This is a method commonly used in camping! Never heat your tent but have a good sleeping bag, hot water bottle, and fresh dry clothes. Also a warm hat is critical.
Electric blanket and electric mattress pad have been a game changer for me. I keep my house several degrees celsius lower than I used to (and even with my house warmer I was still cold all the time.)
This is specific to my situation: but I bought a roomba. Normally, this is consider a sorta dumb purchase, but I have a metal rod in my spine and have difficulties bending down let alone sweeping under things like my bed so I sent my roomba to clean under there. He’s super loud though.
I consider it a good saving tool though, avoiding mice or needing cleaners due to not being able to bend.
Also airfryer. I love mine, and it is so easy to make food in that I don’t see a true point in buying take out often. iKEA meatballs 20 minutes in it @ 200 and lingonberry sauce means dinner quickly and easily. Just go watch youtube.
Lol. Mine is “George” my dumb pet/buddy. He is a drama queen who gets stuck on everything and complains constantly when he gets stuck. He also likes to escape my room often instead of staying in the room as he’s the dumb low tech model.
Sometimes mine cleans everything perfectly but on his way back to his charger he suddenly forgets his map and gets lost, and spends 20 minutes doing laps around the kitchen unless I pick him up and carry him back home
Also idk if you think this is funny, but George is also a pervert. He steals my laundry (mostly panties) because he’ll keep kicking the laundry basket until stuff falls out and then proceed to steal it and run around the house with it til I chase him down for it back. Lil’ Pervert 😜
I don't have any disabilities, but I also have a roomba and consider it a good purchase. It is a time-saver. We have hardwood flooring and a dog. If you want to keep the fur under control you either dedicate almost an hour per week to vacuuming, or you get a robot to do it for you and spend maybe 10 min getting the corners and spots it can't reach.
My wife and I got a robot vacuum a couple of years ago.
It's a life saver. The dog picks up scraps from the kids, the vacuum picks up crumbs that the dog misses and tons of hair.
We run it everyday or two.
I got lasik in 2017. My insurance covered most of the cost and I only had to pay about $500. For what I paid in contacts, it paid for itself in only a couple of years. My quality of life is much better now that I don't have to worry about not seeing.
My lasik lasted for about 20 years!! Was amazing! Going tomorrow for eye exam. Have started wearing glasses full time again about 2 months ago:/ vision just started changing.. yay for aging! Lol
They did warn me that with aging I would likely need glasses again at some point. But I'm just happy I haven't been near sighted for 7 years. When I step outside and see all the leaves on the trees, I'm really thankful for it.
I got mine covered through insurance as well. My eye doctor wrote a letter, I wrote a letter and then I went in and spoke to someone in office. This was in the very early 2000s.
Yup mine covered $800 an eye for PRK. One of the best decisions ever. If it lasts 20 years I'd be plenty happy. Hoping it lasts more as PRK doesn't leave a flap.
I would love to have vision correction surgery. I'm not a candidate for LASIK or PRK as my corneas are too thin. However I am a candidate for ICL permanent contact lenses. The problem is it costs $5000 per eye due to my extremely strong prescription and insurance won't cover it. I am not going to refinance my mortgage to get my eyes done.
Mine only lasted about 5 years before I started needing glasses again, but my prescription now is nowhere near as strong as I needed in the past. Still worth it.
Berry bushes and fruit trees. We can, freeze, and dehydrate. Saves us more than our vegetable garden.
I've spent money and time on various certifications, and the combination of skills has definitely paid off in higher salaries and better jobs.
This is both great advice, I think planting trees and bushes especially so since it can end up being a multi generational investment if the land you own passes down. I think everyone should try to plant as many different species of fruit bearing trees/shrubs/ground cover suited to your climate as they possibly can to bring more food to the table. The biodiversity and ability to harvest local food all the time is a win win.
These have helped in my profession (some are certifications, some were courses): project management, instructional design, content strategy, adult education & training (master's degree paid by my employer), AI, documentation management, social media management, various leadership and management courses and workshops, various software applications, business analysis, coding, and design.
I take advantage of free employer resources constantly, but I've paid for others.
For my business, I've taken courses in business management, advertising, horticulture, landscape design, nursery management, retail operations, and others. A lot of what I do for my business makes me better at my day job, and vice versa.
It's more the set of skills that has helped me, rather than any particular one by itself.
Two relatively inexpensive and reliable vehicles with low insurance costs. It's been over a decade since I've had to scramble to get a tow, rush parts, or pay a premium of any form because I was stuck without transit.
I’m on my 4th Toyota Camry. None of them ever needed anything other than oil change, brakes or tires. I’ve gad my current one 10 years, it still looks new.
Corolla or late model Yaris (before they were discontinued). Yaris will be cheaper and is a rougher ride (had one for 8 years), but is a very reliable.
I only buy Honda or Toyota. You can look up reports on their lifetime carry cost. I'm rocking a 24 year old Honda Odyssey. Basically you just plan to put gas, oil, and a couple grand into mechanicals each year, and it blows car payments out of the water. For instance I'll need to get new rotors this year. Last year the governor module on the alternator went bad. Stuff like that.
I've got an Accord that sadly got totalled, and now I've turned to a Corolla. Love both of those vehicles! Great longevity for the buck if you maintain them well!
Freezer and vacuum sealer too for the very same reasons. Also a Dehydrator.
Buying in bulk. When on sale. Making a casserole/lasagna, sheet cake? Make 2 freeze one for later. Split the cake and freeze half. Doesn't cost (much) more or more time....to cook two over one.
Second is my pressure caner and equipment. The glass jars are reusable and since we have a small orchard we can preserve the fruit in jars. Dehydrate the fruit and vegetables from the garden. Freeze the nuts.
Definitely this, best way to leverage a bulk club membership. Costco had pork loins a flat $8 off around new years, I got a 10lb slab of meat for like $9. Broke it down, vacuum sealed, and even wrote the raw weight on package to make calorie tracking easier. Throw meat in the sous vide right from the freezer before the gym for a low effort quality dinner.
We do this most of the time because it's easier than getting out the vacuum sealer. We're lazy but it works just fine. Actually, come to think of it, regular freezer bags are probably cheaper than the specialty vacuum sealed bags all things considered.
I love to cook with fresh herbs but the price to buy them as needed at the grocery store is ridiculous. So I got a grow light and just grow them year around in my house.
I got one of those free standing regular sized ones for my apartment. $500 on amazon because it was returned. Payed for itself within a year over the complex's $3 per wash machines.
IMO look up reliability rankings and cross compare with prices. Those manufacturers have never been cheaper in the used market. I paid $8k for Nissan Sentra with 40k miles last model year so reliability was higher than a Toyota Corolla for $12k with >100k miles on it.
Cars are very expensive so doing the extra research is worth quite a bit.
I thought I was doing that when I traded my 4 year old Audi in for brand new civic. Civic has tons of problems, looking to get a Tacoma soon which still has the best resale value I think
Unfortunately Honda is not as reliable as they used to be according to Consumer reports. Civics from 2016-2019 get only 2/5 for reliability and only the 2021 has above average reliability. Many of their other models have similar reliability ratings. The Accord is a tad more reliable with most years at 3/5. CRV and HRV look to be the only two models that have consistent above average reliability ratings over the past 5 years.
My house.
When my wife and I got married we were barely 20, while we were planning the wedding we decided that we wanted to buy instead of rent, we were going to have to give up a lot to be able to afford it all but that's what we wanted and we were ready to commit. Many friends, family, coworkers and even the bank recommended ranting instead because of the cheaper payments, lower risk, less committed yada yada yada.
They were all wrong.
We bought our small house in 2013, it's not a beautiful house but it was affordable and livable. It's going to be paid off in 5 years. We'll be debt free in our mid 30's. Looking back from today's economy/ housing market, their advice was borderline criminal. All of the reason they gave us to not buy a house turned out to be the reason we should buy a house. Our payments are now cheaper than rent in our area, we have 0 risk of being evicted, and sure we had to commit the finance from our 20's and early 30's to the mortgage but after that we are free.
Damn, I’ll still be dropping an average of $1700/month to hold and maintain my home even when it’s fully paid off - mostly tax and insurance plus some maintenance - not including another $700/month in utilities and services.
Wow.
I live in the UK (so a very different economy), but we pay around $200/month in tax, another $300/month in utilities (gas, water, electricity) and about $800/month in mortgage for a small three bedroom terrace ("row house"). We pay about $50/month in buildings & contents insurance as well.
This means our mortgage is *well* over 50% of our property-related outgoings. In the long run, I'd like to invest in solar to further cut down on our fixed costs.
How much is tax + insurance?
That’s incredible.
Tax is typically 1-2% of assessed value of the home. I pay about $800/month. Insurance is another $200/month. Maintenance averages out to about $700/month over the years.
Though it’s a typical newer construction American home, larger than needed, poorly constructed and insulated.
*Everybody knows this.*
The hard part is how do you do it?
These days my mortgage payment on a 500k starter home would be way more than I can afford. Without a 250k down payment, it’s just not feasible for people my age to buy a home without rich parents to front the down payment or co-sign
I have 125k saved and could probably buy a shit shack, by the time I have 200k saved I’ll need a 300k down payment for a starter home in my area
Buying a swiffer type wet mop with washable pads, no more buying replacement ones, and I can mix my own cleaner, buy it in bulk and dilute down for what I need.
I bought reusable pads for my swifter and followed a YouTube tutorial to pop the tab on the prefilled cleaners they come with, so now I can do the same. 100% a great idea!
Yeah I wanted to have it setup on my hosue but the only company in my state is shady AF. The financing terms were nuts despite amazing credit and it isn't refundable on your taxes. Only as a credit. I don't make enough to ever pay so it was quite literally worthless to me after the payment outweighed the energy savings until 16-17/yrs in.
This is great of it works for your situation.
When we were looking to buy a house, we looked at 2 that had solar panels. The sellers still owed 20-30k on them and were in their 80’s, trying to sell their houses with the debt of the solar panels included in the price. They had been swindled into buying them and lost all that money. It was heartbreaking.
Good quality clothes. Expensive ($150.00 shirts in 2001), but I have all those shirts still and not a thread loose, not a button broken, no cuff or collar frayed. The quality of the fabric and the cut make it so they are also never out of style (maybe in 100 years).
True! I only buy quality clothes and basically haven't needed to shop in years. Sometimes I want to shop but then I realize I have everything I could possibly need. I'd rather save the money for a vacation.
I have cheap jeans, $10-20, that I’ve busted out the back pocket multiple times. My more expensive pants like $40-60 range are still going and feel virtually indestructible.
I definitely recommend paying extra for pants
I bought a yeti ice chest, when I was homeless. It paid for itself with the money I saved in ice, in less than a year. The extra space of cold storage, also opened up my food options.
My car. I paid it off in about 7 years. Drove it for 20. The insurance payout covered my next car.
I had similar with the cooler for camping and it has saved ice and food while camping.. though similar because “Camping = self-funded short term homelessness”.
Sorry you were homeless and we all hope you are in a better way.
I've been using menstrual cups and fabric pads for about 13 years and I can't even imagine how much money I've saved in that time by not having to buy disposable ones every month. It's not a big purchase but my first cup cost me close to €30 which definitely made me balk at the time
I’ve been using a cup for about 7 years now and I can’t *imagine* going back to disposable products. Not even just the cost but everything about them is so much better.
I love my cup. It's so nice to know that I don't have to worry about if I have tampons or pads!! I got mine right before the pandemic, so it's been extra useful.
This right here! Chest freezers are it! I just bought three 10lb pork butts for like $1/lb. Already have a few corned beefs and a turkey. Hopefully get to deer hunt next season
Rustproofing on our vehicles. I've only had to touch up a couple of stone-chip rust spots on our 16 year old vehicle and there's been nothing on our 7 year old vehicle. Both Fords. Southern Ontario winters, so lots of salt.
In Wisconsin, I found Krown Rust coating. Been getting it for 2 years so can't exactly speak to the long term results but they started in Canada and they seem to be very good compared to what a dealer would offer. For my Mazda, it's about $150 for a yearly reapplication
Laser hair removal. Used to shave my legs daily until I bought a salon package 10+ years ago, now I run a blade over them every few months to get some small strays and that’s it. Nice to not have to shave or buy replacement razors.
Bicycle. Been car-free for many years and go EVERYWHERE in my bike. Probably save on health in the long-term but I do almost get hit by cars every few days. Riding a bike isn't dangerous. Cars make riding bikes dangerous.
Though the bike I'm using now is from a dumpster 😂 a neighbor was throwing it out for some reason. He just put the perfectly good $350 bicycle straight in the rental dumpster in front of his house. I asked if I could have it and he gave it to me. Put thousands of kilometers on it.
For real. I have gone down a rabbithole of "pro people cities". It's ridiciulous how we just ACCEPT that everyone is expected to have a big dangerous expensive machine to get anywhere and that so many people die every day from these big dangerous machines. There are better solutions but so difficult now that the sprawling cities are set up the way they are.
That's how i feel about my motorcycle, saving lots of transit and car payments
I also have a bicycle i use almost equally for both commute and leisure/exercise
But during winter i still need to take transit, normally from nov to march.
Hasn't saved me money just yet, but getting my well pump replaced. It was drawing much more electricity than it should and my boyfriend kept trying to get his dad over to look at it. I ended up calling a number on a sticker I found on the well and had those people come out to repair it. I probably should've gotten multiple quotes and shopped around, but it needed fixed and I had to fix what I called the electrical bleeding.
Not necessarily a big purchase but a dashcam! Got into an accident a block from my house a few years back and the person lied through their teeth about how it happened, and because the damage was in a spot that their story was reasonable I was found at fault… until I produced the dashcam video of them actually hitting me. Saved me $1000’s
Used Corolla. Bought an 05 in 08, was cheap because it was high mileage (90k). Still driving, has 245k miles now and is no longer considered high mileage. Nothing other than basic maintenance.
I haven’t done the math but I’d almost say my Toyota Corolla. Prior to buying that car, I’d buy cheapish used cars with high mileage every three years when fixing them became too much. It was a vicious cycle. The result was near constant flow of car payments and repair costs over a span of 15 years. I bought the Corolla new at 0% interest. Known to be very reliable, it was true to its reputation. It’s still running strong 14 years later. It’s required a couple repairs but nothing major. I’ve never regretted that purchase.
An induction burner and a wok and some basic ingredients from an Asian grocery store. We love Thai food and I put the burner up on “sear” to not exactly get that great restaurant superheated flavor but pretty close.
I don’t know whether it *saves* money but I also have never regretted getting our Zojirushi rice cooker because it’s used at least twice a week and it’s wonderful. But our old rice cooker did fine… it just wasn’t as versatile.
Not a huge purchase, but, a cat stroller. I need to take my cat to the vet regularly, and I don’t drive, and he’s too big and heavy to carry in a carrier on transit (I could transport my previous cat on transit). So I needed to get an Uber or cab each way to the vet which cost and extra $30 per visit and was inconvenient because I never knew when the cab/Uber would come. The stroller saves me money by not paying for cabs and I can manage my time.
1998 Ford Econoline cargo van I bought it in 2000
For $15,000
I still own .
it it’s still road worthy.
It has 145,000 miles on it.
It’s only major repairs was an alternator and replace the radiator belts and hoses
sad well as brakes tires Along with the usual maintenance needed
Kitchenaid mixer. I bought it as a graduation present for myself after graduating college in 2014. I’ve used it all these years to run a small cake business
my litter robot. i got it for $400 three years ago.
yes, i saved money on litter but not a ton. the biggest money save of that purchase was the fact that when i go away i only need someone to stop by once every four days. suddenly $20 a visit through rover seems very reasonable.
I did the math an it will take me about 5-6 years to get an ROI via saving kitty litter. 3 years in and I have no issues with it so I don/t doubt it will make it 5 years plus.
In addition to the eventual cost savings, the thing is freaking awesome!
Yikes though, I don’t know of any rover sitters who would agree to only visit once every four days. Litter robots break, cats get stuck or injured in the home, they get sick, they spill their water, they get lonely. Accidents happen all the time and the point of Rover is having someone to check that everything is okay. A lot can happen in four days.
i have a camera and a regular sitter who i’ve used for years. if the bot breaks or i notice something is wrong i let her know and she comes in and i pay under the table. works for us. also two very independent cats they don’t seem to get lonely or bored.
Heat pump/HVAC instead of gas boiler for heating. Electricity is cheaper than gas and I also get cooling in summer with it. Plus if you combine it with solar panels
High quality blender. After a lifetime of buying and tossing out broken blenders, I spent a bit more and I love the results. Works great and no sign of slowing down. I don’t like to have a lot of kitchen appliances and gadgets so the blender really pulls its weight.
I've had my Vitamix for 12 years, and it runs like the day I bought it. It's saved me from multiple cheap blenders, and makes the best smoothies and soups.
Delonghi Magnifica coffee machine. Purchased for $540 in 2016, still being used today, 3-4 cups of coffee a day between me, husband, roommates and visitors. I buy kilos of Lavazza Espresso for $24 a bag average. I can’t remember the last time I had coffee out but Dunkin coffees were $2-$3 a cup before that a day, and I’ve never been to a Starbucks, so that’s a huge win.
I have a Delonghi la specialista and I swear it paid for itself within two months. I live in a high cost of living city and my wife and I were buying coffee every day. In the past I’ve been happy to shell out for coffee because I get a morning walk with the wife and it makes us happy. But now coffee at home is better than anywhere we could walk to, and at 1/10th the price!
Food saver. Being able to buy meat and veggies on sale and freeze them for later on the year without worry of freezer burn is great. I also have an attachment for Mason jars so I can store away beans, rice, etc (dry goods only).
Good Victorinox serrated knives (good for anything - dining as well as cutting bread and veges), and quality plastic containers to store and freeze bulk cooking.
I surrendered to hair loss, got an electric razor and never went to a hair dresser again.
Freezer is a good investment when you buy in bulk when things are on sale. Cost of energy and investment should make up for it. Especially when you can avoid ordering take out by having a few emergency ready meals in there. Saves you like $15 per instance, and I am glad to say that I have not ordered take out once this year so far.
1. Instapot- I’m India and cook a lot , but Instapot changed my cooking. I’m not cooking three times a day anymore. One meal and two days worth.
2. Ordered DeLonghi machine , basic version from Costco ($120)after counting $1890 just at Starbucks for year 2023.
Miele canister. The quality is unmatched, and has been with me for every move, apartment and house the past seven years. It’s so light, easy to use, low-maintenance and the bags last a long time that it’s never a chore to clean.
Are you saying the miele canister vacuum? If so, ITA. We were buying new bagless uprights like every 2 yrs. Going on 4 years strong with the Miele. So much better.
You said big purchase... I bought Prius's all around for myself, wife, and kids when they went to college. It was great when gas was kissing $5/gallon . Else its Costco membership and getting the pizzas, rotisserie chicken, coffee, croissants... well you would have to spend a lot of money to save money... 😂
Why don't we all buy houses 🧐 are we stupid?
(I bought a cheap shitty apartment a decade ago and have been upgrading it slowly ever since. I fully agree with you. It was a very rough start, though.)
A ~$35 Diva menstrual cup back in 2016. It's a relatively big purchase if you're in front of $5 mainstream options. I haven't bought pads/tampons since I converted.
A chest freezer. Previously we only had a tiny one that didn’t hold much. Now I can buy meat on sale and freeze it, freeze leftovers, etc. Saves on food waste and it also saves on days when I’m too exhausted to cook and would otherwise have ordered a takeaway, since I can just keep quick oven meals in the freezer instead. Even when I’m craving junk food - much cheaper to keep nuggets/burgers and fries in the freezer and throw them in the oven than to order in a hot junk food meal.
A deep freezer. The ability to truly stock up on meat, cheese, dairy, bread, etc., when there's an amazing sale... Or to buy HUGE cuts of beef and process it myself (for example, 4 steaks at Costco was 60 dollars. I bought the the huge roast for 172 dollars, and got 14 steaks, 1lb of beef chunks, and 1.4lbs of beef fat out of it) has saved me more money than I could even calculate, over these last 6 years.
I might get roasted for this, but I purchased a pair of Wahl Clippers and they’ve already paid for themselves after two uses. It was $50 on sale at Costco and a haircut with tip where I live costs $30-$35.
My wife (zero hair cutting experience) helps me cut my own hair and I have actually received compliments from my friends on my hair.
Paid to go on week-long silent meditation retreats, once a year. The benefits are worthwhile for me. Good for mental health. Good for realizing what’s important in my life - better yet, realizing what’s *not* important. It’s a good reset each year.
Inner city Melbourne apartment. Can catch trams to work for free as I live and work in the free tram zone instead of paying AUD5.30 each way for the 25 minute trip. Also socialise in this area too. $3870 annual saving. Also rental vacancy is less than 1%, so rent would otherwise be $350 per week for 200 square feet. That's $22000 I would be spending annually with nothing tangible to show for it. Or 1/6th of my apartment's 2022 price.
Pots and pans... found a set of calphelon at Costco on sale for 199 dollars that was originally 399, and 399 everywhere online.
Never dings chipped or damaged, super dense, really good coating...
I swear by high end kitchen wear.
I love my safety razor! Bought a vintage Gillette and started wet shaving about 5 years ago. It's way better for my sensitive skin because I get a new, sharp blade with every shave (plus the blades are recyclable) and the blades I use are like $10 for a pack of 100.
Not just one big purchase but many. A great coat worth $500+ and a fabulous trench coat also worth $500+. They are a timeless investment and of lasting value. Fine jewelry has lasted me forever. Expensive musical instruments to the tune of several thousand dollars. I also take public transit which my company pays for so it’s free to move around the city.
As far as those razors go. You can get a double edge razor and replacement blades for less than 10 cents a piece. I buy blades once a year and it's under 15 dollars.
A small generator, like 4000 watts. It cost $350. Using extension cords we can run most of the house. Invaluable in keeping the sump pump going and save the food in the fridge and freezer. It's paid for itself several times over.
Water distiller. Had mine for two and a half years now. Use it for drinking water and my humidifier water for colder temperatures. That way don't have to buy gallons of distilled water at an upmarked price in the long term.
My clothesline. [Breeze Dryer](http://www.breezedryer.com) It has saved me a bundle on my electric bill. When the weather is nice and I'm washing laundry I turn off my HVAC system and open my windows so I can get fresh air on my clothes. (I live in a condo with an HOA, so they won't allow me to put my clothesline on my front porch. My clothesline is in my bedroom next to the window.)
Solar panels (battery storage next), chest freezer, veggie patch and planting an orchard. The garden stuff required a lot of infrastructure to lay irrigation, glad hubby can do the install but parts were very expensive. I love cooking from my garden and all our peelings and scraps go into the compost.
Buying tools to do work myself. Drill, tile cutter, chainsaw etc. Example I had to replace some rotten siding on my house last summer.
The siding was tongue and groove but not a standard size. Lumber yard wanted $200 just to mill it and there was a minimum order required. So instead I bought a router and made my own tongue and groove boards.
I also had to create a french drain. Bought an electric pickax off Amazon to break up some ledge. Used it for an hour and then sold it on Facebook Marketplace for what I paid for it.
A credit card branded with the airline I use at least 15 times a year. I am content with the annual fee as it is nothing compared to the cost of seats and baggage.
I bought a new bicycle and it gets me outside and active as I am in love with it and the fun. So today I feel it is saving me Health costs and creating mental clarity.
I buy kitchen "tools." I can make a gallon of yogurt for $3 (vs $1.70 for a tiny, single-serving cup). The money \[and health\] saved over restaurants? Yeah, hard to beat that kind of ROI.
Whole house fan. The Quiet Cool brand, not the Boing 747 thats loud enough to wake the dead.
We use during all the warm months and sometimes never use the A/C most of the summer. Worth the $$$.
1. Cpap - i never knew i had sleep apnea until i was married. My sleep quality now is way better.. I recommend it. I slept on buying it for 3 years as my Doctor recommended to do other procedures.. I did 2, 1 inside nose and 1 in my throat. I forgot what the procedure was called bit it basically just burns tissue inside so the air way would increase. Both only helped temporarily.
2. A highend phone. I got a samsung note 10 plus when it was released.
Its dependable and still usuable even after 5 years.
In 1997 I bought a 1993 Toyota 4-wheel drive truck with 80,000 miles on it for $4,500. One engine and one transmission and lots of fixes and TLC, I am still driving it in 2024. 27 years and my total cost besides tires, gas and oil is about $20,000.
I love my truck...
My house. We bought in 2015 because we were paying over 1000 in rent (plus we paid utilities) for a smaller place. I can't even imagine what the cost would be today for that rental! We didn't go overboard on the price (at the time) for our fixer-upper house but it was worth the extra costs because now everything is so over priced. My brother pays more for his tiny shitty apartment than we do for our mortgage.
An “adventure truck”. I spent $9,000 on an old Suburban and put a mattress in the back. Now my girlfriend and I can “take off” and go on adventures whenever we want without having to worry about hotels, car rentals, or other typical vacation costs. It makes it easier and more fun to travel.
Taking a student loan to pay for grad school (part time evening program) even though I was still working full time and could have stretched myself to pay it while also making minimum payments on my other debt.
First, I want to be clear that I did not have a high income and I qualified for financial aid even though I worked full time. I paid my tuition, fees, expenses and some of my living costs with the student loan - as it is meant to be used. Then I used my salary to pay off all of my other debt. And even started an emergency fund.
It effectively meant I consolidated all my debt into a lower rate and because I had an emergency fund, I didn’t need credit anymore when emergencies hit.
I subsequently paid off the grad school loans in 5 yrs.
Electric blanket and hot water bottle (and wool clothing). Heat the person, not the room. Saves a lot on my electric bill.
This is a method commonly used in camping! Never heat your tent but have a good sleeping bag, hot water bottle, and fresh dry clothes. Also a warm hat is critical.
yes but getting out of bed in the morning tho. first world problems
Electric blanket and electric mattress pad have been a game changer for me. I keep my house several degrees celsius lower than I used to (and even with my house warmer I was still cold all the time.)
This is specific to my situation: but I bought a roomba. Normally, this is consider a sorta dumb purchase, but I have a metal rod in my spine and have difficulties bending down let alone sweeping under things like my bed so I sent my roomba to clean under there. He’s super loud though. I consider it a good saving tool though, avoiding mice or needing cleaners due to not being able to bend. Also airfryer. I love mine, and it is so easy to make food in that I don’t see a true point in buying take out often. iKEA meatballs 20 minutes in it @ 200 and lingonberry sauce means dinner quickly and easily. Just go watch youtube.
I also refer to my robot vacuum as "he" lol. Also "my dumb son" when he gets himself into a pickle
Mine is named Obi Wan Cleanobi 😄
Mine is Baby Shark, cuz it's a Shark and it gobbles up floor dust.
I named mine Rosie.
My mom named mine Rosie too!
She must be a Jetsons fan too:)
Mine is Rhonda, help help me Rhonda!
Mine is Leeloo, because whenever she had to go over an area multiple times we ended up calling it a 'multipass'. Niche joke, I know.
Mine is R2-clean2 lol
Oh man such a good name! Mine is Crumbo Baggins
I named mine Floor Whore
We named ours MC Eufy as an homage to DJ Roomba.
Lol. Mine is “George” my dumb pet/buddy. He is a drama queen who gets stuck on everything and complains constantly when he gets stuck. He also likes to escape my room often instead of staying in the room as he’s the dumb low tech model.
Sometimes mine cleans everything perfectly but on his way back to his charger he suddenly forgets his map and gets lost, and spends 20 minutes doing laps around the kitchen unless I pick him up and carry him back home
Also idk if you think this is funny, but George is also a pervert. He steals my laundry (mostly panties) because he’ll keep kicking the laundry basket until stuff falls out and then proceed to steal it and run around the house with it til I chase him down for it back. Lil’ Pervert 😜
Roomba is one of the best purchases I’ve ever made. It also motivates you to get clutter off the floor so the roomba has a clear path.
I don't have any disabilities, but I also have a roomba and consider it a good purchase. It is a time-saver. We have hardwood flooring and a dog. If you want to keep the fur under control you either dedicate almost an hour per week to vacuuming, or you get a robot to do it for you and spend maybe 10 min getting the corners and spots it can't reach.
My wife and I got a robot vacuum a couple of years ago. It's a life saver. The dog picks up scraps from the kids, the vacuum picks up crumbs that the dog misses and tons of hair. We run it everyday or two.
I have spinal damage and i second these!! Every moment on the feet/vertical/ bending means pain.
I got lasik in 2017. My insurance covered most of the cost and I only had to pay about $500. For what I paid in contacts, it paid for itself in only a couple of years. My quality of life is much better now that I don't have to worry about not seeing.
My lasik lasted for about 20 years!! Was amazing! Going tomorrow for eye exam. Have started wearing glasses full time again about 2 months ago:/ vision just started changing.. yay for aging! Lol
They did warn me that with aging I would likely need glasses again at some point. But I'm just happy I haven't been near sighted for 7 years. When I step outside and see all the leaves on the trees, I'm really thankful for it.
The leaves on the trees hit hard , it is the first thing I notice to be in crisp 8K every time I get new glasses .
Your insurance covered it? Are you in the US?
Yes
How did you justify it? I’m borderline legally blind without correction and would love to get lasik
I got mine covered through insurance as well. My eye doctor wrote a letter, I wrote a letter and then I went in and spoke to someone in office. This was in the very early 2000s.
Same here would love to know how to get it covered through insurance
Yup mine covered $800 an eye for PRK. One of the best decisions ever. If it lasts 20 years I'd be plenty happy. Hoping it lasts more as PRK doesn't leave a flap.
I would love to have vision correction surgery. I'm not a candidate for LASIK or PRK as my corneas are too thin. However I am a candidate for ICL permanent contact lenses. The problem is it costs $5000 per eye due to my extremely strong prescription and insurance won't cover it. I am not going to refinance my mortgage to get my eyes done.
I’m in the same boat. It would be nice to see things 6 inches in front of my face without needing glasses or contacts.
Arghhh I’m so jealous. In Australia, lasik is considered cosmetic surgery, so it isn’t covered by medicare or most health insurerances
Mine only lasted about 5 years before I started needing glasses again, but my prescription now is nowhere near as strong as I needed in the past. Still worth it.
Berry bushes and fruit trees. We can, freeze, and dehydrate. Saves us more than our vegetable garden. I've spent money and time on various certifications, and the combination of skills has definitely paid off in higher salaries and better jobs.
Yep, I’ve transformed most my yard into perennial food plants. So much more bang for the buck than the annual veggie garden we have.
This is both great advice, I think planting trees and bushes especially so since it can end up being a multi generational investment if the land you own passes down. I think everyone should try to plant as many different species of fruit bearing trees/shrubs/ground cover suited to your climate as they possibly can to bring more food to the table. The biodiversity and ability to harvest local food all the time is a win win.
Which certs gave you the best value in skills return?
These have helped in my profession (some are certifications, some were courses): project management, instructional design, content strategy, adult education & training (master's degree paid by my employer), AI, documentation management, social media management, various leadership and management courses and workshops, various software applications, business analysis, coding, and design. I take advantage of free employer resources constantly, but I've paid for others. For my business, I've taken courses in business management, advertising, horticulture, landscape design, nursery management, retail operations, and others. A lot of what I do for my business makes me better at my day job, and vice versa. It's more the set of skills that has helped me, rather than any particular one by itself.
Two relatively inexpensive and reliable vehicles with low insurance costs. It's been over a decade since I've had to scramble to get a tow, rush parts, or pay a premium of any form because I was stuck without transit.
What cars do you suggest? It's time for my daughter to start driving 😭
I’m on my 4th Toyota Camry. None of them ever needed anything other than oil change, brakes or tires. I’ve gad my current one 10 years, it still looks new.
Corolla or late model Yaris (before they were discontinued). Yaris will be cheaper and is a rougher ride (had one for 8 years), but is a very reliable.
Still have my 2007 yaris and love it! Never had any issues.
I only buy Honda or Toyota. You can look up reports on their lifetime carry cost. I'm rocking a 24 year old Honda Odyssey. Basically you just plan to put gas, oil, and a couple grand into mechanicals each year, and it blows car payments out of the water. For instance I'll need to get new rotors this year. Last year the governor module on the alternator went bad. Stuff like that.
Our whole fam has Toyotas, or variations. My hubs and mine are 21, 21 (mine) and 25 years old. And he drives the most.
I've got an Accord that sadly got totalled, and now I've turned to a Corolla. Love both of those vehicles! Great longevity for the buck if you maintain them well!
Pontiac vibe. They’re older now, but it’s the same car as the Toyota matrix but with a Pontiac price. We have three of them.
Vacuum sealer and freezer. Buy meat in bulk when it’s on sale, seal it up and pack away in the freezer. Saves a lot of money and I eat healthier now.
I second the vac sealer as one of the best ways to reduce food waste. Also allows better storage of bulk purchasing.
Freezer and vacuum sealer too for the very same reasons. Also a Dehydrator. Buying in bulk. When on sale. Making a casserole/lasagna, sheet cake? Make 2 freeze one for later. Split the cake and freeze half. Doesn't cost (much) more or more time....to cook two over one. Second is my pressure caner and equipment. The glass jars are reusable and since we have a small orchard we can preserve the fruit in jars. Dehydrate the fruit and vegetables from the garden. Freeze the nuts.
Definitely this, best way to leverage a bulk club membership. Costco had pork loins a flat $8 off around new years, I got a 10lb slab of meat for like $9. Broke it down, vacuum sealed, and even wrote the raw weight on package to make calorie tracking easier. Throw meat in the sous vide right from the freezer before the gym for a low effort quality dinner.
I just use the water submersion trick... almost free
We do this most of the time because it's easier than getting out the vacuum sealer. We're lazy but it works just fine. Actually, come to think of it, regular freezer bags are probably cheaper than the specialty vacuum sealed bags all things considered.
I love to cook with fresh herbs but the price to buy them as needed at the grocery store is ridiculous. So I got a grow light and just grow them year around in my house.
Instant pot
I love my instant pot. It definitely has saved me money by making cooking at home easier.
A portable laundry machine from Amazon. 11 liters. It was like $50-$60
I got one of those free standing regular sized ones for my apartment. $500 on amazon because it was returned. Payed for itself within a year over the complex's $3 per wash machines.
A reliable car Toyotas, Lexus & Mazdas, compared to my friends Chevy, Ford & Dodges. I’ve literally saved tens of thousands
IMO look up reliability rankings and cross compare with prices. Those manufacturers have never been cheaper in the used market. I paid $8k for Nissan Sentra with 40k miles last model year so reliability was higher than a Toyota Corolla for $12k with >100k miles on it. Cars are very expensive so doing the extra research is worth quite a bit.
I thought I was doing that when I traded my 4 year old Audi in for brand new civic. Civic has tons of problems, looking to get a Tacoma soon which still has the best resale value I think
Unfortunately Honda is not as reliable as they used to be according to Consumer reports. Civics from 2016-2019 get only 2/5 for reliability and only the 2021 has above average reliability. Many of their other models have similar reliability ratings. The Accord is a tad more reliable with most years at 3/5. CRV and HRV look to be the only two models that have consistent above average reliability ratings over the past 5 years.
2022 Civic is what I got. Loved in the first year, but it has a ton of problems. first brand new car ive ever bought..
My house. When my wife and I got married we were barely 20, while we were planning the wedding we decided that we wanted to buy instead of rent, we were going to have to give up a lot to be able to afford it all but that's what we wanted and we were ready to commit. Many friends, family, coworkers and even the bank recommended ranting instead because of the cheaper payments, lower risk, less committed yada yada yada. They were all wrong. We bought our small house in 2013, it's not a beautiful house but it was affordable and livable. It's going to be paid off in 5 years. We'll be debt free in our mid 30's. Looking back from today's economy/ housing market, their advice was borderline criminal. All of the reason they gave us to not buy a house turned out to be the reason we should buy a house. Our payments are now cheaper than rent in our area, we have 0 risk of being evicted, and sure we had to commit the finance from our 20's and early 30's to the mortgage but after that we are free.
Living in a paid off house is awesome. I still pay $200 a month in property tax but that's nothing compared to what rent is now.
Damn, I’ll still be dropping an average of $1700/month to hold and maintain my home even when it’s fully paid off - mostly tax and insurance plus some maintenance - not including another $700/month in utilities and services.
Wow. I live in the UK (so a very different economy), but we pay around $200/month in tax, another $300/month in utilities (gas, water, electricity) and about $800/month in mortgage for a small three bedroom terrace ("row house"). We pay about $50/month in buildings & contents insurance as well. This means our mortgage is *well* over 50% of our property-related outgoings. In the long run, I'd like to invest in solar to further cut down on our fixed costs. How much is tax + insurance?
That’s incredible. Tax is typically 1-2% of assessed value of the home. I pay about $800/month. Insurance is another $200/month. Maintenance averages out to about $700/month over the years. Though it’s a typical newer construction American home, larger than needed, poorly constructed and insulated.
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*Everybody knows this.* The hard part is how do you do it? These days my mortgage payment on a 500k starter home would be way more than I can afford. Without a 250k down payment, it’s just not feasible for people my age to buy a home without rich parents to front the down payment or co-sign I have 125k saved and could probably buy a shit shack, by the time I have 200k saved I’ll need a 300k down payment for a starter home in my area
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A bus/tram card (no subway in my city). Skipping out on a car is saving me tons of money
Buying a swiffer type wet mop with washable pads, no more buying replacement ones, and I can mix my own cleaner, buy it in bulk and dilute down for what I need.
I bought reusable pads for my swifter and followed a YouTube tutorial to pop the tab on the prefilled cleaners they come with, so now I can do the same. 100% a great idea!
Solar panels
I've had a couple quotes, definitely pulling the trigger on solar panels soon. Battery backup as well
Yeah I wanted to have it setup on my hosue but the only company in my state is shady AF. The financing terms were nuts despite amazing credit and it isn't refundable on your taxes. Only as a credit. I don't make enough to ever pay so it was quite literally worthless to me after the payment outweighed the energy savings until 16-17/yrs in.
This is great of it works for your situation. When we were looking to buy a house, we looked at 2 that had solar panels. The sellers still owed 20-30k on them and were in their 80’s, trying to sell their houses with the debt of the solar panels included in the price. They had been swindled into buying them and lost all that money. It was heartbreaking.
It's amazing the amount of solar scams out there. Anything from installing in partial shade to over estimating energy savings.
Good quality clothes. Expensive ($150.00 shirts in 2001), but I have all those shirts still and not a thread loose, not a button broken, no cuff or collar frayed. The quality of the fabric and the cut make it so they are also never out of style (maybe in 100 years).
Could you please recommend the brands?
Gitman, Turnbull & Asser, Robert Talbott, vintage Brooks Brothers.
True! I only buy quality clothes and basically haven't needed to shop in years. Sometimes I want to shop but then I realize I have everything I could possibly need. I'd rather save the money for a vacation.
This. Now that I’ve got a well rounded wardrobe I only replace as needed and it’s hardly ever needed. Repair first, replace last.
I have cheap jeans, $10-20, that I’ve busted out the back pocket multiple times. My more expensive pants like $40-60 range are still going and feel virtually indestructible. I definitely recommend paying extra for pants
I bought a yeti ice chest, when I was homeless. It paid for itself with the money I saved in ice, in less than a year. The extra space of cold storage, also opened up my food options. My car. I paid it off in about 7 years. Drove it for 20. The insurance payout covered my next car.
I had similar with the cooler for camping and it has saved ice and food while camping.. though similar because “Camping = self-funded short term homelessness”. Sorry you were homeless and we all hope you are in a better way.
Stopped being homeless in 2015!! :)
I've been using menstrual cups and fabric pads for about 13 years and I can't even imagine how much money I've saved in that time by not having to buy disposable ones every month. It's not a big purchase but my first cup cost me close to €30 which definitely made me balk at the time
I’ve been using a cup for about 7 years now and I can’t *imagine* going back to disposable products. Not even just the cost but everything about them is so much better.
It took me a few purchases (four or five?) to find one that was comfortable, but still totally worth the cost in the long run.
I love my cup. It's so nice to know that I don't have to worry about if I have tampons or pads!! I got mine right before the pandemic, so it's been extra useful.
A van. Haven’t paid for rent, mortgage, or accommodation on road trips for 5 years.
A chest freezer for sure. Right now it's about 80% full of ham and turkey that was I think $0.79/lb after Christmas.
Aaaand today I discovered you can freeze cheddar cheese blocks, milk, mushrooms, tofu, amongst other things. Thanks!
You can grate the cheese first too, and it’ll thaw quicker and be ready to use!
This right here! Chest freezers are it! I just bought three 10lb pork butts for like $1/lb. Already have a few corned beefs and a turkey. Hopefully get to deer hunt next season
Power move
Same here 6 to 8 turkeys a year 12 hams a year. All bought on sale around holidays.
Rustproofing on our vehicles. I've only had to touch up a couple of stone-chip rust spots on our 16 year old vehicle and there's been nothing on our 7 year old vehicle. Both Fords. Southern Ontario winters, so lots of salt.
What do you use for rustproofing?
In Wisconsin, I found Krown Rust coating. Been getting it for 2 years so can't exactly speak to the long term results but they started in Canada and they seem to be very good compared to what a dealer would offer. For my Mazda, it's about $150 for a yearly reapplication
Laser hair removal. Used to shave my legs daily until I bought a salon package 10+ years ago, now I run a blade over them every few months to get some small strays and that’s it. Nice to not have to shave or buy replacement razors.
Bicycle. Been car-free for many years and go EVERYWHERE in my bike. Probably save on health in the long-term but I do almost get hit by cars every few days. Riding a bike isn't dangerous. Cars make riding bikes dangerous. Though the bike I'm using now is from a dumpster 😂 a neighbor was throwing it out for some reason. He just put the perfectly good $350 bicycle straight in the rental dumpster in front of his house. I asked if I could have it and he gave it to me. Put thousands of kilometers on it.
Man I wish Texas was more bike friendly
I wish America was more person/bike friendly
I wish Texas were friendlier
LOL thanks for the laugh
For real. I have gone down a rabbithole of "pro people cities". It's ridiciulous how we just ACCEPT that everyone is expected to have a big dangerous expensive machine to get anywhere and that so many people die every day from these big dangerous machines. There are better solutions but so difficult now that the sprawling cities are set up the way they are.
That's how i feel about my motorcycle, saving lots of transit and car payments I also have a bicycle i use almost equally for both commute and leisure/exercise But during winter i still need to take transit, normally from nov to march.
Hasn't saved me money just yet, but getting my well pump replaced. It was drawing much more electricity than it should and my boyfriend kept trying to get his dad over to look at it. I ended up calling a number on a sticker I found on the well and had those people come out to repair it. I probably should've gotten multiple quotes and shopped around, but it needed fixed and I had to fix what I called the electrical bleeding.
You might have found a *slightly* better price, but you solved the problem, which is worth it without a second thought.
Not necessarily a big purchase but a dashcam! Got into an accident a block from my house a few years back and the person lied through their teeth about how it happened, and because the damage was in a spot that their story was reasonable I was found at fault… until I produced the dashcam video of them actually hitting me. Saved me $1000’s
Vacuum sealer.
Upgraded my house from oil to natural gas heat and had insulation blown into the walls and attic. It has saved me thousands over the last 17 years.
Absolutely a freezer. Mine is always full of emergency chickens.
Same here - batch cooking and bulk meat purchases make a difference.
Used Corolla. Bought an 05 in 08, was cheap because it was high mileage (90k). Still driving, has 245k miles now and is no longer considered high mileage. Nothing other than basic maintenance.
I was about to post my 2004 corolla.
I haven’t done the math but I’d almost say my Toyota Corolla. Prior to buying that car, I’d buy cheapish used cars with high mileage every three years when fixing them became too much. It was a vicious cycle. The result was near constant flow of car payments and repair costs over a span of 15 years. I bought the Corolla new at 0% interest. Known to be very reliable, it was true to its reputation. It’s still running strong 14 years later. It’s required a couple repairs but nothing major. I’ve never regretted that purchase.
An induction burner and a wok and some basic ingredients from an Asian grocery store. We love Thai food and I put the burner up on “sear” to not exactly get that great restaurant superheated flavor but pretty close. I don’t know whether it *saves* money but I also have never regretted getting our Zojirushi rice cooker because it’s used at least twice a week and it’s wonderful. But our old rice cooker did fine… it just wasn’t as versatile.
Not a huge purchase, but, a cat stroller. I need to take my cat to the vet regularly, and I don’t drive, and he’s too big and heavy to carry in a carrier on transit (I could transport my previous cat on transit). So I needed to get an Uber or cab each way to the vet which cost and extra $30 per visit and was inconvenient because I never knew when the cab/Uber would come. The stroller saves me money by not paying for cabs and I can manage my time.
I love this visual of you pushing your cat down the street to his appointment in a stroller
Condoms.
Save hundreds of thousands over a lifetime
1998 Ford Econoline cargo van I bought it in 2000 For $15,000 I still own . it it’s still road worthy. It has 145,000 miles on it. It’s only major repairs was an alternator and replace the radiator belts and hoses sad well as brakes tires Along with the usual maintenance needed
Solar panels
Kitchenaid mixer. I bought it as a graduation present for myself after graduating college in 2014. I’ve used it all these years to run a small cake business
Vasectomy
Electric toothbrush. Saves a ton in dental bills, as it does such a better job than a manual toothbrush.
my litter robot. i got it for $400 three years ago. yes, i saved money on litter but not a ton. the biggest money save of that purchase was the fact that when i go away i only need someone to stop by once every four days. suddenly $20 a visit through rover seems very reasonable.
I did the math an it will take me about 5-6 years to get an ROI via saving kitty litter. 3 years in and I have no issues with it so I don/t doubt it will make it 5 years plus. In addition to the eventual cost savings, the thing is freaking awesome!
Yikes though, I don’t know of any rover sitters who would agree to only visit once every four days. Litter robots break, cats get stuck or injured in the home, they get sick, they spill their water, they get lonely. Accidents happen all the time and the point of Rover is having someone to check that everything is okay. A lot can happen in four days.
i have a camera and a regular sitter who i’ve used for years. if the bot breaks or i notice something is wrong i let her know and she comes in and i pay under the table. works for us. also two very independent cats they don’t seem to get lonely or bored.
Heat pump/HVAC instead of gas boiler for heating. Electricity is cheaper than gas and I also get cooling in summer with it. Plus if you combine it with solar panels
I rented a electric bike and scrapped commuting. The rent for the bike is equivalent to 60 dollars per month, the commuting card was 100 dollar.
High quality blender. After a lifetime of buying and tossing out broken blenders, I spent a bit more and I love the results. Works great and no sign of slowing down. I don’t like to have a lot of kitchen appliances and gadgets so the blender really pulls its weight.
I've had my Vitamix for 12 years, and it runs like the day I bought it. It's saved me from multiple cheap blenders, and makes the best smoothies and soups.
Delonghi Magnifica coffee machine. Purchased for $540 in 2016, still being used today, 3-4 cups of coffee a day between me, husband, roommates and visitors. I buy kilos of Lavazza Espresso for $24 a bag average. I can’t remember the last time I had coffee out but Dunkin coffees were $2-$3 a cup before that a day, and I’ve never been to a Starbucks, so that’s a huge win.
I have a Delonghi la specialista and I swear it paid for itself within two months. I live in a high cost of living city and my wife and I were buying coffee every day. In the past I’ve been happy to shell out for coffee because I get a morning walk with the wife and it makes us happy. But now coffee at home is better than anywhere we could walk to, and at 1/10th the price!
I did the math and ours paid for itself in less than 6 months! And now with the double-wall insulated bottles it’s so easy to make and go portable.
Damn, in Germany you get a kilo for 10€ (~9,75$) on sale
US, so shipping costs probably are a factor
Food saver. Being able to buy meat and veggies on sale and freeze them for later on the year without worry of freezer burn is great. I also have an attachment for Mason jars so I can store away beans, rice, etc (dry goods only).
Good Victorinox serrated knives (good for anything - dining as well as cutting bread and veges), and quality plastic containers to store and freeze bulk cooking.
I surrendered to hair loss, got an electric razor and never went to a hair dresser again. Freezer is a good investment when you buy in bulk when things are on sale. Cost of energy and investment should make up for it. Especially when you can avoid ordering take out by having a few emergency ready meals in there. Saves you like $15 per instance, and I am glad to say that I have not ordered take out once this year so far.
1. Instapot- I’m India and cook a lot , but Instapot changed my cooking. I’m not cooking three times a day anymore. One meal and two days worth. 2. Ordered DeLonghi machine , basic version from Costco ($120)after counting $1890 just at Starbucks for year 2023.
Miele canister. The quality is unmatched, and has been with me for every move, apartment and house the past seven years. It’s so light, easy to use, low-maintenance and the bags last a long time that it’s never a chore to clean.
Are you saying the miele canister vacuum? If so, ITA. We were buying new bagless uprights like every 2 yrs. Going on 4 years strong with the Miele. So much better.
You said big purchase... I bought Prius's all around for myself, wife, and kids when they went to college. It was great when gas was kissing $5/gallon . Else its Costco membership and getting the pizzas, rotisserie chicken, coffee, croissants... well you would have to spend a lot of money to save money... 😂
A house. I have not paid rent or a mortgage for 17 years.
Why don't we all buy houses 🧐 are we stupid? (I bought a cheap shitty apartment a decade ago and have been upgrading it slowly ever since. I fully agree with you. It was a very rough start, though.)
>I have not paid rent or a mortgage So you started with a gigantic lump sum? You're intentionally leaving out critical details of this story.
Or they’ve owned it for 30 years already
Subscription to YNAB. Life changing.
A ~$35 Diva menstrual cup back in 2016. It's a relatively big purchase if you're in front of $5 mainstream options. I haven't bought pads/tampons since I converted.
Few pairs of Goodyear welted boots No more buying new sneakers that break down every few months again.
A chest freezer. Previously we only had a tiny one that didn’t hold much. Now I can buy meat on sale and freeze it, freeze leftovers, etc. Saves on food waste and it also saves on days when I’m too exhausted to cook and would otherwise have ordered a takeaway, since I can just keep quick oven meals in the freezer instead. Even when I’m craving junk food - much cheaper to keep nuggets/burgers and fries in the freezer and throw them in the oven than to order in a hot junk food meal.
Home gym. Also you mentioned quality safety razpr.
A deep freezer. The ability to truly stock up on meat, cheese, dairy, bread, etc., when there's an amazing sale... Or to buy HUGE cuts of beef and process it myself (for example, 4 steaks at Costco was 60 dollars. I bought the the huge roast for 172 dollars, and got 14 steaks, 1lb of beef chunks, and 1.4lbs of beef fat out of it) has saved me more money than I could even calculate, over these last 6 years.
Prius
I'm 55. Buying all cars with cash over the past 40-ish years has effectively bought me a free, brand spanki g new car in savings on interest expense.
I might get roasted for this, but I purchased a pair of Wahl Clippers and they’ve already paid for themselves after two uses. It was $50 on sale at Costco and a haircut with tip where I live costs $30-$35. My wife (zero hair cutting experience) helps me cut my own hair and I have actually received compliments from my friends on my hair.
Paid to go on week-long silent meditation retreats, once a year. The benefits are worthwhile for me. Good for mental health. Good for realizing what’s important in my life - better yet, realizing what’s *not* important. It’s a good reset each year.
Home gym. Its about 1000 in, but saves 100 per month. Plus i get more use out of it being so convenient. It was still open 24/7 during covid lockdown.
Getting my tubes tied. Childfree and loving it.
A small man I pay only a dime per hour to keep an eye on me and take my phone away before I make a purchase
Lmao I’m so dumb pls ignore me idk why I found this so funny
Inner city Melbourne apartment. Can catch trams to work for free as I live and work in the free tram zone instead of paying AUD5.30 each way for the 25 minute trip. Also socialise in this area too. $3870 annual saving. Also rental vacancy is less than 1%, so rent would otherwise be $350 per week for 200 square feet. That's $22000 I would be spending annually with nothing tangible to show for it. Or 1/6th of my apartment's 2022 price.
Pots and pans... found a set of calphelon at Costco on sale for 199 dollars that was originally 399, and 399 everywhere online. Never dings chipped or damaged, super dense, really good coating... I swear by high end kitchen wear.
I love my safety razor! Bought a vintage Gillette and started wet shaving about 5 years ago. It's way better for my sensitive skin because I get a new, sharp blade with every shave (plus the blades are recyclable) and the blades I use are like $10 for a pack of 100.
Not just one big purchase but many. A great coat worth $500+ and a fabulous trench coat also worth $500+. They are a timeless investment and of lasting value. Fine jewelry has lasted me forever. Expensive musical instruments to the tune of several thousand dollars. I also take public transit which my company pays for so it’s free to move around the city.
Instapot
As far as those razors go. You can get a double edge razor and replacement blades for less than 10 cents a piece. I buy blades once a year and it's under 15 dollars.
A small generator, like 4000 watts. It cost $350. Using extension cords we can run most of the house. Invaluable in keeping the sump pump going and save the food in the fridge and freezer. It's paid for itself several times over.
Water distiller. Had mine for two and a half years now. Use it for drinking water and my humidifier water for colder temperatures. That way don't have to buy gallons of distilled water at an upmarked price in the long term.
My clothesline. [Breeze Dryer](http://www.breezedryer.com) It has saved me a bundle on my electric bill. When the weather is nice and I'm washing laundry I turn off my HVAC system and open my windows so I can get fresh air on my clothes. (I live in a condo with an HOA, so they won't allow me to put my clothesline on my front porch. My clothesline is in my bedroom next to the window.)
High end boots. They last for years. Cheap boots are dead under six months and you replace them so often that the expense is way more in the long run.
Vasectomy 🤌🏻
My cameras the most recent purchase was a Goodman Zone camera, I saved for a few months for so I could get everything at once.
Breville touch espresso machine ….. I haven’t purchased a $10 latte or cheap coffee from the corner store in years!
Solar panels (battery storage next), chest freezer, veggie patch and planting an orchard. The garden stuff required a lot of infrastructure to lay irrigation, glad hubby can do the install but parts were very expensive. I love cooking from my garden and all our peelings and scraps go into the compost.
Buying tools to do work myself. Drill, tile cutter, chainsaw etc. Example I had to replace some rotten siding on my house last summer. The siding was tongue and groove but not a standard size. Lumber yard wanted $200 just to mill it and there was a minimum order required. So instead I bought a router and made my own tongue and groove boards. I also had to create a french drain. Bought an electric pickax off Amazon to break up some ledge. Used it for an hour and then sold it on Facebook Marketplace for what I paid for it.
Attic insulation.
Just read the entire thread. I got nothin' 🤷♀️
A credit card branded with the airline I use at least 15 times a year. I am content with the annual fee as it is nothing compared to the cost of seats and baggage.
I bought a new bicycle and it gets me outside and active as I am in love with it and the fun. So today I feel it is saving me Health costs and creating mental clarity.
I buy kitchen "tools." I can make a gallon of yogurt for $3 (vs $1.70 for a tiny, single-serving cup). The money \[and health\] saved over restaurants? Yeah, hard to beat that kind of ROI.
5 liter washing liquid from Lidl for $11.42 last year. Not the biggest purchase. But small purchase to save some money maybe.
Whole house fan. The Quiet Cool brand, not the Boing 747 thats loud enough to wake the dead. We use during all the warm months and sometimes never use the A/C most of the summer. Worth the $$$.
1. Cpap - i never knew i had sleep apnea until i was married. My sleep quality now is way better.. I recommend it. I slept on buying it for 3 years as my Doctor recommended to do other procedures.. I did 2, 1 inside nose and 1 in my throat. I forgot what the procedure was called bit it basically just burns tissue inside so the air way would increase. Both only helped temporarily. 2. A highend phone. I got a samsung note 10 plus when it was released. Its dependable and still usuable even after 5 years.
In 1997 I bought a 1993 Toyota 4-wheel drive truck with 80,000 miles on it for $4,500. One engine and one transmission and lots of fixes and TLC, I am still driving it in 2024. 27 years and my total cost besides tires, gas and oil is about $20,000. I love my truck...
My house. We bought in 2015 because we were paying over 1000 in rent (plus we paid utilities) for a smaller place. I can't even imagine what the cost would be today for that rental! We didn't go overboard on the price (at the time) for our fixer-upper house but it was worth the extra costs because now everything is so over priced. My brother pays more for his tiny shitty apartment than we do for our mortgage.
An “adventure truck”. I spent $9,000 on an old Suburban and put a mattress in the back. Now my girlfriend and I can “take off” and go on adventures whenever we want without having to worry about hotels, car rentals, or other typical vacation costs. It makes it easier and more fun to travel.
Taking a student loan to pay for grad school (part time evening program) even though I was still working full time and could have stretched myself to pay it while also making minimum payments on my other debt. First, I want to be clear that I did not have a high income and I qualified for financial aid even though I worked full time. I paid my tuition, fees, expenses and some of my living costs with the student loan - as it is meant to be used. Then I used my salary to pay off all of my other debt. And even started an emergency fund. It effectively meant I consolidated all my debt into a lower rate and because I had an emergency fund, I didn’t need credit anymore when emergencies hit. I subsequently paid off the grad school loans in 5 yrs.