Saving money has become more complex than ever, with prices of everything from groceries to gas constantly increasing. An online discussion occurred regarding what lengths people have gone to save money. If you’re tired of pinching pennies and are looking for more significant ways to save, these ideas may or may not be your best option.
1. Pay Off Your Student Loans
If you have student loans or are paying significant interest, paying them off may be the answer. One person mentioned that they came into some money and decided to pay their loans off to save themselves the interest they’d have to pay if they made payments over time.
2. Buy a Fixer-Upper if You’re Handy
Looking to buy a house and getting priced out of your budget? If you are handy and know what you’re doing with power tools, purchasing a fixer-upper may be a great way to save. There may be some limitations to what you can do yourself. However, you’ll likely still do well in the long run.
3. Join a Gym To Save On Your Water Bill
I’m not exactly sure how much you’d save doing this, but if you don’t have access to water or want to save on your water bill, consider joining a gym. This has become increasingly popular for people who live in RVs, campers, and other alternative homes.
4. Create a Schedule for Your Air Conditioning
If you live in a home with central air, running the AC is likely one of the highest expenses on your electric bill. Depending on your preferences and how much you can stand the heat, keeping your AC on a schedule to limit overuse can help with the expense. Consider installing ceiling fans to help keep cool air circulating.
5. Don’t Drink Soda or Eat Fast Food
The expense of soda and fast food can add up, especially if you go to the drive-through regularly. One person went as far as moving away from a major city so they weren’t close by to any fast food restaurants and could resist the temptation to spend extra money.
6. Have a Friend Perform a Medical Procedure
This isn’t one we recommend — but one person in the comments mentioned that a friend had them remove metal from their face to avoid going to the hospital. Unfortunately, this type of story isn’t uncommon. Many people take measures into their own hands to avoid paying for medical care.
7. Buy Items From Resellers
A variety of companies and stores sell returns or open boxes from big retailers, like Amazon or Target. These items are sold as-is and are often simply unwanted or have minor defects. You can buy anything from hygiene items to large pieces of furniture.
8. Go to a Dental School Instead of the Dentist
You may have trouble finding a dentist who will see you without insurance, or the out-of-pocket cost will be too high. Consider going to a dental school for a cleaning or treatment instead, where the price will be much lower. However, the person who suggested this said they’d never do it again, so take it with a grain of salt.
9. Make Food With Cheaper Ingredients
One user mentioned they made and ate “hard tack,” a cracker made from flour, water, and salt. They said it has “no flavor, and it’s as hard as a rock, but it cost literally pennies to feed myself.” This recipe is known for being used in WWI but has more of a history.
10. Spend More Time To Save Money
If money is your top concern, but you have plenty of time, you can save money. For example, a more extended flight or bus ride might be cheaper than a direct route. There are also budget airlines, like Spirit or Frontier, that have a lower quality experience but will save you money.
These 11 Money-Saving Tips Are So Easy, You'll Wonder Why You've Been Wasting Money All This Time
As costs of gone up, many of us are looking for ways to save money. It can be challenging to find things that save money. Eating at home, cutting the cable, and driving less are things we may already be doing, but here is a list of some surprising ways to save money. Some of these you may have never heard about.
11 Surprising Ways to Save Money You Never Knew About!
These 10 Accidental Money-Saving Habits Are So Easy, You'll Wonder Why You Didn't Start Doing Them Sooner
Money-saving habits can be learned, taught, or even discovered by accident. If you want to save money, sometimes the best way is to learn the hard way. Here are ten money-saving habits that were discovered by accident.
The 10 Surprising Money Saving Habits Stumbled Upon By Accident
11 Frugal Ways to Save Money That Most People Don’t Realize
Frugality starts with learning how to be creative with your spending. It is not about being cheap but finding deals and quality to help your money last longer. Many people need to realize that little actions can help save a ton of money.
11 Frugal Ways to Save Money That Most People Don’t Realize
10 Frugal Tips People Don’t Want You To Know and Ruin for the Rest of Us
Finding gold can be arduous; when you do, you want to keep it to yourself. It's why people “gatekeep” their favorite artists, songs, and movies, scared that if people knew about them, they would ruin it somehow.
10 Frugal Tips People Don’t Want You To Know and Ruin for the Rest of Us
Source: Reddit.
