I was at a cookout in Cincinnati last Saturday and my neighbor Gary said he spends $2 a month on trash bags by buying the thin ones at the dollar store and doubling them up. I argued that they always leak but he said I just need to empty my kitchen trash more often and save $15 a month. Has anyone else tried this or is Gary just a cheap weirdo?
Honestly, I thought bar soap was just for hands and nothing else. About 3 months ago I got tired of my liquid body wash running out every two weeks and costing $8 a bottle. So I grabbed a $1.50 pack of Dial bars from the grocery store and started using them for my body, my face, and even shaving my legs. The difference in my bathroom trash is wild, I used to toss a plastic bottle every few weeks and now I barely have any waste. My skin actually feels cleaner too, no weird residue left behind like with the liquid stuff. Plus a single bar lasts me nearly a month which blows my mind. Has anyone else made this swap and noticed their skin acting different at first?
I had this bathroom faucet dripping for months and finally decided to fix it. Watched a 10 minute video, bought a $12 replacement cartridge, and thought I'd be done by lunch. But the old cartridge was basically welded in place from mineral buildup. I spent 3 full weekends soaking it in vinegar, prying with tools, and nearly breaking the whole valve body before it finally came loose. Has anyone else had a simple DIY turn into a multi-day headache like that?
Wasted a whole tube of Crest and 45 minutes scrubbing and they still looked foggy. Went and got a $6 kit from AutoZone instead and it actually worked in 10 minutes. Anyone else fall for that Pinterest tip or was it just me?
I was over at Mike's place helping him replace a rotted beam and realized I didn't have a proper framing square, so he handed me his granddad's from the 70s. It was beat up but worked better than any new one I've used, and it got me thinking about how much I waste on gear I barely touch. Has anyone else started borrowing or buying used tools instead of new ones for single projects?
I tried using her 50/50 white vinegar and water mix on my kitchen counters last month after seeing it work miracles on her formica. Within 3 days I noticed dull spots and a weird rough texture on the surface. Turns out the acid eats away at the sealant on granite and leaves permanent etching. I called a local stone guy in Austin and he said he sees this mistake at least once a week. Cost me $200 to get them resurfaced, which pretty much wiped out my whole cleaning budget for the year. Anyone else learn the hard way that some old school hacks don't work on modern materials?
After killing half my lawn with that expensive blue stuff from Home Depot, I tried a gallon of white vinegar with a squirt of Dawn on the driveway weeds and it worked just as good for like 4 bucks, has anyone else tested this on poison ivy without burning everything down?
I was grabbing some 80 grit for a refinishing project last Saturday when this old timer told a newbie that the cheap stuff clogs up after three passes. I've used both and honestly I think the generic works fine for rough sanding, just not for finishing work. What's your take on saving 5 bucks a pack versus getting the name brand stuff?
Back in March I was at the PetSmart in Tempe and overheard this older lady telling the cashier she buys her dog food in bulk from a feed store for half the price. Same brand, same formula, just larger bags. I tried it at a place called Stockdale's Feed on Southern Ave and saved about $12 per 40lb bag. Has anyone else found a cheaper source for the same brand stuff?
I watched my roommate drop $8 on a new bottle of Dawn last week when the old one was still half full. That got me thinking, so I tested it myself. I took my almost-empty dish soap bottle, filled it halfway with tap water, shook it up, and used it for a full 7 days. It cleaned just as good as the thick stuff. My friend Sarah in Austin tried it too and said her plates came out fine. Why are we paying for water when we already have it at home? I saved about $12 a month just doing this. Has anyone else tried cutting their soap with water or am I the only one?
Ngl, everyone acts like hitting a big savings milestone is all confetti and high fives. But I saved $12,000 for emergencies over 14 months and I just feel stressed. I got there by eating rice and beans for six months, skipping two hangouts with friends, and driving my beater with no AC through a Tennessee summer. The number matters because it means I have a safety net, but it also showed me how messed up it is that we have to sacrifice basic comfort just to survive one bad month. Why does nobody talk about how demoralizing the grind is to get there? Anyone else feel kinda hollow after hitting their goal?
Last month I was at my desk in my tiny apartment in Austin when my chair just gave out. The gas cylinder snapped and I hit the floor hard, coffee everywhere. Instead of buying a new chair I couldn't afford I just grabbed my old milk crates from the alley. Stacked two of them up and now I have a standing desk situation that actually works. My back feels better honestly and I don't miss the chair at all. The only downside is my cat keeps trying to knock the crates over while I'm typing. Has anyone else turned a furniture fail into something useful like this?
Found it in Boulder last Saturday for $20 less than the cheap ones online and after sealing up 12 pounds of ground beef from the discount bin at Safeway I saved like $40 in food waste alone has anyone else found a random gadget that actually pays for itself?
Picked up what I thought was a steal from a lady in Pasadena but the bottom wasn't flat enough for induction and now it spins like a top. Anyone else get burned on cheap cast iron that didn't work with their cooktop?
Used to swear by Tide until I did a blind test with a $4 bottle from Aldi back in March and honestly couldn't tell the difference on my clothes. Has anyone else found a store brand that actually beats the expensive stuff for your specific stains or water type?
The drum wouldn't spin and the repair guy quoted $200, but I watched a youtube video and swapped the door lock switch for seven bucks at an appliance shop off Roosevelt Ave. Has anyone else fixed a major appliance for under ten bucks?
I was half done vacuuming the living room rug when the belt snapped and it started smoking. I remembered I had an old vacuum in the basement my aunt gave me last year, so I dug it out and it worked perfect. Has anyone else kept a backup appliance around and actually needed it?
I was grabbing milk and this lady is telling her friend she paid $800 to have a plumber swap out her fridge's water filter system. Said it was "easier than dealing with those little filters every 6 months." I looked it up on my phone right there, a pack of 3 compatible filters costs $22 on Amazon and takes 2 minutes to change. Has anyone else noticed people just throw money at stuff that takes almost zero effort to do yourself?
I was picking up a new trash can lid and this older gentleman told his grandson he's been reusing Ziploc bags for 40 years by just rinsing them and hanging them on a clothespin to dry. Figured I'd give it a shot with my last batch of sandwich bags and I've saved about $12 in two weeks. Has anyone else tried this or do you think it's too much effort?
I was patching a hole in my kitchen wall with spackle and a cardboard backing, and my buddy said it looked like a rental special. He showed me the California patch technique using a scrap piece of drywall and some paper tape, now my fixes actually look professional for under $5.
The belt snapped on my 8 year old Dyson and I almost threw it out, but I found the replacement belt online for 6 bucks. Took maybe 10 minutes to pop it in with a screwdriver. Anyone else nursing their appliances along with cheap fixes?
Always just scrubbed mine with a brush but I tried boiling three of them last night and the water came out brown with gunk I didn't even know was in there, has anyone else been missing that hidden grime?
Last Christmas at my apartment in Dallas, my friend Sarah saw me put a candle I got from her into a bag for my sister. She got all quiet and later texted me saying it was tacky. I told her I smell it first and only pass on ones I can't use, and my sister actually loved that wax melt scent. Has anyone else dealt with a friend who thinks regifting is a crime instead of just smart?
I was always skeptical of those random bottles of furniture polish you find at Goodwill for like $2. My grandma swore by that old can of Pledge she got at a yard sale in 1992, but I thought she was just being cheap. Then last month my coffee table looked all dusty and dull, and I grabbed a $1.50 bottle of some brand I never heard of from the thrift store. Figured what the heck, it's only a buck fifty. Turns out it cleaned up the wood way better than the expensive spray I usually buy at Target. No streaks at all and the shine lasted like two weeks. Has anyone else found a random cleaning product at a thrift shop that actually outperformed the store bought stuff?
Everyone told me to buy expensive joist screws or call a handyman. I used baby powder from the dollar store, brushed it into the gaps, and the squeak stopped after two days. Anybody else got a weird cheap fix for something like this?