12 Super Budget Savers When There's Nothing Left To Cut

[@sarashkim]

I'm growing blueberries, raspberries and kiwi for the first time this year, pretty excited. Those are rather expensive fruits, so I'll definitely save some money!

[@SimplyKatieWalks]

Kiwi!!🎉

[@colleenwebster8762]

It may take a few years to really get a lot of fruit from your plants but take it from someone who has mature raspberries, pears, apples and grapes growing in their backyard it is worth the wait!

[@sarashkim]

@@colleenwebster8762 Oh yes, I read about how long it'll take and am prepared! Good to hear that it's worth the wait, I'm really excited. I would love to have pear and apple trees as well, lucky you!

[@jennyeagan1840]

Am working on sweet potato slips. Finally moved to a barely affordable apartment that has a porch, excellent weather to grow things. Although lease rules are no more than five plant containers 20 inch in diameter. Am going to push for 24 inch for the three slips. Hoping for slips soon. Am choosing the dirt method. Am seeing a few other neighbors break the lease planter rules, like a dozen smaller planting pots. So far, no porch police. Can also eat the leaves. Am getting a food dehydrator, so harvesting the leaves to add to winter soups or stews are one of my higher hopes.

[@SimplyKatieWalks]

@jennyeagan1840 what a great way to utilize your porch! Out of curiosity, could you have hanging planters?

[@dianewiegel7136]

I agree about the Eclipse, driving to see totality and we brought all of our food. It was a great experience

[@charlottetooth1457]

Also, save on things like haircuts by going to the student salon at a beauty school - most big cities have one. And my favourite, save on massages (Which are necessary for some people) by going to a massage school and using the student clinic. At the school I teach at, you can get a one hour massage for $15... Not only are you saving money, you are helping the students learn!

[@happyday1060]

Wow thanks

[@christinagardener1889]

Thanks for the tip of using dawn and baking soda to clean the tub.

[@sylviahufer7019]

Dawn and baking soda is a good spot remover just of squirt of Dawn ( any dishing liquid will do ) sprinkle on the baking soda , I brush in with an old tooth brush , leave overnight and wash as usual .

[@charlottetooth1457]

One way to save on meat - add split red lentils or oatmeal to ground beef in chilli, pasta sauces etc - you can't "Find" them in the sauce once it is all cooked. Also consider eating more plant protein - beans and lentils are very nutritious, and full of fibre as well as protein. And they are delicious - don't panic about "complimentary proteins", or not getting all the amino acids you need - you don't need to get it all at every single meal, as long as you get all of those essential amino acids over the course of the day, everything is good. And beans, especially when you cook them yourself are way, way cheaper than meat. I try to have at least 2 meat-free days a week, and I still get more protein than I need. And this brings me to the next point - it is far cheaper to buy the dry beans and cook them yourself than it is to buy cans. And if you have an instant pot or a pressure cooker, they don't take hours. I soak them overnight, then drain, rinse and put in my instant pot, and they are done in about 15 minutes. Save the water that they are cooked in as well, and use it like stock/broth - it is full of nutrients! Don't waste anything - keep a small bag in the freezer for veggie trimmings. Keep a separate small bag for bones (it is often cheaper to buy a whole chicken and bone it out yourself - there are videos on youtube that will teach you how).SAve all these, and once the bags are full, make broth with them! Herb stalks have just as much flavour as the leaves, so if they are tender, chop them and use them in the dish. If they are a bit tough, into the veggie bag they go...

[@simonefeaster5131]

I thought I couldn’t do a garden for eating this year (new house and expense of a raised wood bed). However, I searched the net and found propylene tubs for 75% less than wood. I’m learning that frugality and flexibility go hand in hand. Excited to garden edibles on a budget!

[@happyday1060]

dollar general has $1 items laundry detergent dish soap and bleach alot of cleaning supplies buy no brand items you will be surprised they work the same as the brand name

[@saraconklinfrozenpennies]

Thanks for sharing!!

[@kenyonbissett3512]

Shop on Saturday and use the $5 off $25 purchase and all those $1 items are $0.80.

[@olderandwiser78]

Good suggestions although I think some are extreme, like turning off the breakers. That could be so annoying. My bathrooms have no windows. Think about having to run into the basement every time you need to use the bathroom. Not me. Just turn off the lights when you aren't in the room. This week on Nextdoor my neighbors were talking about their high water bills. I checked mine for last month. I typically use 0.76 ccf of water. My cost for the water used per month is $3.50. My toilets, shower heads, dishwasher, and washing machine are water smart models. I also see no need to shower everyday. Clothes are worn 2-3 days before washing and towels are used 7-14 days. They get hung to dry after use. I also use hand towels to dry my hands instead of bath towels as they get dirty faster. I had a retail store for 25 years. The heat was a gas furnace but hot water was electric. I realized that we did not use any gas between April and Nov. but they were charging $79 per month any way just to have the service. On April 1 I had them turn off the gas. In Nov. I paid $25 to have them turn it back on. That saved me almost $550. I had no idea I could do that until I complained to the utility company for having to pay the monthly fee. They were the ones who told me to turn it off.

[@Savannah-ed4rv]

I'm not sure she meant to turn off the breaker every time you're done with using the electricity but I know some people turn their entire house off at night, partly because of health reasons. I'm fortunate to have my circuit breaker very easy to get to camera but I've never turned off things that way.

[@bonniedurie3050]

Great suggestions. I used to take good things that people tossed away (not food) and reused them. I save water by only washing after 9p.m. and before 9 a.m. based on usage. We live in a small city and we've never gone over our water limit. Also I have three water barrels and collect water to water plants, and any other outdoor thing we might use it for. Last year my husband forgot to hook up our hoses. We didn't notice until fall. I like the idea of the circuit breaker but our's is in the basement and I can only do the stairs once a week. I leave only a few necessary things plugged in. Also, every window has 3 to 4 layers of window treatments. Like you said, some of the ideas are common sense. Continued blessings!

[@dharma6481]

Some convenience items are useful - if they keep you from eating out. My husband loves pizza, we keep a few frozen ones (at $10 each) which keeps him from ordering delivery at $20-30. We keep burger patties, fries and buns in the freezer, we are never tempted to stop on the way home, because we prefer our home grilled “fast food”. We also keep prepared frozen fried chicken breast, no need for Chick-fil-A. These were the items that tempted us to eat out, now that we keep them on hand we don’t eat out and we eat this stuff less frequently (because it’s always available). One extreme thing we do (for our health, but it’s also frugal) is to fast once a week for at least 36 hours. We eat dinner Saturday and do not eat again until Monday morning. We drink water, black coffee and green tea only.

[@Madamchief]

Baking pizza at home is even cheaper... Yeast, flour, oil, salt, sugar = pizza crust for as little as $0.20

[@Kelly-oe8kr]

You're absolutely right about giving experiences instead of gifts. I remember childhood Christmas' when the whole family would get together for a day long bbq, I don't remember any of the gifts we received but decades later I remember the family being together.

[@ThePocketFox]

I have on and off-peak electricity hours (Australia) so I boil my water during off-peak and then keep it in a couple of thermos carafes I have. I usually only have to boil the kettle once per day! I also use candles and USB rechargeable lights, and I don't use my air-con/heating at all. I have thermal lined curtains to regulate temp, and a small fan/heater I move from room to room with me. I use about $1 of electricity per day (on average).

[@Megan9689]

Living in a rural area in SW Michigan, there was no option of cable internet so we HAD to hot spot/tether from our phones or it would have been dial-up still. Thankfully, we were grandfathered in on our Verizon plan so had unlimited data plans since we were smart and never signed new contracts. It worked fine except would drop out once in a while for just a second but not bad! I heard satellite these days for internet is much better than it was in the past and works fine for majority of people, those casually using it for home internet use(browsing the web, streaming shows). So you could look into that if its cheaper than cable if you dont want to hotspot.

[@saraconklinfrozenpennies]

Great idea!

[@Savannah-ed4rv]

I live in Michigan also! But I'm definitely not rural, living in a suburb of Detroit. I looked into satellite internet as an option to my internet provider and I found that it was horribly expensive and at the time they have data limits. It was definitely not an option for me.

[@hollyboatright2136]

As a gift, my grandsons and i bake their cake. It's a win win cause they get memories of doing their own cakes and i get one on one time with them! They look forward to doing that each year!

[@Kelly-oe8kr]

Your grandsons also learn how to cook, so win win win

[@MadisonBriggsArtchick]

I love Mrs. Meyers also, I use the lemon verbena.

[@saraconklinfrozenpennies]

They just smell so good!

[@MartyHillman]

Love your new Hair Cut, it really shows your weight loss😊

[@SimplyKatieWalks]

Agree!

[@saraconklinfrozenpennies]

Thanks so much!!! i really appreciate you saying this

[@MsDoglover02]

@@saraconklinfrozenpennies Your top is also a great color on you!

[@MadisonBriggsArtchick]

Your fresh haircut looks great!

[@saraconklinfrozenpennies]

Oh thank you!

[@lindadenneypu6315]

My sister whent to c family and came home with over 10 bags of clothes she had a look threw so did my niece andyslef then I past the rest onto a friend of mine most of the clothes still had tags on them it was like xmas for all of us

[@qq1651]

Ive lowered our electric bill substantially. From $115 four months ago to $41 last month. All of our appliances are electric, except heat which we dont pay for. I unplug everything that is not in use (although I dont unplug my TVs/routers or stove cuz its too hard to get to). The ones that I realized the biggest savings on were in my kitchen like the coffee pot, the toaster, and the blender. They all sit out on my counter and I just always left them plugged in. Not anymore! I also turn off all the lights during the day, unless I actually need them to read or craft etc. We dont keep the TV be on if we arent actively watching it. I do all of my laundry after 8pm (when electric is cheaper and in less demand) and I usually run the dryer (I know but we live in a condo) over night, I just turn it on before we go to bed.

[@indigobunting5041]

I use a drying rack indoors when the clothesline isn't usable. My clothes dryer broke years ago.

[@Savannah-ed4rv]

If I were you, I wouldn't run my dryer at night while sleeping!! It's the number one cause of house fires and kills hundreds of people every year!! Even if I'm leaving my house I turn off my dryer, although I don't dry everything. I use the drying rack for most of my clothes, but I dry towels, sheets and other large items that are too big to hang.

[@nadajaklic3069]

Please do not, do NOT mix bleach and vinegar! I wouldn't do it even when diluted with water.

[@ThePocketFox]

Big no-no, that's how you create chlorine gas!

[@saraconklinfrozenpennies]

Just to be clear, I did not suggest mixing them. I suggested one or the other. I hope others did not think I was or that it sounded like I did - i would feel terrible if that were the case!

[@nadajaklic3069]

It sounded a bit like you meant to mix them, so thank you for the clarifucation. I hope everyone sees your reply.

[@kaymack5304]

Our electricity delivery costs are th high end of what our total bill used to be. If we got a $300 bill we erected floored. Now it is double or triple that.

[@kenyonbissett3512]

You can put a timer on your hot water heater to turn it on and off. Some timers will do M-F and a different schedule for Saturday-Sunday. This way it’s automatic and not something you have to think about.

[@kamicrum4408]

In my area many people use livestock waterers as tubs for raised beds, they come in may different sizes & can be found used.😊

[@muwgrad1987]

I bring a sandwich for lunch or leftovers almost every day and shop for ingredients most of the time. It does make a difference!

[@SusanRobinson-k3s]

We went to plant based eating years ago. You get plenty of protein and all your vitamins. We don't miss meat at all and our food budget is so much lower. We used to live in a desert area and learned water saving tips. Timers for watering your garden, hardscaping instead of grass and learn not to mindlessly run the faucet.

[@SimplyKatieWalks]

We pay 80$ for internet and 20$ a month for tv. This gets us all the football games we want, which is important to us. I love little house on the Prarie 🎉🎉 Edit: im on monjauro and I've been told to increase my protien. Eggs is the best way for me and frugal. We save to travel so i appreciate all your videos!🎉

[@Madamchief]

$80/month for just Internet is criminal! Who's your carrier? Comcast??

[@SimplyKatieWalks]

@@Madamchief it's for 60$ for internet and 20$ for a streaming service. My husband is a programmer who works from home.

[@Madamchief]

@@SimplyKatieWalks that sounds about right. I was recently able to get wireless wifi through T-Mobile for $40/month but that's the cheapest I have ever seen it. Basically everyone has to overpay for this service ☹️

[@elsathal7359]

Thank you for sharing ✌️💖🤟✨️🧚‍♂️

[@Barb-rk5wx]

My lease on my car expires In February 2025. Using the senior center bus, a cab or uber will get me anywhere I need to go. I am looking forward to not having a monthly car payment, car insurance and high gas prices.

[@lindadenneypu6315]

For a razor I asked for a rechargeable one for xmas last year I love it amd it saves me so much money on deposable ones

[@emilisa8978]

Focusing on the cheapest whole foods you can find and basing your meal around those can help a lot. We bought dried beans for 40 ct\kg from a local farmer! I am using them as a source as protein to use in almost every meal i make. The second component in most of my meals is organic flower, which costs 85 ct per kg here in germany. I have been making lots of tortillas, enchiladas with bean filling, made hummus from the beans to eat with bred, or bean stew/chilli. We also keep chicken and a few milk goats. By focosing on these foods as the mayor part of our diet and only buying things to fill out the gaps i have been able to lower our grocery bill to 70 € per MONTH for a family of 4. (Animal feed cost per month are additional 50€)

[@kamicrum4408]

My neighbor doesn't have internet, she uses her hot spot, for her its cheaper. Than having internet,I pay around$75/ month and have a medium package, works for my needs.

[@Savannah-ed4rv]

I assume it's best to have an unlimited data plan? I read that most of them slow down after a certain limit, so I wonder how practical that would be to use a hotspot instead of internet.

[@sylviahufer7019]

I make a mixture of vinegar ( heated in the microwave) and dishwashing liquid it’s supposed to be 50% of each , I usually do more vinegar , I use it for cleaning the toilet, shower , bath . I soak citrus peel in vinegar for about 4-6 weeks , then mix with water use this to clean my kitchen benches , hand basins and taps , use it to clean the front of my stainless steel fridge , freezer and dishwasher , just buff dry afterwards .

[@rachelday9585]

Gift giving is my love language so I'm not sure if I'd be able to do that one or not.

[@loriloristuff]

Mine too. But I look at different ideas for gift-giving, including homemade gifts. I can sew some, and am a really good hand embroiderer, so that helps. But there are all sorts of cute crafts, including soup mixes, homemade drinking chocolate, putting together a basket of homemade food, etc.

[@saraconklinfrozenpennies]

I absolutely understand. But I can tell you that my granddaughter does not remember what I gave her for Christmas 4 months ago, but she remembers that trip to the bookstore 11 months ago. I think that's the gift ❤

[@cindymichaud7111]

Learn how to make different crafts or a skill that translates into a gift. Home-made frozen cookie dough (shaped into cookies) is a much appreciated gift I give. Also, I crochet and make purses, throws, etc.

[@rachelday9585]

@@loriloristuff it still costs money to make the stuff. Maybe not as much but it does still cost for supplies.

[@rachelday9585]

@@cindymichaud7111 That costs money still, for the supplies. I don't sew or crochet. Most are diabetic so cookies are also out.

[@sharisimonehampton5434]

Hi🖐😊 I just tuned in & watched...I think you give quality suggestions. I am surprised by those that do waste so much in their daily lives. I lived many years off grid BEFORE it became trendy. It hones you down for sure. But it is amazing at how much we reallty dont need. I enjoyed your video. I will watch again. Sarah, you are informative and easy to follow. I hope many will take your words to heart. Thanks for sharing.😉👍♥️

[@jml238]

Dawn dish soap and baking soda is my all time go to to clean just about anything!🎉🎉 and vinegar is a must!!

[@katherinetyrrell8810]

Just finished watching Little House on Amazon prime for free. It was very enjoyable.

[@GGsGarden]

I’m working to pay off mortgage early and thus always looking for “cuts” practical for me. Per the “dig deep” list, I’m not sure how deeper I can dig. * internet etc - work remote and only one option that works here * meat - protein powder was mentioned as a substitute; I’m not sure protein powder is less costly and definitely does not fall in the “ingredient” category. *water - I fill electric kettle and rinse dishes with the cold water while waiting to warm; probably could do a bit more here if I caught shower water. * electricity - you mentioned rechargeable light; if they recharge on the grid, this is not a savings as there is some loss in the recharging process. * outside/prepared/processed foods/ one time use items (except issue) & cleaners - ditched *garden - year round almost; takes some investment but better food and it is my entertainment. * downsizing and no car - bought my small, rural acre & small home 2 yrs ago to garden more & live simpler; car is old/ paid for; on average drive weekly

[@sallylapradd2900]

I get letters monthly, from the electric company, congratulating my on my energy efficiency.😊 My electric bill is under $50.00 a month, & I'm not on a plan.

[@happyday1060]

if you pay for water and you watch the meter before you leave the house turn off your water meter from the outside you stop your meter you will be surprised how much you will safe 😊

[@saraconklinfrozenpennies]

Great tip! Thanks!

[@KerryJames-l6z]

I baked my own bread

[@jennyeagan1840]

Am baking bread much more. Think my most recent apartment, near the beach needs some kind of altitude adjustments. Could be the type of pain. Am using organic ingredients as I prefer like the eggs and milk. Might be having calibration issues with the convection toaster oven and probably the gas stove. At least for the sandwich bread recipe I am working on to master. Biscuits are fine as they have been for decades when I do make. Cornbread in the toaster oven came out great the other day. Have oven thermometers. Am ready to try another sandwich bread recipe.

[@brandyj6165]

There are some great ideas. Still, some of this sounds applicable only for folks with the luxury of time to then be frugal with material goods. When working a couple of jobs or a lot of hours to get by, only having "whole ingredients" to eat and make, plus trying to keep growing food alive, I have no idea how a person could ever sleep. Add in public transit time, that's rough. I've done that life to make rent and feed us, and it was hard just with a family of 3, one unable to work at that time. Mac and cheese on sale, spaghetti sauce, lifesaver foods for quick meals. The cable thing? That's a gem of an idea. Buying a bunch of small items in plastic at the Dollar stores is kind of an illusion of frugality, plus it's more plastic that never breaks down going to landfills.

[@sandrakleinpeter756]

I love Roku. So many free options.

[@Devie-tx8ri]

Don’t forget about local television. It’s free, if it’s available in location.

[@annelawver2703]

Another frugal benefit of eating at home is the long term health benefits (which also saves money) that come from avoiding restaurant and convenience store foods. Those foods tend to be extremely high in calories, fats, preservatives and mystery ingredients. If we absolutely HAVE to eat out, such as an emergency stop or health crisis, we never purchase a beverage, split meals or purchase an appetizer.

[@BRuthable]

I’ve heard using the dishwasher uses less water than hand washing. I live alone so don’t use mine unless I have family in but if that’s true, I should just load it and run about once a week.

[@TraceyBergum]

Fabulous tips today Sara! Love the story about your granddaughter bday : ) I am doing another no spend haven't bought anything other than housing food utilities and gas since the new year .... need to take an out of town trip and have to rent a car to do so (my car is more of a grocery getter than a long-distance type as it's over a decade old) ... that's my splurge for the year so far

[@Devie-tx8ri]

Snacks. Sounds like like we went on senior trip 20 years ago. Had all inclusive resort for drinks and food. We wanted to be adventurous and explore the area. Spent graduation money on food and drinks. Fun time tho. Lol

[@_shannons]

I been using my cell phone's hot spot for internet for years now. It's already included in my phone bill, costs me no extra. It's not glamorous, but it works for entertainment. If I needed it for work, it'd be another story (but then employers ought to be paying for that, at least in the US, by FLSA).

[@Nicole-zv7ee]

Great video. Thank you!

[@sharongenco3716]

What town did you watch the eclipse in?

[@jayeetee2309]

Dump cable! Either watch free over-the-air TV, DVDs free from the library, or read books from the library. Dump the internet. Use free internet at the library. Dump the contract phone. Use a Tracfone and buy minutes for one year: that makes it about $9/month. Write letters instead of talking on the phone.

[@coriel2597]

I stream an occasional movie. More at Christmas. So I cut the cable and have Amazon prime and fire stick. No cable. Saving 98.00 dollars. I pay for some movies at 3.99 very occasionally. Internet is now $40.00. I had ACP discount of $30.00 on that. Internet was only !10.00 a month! Sad to see that discount go! 😢

[@wandahall4435]

❤❤❤😮😮😮😊😊😊 Great ideas 💡

[@saraconklinfrozenpennies]

Thank you! 😊

[@selenajg2676]

I think you have some really good tips, but it sounds like you are saying to mix bleach and vinegar. I read the comment that you didn’t mean to imply to mix them, but it does come across that way.

[@lauramitchell6725]

At 6:48, I heard the word “or”.

[@NANETTEMILLER-s8w]

Dish soap and laundry detergent one dollar dollar general use your 5 dollar off coupon on Saturdays to get 5 products free getting stuff out of the trash is weird and sick over 1 year of coupons I had an entire room free

[@shellym79]

The average woman only needs 45 grams of protein per day. Or 0.75 grams per kilogram of body weight.

[@ellenedwards7029]

😮