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.
1. Cutting Hair Because Hair Dressers Were Less Trained
Cutting your hair can be a great way to save money. Going out and getting a haircut can be costly. As one poster mentioned, “I began cutting my own hair rather than going to a salon because the place I had been going to no longer has well-trained people.” That poster discovered they could do a better job and save money simultaneously.
2. Spend More On Quality Shoes
Frugal people like to spend on quality items that last a long time. For instance, buying a Toyota or Honda vehicle lasts a long. Quality shoes can be something that saves money and helps with your physical health. One poster mentioned, “I started buying shoes in the 100-150 range (which I still cringe at when I buy), but I have shoes that are over 10yrs old that look new.” Quality shoes tend to last longer; save on buying new shoes every year.
3. Quit Drinking Alcohol For Health Reasons
People may enjoy a good drink occasionally, but sometimes some people constantly go out and rack up big bills. A poster realized that he needed to quit drinking for health reasons, and one poster said, “quitting drinking has saved me more money than I realize.” Alcohol can be costly if you drink a lot. So save some money and consume less
4. Going to The Library
The library has many outstanding options, such as checking out books and accessing the internet for free. One big perk was to find that you could rent PS5 and Xbox games. It is now optional to go and buy the games. You can rent them from the library.
5. Stopped Eating Out Because of Being Lazy
After getting home from work, leaving your home to eat out can be challenging. Most people would think that eating out is lazy, but it takes work to get some clothes on and get ready. Those lazy actions have helped them save money by eating at home more often. One poster mentioned, “I stopped eating out because I'm lazy and don't feel like leaving the house in the evening once I've changed into sweats.”
6. Bought a New Used Car
Sometimes that old car in the shop so often you can't remember when it was out costs you a lot of money. A poster mentioned, “Bought a new car which resulted in a slightly higher monthly payment at the time, but was pleasantly surprised when my insurance cost was basically cut in half.” The savings from buying a newer used car can be reflected in less time in the shop, less insurance premiums, and less time to find reliable transportation.
7. Buying Clothes on eBay, Poshmark, and Mercari
Buying used clothes and other items online is a great way to find quality items for cheap. Saving starts by learning firsthand. A poster said, “I started buying clothes on EBay, Poshmark and Mercari to get cute clothes while avoiding supporting brands that are unethical.” She realized that most of the items she found cost much less than buying them new.
8. Bought an Additional Freezer For More Food
How much food we may waste is impressive, which costs us money. One poster got a dedicated freezer to keep extra food. The poster said, “turns out when I know that I've got $1000 worth of food in the freezer, I don't eat out as much “Holy crap, that's a lot of money stored in that freezer!” Holy crap is right. You want to go out with only some food stored in your freezer.
9. Buying an Expensive Coffee Machine
Coffee shops allow many people to grab a cup on the way to work. If you do that every day and get coffee that costs $3-5 a day, that amount can add up. One poster mentioned, “funny enough, buying into a fairly expensive home coffee system is what got us to break our coffee shop habit.” Who knew that buying your coffee set-up would make the coffee taste better and cost less.
10. Installed a Bidet
Saving on toilet paper may seem foreign to a lot of people, but installing a bidet could be the key. Another poster asked if bidets saved money, and the response was, “Absolutely. Over time, the cost of good toilet paper adds up fast!” Toilet paper can add up fast, but adding a bidet can save you money in the long run.
If you want more money-saving tips like this, check out this thread.
I’m Steve. I’m an English Teacher, traveler, and an avid outdoorsman. If you’d like to comment, ask a question, or simply say hi, leave me a message here, on Twitter (@thefrugalexpat1). Many of my posts have been written to help those in their journey to financial independence. I am on my journey, and as I learn more I hope to share more. And as always, thanks for reading The Frugal Expat.