- - 31 Frugal Life Hacks That Feel Like Cheating the System

Liane StarrJanuary 25, 2026 at 11:00 PM

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Lacey Muszynski / Cheapism / McDonald’s Curbside Pickup by Valentina kalinichenko ((CC BY-SA))

There are some people who’ve come up with savvy ways to save money, whether it’s becoming a pro at thrift shopping or buying Christmas presents on specific sale holidays. Looking to cut back on your own spending? Here are some tips from Redditors that reveal the frugal life hacks people use to keep money in their pocket and out of retailers’ hands.

Take a Used Car to an Independent Mechanic Before Purchase

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If you have your eye on a used car, one Redditor urges you to get it checked out by someone who has nothing to gain from the sale — even if that costs you money. “Ask the technician if they would buy the car. They’ll be honest with you.”

Get Five-Gallon Buckets for Free

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This is a clever hack you probably haven’t thought of.

“Something my wife discovered is that local bakeries and chain bakeries often have 5-gallon buckets they buy their flour, etc. in,” a Redditor writes. “Ask if they would give you an extra bucket or two with lids. It’s likely they have quite a few they’ll otherwise throw away. Great for storing bulk rice, flour, and sugar, they stack so they won’t take much space, and if you’re really feeling the financial crunch they can double as seats!”

Do Preventative Car Maintenance

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A former auto technician suggests cracking open the owner’s manual to find out when you’re supposed to get the car serviced — then sticking to it.

“Do everything sooner if you’re in a harsh climate (extreme hot or cold),” one Redditor advises. “Do oil changes every 3,000-5,000 miles no matter what the service interval says and have the suspension and brakes checked during the oil change. Fix things when they come up and don’t wait. They won’t magically get better and will eventually cause damage and wear to related systems.”

Stop Drinking Soda

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You may not think about the drinks you’re guzzling down, but soda (whether it’s diet, regular or just cans of fizzy water) comes with a price tag.

“Just stop drinking soda/pop/whatever you call the sugary drink,” one Redditor writes. “It’s not good for you and super expensive, all things considered. Learn to drink tea or water and your waistline and wallet will feel better.”

And don’t think diet drinks are an answer, as they’ve been proven to be bad for your health.

Get Your Timing Belt Replaced Before 100,000 Miles

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Even if you think you have time on your timing belt, don’t wait for your odometer to hit 100,000. A Redditor says you should even consider taking your car in sooner. “If it snaps, you need a new engine, because the pistons will hit the valves.”

Get Apple Care+ for Your iPhone

3g Iphone by Masaaki Komori ((CC BY-SA))

Turns out you can make phone insurance pay off if you’re holding on to your phone past the latest new phone release. A Redditor who squeezes four or more years out of his phones writes, “I’ve learned to send my phone in for a new battery the last month before warranty ends. Apple will go ahead and replace anything else worn, screens, speakers, etc. Just like that, you get a refurbished phone back.”

Don’t Skimp on Anything Between You and the Ground

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This is just plain smart.

“Don’t skimp on anything between you and the ground,” advises one Redditor. “It’ll save you more in the long run. The big three are shoes, tires and a mattress. Cheaping out on any can lead to health problems either later in life or very, very suddenly.”

Anyone who’s slept on an old mattress or suffered in poorly made shoes can attest to this.

Thrift Shop Well

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Don’t know what labels to shop for when you hit the thrift store? Here’s a hint — look closely at the label itself.

“A cheaply made garment won’t have an expensively constructed label in it. Crinkly paper label? That’s cheap. Long lasting, sewn-in fabric label? That’s not cheap,” writes a Redditor.

Budget for Fun

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Yes, there’s a limit to being frugal. Don’t turn life into a slog — you’re likely to binge on something expensive later.

“This might be counter intuitive, but budget for ‘fun money,'” writes one Redditor. “If you are being super careful with money and don’t do anything fun…it gets old. And then you make some silly expensive purchase that maybe you can’t undo. But if you have a budget item for fun and you don’t overspend that amount, of course, then you get to have some fun and it makes all the other being frugal you’re doing easier to do.”

Look for Deals on Outings

Desbah B./Yelp

Even if you’ve put away funds for fun, that doesn’t mean you can’t look for deals.

“I’m going to a Christmas lights display at a local botanical garden on Monday evening, and it’s ‘Value Night’ so the price is half the normal admission price,” a Redditor shares. “A lot of movie theaters will do $5 ticket Tuesdays and if you can wait for a second run theater where the ticket is even cheaper, that can save you even more money.”

Go Christmas Shopping on Black Friday

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Black Friday may be the day after Thanksgiving, but it’s a good time to think ahead.

“Get your gifts a month early, people,” writes one savvy Redditor. “It will be worth it when everything is over $100 next month in stores.”

Don’t Buy What You Don’t Need

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While Black Friday can be a good time to knock out your Christmas list, don’t keep shopping if you don’t need anything, a Redditor writes.

“If you didn’t already need it, you probably still don’t need it. Grab a price tracker browser extension (there are plenty out there) to see if something is actually on a “MASSIVE SALE” or not.”

Some retailers increase the price right before the holiday so they can claim the regular price is a big discount, so shop accordingly.

Buy One Junky Meal

Lacey Muszynski / Cheapism

While cooking from home is always a money saver (as is taking your lunch to work), planning ahead for a weekly indulgence is a surprisingly good idea.

“Always buy one trash dinner and one trash dessert from the grocery store,” one Redditor shares. “‘Hey, I don’t feel like cooking, should we go out to eat?’ ‘Oh hey, what about these Mac and cheese balls and Hulu?’ You just saved $60.”

Use Curbside Grocery Pickup

McDonald’s Curbside Pickup by Valentina kalinichenko ((CC BY-SA))

One Redditor thinks that not only does curbside pickup make it easy to bypass temptation, but it “(1) allows you to reference your pantry while you shop, (2) makes meal planning easier due to #1, and (3) lets you put back items when you see the total without embarrassment. Curbside pickup is huge.”

Ask for Lower Bills

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It’s hard to believe, but sometimes you can just ask to get smaller bills, especially on items like insurance or anything else that might be calculated by your credit rating.

“Call your bill companies and ask if there’s a way to lower the bill. I do this periodically and there almost always is,” writes a Redditor. “I just lowered my car insurance by $100 by asking. I had raised my credit score a lot since I last checked on it.”

Live With Your Parents

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You may not want to live at home after a certain age because your peers will look at it unkindly, but think about how much money you could save.

“Living with family as an adult is not anything to be ashamed of,” one Redditor writes. “If you need to live with your parents/relatives until you get a pay bump or a better job, do it.”

Buy Men’s Razors

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More proof of the pink tax: Not only do women’s razors cost more, they’re not as good.

“Fun fact, the more expensive pink women’s razors are actually lower quality blades due to the fact that on average women have softer/finer hair to shave,” writes a Redditor. “Men’s razors will always last longer, be more effective, and cause less nicks despite being cheaper.”

Buy Generic

Paige Cerulli

Brand names may cost more, but they’re often just the same as no-name brands. “Don’t always rely on branded items, try generic products because some of them work really fine, too.”

Try Buy Nothing and Freecycle

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While people may be ready to toss some things in the trash, you could find something perfect near you through Buy Nothing or Freecycle.

“There are so many good things people just give away for free,” advises a Redditor. “You’re not seen as a mooch for asking, but rather someone who’s looking to give something a new lease on life and keep items out of a landfill.”

Give Up Cigarettes and Coffee

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A pack of cigarettes or a Starbucks run may not seem like much of an investment, but do it regularly and it will be.

“One pack a day at $6 a pack is about $2200 a year,” one Redditor calculates. “Same with Starbucks. It’s convenient & delicious but man, it adds up. Get yourself a coffee maker and wake up 10 minutes earlier.”

Wear the Same Outfit Daily

Bluffworks

Take a tip from Steve Jobs, who wore black shirts every single day. It’s easy to buy your outfit of choice in bulk, you never have to think about what shoes “go” with what you’re wearing, and if you wear an outfit twice, no one will be the wiser.

“I’ve got a handful of dress shirts when the occasion calls for it and a bunch of graphic tees that really only get pulled out on vacation, but day to day? Exact same stuff every day,” one Redditor admits.

Learn To Sew

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It’s a valuable skill — and can save you plenty. Can’t buy a new sewing machine? No problem.

“If you can get a machine secondhand, that’s great. If not, sewing by hand is just fine,” writes a Redditor. “You can easily turn a long skirt into a shorter summer skirt, longer slacks into capris or shorts, hem pants, repair split seams, anything. It’s far cheaper than buying new every time an item doesn’t fit the way you think it should, and it’s a skill that can solve a lot of problems.”

Don’t Buy Cheap

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While it may seem like a deal, getting the cheapest item available doesn’t always pay off.

“The quality of the cheapest stuff is poor and you’ll often end up using it much quicker than getting something mid-range,” one Redditor shares. “Case in point: my other half will buy the cheapest kitchen paper (paper towels), you need to use double to amount due to them being thin. I get mid range and it takes double the time to run through the same amount. Shop smart not just cheap.”

Wait To Buy Electronics

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While it’s exciting to wait in line to buy the latest gizmo, take a deep breath — and save some money.

According to one Redditor, “If you want to buy something electronic -wait! It will probably come down in price. I’m old enough to remember $1000 microwaves, VCR’s, and CD players. I bought a Nintendo 64 when it first came out for $300. A few months later, that had become $99. Patience.”

Practice the 72-Hour Rule

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If you want something, don’t buy it right away. Wait a few days and see if you still want it (if you even remember what it was).

“In that time frame, do some research to see if the price is the best one, if you can find it used, if you can get it for free etc.,” one Redditor writes. “For bigger purchases (more than $200) I try to wait 3 months if I can, then see if I still want it. Sometimes I’ll even make a pro/con list. It’s helped curb impulse buys and really improved the quality of the purchases that I do make.”

Make Staples From Scratch

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It turns out many staple foods (with the exception of dairy) can be made cheaply from scratch.

“When I was poor I’d make baked beans, soy milk (SO cheap), pasta sauce, etc etc. The only staples I found that weren’t cost effective to make was anything dairy (cheese, yogurt, etc) so I just cut back on those.”

Get a Receipt Scanning App

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It doesn’t take much to scan your receipt, and you can get cash for your minimal effort.

“I have three apps, and I scan every receipt I get,” one Redditor writes. “You can upload the same receipt to each app. You then earn gift cards to most major retailers, Amazon, and one has a PayPal cash-out option. Diapers work great on one app. You earn points for every diaper purchase, then turn around and use gift cards to pay for the next box of diapers. It’s a self feeding cycle.”

Work From Home

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It’s not always an option, but plenty of people learned they’re saving plenty — on lunch out, work clothes, gas parking and more — by working from home. “I started working from home, which saves time and money on fuel, and my car insurance rates went down.”

Buy a Bidet

Tushy

While toilet paper doesn’t seem like much of an expense, chances are you’ve been buying it for years — and don’t need to. “Buy a bidet,” suggests a Redditor. “You can get a good one for like $70 and in the long run you save tons on toilet paper.”

Repair, Don’t Replace

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Sometimes it just requires a little giue or thread to salvage an item, especially clothes. And if you don’t know how to fix something, head to YouTube or Google to find out. “Learn to fix stuff. When you can, repair don’t replace.”

Freeze Leftover Herbs in Oil to Extend Their Life

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Instead of letting fresh herbs go bad (and throwing them out), chop them up and freeze them in ice cube trays with a bit of olive oil.

Then, pop the cubes out and store them in a freezer bag. When you cook, you can just drop a cube into soups, sauces, or sauté pans — no waste, no extra shopping.

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Source: “AOL Money”