Money-saving tricks savvy savers are using to combat rising living costs
Ah, the life of the frugal.
It’s no secret that people nowadays are on the hunt for clever ways to save to maximise their budgets.
Some go to extreme lengths, whether it's hoarding restaurant napkins, reusing contact lenses, or even skipping meals, all to save that extra penny.
It all started when a man asked on social media about the ‘unique’ measures people take to save money, particularly on food and bills, and received hundreds of responses.
Here are some of the ‘weird’ tricks savvy savers use to survive the crisis.
One person uses napkins as toilet paper.
‘I use napkins that I collect from various sources (like the break room at my job and the ones downstairs near the prepared food section) as toilet paper instead of just buying toilet paper,’ one person replied.
‘Not sure how much money this saves but every bit counts.’
‘Wash Ziploc bags and glass jars to re-use them,’ another said.
Some earn extra money through online surveys, while another sends savings to a relative for safekeeping.
‘I’ve seen people unroll a bunch of toilet paper and paper towels from public restrooms and refill empty soap bottles in the same manner,’ another recalled.
Meanwhile, others also adopt unique savings strategies: some swear by dumpster diving.
‘Dumpster diving saves a tonne,’ a fourth wrote while others invest hours comparing supermarket prices for maximum savings.
For some, financial strains have led to limiting their meals.
‘Eat one, maybe two meals a day and I fast every few days. It's actually really good for you as long as you're eating healthy!’ one person explained.
‘I don't eat breakfast or lunch. I just have a very large dinner,’ someone else agreed.
‘I eat the scraps from my kid, and if I'm lucky, the school where I teach and my son goes to will give me a free lunch,’ another responded.
‘I ate a $2 pack of instant mashed potatoes for lunch. Just that. Just mashed potatoes. The ones where you add water,’ a fourth said.
Alternatively, some buy groceries daily, believing it reduces waste and is more cost-effective than bulk shopping.
‘It might not work for everyone, but we buy what we're gonna make that day instead of bulk buying for the whole month or the week every day after work, we go and buy what we need for dinner that day, and there's less waste,’ one person said.
‘We eat out a lot which sounds weird, but it's only two of us, and it's a lot cheaper for us to get fast food or even just Subway rather than buy ingredients to cook dinner,’ a second commented.
One person hides money to prevent spending, while another uses work toilets to save on utilities.
‘Keep all my receipts. It'll be the weirdest places that try to scam you,’ one woman said, adding to make sure items aren't mistakenly double-scanned or priced incorrectly.
And finally, one frugal spender said: ‘I re-use my daily disposable contacts for three or four days per pair.’
Members, what's your take on these hacks? Have you tried any, or do you have an even quirkier one? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
It’s no secret that people nowadays are on the hunt for clever ways to save to maximise their budgets.
Some go to extreme lengths, whether it's hoarding restaurant napkins, reusing contact lenses, or even skipping meals, all to save that extra penny.
It all started when a man asked on social media about the ‘unique’ measures people take to save money, particularly on food and bills, and received hundreds of responses.
Here are some of the ‘weird’ tricks savvy savers use to survive the crisis.
One person uses napkins as toilet paper.
‘I use napkins that I collect from various sources (like the break room at my job and the ones downstairs near the prepared food section) as toilet paper instead of just buying toilet paper,’ one person replied.
‘Not sure how much money this saves but every bit counts.’
‘Wash Ziploc bags and glass jars to re-use them,’ another said.
Some earn extra money through online surveys, while another sends savings to a relative for safekeeping.
‘I’ve seen people unroll a bunch of toilet paper and paper towels from public restrooms and refill empty soap bottles in the same manner,’ another recalled.
Meanwhile, others also adopt unique savings strategies: some swear by dumpster diving.
‘Dumpster diving saves a tonne,’ a fourth wrote while others invest hours comparing supermarket prices for maximum savings.
For some, financial strains have led to limiting their meals.
‘Eat one, maybe two meals a day and I fast every few days. It's actually really good for you as long as you're eating healthy!’ one person explained.
‘I don't eat breakfast or lunch. I just have a very large dinner,’ someone else agreed.
‘I eat the scraps from my kid, and if I'm lucky, the school where I teach and my son goes to will give me a free lunch,’ another responded.
‘I ate a $2 pack of instant mashed potatoes for lunch. Just that. Just mashed potatoes. The ones where you add water,’ a fourth said.
Alternatively, some buy groceries daily, believing it reduces waste and is more cost-effective than bulk shopping.
‘It might not work for everyone, but we buy what we're gonna make that day instead of bulk buying for the whole month or the week every day after work, we go and buy what we need for dinner that day, and there's less waste,’ one person said.
‘We eat out a lot which sounds weird, but it's only two of us, and it's a lot cheaper for us to get fast food or even just Subway rather than buy ingredients to cook dinner,’ a second commented.
One person hides money to prevent spending, while another uses work toilets to save on utilities.
‘Keep all my receipts. It'll be the weirdest places that try to scam you,’ one woman said, adding to make sure items aren't mistakenly double-scanned or priced incorrectly.
And finally, one frugal spender said: ‘I re-use my daily disposable contacts for three or four days per pair.’
Key Takeaways
- People are resorting to ‘weird’ methods to save money due to the rising cost of living, including stashing restaurant napkins and skipping meals.
- A man asked on social media what unusual things people are doing to save money, and many shared their money-saving methods.
- Some are using shared napkins as toilet paper, washing and reusing Ziploc bags, and others are skipping meals to cut costs.
- There are varied responses, with other savvy savers compiling their shopping lists for hours comparing prices, while some said they resort to using the bathroom at work to save on water and toilet paper.