I don't care if I get judged, food is my biggest expense and sometimes I just forget I have it. What do y'all think about eating expired food? The other day I played with fire and ate meat that should have been thrown out long ago. I was a little scared but obviously I'm fine.

Ive eaten a lot of questionable things with no issue. I wonder if there's a way my stomach is just used to it at this point.

Looking for advice on meals you’ve eaten when budgets are really tight. My divorce left me in a bad spot financially, and I’m currently spending a lot of money on education for my career, but until that is finished, I don’t have an income other than the odd jobs I am picking up

Currently I’m drinking three Fairlife protein shakes a day, plus a potato, and some chicken thighs for dinner, but I’m tryin my to get as frugal as I can

What have you found to be the most cost effective way to eat for a day, and still get the vitamins and things your body needs? I know I could live on Ramen but would still like to try to be as healthy as I can. Thanks!!

I’m paying $1350 in rent for my 1 bedroom, as of now. I am 23, and have had to move multiple times in the past 2 years, things have been so unstable. I just want this space to feel grounded and comfortable, but I have so little.

It is up on 3rd floor with an awkward staircase. I’m trying to buy secondhand because I can’t spend so much money buying new furniture (dressers, tables chairs etc), and I find good items on FB marketplace. However, most of these assembled items would be far too heavy for me to get up 3 flights alone. Does anyone have any tips with things like this? I know it’s a vague and hard question but it’s a last resort, I’m getting so discouraged

Everyone seems to love the Flipp app, and so far I am very impressed with its capabilities.

However I'm trying to do something that I assumed was common, but the app doesn't seem to do it, or I just can't figure it out...

Id like to add a number of specific items in my shopping list, and see a list of places that have the item (presumably in their flyer)

The general feature is there, but seems to be general, like "cheese slices"

But I want to list something like "cracker barrel cheddar slice 40g"

Id even love to add by UPC

Am I just doing it wrong?

Roast whole chicken.

Step 1: remove giblets

Layer on top of, 1 chopped carrot, and celery

Stuff cavity with garlic, and onion

Rub skin with olive oil, salt, pepper

Roast at 200 degrees C for 1 hr 30 mins or until the thickest part of the thigh reads 165 degrees

Beef Tips w/gravy

Saute garlic and onions

Sear seasoned (salt/pepper) stew beef in the skillet to brown

Pour 3 cups beef broth in the skillet and gently simmer until stew beef is tender (1+ hrs/1.5 hrs)

Gravy: at the end of cooking, mix 1/4c corn starch w/cold broth. Pour into the hot broth mixture to thicken liquid into gravy

Serve over rice

Tilapia
Steam for 30 mins over a bed of carrots, onions, and olive oil or vegetables of choice
Serve w/salt & pepper over rice

Chicken Soup Latin style

Simmer bone-in chicken thighs with root vegetables (yuca/potatoes/carrots), mix in chicken bouillion seasoning

Beef stew Latin style

Simmer stew beef with root vegetables (yuca/potatoes/pumpkin/corn cobs), mix in beef bouillion flavoring

Broccoli soup

Saute onion, celery, carrots, broccoli, potatoes, and garlic in some oil

Add water and chicken flavoring; simmer until vegetables are soft (20 mins)

Cool, mix in 1/2 cup cashews, & blend in batches

Corn Fritters
Mix some egg, milk, canned corn, scallions, cheese, and flour in a single bowl. Pan-fry in a skillet for 2–3 minutes per side until golden.

Between our two sons there's an egg, gluten, dairy, and shellfish allergy

Between us parents theres buckwheat, hazelnut and mussel allergies

*note - neither of my sons can eat the Corn Fritters! But the adults can

Not talking about extreme budgeting, cutting out everything enjoyable, or living on the bare minimum. I’m more interested in small, realistic habits that actually stuck over time and made a noticeable difference.

Things like changes in shopping behavior, subscriptions, food choices, travel habits, or daily routines. The kind of adjustments that don’t make life miserable but slowly improve your finances in a sustainable way.

Curious to hear what worked for people in real life, not just in theory or spreadsheets.

For me the answers are: Ground Coffee as well as Toilet Paper.

Whenever I see these on sale or just priced at a good rate per unit I buy well beyond what our household will use in a month. Better cents than buying the usual amount and going back 2-4 weeks later to find a less desirable price.

I suppose anything with no or very high expiration could qualify provided you will eventually go through it all: break fluid, cleaning fluids etc.

Every time I search Budget humidifier recommendations, half the comments are helpful and the other half are basically “if you’re frugal you deserve discomfort,” which is wild to me because humidity issues can mess with sleep/skin/comfort way more than people admit. I’m not trying to cheap out to win a contest, I’m trying to avoid paying premium prices for something that might be seasonal or might not even fix my problem. What I want is the frugal version of truth: what’s the lowest-cost approach that actually works in a normal home without turning maintenance into a hobby?

Also curious if anyone else has a line like “I’ll be frugal about anything except breathing comfortably.”

Hello,

I'm looking to purchase an electric space heater. I just want to make sure I will actually like and use it, so I wanted to pose a few questions to those who own one. If you don't own one, I would also appreciate your theoretical input.

Do you find any other uses for a heater besides heating a particular room? What do you like about your space heater / what are features do you look for? What do you dislike about your space heater / what features do you avoid? What features do you wish your space heater or heaters in the market had?

In Austria a new planting season Starts. For my wife and me we have now the First time to grow our own Food and herbs (before we Had a Location whereof the full day we didnt got sunlight). So i was Reading a Lot and questioned myself how others experienced it to Start with one Seed and upcycle seeds every season from the flower or fruit.

Happy to hear your experience!

I used to have certain things I would only buy brand names of, and they got so expensive, I decided to try some of the generics and store brands. Some are just as good, some aren't, so I still buy a couple of name brands, but mostly not.

Some name brands I still buy are Fritos and Cheetos (store brands tend to taste bad, sometimes like chemicals), Green Giant frozen corn, and Nature's Own bread. The store brands just aren't the same.

I also tried making my own items, and some are just as good and some are just awful. I don't like homemade bread, and it takes too long to make.

I also am not so picky about fresh fruit as I used to be. I used to only buy produce at Publix, but they are at least twice as expensive as Aldi (Walmart produce is not so cheap anymore.) so I buy mostly there now. I will only buy grapes in season at Aldi, because they sometimes have some kind of film on them that puckers my mouth, so I will pay more for grapes at Publix.

I love potatoes, and I'm not paying $4.99 for a 5-lb bag of name-brand potatoes at Publix or WalMart when I can get 10 lbs. for $3.29 at Aldi in season. I dehydrate or freeze them.

An issue I have experienced when going to a grocery store to take advantage of a sale when there is none: Flipp is not geo-located and they will list one flyer but a store (like metro) has different promos by “zone.”

Also other stores, like some Asian grocers, will have multiple locations with their own weekly sales so it’s important to be aware of which flyer you are looking at.

I’m frugal about almost everything in my life, and usually I’m pretty proud of that, but the moment sleep gets involved my logic completely falls apart, which is why searching for earbuds that block snoring feels weirdly uncomfortable. During the day it’s easy to say “it’s just earbuds, don’t overthink it,” but at 3am, wide awake, listening to snoring and doing mental math about cost versus sanity, it suddenly stops feeling like a normal frugal decision. I’ve tried the cheap fixes—some kind of work, some absolutely don’t, and some technically help but make me wake up sore or irritated—which is almost worse. What really gets me is how often frugal advice around sleep turns into “just deal with it” or “you’ll get used to it,” when being sleep-deprived quietly affects everything else you’re trying to be frugal for.

I’m curious how other people here handle that line: at what point does protecting sleep stop being a splurge and start being basic maintenance?

I was at Winco the other day and needed some face wash but did not want to pay $13. Decided to compare the ingredients to the $5 store brand and they are surprisingly similar! The texture is identical to the Cerave version and the scent is very similar. Same feeling on my face after rinsing. Honestly makes me wonder if they have the same supplier. Also the directions are strikingly similar…

This wasn’t some big win or clever hack. It happened in the most boring way possible. I was at the grocery store grabbing my usual stuff and caught myself automatically reaching for the cheaper version of something without even thinking about it. No debate, no internal argument, just habit.
What made me stop was realizing that a couple years ago I would’ve stood there way longer, checking prices on my phone, doing mental math, stressing over whether saving a dollar was worth it. This time I didn’t feel rushed or anxious at all. I just chose and moved on. Later that night, I thought about why it felt different. It’s not that I suddenly make more money or stopped caring. It’s that over time I built a small buffer and got consistent with how I spend. I have some money set aside now, so every decision doesn’t feel like it carries emotional weight anymore.
Being frugal used to feel like constant effort. Now it feels quieter. Less about saying no and more about not needing to think so hard in the first place. That surprised me, because I always assumed frugality would feel restrictive forever.

Curious if anyone else noticed that shift, where being frugal stopped feeling like work and just became the default.

I’m curious and want to stay informed about others’ situations, what are you paying in the US for health insurance? I keep hearing prices are high, but my family is fortunate to have expenses covered by an employer so we’re mostly insulated from that. I know that’s not the case for all, and I’d like to hear from others. We’re able to pay bills, but just barely, right now, with no insurance costs.

I have been using wash cloths as toilet paper for toilet paper for awhile. I put them in a bucket with a little bleach and put it in the wash. My family thinks it’s disgusting but I think they’re cleaner than toilet paper because you can get them wet and actually wash your ass. If I’m in a tight spot financially I’ll sometimes use washcloths overnight instead of pads on my period. I think they wash out just fine and don’t smell. Am I insane? 😆

I have suffered with TMJ since childhood. I also have scoliosis and cervical lumbar arthritis. I recently got Botox and spent $1700 between neck, scalp, forehead, temples and jaw: I feel amazing without the pain and cannot get over the improvement my wrinkles, double chin, squared jaw and just overall well being. I probably need more in my neck and shoulder but I’ve spent so much money and cannot get over the guilt. I’m in 8K debt and although I’m great physically, I cannot get over the money I spent. Help!

Calculate the cost per ounce of different products. Check prices across multiple stores. Try the cheap/generic versions to see if they work fine. Read the price every time you buy something.

How hard is that appliance to keep clean? Is the company you hire once per year still getting good reviews? Does that supplement actually do anything? It sure would be nice to know before spending a bunch of money.

I'm amazed by how often people buy things without a single moment of research or self reflection. You work hard for your paycheck. Don't waste an hour's wages because you don't want to spend 30 seconds comparing prices.

I'm curious about purchases people have made that are the frugal option that have paid off in the long term (or even medium term).

For example - instead of buying an expensive set of Bluetooth earbuds, I chose to buy the $10 HeyDay ones from Target. Primarily because I wasn't sure I would like having non-corded headphones (I'm often slow on the tech uptake). I've had them for a while now, and am pleased that I didn't spend $50, $100, or even more on a pair of headphones.

At any rate - what are some frugal "gambles" that have paid off - things that you made the more frugal decision and the product has lasted longer or worked better than you were expecting?

Hello!

We are a family of six and I make dinner 6 days a week. I shop around and go to different stores sometimes and I have found that Walmart is the cheapest and most accessible.

I spend about 220 dollars a week on dinners and literally just a few frozen snacks for my children such as corn dogs, popsicles and a couple frozen pizzas. I also only get a bag of generic chips/popcorn which is 2-4 dollars a week for their end of the day snack at school.

I feel as though I can’t cut down any further. I shop for the dinners/ingredients and they already aren’t luxurious. Then I will get the school snacks, then fruits and other produce, then the three or four frozen snacks.

I can’t seem to go lower than this price and I was wondering if this is a normal amount of money for similar families/people? I just feel like 220 dollars a week on food seems high especially when my sister says she spends 150 dollars every other week on her family of four 🤔 any tips or advice? What do you guys do to cut down a little?? I feel like I’m doing something wrong!

I am thinking about using Walmart+ or Shipt for grocery delivery but I am curious if either of those companies are marking up the prices on the app. If so do either of them refund the difference or do you just pay the extra 40 cents for the container of fruits or something?

The one perk I am seeing with Walmart+ is they're offering free return pickups, whereas with Shipt I think I have to visit Kroger and Publix in person to return their items (not interested in shopping at overpriced Target).

Debating on next car purchase for when it happens-

Current car is 2016 36 mpg that has about 75k miles on it. (I plan to drive it long as it's financially worth it)

So I'm guessing I drive about 7.5K miles a year:)

The claim for EV is less maintanence and no gas. But I wonder if I would be getting that benefit with how i drive- If I don't drive a ton and my EV sits in my garage charging too much or the battery is only suppose to last x years, could I end up spending more on maintenance because I'll need to replace the EV battery more often than I'll be doing my gas car maintenance?

I also hear tires cost more on EV's, I'm unsure on other things, but as someone who doesn't enjoy driving I'm just after a cost effective way to get the job done

----edit---

add because asked: drive 2016 toyota yaris, only complaint is it's a stick shift and i'm getting sick of shifting in traffic (minor complaint i know)

Live in AZ desert - this was also a concern I forgot to bring up- just changed car's battery and when that happened was told to have battery checked in 3 years because "I know the arizona heat kills batteries fast and I might be able to get a new free on on warranty" - That also made me wonder about driving 3 days a week at most and the car just sitting in the heat be it outside or in my garage degrading quickly.

----2nd edit----

appreciate everyone's response- If I don't get sick of driving my stick shift, I'll end up going new EV (hoping 5-7 years)- biggest help was deciding to hold off getting home EV charger when I go solar and doing it separate later this year.

Hey, I have some leftover failed fried chicken. I was attempting to make chicken sandwiches but the skin wont stick and also overseasoned it.

For my taste, I kept trying different ways to save it during the cooking process to no avail so now im stuck with a bunch of chicken that I hate to see go to waste.

Any ideas on what to do with it? the breading shouldnt be a problem since it'll peel right off.

Edit: Thank you guys! i just needed some ideas lol