7 Things I DON'T Do To Save Money (2024)

by Diane

I’m pretty focused on being frugal and saving money wherever (and whenever) I can, then I read11 Outrageous Things People Did To Save Money and I decided I’m not THAT frugal after all!

While I can understand putting your pee on the compost (it’s high in nitrogen), and I can understand buying your meat on the hoof because it’s not only cheaper but you also know it’s provenance, I just don’t get washing and reusing paper towels or foraging in bins at the cinema so you can get free refills to save money. Seriously, if you don’t want to pay cinema prices for snacks, go to the grocery store beforehand or bring something from home.

This list of extreme ways to save money got me thinking about the things I don’tdo to save money. You can safely add basically everything that was on thatlist above. I haven’t seen the Extreme Cheapskates show but I’m guessing, you can probably add everything on the show, too.

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7 Things I don’t do to save money

Here’s my list of relatively reasonable things that Idon’t do to save money:

1. DIY Laundry Detergent – Making your own laundry detergentis possibly worth it if you have a large family and are putting a load of washing (or two) on every day. Maybe. I have made my own laundry detergentbefore and found the ingredients for making the washing powder weren’t that much cheaper (if at all) than buying my favorite laundry detergentwhen it’s on special and using a little less than is recommended so it lasts longer. My clothes are never thoroughly filthyand just need a freshen up so half the recommended scoop does the trick nicely.

2. Make My Own Tortillas – This is about valuing time more than saving money. I have made my own tortillas and they are fabulous. I love using them to dip into hummus but… they are time consuming to roll and fry. Given that fajitas and baked burritos are favorites in my house, if I made the tortillas from scratch every time we ate them, that’s all I’d be doing. Instead, I buy them from Aldi for $1.99 for a pack of 8. And, reserve cooking them from scratch for special occasions.

3. Wash Out and Reuse Ziploc Bags – I’m not sure too much needs to be said about this. If you’ve had wet food in the bag you can never guarantee that you’ve washed it all out successfully and returned the bagto pristine condition. Additionally, how do you make sure they are completely dry? Bacteria doesn’t walk, it swims… Damp plastic bags are a recipe for disaster.

Related Post: How to Slash Your Grocery Bill by 50%

4. Not Using Shampoo (No Poo Method) – I get the theory behind it and it’s definitely a good thing staying away from all the nasty chemicals in commercial shampoo not to mention the tonnes of packaging that wont end up in landfill but, I don’t think I could get through the adjustment period without going nuts. I have long, thick, curly hair… I’m guessing the adjustment phase would be long and arduous.

5. Reusable Toilet Wipes– Apart from this one being decidedly on the gross side, I’m not sure where the real benefit is. Any advantage to the budget and environment in not buying toilet paper (after the initial investment in suitable material for the ‘reusable toilet wipes’) would surely be negated bythe additional costs of washing and sanitising these cloths, wouldn’t it?

6. Save Onion and Orange Bags to Use as Pot Scourers – I read this one in The Complete Tightwad Gazette7 Things I DON'T Do To Save Money (2) and figured the person who sent in that suggestion must eat a LOT of onions…

7. Cut Coupons – This one is dead easy. We don’t have access to coupons as such and those that do exist, I’d never buy the product in the first place. So, there’s no chance of me ever having 1000 bottles of free mouth wash cluttering up my garage.

Related Post: The Secret to Paying Off Debt

There are people who regularly do all these things to save money. Yes, that includes the reusable toilet wipes. They just don’t add up for me. I think there lots of shades of grey when it comes to what is really a money saving idea as well as what it means to be frugal. I don’t think I’ll be too disappointed that Extreme Cheapskates wont be knocking on my door anytime soon.

How about you? Where do you draw the line when it comes to saving money?

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7 Things I DON'T Do To Save Money (2024)

FAQs

What is the 30 day rule? ›

The premise of the 30-day savings rule is straightforward: When faced with the temptation of an impulse purchase, wait 30 days before committing to the buy. During this time, take the opportunity to evaluate the necessity and impact of the purchase on your overall financial goals.

What is the 50/30/20 rule? ›

The 50-30-20 rule recommends putting 50% of your money toward needs, 30% toward wants, and 20% toward savings.

How to save $10,000 fast? ›

6 steps to save $10,000 in a year
  1. Evaluate income and expenses. To make room for saving, you'll need a meticulous budget that outlines all your sources of income and all your expenditures. ...
  2. Make an actionable savings plan. ...
  3. Cut unnecessary expenses. ...
  4. Increase your income. ...
  5. Avoid new debt. ...
  6. Invest wisely.
Apr 2, 2024

How to save $5,000 easy? ›

Here are eight ways to save $5,000 in a year with small, manageable steps.
  1. “Chunk” Your Savings. ...
  2. Automate Your Savings. ...
  3. Save in a High-Yield Saving Account. ...
  4. Track Your Cash Flow. ...
  5. Boost Your Earnings. ...
  6. Declutter for Cash. ...
  7. Evaluate Your Subscriptions. ...
  8. Challenge Yourself.
May 3, 2024

What is the 9o day rule? ›

In other words, staying more than 90 days on one stay, then leaving the country and returning, resets the “90-day clock.” To avoid breaking the 90-day rule, an applicant must wait 90 days since their most recent entry to the United States before marrying or seeking to adjust their status..

What is the 3 month rule? ›

The three month dating rule is a trial period that allows couples to shift from the honeymoon phase of dating to an integrated love phase. "What I mean by that is usually a few months into dating, we start to see some of the quirks, or maybe we start to notice things that we find annoying or irritating," Pharaon says.

How to save 100k in 3 years? ›

Five tips to help you save $100,000 faster
  1. Live below your means and cut frivolous spending. ...
  2. Be hyper-aware of every monthly expense and ruthlessly cut back to save faster. ...
  3. Pay down high-interest debts like credit cards first. ...
  4. Find the financial institution that will get you the highest interest rate.
Mar 27, 2024

How to turn $10,000 into $100,000 fast? ›

To potentially turn $10k into $100k, consider investments in established businesses, real estate, index funds, mutual funds, dividend stocks, or cryptocurrencies. High-risk, high-reward options like cryptocurrencies and peer-to-peer lending could accelerate returns but also carry greater risks.

How much do I need to save a month to get $5000? ›

How can I save $5,000? If you start with nothing, paying $200 a month into a typical savings account that compounds interest payments on a monthly basis would get you to your target in around two years depending on the interest rate.

What is the 100 envelope challenge? ›

The 100-envelope challenge is pretty straightforward: You take 100 envelopes, number each of them and then save the corresponding dollar amount in each envelope. For instance, you put $1 in “Envelope 1,” $2 in “Envelope 2,” and so on. By the end of 100 days, you'll have saved $5,050.

What is the 365 day money challenge? ›

January starts with a daily savings rate of $1/day. Every subsequent month increases in $1 increments with December ending in $12/day. You can save a dollar a day for 365 days or have more savings per day and establish an even bigger savings pot at the end of the year!

What if I save $5 dollars a day? ›

If you put aside $5 per day, that's approximately $150 per month. And over the course of 30 years, you will have saved around $55,000 total. While that's a good chunk of change, it isn't $1 million or anywhere near it. The key is to invest those savings in a growth-focused ETF like the Invesco QQQ Trust.

How does the 30 day rule work? ›

The so-called 30-day no contact rule is a different category because people tend to think that there's this magic number of days to where your ex is ready for you to contact them and that's sort of what it's suggesting, that if you just wait 30 days then you can contact your ex.

What is the 30 day wash rule? ›

Q: How does the wash sale rule work? If you sell a security at a loss and buy the same or a substantially identical security within 30 calendar days before or after the sale, you won't be able to take a loss for that security on your current-year tax return.

What is the 30 day rule for capital gains tax? ›

1) Use or lose the annual CGT allowance

If you do this within 30 days, then you would be deemed to have bought it back at the original cost and not realised any gains. This tax avoidance rule is sometimes known as the 'bed and breakfast' rule.

What is 30days rule? ›

Here's how it works: When you have the urge to make an impulse purchase, wait for 30 days and give yourself time to think about it. While considering the purchase, deposit the money you need for it into a savings account. If you still want to buy that item after the 30-day period is up, go for it.

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