Article created by: Mantas Kačerauskas
A lot of people are feeling the pinch right now—making ends meet has become harder for some families over the past couple of years. However, despite the financial struggles, people’s ingenuity and creativity have helped them push back against soaring costs.
Redditor u/Btb7861 turned to the popular r/Frugal online community to hear about their “must-have items” that end up saving them lots of money in the long run. From library cards and DIY tools to handy kitchen appliances, these internet users revealed what helps them stay within their tight budgets better. Check out their best advice as you scroll down.
#1
Library card. I’ve been listening to a lot of audiobooks using the Libby app, but there are other free resources that having a library card will give you access to as well.
Image credits: DeniLox
#2
Basic hand tools and a willingness to DIY
Image credits: robbiewilso
#3
Honestly – smartphone. I’m old enough that I lived a good chunk of my life before they existed. I remember in the car, having a CD walkman with that tape adapter, a booklet full of CD’s, a bunch of paper maps in the trunk for when I got lost, and the way digital cameras were back then. My smartphone has replaced the need for so many other devices in my life, and made a lot of tasks simpler & less of a pain than they used to be.
Image credits: anachronic
#4
Electric tea kettle so I don’t have to turn on the stove. Water is ready so fast!
Image credits: TurkeyTot
#5
Rain barrels, Clothes line and pins, thermos for hot water, garden seeds, small sewing kit.
Image credits: colamuse
#6
A bicycle
Image credits: 1ksassa
#7
A small house and a fuel-efficient car. Costs much less to operate and heat/cool. Also-chest freezer and all my meal prep containers. I make all my food on the weekends and it’s ready for me all week.
Image credits: Spectrachic9100
#8
I order my groceries online, does that count? Prevents me from buying unnecessary junk and I can flip through the flyer and add sales and have it dropped off first thing in the morning!
Image credits: brilliant-soul
#9
A chest freezer!
Image credits: nerdygirlfire
#10
Vacuum sealer. Keeps frozen food from drying out and allows to store it for months and months without a problem. I cut my food waste by at least half when I got one of those.
Image credits: Tonythecritic
#11
Toaster oven. Don’t know why I waited so long to buy!
Image credits: LowTerm8795
#12
Rechargable AA/AAA batteries
Image credits: kajEbrA3
#13
So many! Cloth napkins, rags, reusable menstrual products, safety razor, bidet, knit dishcloths, clothes drying rack, and dark curtains in the summertime to name a few.
Image credits: SeashellBeeshell
#14
My thermos when I travel. I have lounge access at airports and I can make myself a pot of tea to take for the flight, or make myself a huge cocktail 🙂
Image credits: AmexNomad
#15
This little octopus thingy I got at IKEA made to hang laundry to dry. It has a bunch of clothespins and can hold all kinds of socks/undies/shorts/etc. Got two of them. Generally, I don’t use my clothes dryer and hang dry 95%. Towels/bedding have to be machine dried. And things that I don’t want any wrinkles, gets put into the machine for just long enough to pull the wrinkles out, then they get put on a hanger to finish. A bonus of avoiding the dryer is your clothes last a bit longer.
Image credits: DicksGloryHole
#16
Mattress warmer – not to be confused with electric blanket. Using the mattress warmer lets us lower the thermostat in winter. Downside/upside: pet magnet
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Image credits: LowTerm8795
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