first I was appalled by the price, but a week of drinking matcha from Starbucks, or even more expensive, Juiceland, meant that little pouch of matcha paid for itself in the first week. Living frugally does not have to mean going without. Just prioritize and be mindful, and you’ll see results. We discovered recently that just by changing a few habits, we could still save money for the future and I could keep my personal trainer. Of course, I own my privilege. I was supported through certification and I have a good job in the tech industry. Never forget that while money can’t buy happiness, you can’t personal finance your way out of poverty. At some point, you just need more money. And everyone deserves a fair, livable wage.
"everyone deserves a fair, livable wage." ❤️
I’m like that with smoothies at first I thought a good blender was to expensive but then I considered how much I spent on smoothies at 6-7$ at least 5x a week and realized the blender was a bargain
Well said and true 👍
One thing to keep in mind is that although there's little point buying the cheap stuff even if it's bad, sometimes the relatively cheap coffee may be more to your taste than Chateau l'Expensive Uber-Organic. It's worth trying a few kinds and asking around.
Another item like this for us is cheap socks. My boys burn through socks if I buy cheap ones from Walmart, but if I buy Puma or Underarmer socks (marked down at Winners), they last so much longer and can even be handed down.
Puma socks seem to be crazy good and long lasting. 🧦
We bought Smartwool socks for winter. I've been wearing them for 3 years. My second child is wearing my first child's secondhand smartwool socks they have outgrown
@lisasoto3425 they are skimping lately in quality all across the board even in namebrands
I recommend Wigwam brand socks, they are very comfortable and rugged, plus they are made in the USA by a family owned company in Wisconsin. I work for the railroad and do a lot of walking in harsh conditions, they hold up excellently.
I like Thorlos (made in North Carolina).
Those reusable K-cup pods (that you fill with your own coffee grounds) are a game-changer if you already have a Keurig / like the convenience of single-serve machines.
And the process is even easier when you use filters in your reusable K-cup pods...no mess and compostable.
Yes! Plus, the mini filters are just SO CUTE! @@barbararobidoux8558
I got them, but in the end just gave up on it. I prefer using a scooper that contains 2 tablespoons per 6 oz cup. Little more coffee per cup but tastes great.
Even better is I was able to convince my boss to buy a keurig for work, so I paid nothing for it and just gotta buy the k cups. Also, once the novelty wore off, my work colleagues stopped using it, and it's pretty much my own personal keurig.
Yes! Game changer 💞This has saved our family $ over these past few years, I feel so extra if I think about paying for a coffee from the drive through. Side note- I feel like a dramatic barista when I get to make my husband and guests coffee 🤭
I grew up with a great grandmother who reused tea bags. I did it for years because I thought everyone did it. My bf was like “ no we’re not doing that” so I stopped. That was years ago and I just started doing it again. 😂
Reuse tea bags, too. Just leave them in the water longer the second time ;) ♥️
You do you ❤
I also,did this for years as I just dint care for really strong tea - two uses were perfect!
Loose leaf tea made in a pot tastes better and is also more economical.
I make mine in a pot. I have it so weak that, even making it weak to start, I get 4 or 5 cups from a pot. I use the pot tea as a syrup & add more boiling water to my cup for a nice, hot, weak cuppa.
Also, I only use leaves if I know I’ll finish the pot within a few hours. I prefer to use a bag, let it draw for 3-5 minutes maximum so it doesn’t get too bitter, then squeeze & remove the teabag. Ta-da, tea syrup that stays good.
(Or pour the tea, toss the leaves, rinse the pot & put the tea back in. Which is why I almost always use bags, leaves are too fiddly).
I want to add cheap toothbrushes. I grew up in a family of five and my mom was frugal. She once bought a pack of 5 toothbrushes for 1 dollar. She used it the first time and bristles were flattened and it all directions. Spend just a littlw morw on a toothbrush.
Oooh, that’s a good one!
I agree. Don't get cheap toothbrushes. The only thing they are good for is when someone has strep throat or a nasty cold. Then they can switch to that for a few days and then trash it when they feel better and go back to a better quality one. This way you aren't spending a lot on a brush that needs to be tossed after a few days because of sickness.
Free tooth brush from the hotel when I forgot mine was the cheapest. Ironically I was attending/volunteering at a free dental clinic.
I buy toothbrushes at the dollar store. They work just as well as the ones from the drug store. Maybe the quality has improved since your childhood.
Or it could be brushing technique. My husband brushes too hard, so his toothbrushes always go flat, no matter the brand. My son and I have never had the bristles go flat.
@@laurao3274 you do you
Yes! Don't be cheap on caring for your body. Don't hurt yourself with painful shoes or toilet paper. (I grew up on cheap toilet paper, and it's gotten even scratchier and cheaper than it used to be. After having a baby, I had to get the softer and more expensive kind. The cheap stuff was hurting me!)
I recommend Aldi's toilet paper, decent quality, it is actually better than some of the name brands, and the cost is very reasonable.
Aldi near me have all stopped carrying "soft and strong." They have soft (not strong enough) or strong (not soft enough).
It really is amazing how much longer a jumbo roll of decent toilet paper lasts compared to the 4-rolls-for-$2 stuff I bought for years.
There's a package at Walmart that has a black label on it. Four of the smallest waste-of-money rolls ever.
Very true! I can’t stand using the cheap stuff - it’s like that used in public restrooms (which I only use when it’s absolutely necessary!!!).
I.m still on a case of Scott I bought at Sam's at the start of the pandemic.
Coffee at home - if you use a pour over or Chemex with a gooseneck kettle and get your beans from a specialty coffee roaster it can add up to be only about $1 per cup of coffee. I've had my equipment for 8 years and it still is going strong. That same cup of coffee at a cafe is $5 or more + tip.
I can make an amazing cup of moka coffee at home for around 25 US cents. It helps that the ZAR currency is weak so it sounds incredibly cheap 😅
The expensive /thicker toilet paper clogs up my toilet - especially with a teen daughter who uses reems of it!
Time to get that teenager a plunger of their own. And don't cheap out on the plunger. Sounds weird and mean now but because my mother showed me how, I've prevented so much damage at workplaces, rental units, and homes I've owned because I could act fast and knew what to do. And it made me conscious of the messes I was setting myself up for.
I also highly recommend getting the higher quality of the store brand toilet paper. If your store has two grades of cheaper store brand toilet paper, get the higher grade. It's the best middle ground of price and quality. Plus, the kind my store offers sheds less fibres all over the dispenser, wall, and floor. Imagine what could be sticking to me?
Get her to throw her toilet rolls into the bin instead.
Paying top dollar for a quality couch is a good thing.
We bought a very high quality couch 28 years ago, and it looks almost new today after a lot of use. We did replace the foam portion of the seat cushions once.
We ordered it upholstered in a very expensive cotton chenille, and all the fabric on the couch can be machine washed.
Our cat shredded the fabric below one arm of the couch, but I was able to hand-sew the shredded areas together invisibly. That’s why we chose that type of fabric.
We bought a neutral colour that we hoped we wouldn’t get tired of, and we haven’t. 😊
Hi Melissa, do you recall where you bought your couch? I need a new one. Thank you!
It was definitely our investment for our home and so pleased we did
If you wash dishes by hand (my large family uses the dishwasher as storage place), then be mindful of kitchen tools/appliances that gets into your house. Sometimes chopping things with a knife is much easier to clean than it is to clean the bits and pieces of a vegetable chopper/slicer. Of course, this depends on your situation.
We haven’t used our dishwasher in so many years the pipes are probably not good anymore. We just use it for storage.
My mother refused to get a dishwasher, convinced that it would waste water. (We had a well, no water bill.) I hate constant dishwashing and wouldn't consider having a home without one.
The whole point of using a dishwasher is so that your dishes are sterilized. There is no way that you can wash your dishes by hand, in water that is hot as the dishwasher uses.....
@@winterspriteIf there are any rings or seals in the dishwasher they will likely have dried and cracked. I was told dishwashers should be run at least once a week.
I’m for firmer mattresses, but my husband prefers softer. We’ve been married 25+ years and eventually splurged on a sleep number mattress. It’s worth every penny. Even quality memory foam mattress were nice at first, but soon felt like I had to ‘climb’ out of it because you sink into the mattress further as the foam compresses. I realize the expense is significant, but when you are in your 40’s and 50’s there are enough aches and pains to keep you awake at night without adding a bad mattress! I don’t suspect that will improve with age 😅
OOF…..#10….GUT PUNCH! I’ve spent years as an emotional shopper and now I’m trying to become a minimalist because of the “stuff”. The reminder that the money has already been wasted will help me clear through the “junk”. Thank you!
When we were young we bought a house. My husband and I were concerned about the roof. Our realtor assured us that if there were issues it would be picked upon inspection. Well, when the inspection report came back it said “snow on roof”. The first time it rained the roof leaked like a sieve. We had to replace the roof shortly after buying the house. It was a very expensive lesson.
That’s terrible 😢
But very common, unfortunately. Inspection reports are often a scam. You need a roof specialist, a hvac specialist, plumber and electrician as well as a structural engineer.
Similarly, DO NOT use the inspector your realtor suggests. They're partners trying to make each other money. Something very similar to you happened to my brother. First rain, water everywhere, but had "passed" the inspection.
After a perfect inspection my daughter bought her first house…stove didn’t work, microwave didn’t work, few other smaller things….but….furnace was a hazard…when it wouldn’t turn on the service I have used for years came to have a look…it was immediately “red tagged”…couldn’t use it for safety reasons….$ 14 thou for furnace, 1200 for new stove and 700 for new microwave…( my house warming present to her).
I really like how you explained that the guilt over letting something go that you spent money on, the money was already wasted when you originally spent it!
I have some stuff to part with and I won’t feel so bad now!
PS I’ve had Mint Mobile for many years, saved me lot$! I intend to stay for many more👍🏻
Oh, and as someone who worked in a few different shoe stores, I can tell you cost does not always equal quality. Advice I'd give is spending money on custom insoles. They’re like $300, but you can put different paira of shoes, and they are made for your specific feet. They do need replacing eventually, but they last significantly longer than anything you can buy in the store. They can also sometimes be covered by insurance.
Any advice for dressy or office shoes - like loafers or ballet flats?
I have 3/4 insoles with very high stiff arches, but they do not work with low-cut dressy shoes, as they stick up too high and my foot comes out when I walk if they even sit down in the shoe at all.
I indulged on a pair of Vionic loafers... But they aren't that dressy and they are uncomfortable in other non-arch ways (heel rubbing & no cushion at all in sole) and cost well over $100...
@@juliab8992honestly I'd get shoes that the insoles fit into. And in general most ballet flats are not built to be durable, last long, or contain insoles. They’re original purpose is to wear around the house or to slip on to take out garbage or collect mail, much like flip flops. You can try double sided tape under the insole, but it does make it a more permanent feature instead of a swappable feature. I suggest looking for shoe ls with a completely flat and hard interior if you want to add insoles. I hope that helps
@@juliab8992 Hi there! In 2016 I shattered both heels in a rock climbing accident. I had to have major surgery in both feet, and they're still really messed up to this day. It's how I learned that Crocs make dress shoes, not just ugly clogs. They make a loafer that looks pretty good and feels great even on my poor feet. I love their Mary Jane's and ballet flats for work too. I never thought I'd be a woman who wears Crocs but they've been a real life saver.
I wore cheap work boots for one day and dealt with plantar fasciitis for over a year.
@@juliab8992 I have a similar problem. I spent some time doing Google searches, and found advice from others with my foot deformity, on shoes that worked for them, and what to avoid. It was helpful. It is not a perfect solution, but it is a good place to start.
I usually buy off season shoes on sale. I live in a place of 2 seasons: rainy or blistering hot. Coffee beans i always buy locally grown organic coffee. Here in Indonesia there are a bunch of coffee producing regions. I’ve been sleeping in the same bed for more than 30 yrs. I’m on team hard mattress. Too soft mattress gives me a backache.
Use the toilet paper specifically made for septic tanks if you have a septic. The other stuff will cost you big.
If you have a septic tank, use the rid-x monthly. It definitely does help break down the waste in the tank to last a lot longer between pumping
Yep!
Sorry, I like that brand of frugal toilet paper (I recognize the roll). It is what we use all the time. If you check the number of sheets on the roll vs the number of sheets on the "softer" more expensive roll, you will see that you can use 6-8 sheets of the cheap one instead of 2-3 sheet of the expensive one and still save a lot of money. Plus the super soft one tends to disintegrate and stick to your parts a lot more than the cheaper one. I'll stick with the cheap roll.
Your home inspection story is a great cautionary tale for people who are so desperate to buy a house in this hot market that they practically buy sight-unseen. An old commercial for a real estate company cautioned against the idea of sell-it-yourself. The line I remember is one man saying "I didn't know enough to know I didn't know." 🤔
I think part of the cost that you’re talking about with a Keurig comes from people who actually buy the pods for the Keurig. We have refillable pods which I think work great and is very handy for when we don’t need a whole pot of coffee.
I bought a $40( out the door) Keurig on a great discount ~8 years ago for my first post-college office job. I use refillable cups for it not the pods because they're way too pricey. I always scour walmart's coffee aidle, they have those 12-oz foil coffee bags clearanced out.
I still have the Keurig but I never love a Keurig cup.
My MrCoffee and Nnja coffee pots were free and I always just opt to make 1/3-1/2 pot and enjoy it that way.
I've saved a fortune on coffee.
I stopped drinking the stuff when I was in college. Just don't like it.
"Salty tears of regret" 😂 Best comment ever.
Glad you enjoyed that 😂🫶
I liked that aswell 😄🧂☕
Good morning! I have a Keurig, but it is genuinely cheaper for me. I bought reusable K-Cups so I can choose my coffee. I highly recommend doing this. I find that I don’t like the prepared ones. Coffee grounds are compostable, which is even better. So, I don’t buy Starbucks all the time, I get to use my favorite coffee and reduce my footprint all at the same time.
I bought a Helix Matress last September and I am in love! I no longer have neck or back pain and it is cat approved LOL. I used to be team firm mattress. but after going to a mattress store and trying all the firmnesses, I opted for the Sunset Luxe which is their softest mattress. It feels like my mattress is giving me a firm hug and it contours well to my scoliosis.
Another awesome video.
Thank you for your content
I'm not a big coffee drinker, but as a Brit, substitute tea for that and that's definitely something I choose never to cheap out on. I'd add that it's a good idea not to be too married to one particular brand, because almost always at least one of the good quality brands will be on special offer at the supermarket when it's time to buy a new box of teabags or bag of coffee.
Sadly, Venting into the attic without having further venting is a pretty common mistake people make.
Be careful on who you choose to inspect your home - we had this exact thing (no vent in attic) happen to us, and our inspector missed it!
Oh no! We found a fantastic inspector with a ton of amazing reviews - definitely important to find someone thorough and trustworthy.
@@AtoZenLife You know this part of work is the most hard one.
So did you eventually get that house? OMG if you did.
@@ymhktravelNo. She said they walked away when the owners wouldn’t negotiate (during attorney review).
@@AtoZenLifeI grew up a few towns away from Westfield and went there for my piano lessons. I would love the name of that inspector, as we are going to be downsizing this year.
We owned an expensive couch (and other furniture) when we lived in Phoenix - bought 1987! When we left there for good our son took it to college, the. Across country to Washington state and after almost 30 years he asked if he could trash it - of course we said YES! Same with an inherited king mattress from grandma - he finally tracked it after being used and move and moved for more than 30 years (also included college!). My husband and I own bedroom furniture bought about 1950 by my grandparents - inherited it in 1978 - it’s so,is mahogany and weighs a ton but it’s in perfect shape after over 70 years. Buying cheap doesn’t work (been there, done that when I was single!)
This October will be my 50th anniversary and I have had the same knives my whole marriage so I guess they were pretty good. The key is to never put knives in the dishwasher and keep a sharpening stone in your knife drawer. I rub mine on the stone every time I use them.
I’ve had a few knives that were free from gas stations more years ago than I can remember. They are serrated and have never been sharpened - the items from years ago were made so much better!!!
There’s a big difference between being cheap and being frugal. Being cheap you’re willing to accept a lesser quality and being frugal you’re willing to save up, by on sale, use coupons, etc.
Well said
The cheap paper my late father once bought! My late aunt called it mangled dust, an apt description.😂
For the too-soft rental mattress, you could try placing a piece of thick plywood between the mattress and existing frame to firm it up a little bit.
Home inspections-always do it. This is one of the biggest purchases of your life, yes, spend an extra few thousand dollars to get it checked out, it can save you a ton of grief and a lot more than a few thousand dollars down the road. We had a potential home inspected and it was the best money we ever spent by walking away from that house.
How many artists are here?
The amount of times I've seen something I wanted, looked at the price, thought "I can make that for less", but then ended up spending 3X the price of the original item, is absolutely ridiculous.
I've just have to step back and be more realistic with myself and usually just buy the item in the store.
And an added benefit is it saves time.
Also, firm mattress
I think this is a whole TikTok trend! 😂 Like, why buy a blanket for $20 when I could make one for $400?
@@AtoZenLife I do feel, though, that even a few attempts to diy makes one more deeply appreciate the effort that goes into things and being better able to recognize workmanship that is worth paying for. Also interesting how many people/for what circumstances I am willing to do handmade for as a gift if I know the person doesn't understand the difference between truly handmade with good materials/methods vs sweatshop stuff. ie - I am not going to make a wool something for someone who doesn't understand you can't just toss it in the wash and/or it's just another "thing" in their closet.
Amen to that! I just spent 2 months making 4 rag quilts, 8 pillowcases and 4 pjs (to not waste the material) that my grandkids will use about 12 times a year. I could have bought them blankets for about $100 and saved myself about 100 hours of work. Ha ha! Oh well, live and learn… 💕🇨🇦
@@AtoZenLife I knit and crochet as a hobby but yeah, it's not efficient and usually not cheap to make a blanket. It does give you a lot of control over the end product. Hopefully the end product will not look like it costs $20!
Hard matress with memory foam topper :-)
This worked for me, too. After I had anesthesia, for some reason I could no longer stand the firmness of my beloved mattress. A foam topper solved the problem.
Oh my gosh! This is totally me. My husband tells me this all the time. I’m trying so hard to get the cheapest thing that it turns out to be a waste of money. 😮.
Oh no! Do you have any examples to share that might help someone else avoid wasting money?
@@AtoZenLifeJust recently I ordered a paper towel holder from Amazon and it was awful, so I ordered another. At that point I couldn’t send it back so I ended up throwing it away. It was like $13. I’ve ordered a $6 phone case that left slimy looking smudges (done that a couple of times) ended up throwing those out, too. I ordered sponge like cloths on Amazon for my kitchen which left haze on my counters. Something else I wish I hadn’t bought, was an indoor/outdoor area rug for my living room. I wanted another rug so bad and my husband was ok with it. It was $100. It is not soft at all. For a little more, Costco (where I got the current one) has much nicer ones. But can’t afford it. So you can see, I want something, and am not always patient enough to wait. This is only within the last year. 😢. I’m trying to do better but this video you made, I hope it shows people that it is so important to get quality items the first time. I just love your videos. You always seem to tell me things I need to know. Thank you! 🙏.
Sleep number bed, reusable pods, bidet seat, couch with machine-washable slipcovers, machine-washable Ruggable rugs, Oxo Pro knives. I carry a couple Folgers coffee singles bags in my purse for coffee emergencies 😆
My mom used to drive me nuts buying one ply TP at her house. I had to use half roll!
Yeah, I usually use about 5 times as much if I go to a place with the cheap stuff.
HOWEVER
Apparently on a cruise ship, you have to use the TP supplied because of their drainage systems. Nobody wants to sleep next door to a blockage.
We have a Keurig, we grind good coffee beans and put them in reusable filters.
I prefer a firm mattress and my husband like soft. We recently bought a sleep number mattress and love it.
I make my own pillows using shredded foam and have always been pleased with that effort.
A tip for coffee lovers: Keurigs are still great for single coffee drinker households! You can often find one at the thrift store and get refillable/reusable k-cups. If you make a pot every day just to toss it, you’re still not saving money 😅
Roofers will not attach vents. Inspector said you have to hire a plumber to do stacks and venting when roof replaced.
Right, it’s a whole ordeal
It must be different in different places. I am in Texas. I just had my roof done, and the roofing company (local, more than 40 years of experience), replaced all of my vents and stacks, and did a beautiful job. It was part of the quote, including parts and labor.
There's is a saying in my country " I'm not rich enough to buy cheap" it applies to clothes electronics etc if you think about it. The Cheaper option sometimes costs more❤
Regarding cheap shoes: if you spend your life on your feet (nurses, teachers, etc) it is imperative to spend money on good shoes. Cheap shoes will not give you the support you need. When your feet hurt, everything hurts. Forget fashionable, go functional.
Nice list. Thanks.
About toilet paper. There's recycled toilet paper where i live, it's grey and cheap, and also a little more rigid. But it's good for the environment, and one single roll can last for about a week in a 4-people family. I really like it.
I prefer Scott Brand or the grocery store brand equivalent to. Thicker toilet paper clogs toilets much quicker, and it does nothing for me, really.
This! Toilet paper should be produced and packaged cheap. You do not need the fluffy snow white.
I'm lucky, I have wavy hair that doesn't show if my self-trim is a little less than perfect.
I have very curly hair and if I get a cheap haircut my hair is unmanageable.
I'm right there with you. I've been cutting my own hair for 30 years because every time I went to a salon, the cutter said, "This isn't good; who cut your hair last time?" So I decided that I could do it just as well for free instead of paying someone else to mess it up.
So much wisdom here!
We joke that we put our home inspector’s kid through college when we were house shopping. However, we were saved from making horrible decisions. In one case the foundation was not level and actually cracked (not visible to the amateur eye). In another case the chimney was leaking and the home owner had sprayed a bunch of foam down into the opening in an effort to “patch” the leaks from the inside. Cosmetically it looked fine from the outside because they patched that as well. The entire chimney would have had to be taken apart and a new one constructed. Another house had an infestation of some type of bee or wasp between the framing (they were entering and exiting through the attic vent). Could write a book on what we’ve seen lol
I love that all your money wasting footage is at target. because I have the unpopular opinion of not liking target for this exact reason.
I like a hard mattress. We use home inspectors. We also enjoy renovating, but we have or work inspected. I am working down our clutter.
Use a handheld bidet sprayer (bum gun) for cleaning and pat dry with soft towel.
Bums everywhere shall turn to bidets
I love being able to cut my own hair 😄 it's super short and usually going to a stylist really isn't worth it.
Regarding furniture: second hand is the ticket! For the first time in my life I bought a new sofa (high quality) last August and it's great (got some money gifted by a family member that I could use), but pretty much all our other furniture we bought used. Either high quality with some scratches, slightly more expensive but should last us a long time, or not the best quality but super cheap, so if it breaks or doesn't serve us anymore in a few years, it's fine. As a bonus, it's more sustainable too 😊
I’m looking forward to you finding a home to buy. This rental is nowhere near as beautiful as your home in Germany that matched your personality. 🧡
I know, I miss it so much 🥲
Team Sleep Number! That way you can adjust it as you need to. I have had it at different settings for pregnancy vs not pregnant and my husband can set his side to what works for his body and I have mine set for mine (which are very different.)
There are metal reusable Keurig cups and paper filters you can buy to use your own ground beans or purchased ground coffee. The reusable Keurig cups are durable and a one time purchase and quickly pays for itself by foregoing the prefilled cups. Paper filters can be found cheaply too.
Much cheaper overall than Keurig prefilled cups and taste so much better, too. And you can get the strength you want more easily.
I use the Keurig for the instant hot water for instant coffee, tea, or broth, etc. My husband prefers ground, so uses the Keurig reusable cups and papers.
My husband had coffee brewers and there was a lot of waste from brewing more than needed and messy maintenance.
The Keurig was passed to us by a son whose girlfriend had purchased a newer model. This was over 10 years ago and ours is still going strong.
Re: home inspections. It really sucks to pay for one, but it saved us from buying a home with severe foundation issues. Definitely worth the money.
We buy good coffee and make it in a good coffeemaker. Our bidet washes our butts. One purchase...done. I'm an intentional shopper. I appreciate videos like this.
So you walk around with a wet butt? You still have to dry it, don't you?
We ditched our Keurig abiut 3 years ago and we make pour over. I love it.
Wasting money by beeing cheap or just not buying something I needed is what i'm currently struggling with after starting to live frugally, thanks for this video!
Oo, oooo! 🖐🏻 Firm mattresses! Heck, I love throwing some plusher blankets on the floor and sleeping down there. I do that pretty often.
Hard mattress. I end up sleeping on the floor next to my son's crib some nights, and surprisingly, the next day my back feels better than nights I sleep in our bed! Lol!
Today I was going through my bookshelf and was hesitating on some items. Thank you for saying that thing about having spent money when you purchased something and not when you give it away.
I do have a Keurig, but now I've started to enjoy just using the reusable coffee pods and filling it with good quality coffee. I don't drive, so proper footwear is a must!
That nightmare about inspection is so true. A property near me sold a year ago for a sizable chunk of money, the inspection missed a pretty glaring detail similar to your bathroom venting experience. End result is the house is now demolished down to the studs and foundation because of the extreme mold issues, and will likely cost the new homeowners nearly half of what they paid in their purchase price to rebuild.
As a diabetic, I have to get custom shoes/sandals. I cannot wear flip flops because I need a heel strap to stabilize my foot; also I need to wear white socks as well so my feet don't sunburn.
Grateful for your content here 💞. Quality is my husband’s occupation and this has helped change my mindset on “cheaper” purchases that just end up costing more.
we just replaced our matress and got a tempur pedic pro adapt firm. husband likes it hard i liked softer. Took a couple of weeks to get used to it but now we both love it. I agree there are certain things like shoes and matresses where comfort trumps price.
I agree with everything - you get what you pay for. Some things are worth it, others not. I do disagree on the tp, though. We use cheap, one-ply because the pricey stuff clogs our sewer system. I know that’s not what you’re talking about. However, what we get is very soft. We use more, but we’ve never calculated the cost because it’s much cheaper than having the sewer guys come out! We do use very little though because we invested in a bidet. It’s worth every penny, for being clean and using less tp.
On the flip side, I bought a Keurig because I am the only person who drinks coffee in my household. I wanted the ability to make a single cup of coffee at a time. I use a reusable k cup and fill with coffee of my choice and it accomplishes exactly what I need it to. I've had my Keurig for YEARS and I still love it.
I have a firm Pure Latex Bliss mattress with a soft topper. Perfect combo and very resilient. Will last for years!
Victorinox knives are inexpensive but very high quality. It’s what most restaurants provide for their kitchens. I’ve been using them for ages. If you make sure they’re not bumping into other things, they can go into the dishwasher. I like that when I’ve cut up a chicken, etc. Also, keep your knives sharp!! Dull knives are what lead to accidents. If you have a local kitchen store, hardware store, or restaurant supply. They may do it or know someone who does. You can use the small sharpeners found at big-box stores but once a year or so it’s worth having it done, especially if you do thinks like cut up chickens, turkeys, or want to be able to mince things really fine.
I have one Victorinox chef's knife that cost me about $40 about eight years ago. I'd like to get more, but I have to buy them one at a time at that price. Gotta spread out the spending.
The best advice for frugality I've ever gotten is, "If it separates you from the ground, don't buy cheap." Shoes, tires (bicycle, car, whatever), and mattress.
When we bought out house, and FHA inspector had to approve the house. He found a lot of things that needed to be fixed but he didn't find the things that had been well-hidden such as bottom of the line electrical outlets, circuits that blew all the time, and many other problems that occurred because the previous owner and builder of the house had gone with low-quality materials. We had to spend several thousand dollars to bring those things up to code as it turned out they also hadn't gotten final approval for a lot of the structural improvements they made to the house.
I 100% agree with everything except for coffee. I have a Nespresso and I know I spend more on pods, but I’ve noticed a huge decrease in the amount of times I grab a coffee outside my home. I’m sure I could save more money if I got an espresso machine, but the time saved in the morning making my coffee is worth it to me.
I also have a similar experience with home inspectors and my husband and I have even spent extra money on inspections to check the unground pipes to ensure tree roots haven’t damaged pipes. We almost bought a house 6 months or so ago, but there were a few things after the inspection that just didn’t sit well with us so after inquiring more we found out that they had a history of water seeping into the basement when it rained. It would have cost at least 10-20K just to fix the things that the inspectors noted and it could have been way worse once we started the renovations. Last we checked, the house is still on the market.
We like a medium firm bed and recently purchased a Helix mattress. We researched reviews and CZcams video reviews before purchasing. The mattress was delivered 3 weeks ago and we are very happy with it. The two free pillows that come with the mattress are super too!
"make your coffee at home"
Yes.
Buy a good quality PERCOLATOR - 8-12 cup......and make a pot a day.
Carry with you, put the rest in the fridge as a treat.
Extra can be put in ice cube trays - use that too.
Extra coffee can be boiled and added to fresh - a la "cowboy coffee"
So one good tool, kept clean, can make good coffee..even with CHEAP coffee.
Enjoy!
Hard mattress. I bought Sterns and Foster. Medium for my daughter. Brand is Serta.
If you already have a keurig/like the singke serving aspect, get a refillable cup. You can out in whatever grounds you want and use it like a pod. I hate how much waste a keurig generates, but a keurig itself comes so cheap from a thrift shop, and the refillable pod is so nice!
1. I know in the US, bidet or spray gun isn't a thing for washing the butt, usually toilet paper is used. But in some public toilets here in Singapore, there will be at least one cubicle that has it. Trust me, it cleans much faster and cleaner (eg wet poo) as you position the spray head which has a pretty strong water pressure. After that, you just need 1 wipe with the toilet paper to dry that clean ass. So about 6 yrs ago after using it, I bought the set of spray gun from a shop and got it installed. Now cleaning is faster at home, for my butt and my toilet floor. It's quite easy to install if you are an experienced DIY person. Lol....
2. I bought a front loader LG washing machine and then found that I don't use a lot of the functions, mainly because the set timing of those more "exquisite" washes is long, 2-3hrs etc, so I always end up using the quick wash 15min function. Front loader allegedly washes better (as they so claim) but I have used a top loader when I was living with my parents, I find no difference really. Front loader is about twice as ex as top loader. Next time it will be a mid range top loader I will get, still cheaper than a low range front loader!
3. I prefer not a hard, but a firm mattress (if it makes sense) for better support of my body contours. A soft one becomes saggy after long use and if you've someone sleeping next to you, it creates a lot more movement.
A bidet is a game changer. Even as a rookie DIYer, I was able to install one 5 years ago and never had an issue. Plus it’s so inexpensive (US).
I think the more functions a washing machine has, the more there is to go wrong. I try to stick to buying really basic top loading machines.
Get a bide or connect a shower hose to your faucet if you don't want to spend money on toilet paper. It's cleaner.
Going out for coffee and hot cocoa is the cheapest “going out” thing to do for a couple or a family. We go out for coffee instead of eating out.
Good list! To expand on the sales FOMO, those various store loyalty cards giving us 'deals' if we spend a certain amount or specific items. Getting 'free shipping' is also tricky when you have to buy over a certain dollar amount
Home inspection is never a waste of money.