10 'Frugal' Things That Are Actually Just Money-Wasters | minimalism + saving money

Have you ever tried to be frugal and save money, only to end up wasting money instead? When it comes to frugal living, here is a list of things I stopped buying or don't do as a minimalist and frugal person of 15+ years that help me get the most bang out of my bucks! Is there anything you don't buy because you realized it's just a money-waster? Drop me a comment below and let me know!

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ABOUT A TO ZEN LIFE
Along my journey to let go of 30 years of clutter, I accidentally became a minimalist and it was life-changing.

Before, I was an emotional hoarder with nothing but the clutter from lost loved ones — and $25,000 of debt — to my name. Now I have a beautiful home in Europe, a happy family, live debt-free, and — best of all — wake up to a life that I’m EXCITED to live every day.

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[maryanneslater]

In Terry Pratchett's Discworld series, much of this advice would come under the Vimes "Boots Theory" of economics: "A man who could afford fifty dollars had a pair of boots that'd still be keeping his feet dry in ten years' time, while a poor man who could only afford cheap boots would have spent a hundred dollars on boots in the same time and would still have wet feet."

[IQSim]

In Germany there's a saying "Wer billig kauft, der kauft doppelt" - "If you buy cheap, you buy twice". Especially with tools, kitchen utensils and furniture it's always adviced to go for quality over a (seemingly) cheap deal.

[mc]

Great sensible tips! my favorite, "just remember the money was wasted when we purchased the item, not when we get rid of item" 🙌 Thank you!

[lorigalena]

I am a softer mattress person because I have a lot of problem with arthritis and joints. But my husband has always been a super hard mattress person. Last year we moved out to Amish country, and an Amish gentleman who makes mattresses custom made us a mattress that is softer on one side and firmer on the other. It’s identical on the other side so that we can flip the mattress whenever we want. The way he bound them together, you cannot tell that it’s two separate mattresses. But if you sit on one side, and then sit on the other, you can totally feel it. And oddly enough, what he charged us, for our custom mattress was not any more than we would’ve paid in a regular furniture store for a mattress like a Sealy.

[vickyb]

What I think is crazy are the people who have a two car garage but can’t park their $25k or more vehicles in it because they use it for a storage space for less expensive items.

[lindap]

I think the best way to save money is to not go shopping as a pass time. If you don't see the latest gadget or 'this year's color' or new trend you are not tempted to purchase it. I love tip #10, really helpful.

[quoththeraven]

I think a cheap bra fits this list nicely 👍

[neuronstellingstories]

I consider sometimes paying a delivery fee over going instore actually saves me money as it better protects me from impulse purchases that end up costing more than the delivery fee.

[dchick]

My mother used to call it "penny wise, but pound stupid." Admittedly, it took my youthful American brain until college to understand the pound was the pound sterling, lol, and then the saying finally made sense.

[abcde_fz]

Here's my 'stuff on sale' mantra. I'm not kidding, I actually do this all the time.
I say out loud "I save the most money by not buying it in the first place."
Works every single time.

[VerucaPumpkin]

"it's only a sale if you need it" I don't shop anymore only when an item is really needed and I sleep on it always. Good Video.

[mypianonikki]

Letting go of clutter also means wasting less money in future when you move. A question I always ask myself as well while decluttering is: „Do I want to pay for the moving costs of this item?“

[missyperry]

I cut and color my own hair now that I'm retired. Saves me a ton of money and I like how my hair looks a thousand times better than when I went to the salon.

[ashleymcgee]

I like that you mentioned that you can still enjoy your coffee if you’re not ordering it out. I bought a $20 pouch of ceremonial grade matcha and at first I was appalled by the price, but a week of drinking matcha from Starbucks, or even more expensive, Juiceland, meant that little pouch of matcha paid for itself in the first week. Living frugally does not have to mean going without. Just prioritize and be mindful, and you’ll see results. We discovered recently that just by changing a few habits, we could still save money for the future and I could keep my personal trainer. Of course, I own my privilege. I was supported through certification and I have a good job in the tech industry. Never forget that while money can’t buy happiness, you can’t personal finance your way out of poverty. At some point, you just need more money. And everyone deserves a fair, livable wage.

[kalinaluz]

We have a say for that in our family that my mum read somewhere years ago: " We aren't rich enough to buy cheap things. " That, I can confirm is the best buy-lense you can use in life. With fast fashion I can have clothes that look awful after one season, and I have dresses from a small businesses for 5-6 years. Sometimes I see my overweight battle as a blessing in disguise. If you are cut from the fast fashion clothes chain, you find a fast way to learn the quality over quantity credo.

[HappyOrangeCat]

Yes! Don't be cheap on caring for your body. Don't hurt yourself with painful shoes or toilet paper. (I grew up on cheap toilet paper, and it's gotten even scratchier and cheaper than it used to be. After having a baby, I had to get the softer and more expensive kind. The cheap stuff was hurting me!)

[AM-bmxw]

Another item like this for us is cheap socks. My boys burn through socks if I buy cheap ones from Walmart, but if I buy Puma or Underarmer socks (marked down at Winners), they last so much longer and can even be handed down.

[Pinkbear]

I want to add cheap toothbrushes. I grew up in a family of five and my mom was frugal. She once bought a pack of 5 toothbrushes for 1 dollar. She used it the first time and bristles were flattened and it all directions. Spend just a littlw morw on a toothbrush.

[DerrickMims]

It really is amazing how much longer a jumbo roll of decent toilet paper lasts compared to the 4-rolls-for-$2 stuff I bought for years.

[kensiblonde]

I grew up with a great grandmother who reused tea bags. I did it for years because I thought everyone did it. My bf was like “ no we’re not doing that” so I stopped. That was years ago and I just started doing it again. 😂