30 Easy Frugal Swaps That Save THOUSANDS of Dollars

We save thousands of dollars a year by making a few easy changes to our regular habits. in this video, we’ll list 30 of them. so, get ready to take notes.

If you’re stretching your budget, a few, simple swaps could save you hundreds of dollars a year. We’re Hope and Larry and this is under the median, where every week we talk about practical frugality.

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We're Hope and Larry and we raised our four sons, debt-free, including paying cash for our home (when our salary averaged less than $40,000). For tips on saving money, budgeting, paying off debt, and setting goals (while living with a spirit of joy and abundance), subscribe to us here on YouTube and visit us at our website and on social media.

Information on Under the Median represents our opinions only. We are not medical doctors, medical professionals, nutritionists, or investment professionals. All content found on Under the Median is intended for informational purposes only. Please be sure to exercise due diligence and always contact a professional with any questions you may have regarding any information you have seen or heard on our YouTube channel. Use caution when following instructions in this video. The creator and publisher of this video will not be held responsible for any adverse effects that may arise from the use of any method on this channel.

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[vegassurvivor]

sorry but I just have to comment. I'm 60 yr old lady and I'm so jealous of your beautiful hair. you 2 must be doing something right in your diet cause in a world where most people are losing their hair as they age, well you two both have heads of hair like teens! you guys are so cute together. I love all your tips!

[debbiewenckowski]

I shop once a month. When my fresh veg is gone I use my frozen veg. I make spaghetti on Sunday and have left over on Monday. Tuesday I make chicken strips, fries and veg. Wed Salmon or Haddock mashed taters n veg. Thurs I do rice n noodles. Fri I make a home made soup either clam chowder or lentil. Sat we eat any left over soup and lunch meat n cheese n buns. I do not go back to a store the entire month! If I am out of something then I will plan better the following month. We eat oatmeal Mon- Fri and on weekends we eat eggs and hash browns. I am not able to put blinders on and go into the store for 1-2 items, What I spend for three people is pretty low in comparing to my friends. I am now using less than a pound of burger for my spaghetti and bulking it with different beans. Love your channel.

[scoop]

One of my favorite tips is : if I want something on any website I put it in the "cart" and often when I go back to look in a cart I'm no longer that interested in the product and don't purchase it. If I really still want it it's there.

[katkohlerschwartz]

When I was a single mom of three, once per month I used to grant the kids a junk food night. They got to choose whatever junk food they wanted. It could be anything, but that was their dinner for the night. They loved it and carried the tradition with their own families later in life. That night also included a favorite movie or games. It was fun and they quickly learned how they felt after eating junk food versus eating healthy.

[susiedavis]

I grew up watching the beginning years of Sesame Street. I can’t remember the character but every time something was broken he fixed it. Little things like toasters were brought in for repairs. It drives me crazy that so many items today are made cheaply and are not fixable.
We have a supper club with two other couples. we get together every month and rotate houses. The host makes the main dish and provides beverages. The other two couples bring all of the sides and desserts. Supper club usually winds up lasting for hours as we fellowship or play games and it is just beneficial to all.

[FrugalFamilyFocus]

Also it’s probably TMI but I use cloth period pads and sewed them myself just over a decade ago- I haven’t paid for menstrual products in 10 years! I highly recommend them!

[Rach_M]

Delighted to see movement towards re-usable! I switched out everything in my house over the past 5 years or so to re-usable everything. Very low waste. Frugality and environmental sustainability complement each other.

[barbchumbley]

Made 3 calls and saved $472 on car insurance, $96.00 on trash pick up, $60 on bank fees. Today our bank offers 3.05% for a 19 month CD! Doing home cooking, and once a week we get together with friends for a potluck dinner and movie on TV. Shop Aldi's, Rulers(Kroger discount store) and an Amish salvage store. We shop the sale ads at a chain store. Trying to skip one week a month from shopping by keeping food storage. We use a Ranger station loyalty card and pay cash to get a total of 8 cents off per gallon of gas. We make a Sam's run 4 times a year for some bulk buys on months there are extra instant savings. Enjoy your frugal suggestions!🤗

[jo-annoconnor]

I keep the many napkins that restaurants give you for take out and reuse them several times at home. As a retired library technician, I'm happy to suggest that you move the library as your first place to get books instead of a used bookstore. Firstly, they are free, they can get you anything you want to read, and they have more than books. Consider the dvds, magazines and non-fiction books as well (instead of Google 😀). They also have digital collections that include ebooks, audiobooks, movies, TV series, music, and because they are online, you save money and time by selecting what you want from the comfort of your own home (even at midnight, when you need something to read!)

[joycee]

Water bottles: I save the glass bottles from Kumbucha. They are made of thick glass and have good screw top lids. I have dozens of them. No waste. and no BPA leaching from plastic. It's environmentally responsible and free. I use a bottle brush and dish soap... easy to clean

[raneesteele]

I have washed clothes in cold water my whole life. Mom and grandma did as well. I make my own laundry soap. I make 20 gallons for around 15 dollars and it lasts over a year. Discovered I use way more hacks then so thought. Thank you from Ohio.

[mammasquirrel]

Years ago I bought many sets of gray flannel sheets at an incredible price. Price has gone way up since but still have some saved. When the sheets wear out I cut them into large cloths for kitchen and smaller cloths for bathroom cleaning (so they don't get mixed up), sew around edges so they don't fray and they last for years. I only use paper towels for throw away--for example draining bacon. When the flannel cloths become too worn for household use they become rags that can be thrown away after one use. I also have flannel curtains and have re-covered chairs to match. Love flannel.

[bhallmark]

This is such a great video! About 2 years ago, lightning zapped our Samsung smart tv. So we called to have a repair man come out to assess the damage. He determined that the main power supply board would need to be installed, to the tune of $400.00……😱 . We did not want to spend that much. So I asked my husband to check out YouTube for info on how to DIY the repair. He found one, ordered the part for about $69 and he was able to fix

[helenpastore]

I too have started cycling to work. Its only a 3 mile journey, and it takes me less time than when I take my car, as I'm not sat in traffic! I feel healthier, get in some fresh air, and its a great way to decompress after a hectic day at work! 👍

[StCarion]

Thank you for sharing more enlightening frugal ideas! One problem worth mentioning, though, about re-using plastic water bottles is that the plastic breaks down over time and you end up eating bits of plastic. Lifestyle doctors, chemists, and others in the know advise using glass or stainless steel for keeping drinking water and any hot foods safe.

[kamicrum]

I live alone, once a month por so, I buy a bunchnof burger, put into meal size portions freeze, I do the same with chicken& pork chops all on sale. Every night after dinner .i decide whats for dinner Tomorrow, pull from freezer I find I inly need to cook a couple if tines a week!

[Olebrumm]

For those not liking the shoe “advertisement”. Just because shoe shopping is not your thing, it is apparently Hope’s thing. And if they are timeless and lasts a long time, that’s frugality! You can always skip the shoe-part and watch the rest of the video with fantastic ideas.

I watch these videos even if most of the ideas does not apply to us here in the Northern Europe. Flannel sheets are hard to find, but wool blankets are wonderful! I love cozying up in our sofa with a woollen sweater, a woollen throw, woollen socks, a hot cup of tea and YouTube. ❤️

I cut jersey (cotton-elastane mix) to napkins. The edges don’t fray so all you don’t need to serge or sew anything. I still have napkins in use from the time my kids were babies. The older one is 10 yo… Also leggings and pants with holes at the knees, bum, you name it, are perfect napkin material. (Don’t use 100% Lycra/Polyester.) And when you have the flu, the cotton napkins won’t make your nose “raw”.

We get fantastic drinkable water from the tap. No need for filtering. 😍

I love my insulated Hydro flask. Add water from the tap anywhere and you don’t have to buy water anywhere. Or fill it with coffee. 🥰

Our family have three different diets, so to ditch meat is a bit hard, but we “extend” our food with extra veggies. I add red lentils, carrot, potato, tomatoes, etc to use less meat in the food.

Electrical-bikes. 💕 We buy most of our weekly groceries biking and we bike to the kids’ hobbies. Saves us gas, parking fees and nerves. And you get a free workout.

Both me and my hubby are crafty. I sew, knit and crochet. My hubby does woodwork, metalwork, renovations and a lot more. Our kids think everything is repairable. They just have to ask the right parent to fix the thing. 😂 However cooking is not either’s favourite. We can do it, but we take the easiest way out. So batch cooking or air fryer food is our favourites.

[mourningdove]

As far as winter bedding, my best garage sale purchase EVER was a queen size down comforter for $2! I pair that with a wool afghan that my Grandma made in the 1960's, and a homemade quilt. I am able to keep my thermostat at 50 to 55 degrees and stay nice and toasty.

[chrisl]

Menstrual cups have saved me lots for my daughters.

[princesskaitlinhazelwood]

One of my big tips is host or attend a Santa’s grotto. It is basically a toy or childrens book swap. My church preschool holds one every year. Bring new or gently used kids items. Kids often get duplicate items for gifts or never opened presents. Bring them to the grotto. For every item you donate, you get the same number of tickets to pick up other items. So we often had 5-8 brand new toys still in original packages. I would drop them off and get 8 tickets to pick up other items. I have two kids. So I would give each one a ticket to pick out a new to them toy. We donated the other tickets to families who could not donate but needed new items for their children. We call it Santa grotto because we host it during the lead up to Christmas. We also decorate, do face painting and sell snacks. Proceeds and left over toys and books were donated to children in need. Great way to some cheap holiday shopping, or clean your house.