It's amazing the deals you can get closer to Christmas!

I posted a while back about how it was pretty sparse on indoor decor for xmas and non existent outdoor.

Thanks to you all we made it with a beautiful Christmas of our own

I spent a total of $15 through repurposing fairy lights we already had, homemade stockings fashioned from the child's too small clothing (which she made herself and I sewed - she was proud to create them), and new LED gnomes ($8) that she chose and a wreath with LED lights ($7) for our front door. Our front door decor is humble and very sweet. She also made her own Christmas sweater - her favorite green fuzzy sweater, creating elves and gnomes with markers backed by construction paper which I then glued to some jewelry/brooch pins I have from a couple years back

How did you guys do? By the way if you have a lot of disposable bucks to create a beautiful outdoor and indoor decor, more power to you! We thoroughly enjoy all the lights and displays of others but We were on a tight budget so I'm just proud we have some decor that the child loves just as much

Here is how I get the most out of chicken.

1. Buy one of those bulk bags (10lbs) of chicken quarters (does not include breast meat)
2. Put a layer of cut-up potatoes, carrots, celery and onions in the bottom of a big soup kettle.
3. Add just enough water to cover, season with salt, pepper, and whatever else you like.
4. Pile the pieces of chicken on top and steam cook them until done.

Now at this point they may seem bland and the skin will not have that nice finish of roasted chicken. So put a few of them in a baking dish and slide some slivers of garlic under the skin, brush the skin with oil or butter, and sprinkle seasonings over it. Chili powder is good and if your store sells lemon pepper or orange pepper, that is good, too. So is a glaze of orange chutney or barbecue sauce. You can do a variety in one sitting. Put them into a hot oven just long enough to crisp the skin. Choose what you want for now and wrap the others in foil and put them in the freezer.

Take the rest of the chicken, debone it and toss the bones back into the soup kettle. Use some of the chicken meat to make chicken salad with some mayonnaise, chopped green like chives, spinach or spring onions, and put that container of chicken salad into the fridge.

Now back to that soup kettle. You should have some really great broth in there. Pull out some of the cooked carrots and potatoes to serve now and leave the rest in. Taste the broth. If you want to add some water, do it now and simmer it a little longer. Pour it into containers to make soup or use for cooking rice, etc You should keep some powdered bouillon on hand like that tomato-chicken bullion that goes with Mexican recipes. Add a little of that to the broth. Add other veggies as you like. (I pour the finished soup -minus the bones- into plastic soup bowls and freeze it. That way I end up with blocks of frozen soup ready to pop into my little crockpot any time)

There are usually 14 or 15 pieces of chicken in one of those bags so this lasts me two months since I eat chicken about twice a week. And the bag of chicken costs less than $10. Hope you find this helpful.

Hey guys, I invited to a potluck tomorrow with 4 of my friends. I’d love to enjoy the dinner with them but I’m financially struggling right now and atm can barely afford to feed myself.

I’m looking for a dish that I can bring, with a budget of $5. If that’s not possible, I can maybe stretch it to up to $10 max but I would prefer to avoid that since it would mean skipping other meals for me.

I’m kind of struggling to come up with something right now, and I really just don’t want my financial situation to be obvious to them. Others have talked about bringing ribs and mashed potatoes so those are out of the question, if possible I guess I’m looking for a solution that would be on the same “tier” as that if that makes sense 🙂‍↕️

I am an American, and I'm looking at the fact that it's gonna cost $300 or more for car insurance and gas every month, not including maintenance. Especially come 2025, I'm expecting the gas prices to go up just a little bit. Would it be more worth it for me to buy an $80 bus pass that's unlimited rides for 30 days? I would have to deal with standing/walking outside and the bus ride being an hour long. my current commute to work is 20 minutes by car.

I don't want to get rid of my car, especially because I have cats and my vet isn't accessible by bus. But I'm wondering if it's even worth it to be driving my car with insurance? For reference, I'm 19, and I don't have anyone who could help with insurance. Plus it's going to be higher for me as I refuse to use a tracker app 😂

perhaps you wanted a more expensive or not practical car, but instead got an econobox toyota/honda because you're so frugal, do you regret it?

just wondering because i really want a mustang, but my frugal ass says i should get a econobox lol. i'm in my 20s and i don't want to regret anything. i'm financially stable & planning to pay the car in cash :)

obviously a toyota or honda is the best bang for your buck. can't decide if i should pull the trigger on a mustang or just get an econobox (toyota/honda) and have money for other things. both are the same price, but a mustang wouldn't live 200k+ miles.

i'm in my 20s and very financially stable! planning to pay off my new car right away. i want to enjoy the mustang while i'm still young, but indecisive and frugal AF.

I don't need anything blazing fast but I do want it to feel snappy. No gaming.

My main confusion is the processor type (see bolded part near end).

My main uses will be:

• Web browsing/video watching
• Writing
• Music recording/editing/mixing (not super complex...probably less than 10 tracks and not many effects)
• Maybe some programming and running those programs (and given they'll be written in Python, they won't be super fast running on a too-slow computer)
• Maybe goofing around with Whisper AI locally for transcription. I guess if I use a larger model it would require more processing (is that only GPU?).
• Could be a laptop or a desktop, really. Probably slightly prefer a laptop.
• I want to primarily use Linux (KDE) as my OS though I may also have a Win 10 or 11 partition, not sure. (Not doing OSX.)

I'm thinking 16GB RAM, a good sized SSD...

...but I'm not very clear on how far back in time one really wants to go in terms of the CPU. I find the whole i3/i5/i7 + generations...or AMD...and also maybe a GPU.. thing very confusing at this point. Especially given that a later generation i5, say, can be faster/better than an earlier generation i7. I'm lost in this soup.

Thinking I can probably find something fine for $100-$150 (trust me, it'd be a big upgrade from what I have now) or maybe less (I saw some really cheap computers at a thrift store but didn't get them and they're gone now) either locally or shipped. Just don't know which specs I should realistically hold out for.

I am thinking about getting a bidet, but there are so many options and a wide price range. I am willing to spend a little more it it’s worth it, with the reasoning that I will save money on toilet paper in the long run. One that has warm water would be nice, but might not work in my bathroom. Anyway, I’m in the US and I am willing to either buy online or pick up in person. What do you recommend?

So, I’m a guy who’s always struggled with money. I had bad parents, and nobody else was o turn to for financial advice. I’m in my late 30s, I’ve spent a lot of time working on myself, and I’m in a good place mentally, and a decent one income wise.

That said, I need to save more and spend less. What actionable advice do you guys have to slowly slide into a more frugal lifestyle?

I have a wife, and two young kids. Not many friends locally (they mostly live out of state). Just throwing that out there in case it’s relevant for any of your frugal advice.

Thanks in advance!

So, I'm the kind of person who likes to make a nice monthly spreadsheet for budgeting. You know, like:
Rent: 900
Gas: 200
Etc.

Now, one thing that I really dislike about this approach is it doesn't lend itself to properly handling relatively large, semi random expenses. IE: My tire blew out, now to be safe I'm going to get all 4 replaced and it's gonna cost like $500. Or it could be an unplanned dentist visit, or an emergency hotel stay, etc. I'm on the road quite a bit, so I tend to have these sort of unplanned expenses more often.

When I first started budgeting, I originally planned for stuff like this by having a small "emergency" category that I allotted a hundred dollars or so to each month. This wasn't with the expectation of having a hundred dollar emergency every month, but rather with the expectation that this category would go unused most months, and the money would "roll over" from month to month until a real emergency happened. But I don't like this approach because it requires monthly budgeting for a category I don't generally expect to use. (Also, it would still look like I overspent on my "emergency" category on whatever month I had to use this saved up money)

What I've done more recently is just not tracked things that I would consider unexpected expenses. Instead, I just trim up my budget and save more, then use the savings when there's an emergency, and not log it on my budget. However, I also really don't like this approach, because the whole point of budgeting is to track my expenses.

In general, I think I'm pretty good with my spending habits, but I'm really particular about my budget tracking and want a good solution for this. Curious what you all think.

My family currently gets about $1300 a month of EBT, but I have to spend up to $600 on my baby's formula (has allergies and requires specialty formula). I can't get WIC right now because they won't let me get it without having a Medicaid card for all family members and unfortunately mine and my baby's is delayed, also can't go to the pediatrician to get a prescription for WIC to cover the specialty formula without insurance. I'm hoping this situation will be taken care of in the next few months, but currently this is the situation. How do I feed my family of 6 with the $700 a month I have left over. I also need to mention we can only eat halal meat so the cheapest I can get is $25 for a 5lb bag of boneless skinless chicken thighs or chicken breast. Cheapest I can get for ground beef is $9.99 a lb. Also my husband and 2 year old son are type 1 diabetic so we need to be careful about carb content of meals so we don't run out of insulin. My husband also recently had a heart attack so has to be on the cardiac diet. Any suggestions would be welcome. I will also mention that the food bank won't help us because we don't have a utility bill in our name, because we are temporarily living at my mom's house. We have access to Aldi and can get groceries delivered from Walmart.

Update: I was able to go to the food bank with my mom and got it sorted so now I am able to get food from there they just had to set everything up under my mom.

For those being rude as if we don't work or do anything. My husband had a job and lost it then had a heart attack a couple weeks later. He is now looking for work now that we have moved cross country closer to family. We have only been here 2 weeks and it takes time to find a job. Some people are so negative and instantly jump to the worst possible conclusion.

With how expensive olive oil has become, what are you guys using for cooking oil? I’ve resulted in using canola oil and know that it’s not the healthiest option and I’m trying to see what other healthy alternatives there are that don’t kill the bank. I do all cooking at home.

Would love to get a sense of what people think is acceptable to spend here. I have been dating my girlfriend for a few years, if that matters for gift budget. I live in HCOL area.

What is your budget for gifts?
What percent of your paycheck is this?

Hi everyone,

r/Frugal has had an amazing 2024! Since January, we have had 27 million unique visitors and added 2.5 million members. So, to all who have joined, welcome!

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So currently I purchase either the pre-made Starbucks cold brew or the stok brand cold brew but they are usually 5$-7$ per bottle depending on what deals are going. They also only make me about 3 to 4 homemade iced coffees per bottle.

I have really tried to get into warm coffee but it just isn't the same for me. They taste ok but iced coffee is one of the only items I splurge on for myself and I've managed to at least stop purchasing Starbucks or from local shops.

Any iced coffee machines or other methods to make cold brew in a very cost effective way?

This stuff is non toxic and works wonders cleaning the toilet bowl, as a dishwasher rinse, cutting grime in sinks...and on and on. It also goes in some dinner recipes to brighten flavor, kind of like salt.

I just try to find it under $5 per pound...try.

Not sure if this a good place for this but I don't want to spend a fortune.

I have lots of pictures on my sd cards and would like to have physical prints made and delivered to my house. I work second shift and have enough to do before work starts. 😆

I think this would be a nice gift as well next year.

What site would you recommend?

Is there anyway you know of of a dye resist I can use to protect the letters so I don’t lose them when I attempt to strip the dye? Bear in mind it would have to be one that can resist boiling as they recommend I boil the garment.

Are there any resists that can handle boiling water? Or can I still rit dye remove and redye cold and hopefully achieve good results?

I have bought a new jumper as it was only £2 on vinted in the same colour without the bleach damage. So I’m willing to risk redying this one fully.

I read online that Gutta glue may withstand boiling water and act as a resist? But if that’s the case how far will that be to get off again afterwards?

Essentially to summarise: Looking for a resist that will keep the letters when rit colour removing and then rit redying in boiling water. Even if only half a chance I’m willing to try it.

Looking to spend NYE in warm weather somewhere the US. Any recommendations on where to go? Currently in the midwest and miserable with the cold temps! Will most likely drive to save on expensive airfare around that time unless we find cheap flights.

Hello,

I’m looking for a phone in the price range of around 200-300 euros/dollars.
I would be interested in your opinions on which phones are the best in various categories (battery, camera, performance, etc.) in this price range.
So far, the Honor Magic 6 Lite is winning for me (at least from what I’ve seen on my local e-shops - I am EU). I haven’t found anything with a better price/performance ratio (at least on paper).

Thanks

Just wondering if anyone has strategies for getting coupons and whatnot for services like UberEats, DoorDash, etc.

I travel for work between 30-40% of the year doing automation work. 100% of these trips involve getting on an airplane which restricts a lot of what I am able to bring with me. I used to eat out every night and blow most or all of my per diem, but I figured out a little system that works well and allows me to "cook" on the go.

The main investment into this setup are these insulated food jars. They are basically a wide mouth thermos that can be used to cook or keep food warm. I like to preheat these jars if I can/know the food will be in them a little while first. It really helps keep the temperature up.

Breakfast: Steel cut oats 1/4 cup Gernola 1/4 cup Dehydrated fruit 1 cup White sugar 1 TBS Vanilla protein powder 3ish TBS And a pinch of cinnamon, cloves and kosher salt

I then fill the 16oz jar about 1/2" below the neck and give it a shake. It's probably ready in about an hour, but I've eaten it as much as 7 hours after making it and it is still smoking hot.

Lunches/Dinners: The knorr rice and pasta meals are at the heart of these dishes, I have some Dehydrated veggies I like to add as well as some beef jerky and lentils for some extra protein. If I'm feeling spicy I will snag a few breakfast sausages from the hotel breakfast and add them to the mix.You can buy these little bottles of hot sauce at wally world that seal quite nice and are under the 3OZ limit for carry ons. These meals take a fair bit of water and need to be filled almost to the top of the 24oz jar.

What I like about this style of cooking is that it is lightweight enough where I can carry breakfast and lunch in my carry on, get some hot water on the plane or nearest coffee shop and be good to go. I've also been known to toss a few ice cubes and fruit in the food jars or some soup if I'm in the airport lounge (which might be a little cringe, but I never go overboard with it).

In the past few trips I've easily socked away $1k of per diem I would have otherwise spent on going out to eat.

I hope this helps someone!

Just wondering because sometimes it feels like im throwing Money away.

I have like $170 to my name to get everyone in my life gifts this Christmas, I need to figure out what to get my girlfriend that won’t make me completely broke. Here are some things she likes

We play video games together a lot on Xbox She loves smell good anything. Candles, lotion, etc. We ever so often commit our day to doing a puzzle together She loves being outside, doing anything

She’s so simple to please honestly, but her budget was a lot larger than mine so I want to do something good for her

I’ve got a bottle of 100% cranberry juice sitting in my fridge, and I’m wondering if it can do more than just hang out in a glass.

Do you have any go-to recipes or sneaky ways to use it in cooking or baking? Sauces, marinades, desserts—I’ll take any ideas I don't want this to go to waste🍗🍰

Hi guys im a 17 year old highschooler ive been saving up some money and by june ill have a good amount of cash . i have an iphone 12 and aside from the bad battery everything works well . my battery is really bad and doesnt last me throughout the day and it causes my phone to become slow. should i replace the battery or upgrade my phone ? ive had the phone ever since it came out

Trying to figure out low cost gifts for my coworkers (there’s 5 of them, all women) despite it being last minute. Thought I’d share my list of affordable ideas and see what everyone else does. So far I’ve considered: -50 cent mugs from the thrift store, filled with candies (a bag split should cover them all) with a hot cocoa packet per cup -baked goods, cookies, fudge, etc. -just buying a pizza for everyone on our last day before Xmas break -nail polish/lotion/cozy socks combo for everyone

Examples:

Tubes of toothpaste

Rolls of toilet paper

Bags of coffee

Things that are used daily (or close to it). How do you keep track of how much you use per year?

Our thinking is to buy that amount in one or two shopping trips in bulk when it is on sale.

I see these videos on social media of people making really decent sized bang for your buck meals at the dollar store that manage to feed families of 5-6. I go to my dollar tree but see that some items are way more expensive than their great value counterparts at Walmart. Is dollar tree really worth it at the end for groceries?