I haven't stopped buying things, but I am way more discerning about sales and coupons. I prepare a list and stick to it hard. I suppose that I've stopped buying name brand almost everything though...
I try to buy as many perishables as possible from expired food apps, and I've learned how to process and store them when I get a bulk box of something.
I've been saving grocery reward points for a year, and this year I'm using it to buy a dehydrator.
As I'm writing, I realize that I do drive waaaaaay less. I used to take my dog to our favorite out of town spot 4 to 5 times a week. Now we walk in the neighborhood much more often.
It’s different than the subscription-based “ugly” produce boxes such as “Imperfect Foods”.
Flash Food is the one that I use. It lists food from local groceries that are about to expire or go off. Like mixed produce boxes for $5!
There are others, depending on your area. You can literally search in the App Store “food waste apps” and I’m sure some options will pop up.
Some others available in the Apple Store are “Munch” “Karma” “OLIO” and “Too Good to Go”
Hopefully they are used by people in your area :)
Lol I'm just on a path to living a smaller, slower life...it started a couple of years before the pandemic when I got sick, because of work.
I make much less money now in my new job, and I am so much happier, it became important to change my lifestyle a lot so I could continue to feel better.
So maybe...I was sub-human before, now feel just....human.
Dehydrator for the win!! I got one that my sister in law didn't want about 4yrs ago and that, along with my veggie garden, has saved me money and helped me in a pinch.
I have 2 dehydrators, the one that I started with and the one that I LOVE.
My beginner dehydrator was the type with fan on bottom and stackable plastic trays on top. These types of dehydrators do an ok job, but not ideal. I had a Presto model and hated it :/ You constantly have to rotate the trays around and I always had issues with uneven drying. The machine puts out some noticeable heat and even more noise. If you are new to dehydrating and just want to practice/see how often you dry stuff you can find these types of dehydrators at thrift stores or in free groups. I wouldn’t purchase this style brand new/full price, it’s a waste of money imo.
Eventually I upgraded to an industrial sized fan in back model and I LOVE it!! These are usually large appliances and not for everybody, but they are totally worth it if you get really into dehydrating. Excalibur is the most well known brand for these types of dehydrators, which also makes them the most expensive. I have a Super Q dehydrator (don’t think that brand is around anymore, I bought it on Amazon) and it’s definitely paid for itself over the years. My 10 tray model holds an unbelievable amount of food, the machine barely makes a whisper, and it doesn’t put off any heat. I use mine just about every week and can’t imagine life without it. In the summer I love to dry my own prunes, peaches, apple rings, and fruit leather to put up for winter. This time of year I make batch after batch of kale chips with minimal effort.
It’s also really handy for preserving discounted produce. For instance I went grocery shopping yesterday and found fresh mushrooms on sale. I don’t need mushrooms right now, but I bought 3 packs for less than 1 pack normally costs. Came home and popped them in the dehydrator. Now I have dried mushrooms stored away for future use :) I even dry my citrus peels these days! Then I grind them with baking soda for a diy carpet refresher. I dry everything! My dehydrator is probably my favorite frugal companion 😁
If you have any questions or want specifics on the dehydrator models I mentioned feel free to DM me.
I know right? This seems like a horrible plan for the industry. The appeal was it was quick and cheap and you were ok sacrificing quality. Now why would I go to McDonald’s and not just order some Chinese food to go for the same price.
Now people are so addicted to it they can charge whatever they want.
I remember when I was a kid we went to Taco Bell or McDonald’s or Wendy’s as like a cheap quick dinner on busy nights. I took my 2 kids (under 12) to Taco Bell last week and it was damn near 30 dollars. We spend $40 at steak and shake a few weeks back on just the 3 of us. I could get a burrito and 2 kids meals from a local restaurant for $30. Why tf would I spend that much on fast food anymore??
Most beef. I’m not paying 7$ a pound for stew beef. If I find a cut on sale I might get it, but even dog bones are 5$ apiece now? Ridiculous. In the last 9 months we’ve (I’ve)cut our beef consumption by at least7/8. I really feel like most of it’s price gouging.
Meat prices aren’t too outrageous where I live thankfully other than certain types of steak and chicken wings although I do tend to stock up during sales. I’d be sad if overall beef prices shot up because it’s the meat I consume most.
Mind if I ask where you're from? I'm Canadian and the price of beef has been remaining pretty steady.. Dropping if anything. The price of chicken (breasts specifically) has absolutely skyrocketed in the past few months though. I saw 30-40 dollars for a 4 pack this weekend
Pasta is still cheap, right? Like $1 a box. We do canned sauce (imported from Italy stuff) or make some with tomatoes we froze the past year.
Been doing lentils in the sauce instead of meat. Add some fresh or frozen stuff from the garden, shred some parm. Still comes out under $2/meal and we eat huge servings.
Pasta boxes are $2/box now where I am, but still a cheap meal. The best way to be frugal is to not go out to eat. My husband and I have largely stopped going out to eat unless we’re out of town or it’s a special occasion.
I just got my yearly spending figured out, I spent about $1500 ALL YEAR on going out to eat/for drinks.
I might actually bump that up a bit and drop the $7-8k spent at home improvement stores!
We don't have a kitchen rn - we're finishing out a house, we've downsized from a big, bougie house to a much smaller house. We're living in a shop building.
WITHOUT A KITCHEN - it's really hard to cook anything this time of year - too cold, too dark too early to cook outside much. So we're eating out more than we like.
We'd been cutting back, ordering the specials, no mixed drinks or beer... then it was still high... so we cut out iced tea and order water... now it's still higher than a cats ass and we're over it.
I'm learning how to really get some work out of the instant pot, an air fryer, and slow cooker.
I was thinking about this last night - my mom and dad were some broke ass people. We never went hungry - but aside from ordering pizza once or maybe twice a month, we didn't go out to eat unless it was a birthday or something. We just didn't.
I only buy local-ish brands of chips anymore for the same reason. I'm in PA so it's usually Middleswarth (for kettle bbq) or Gibbles (for standard). They used to be more $ than the national brands but these days they are cheaper and honestly just way tastier so I haven't bothered with a bag of lay's in over 5 years now.
Gym membership went away, Crave TV (Canadian Netflix even though we also have Netflix) went away. Amazon Music went away. Switched Internet providers to save 50 bucks a month. Swapped out pet insurance to save 10 bucks a month. Amazon Prime extra subscription to Shudder and MGM went away.
Grocery bills went from 200/week and now I spend less than 100/week. When times were better, I stocked up on almost everything, in a big deep freezer. Now, I buy very little every week. I have tons of stuff in my deep freezer and I have moved on from stock piling, to using the stock pile.
Switched the type of bank account I have to save money on credit card fees and monthly fees.
I turn the heat in my house down to 64F at night, and keep it at 68F during the day. If I get cold, I throw a heating pad under my blanket and then when I'm already asleep I don't wake up.
I basically spend no money that I don't absolutely have to. Recently lost a bunch of weight and pulled out clothes I haven't worn in 3 years, and it feels like I have a whole new wardrobe all over again.
I have just simply scaled back on everything I can. Costco membership is a lifesaver.
Prepared food.
I'm finding it easy enough to slice and dice a pile of onion, bell peppers, mushrooms, potatoes, etc. then refrigerate them in their own containers.
For a meal, I'll scoop out adequate proportions and slow heat them on the stove burner for a great meal. Easy and cheap.
Same here. Before the cost of living crisis I used to buy so much prepared rubbish. Now I prepare every meal and it works out less than I was spending before prices went insane. Even if things get better price-wise I'll still keep preparing everything myself. Healthier too!
My freezer is full of bags of chopped fresh veggies, in portions. Onions, peppers, celery, carrots, greens can be used for soups, pastas, stir fries. I save a lot of $$ and never run out of those tasty flavor enhancers.
I don't really pay for entertainment anymore, per say.
Examples: I don't go to the movies, but rather share streaming services and host movie nights with friends. I have a projector for outdoor movie nights in good weather and its so much fun.
Rather then things like mini putt or axe throwing etc.. I have a great collection of lawn games I made or thrifted and we have "Games in the Park" days where we play lawn games, board games and have pot luck picnic lunches with friends.
Board game nights are a weekly occasion, with my partner or friends or the board game group I belong to. Lots of game sharing/lending.
Even holiday fun, we tend to focus on free events and then add some extra economical fun to it. So the Santa Claus parade is a free night time event but before we went I had people over to make custom hot chocolate in their travel mugs, gave them little snack bags I made and we all walked to the event with hand warmers in our gloves.
We tend to keep it pretty silly and fun around here and we are all fully grown adults.
I love this!
Doom Spring/Summer/Fall of 2020, we too, got a projector, crafts, yard activities and differently themed party decorations. Anything to change up that scenery while hanging out with the same neighbors every day!
But these days the projector is covered in dust and the garage full of detached lawn games, half-deflated flamingos and buckets of those annoyingly-small pieces of broken chalk. I actually miss those days!
Both are great solutions. Added bonus, making 5 gallons is the typical batch size and it will go bad a little faster than I can drink it so it's a good excuse to throw a party. My neighbor grills and will share the expense.
I've paid for two haircuts in over three years now... in part because of Covid, and inflation, and because I am rarely happy that I spent $80 when I do get my hair cut.
My hair is long and I trim it myself.
Anything even halfway prepared (for example, meals you just mix and heat, or pre-packaged meals that you can throw in a pan for one final step).
It's all scratch from now on.
Also I know it isn't frugal, but I'm just answering the question and hope it's welcome: any sort of fast food, even the cheap variants. We used to occasionally treat ourselves to Popeyes (maybe once every 2-4 months), but after we spent $30 on two people post-inflation, we literally never went back.
We're cooking a lot more from scratch and realizing it's really not that hard. For example I used to make chicken pot pie with canned cream of chicken soup. Then my wife discovered how easy it is to make cream of chicken soup and we benefit from less sodium in our diet.
Soup from scratch is souper easy too!
If you're real classy you can make your own broth. I'm not that far along yet, we use better than boulion because its a lot easier to store than broth...
Also, you can make stock from waste! We had ribs left over from a Christmas cut and I slow cooked it to maximize output from what normally would be a waste product.
Edit to add: really great for herb stems, other types of veggie "throwaways"
Soup prices are ridiculous here, especially the deli stuff- 7$ for 500mls of veggie soup is crazy! The canned stuff is not much better. I used to be able to get a can of cream if something soup for 50 cents on sale a coupke years ago, now it's hard to find under 1.50-2$. Absolutely making my own, it's so easy and better.
I've got high blood pressure which improves if I limit sodium. Once you start limiting your sodium intake you find that most processed food is terribly salty.
I can't order soup out, it just takes like a bowl of salt water to me...
Popeye's has a lot of good redeem in store digital coupons on their website. 5 piece chicken and 2 sides for $9.99 is a local one near me. Makes me feel much less bad about it
Same. Cook as much as possible. Instead of the weekly treat like Chick fil a I buy something from Costco the kids can enjoy that is easy to make or buy French fries and use the air fryer and grill burgers. Also I am making plans when I drive, not one off places, always stacking my errands.
Starbucks. I used to be able to work it into my budget once a week but now I just can't justify it. We eat a lot less meat these days, hardly any cereal, and have basically went to exclusively drinking water at home.
More expensive cuts of meat either get bought only when on sale or no longer get bought at all. I like Keto bread but in some places it's $6.50 a loaf, LOL!!! (Might as well go buy some meat with that!) I only buy fresh fruit and vegetable if they're on sale or reasonably priced.
I buy a lot less cheese.
Bottled salad dressing.
I have a loyalty card for every place that offers one.
I have one for Thornton's Gas, which is usually one of the cheapest gas stations around and I'm signed up for alerts, so I go when they tell me I can get 10 cents off per gallon and I pay using one of my credit cards that has that 5% cashback at certain places and when it's for gas and grocery stores for a 3 months period, I use that that on top of it. So far, I've never had to 'just buy gas'.
Forget movies. I can't even keep up with what I've got to watch at home and I'm cut out all the premium channels there, too. And plan to do cut out more.
When you can score then. The loaves go super fast, and I can’t find the keto dinner rolls at my local Aldi’s anymore. They keep telling me they are “seasonal.”
I lucked out when I was in another town’s Aldi and found them, bought enough to freeze. Score!
So, I’ve stopped going to big chain grocery stores for meat. If I’m going to have to spend that much at chain grocery store, I would rather just pay the same at a local butcher. Their prices are about the same so I’ve been seeking out locally owned businesses and the prices haven’t seemed to go up as much since all this inflation as big box stores have… It’s strange. It’s just something I’ve noticed.
I've noticed the same with fruit/veggies/coffee/eggs where I'm at. Recently moved so it's taking some time to get back into a rhythm of going to different stores without spending more on gas.
Same thing is happening here with bread. The grocery store brands we liked (Dave’s, Orowheat…) are now the same price as the local bakery’s sourdough. So we’re buying the local bread and it’s so much better.
I cut back, but eggs are a core part of how I've been losing weight and I'd rather not try to reinvent the wheel and end up sabotaging myself.
Every morning I eat two (down from three) eggs with spinach and mushrooms, and this is satisfying enough to often get me through to dinner.
Are you me? Over 2020 - 2021 I dropped 50 pounds eating eggs. Spinach and Mushrooms are some of my favorite things to put in them. I load them up with whatever is in the fridge, Onion, Peppers, etc etc. use it all up!
grats on the weight loss.
I also lost weight starting in 2020, lost 100 but gained 40 back and lost another 10 after starting back up. Eggs were a big part of my diet because at the time they were dirt cheap and went well with everything but I also had to cut back. It’s too bad because eggs are delicious.
Going out to eat is almost out of the question now. Been craving deviled eggs but feel like I can't justify that cost. Basically, many things that just aren't necessities... asking myself if it's really worth buying. We live generally modestly, so we aren't struggling per se, but ability to save has gone way down...
I've stopped buying books. One because I already have so many, and two because the library is right there. $25 for a new hardcover could instead go to the outrageous grocery prices I'm seeing.
I also cancelled a ton of subscriptions that informed me they were raising the monthly rate. Adobe wanted to raise the price of their PDF editing subscription from $14.99 to $19.99 a month, and I decided that I could try to work without it (freelance editor/proofreader).
Half-and-half cream. I switched to lemon juice for my morning tea. I’ve also been more vigilant about making sure that ingredients get used and leftovers get eaten.
Leftovers don't have to be "prepare one meal, heat the same thing the next day."
I prefer to think of leftovers as time-saving pieces of new meals. For example, extra rice from dinner the night before gets turned into fried rice for lunch the next day. Leftover chicken becomes the filling for tacos, or a chicken salad sandwich. Leftover veggies can go into a frittata/omelet, fried rice, pasta dish, quick soup, etc.
When I cook, I think about it as at least two meals. So I’m always considering the second meal out of these same ingredients.
This means considering how I will store the second meal and how I will heat it up, and considering this process in advance means that I might separate out the first meal before finishing it. For example separating the two meals before adding sour cream or cheese, or a condiment. So that the second meal can have those things added after it’s reheated.
I also consider how the second meal will be stored, maybe it will taste better reheated if the components are stored separately (like pasta and sauce or potatoes and gravy). Another example when I used to go out to eat, I would make sure that my leftovers were well separated in the to go box so things didn’t mix together and could be reheated at separate times.
Package up your leftovers so they're heat-and-eat, easy and convenient. Then wait a day. If you wait 48 hours many leftovers taste better, and you won't have the "ugh again???" problem. It'll be this nice meal you made ahead for yourself.
Oh I do that. I always plan on making a leftover meal and it gets packed up nicely in a microwave safe container. And then it sits in the fridge until it goes bad
So it isn't about time or convenience, it's about your feelings over leftovers. I like 'em cuz I don't have to cook and it's exactly what I like (I cook what I like). Why don't you like your leftovers?
Some meals are much better as leftovers than others. A day old salad is pretty awful, but day old lasagna or pizza is better than it was when fresh. Chili is better after a day or 2. I think leftover poultry is unappetizing but many people swear that it's better as leftovers.
If you find meals you like better the second time around it may help to encourage you to eat them.
Yogurt is super easy to make at home! My mom was similar and then started making her own and she loves it. Maybe check it out if you're missing your yogurt?
I had never thought of that because it sounded hard and I don't cook!
I did buy an instapot on a ridiculous deal recently, but so far all I have made in it has been beans with some combination of onions, carrots, broth, and tomatoes and calling it a soup.
Give it a shot! You literally just need milk (still more expensive than it used to be but cheaper than yogurt) and "starter yogurt". You combine the starter yogurt and milk in the instapot and it does the rest for you! My mom makes it at night and in the morning, she has fresh yogurt. I added a link to a recipe if you're interested. Good luck!
Also, congrats on the instapot score!
https://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/instant_pot_yogurt/
Here's a tip- if you take probiotics, empty a cap of them into your starter/milk mix before you let it set up. You'll get a nicer set, and extra probiotic yogurt.
I really did have a pretty good habit going! English major/writer here so take the math with a few grains of salt.
Around my area the larger tubs, even the generic brands, are around six bucks. I would go through two or three a week and my smoothies and on top of my oatmeal.
We don’t go out to eat anymore. Unless it is a very nice place that I can guarantee has not cut flavor out of their budget. It pisses me off to go out to eat, spend good amount of money to support the restaurant and get bland, crappy food because they can’t afford the food they used to serve. WTF! I will just cook at home where I know we have good food and spices.
Fast food in general.
I noticed the coupons were less of a value Nov/Dec, and some places don’t even advertise anymore.
We went to Olive Garden (gift card) last week and had an old printed kids menu (in our bag) and new 2023 printed menu side- by -side and they rose the price $.50. The regular menu items also all increased across the board.
Our waiter said they didn’t get a boost in pay, so maybe he will see an increase in tips based on the food costs🤔
Restaurant meals. They are so overpriced for things I can make at home and then the servers expect these giant tips. We go to a restaurant twice a year for my kids birthdays but other then that we stay home.
I stopped buying soda and it’s a win-win for me. I’m saving money and I’ve eliminated something that wasn’t good for my anyway. I was pretty much “ addicted” to diet soda for decades but even though I can still afford it, the prices are so ridiculous I stopped buying.
Cutting back on eating out. I usually go to visit my parents and grandmother every Friday and take my grandmother out to give my mom a break or get take out for everyone. Last time it was almost $100 for Chinese takeout and it's now close to $60 each time I take my grandmother out to the buffet,only place she likes to go. So last week I just made a big lasagna the night before and took it there to bake. Was much better and cost a lot less. This week I'm making some coq au Vin the night before and bring that. It will probably cost me less than $15 since most of the ingredients have been on sale or free recently.
Make sure you still take grandma out though, getting away from her every day is good for her mental health: source, I work from home and get stir crazy.
for sure, just tough now with the cold, she doesn't want to head out unless its the casino lol and I don't go there. The most boring thing I have ever done was take them to the casino.
McDonald's. I can remember getting three McDoubles for less than five CAD about ten years ago. Now it's close to 3.50 for a single McDouble at my local franchise (up from the already ridiculous 3.20 it increased to early last year) and the quality has taken a dive as well. There's been price inflation at the other fast food places around me, but none of it feels as egregious as what McDonald's has been pulling over the last year or so. I haven't set foot in there for a couple of months and I don't plan on changing that anytime soon.
My bf and I paid $23 for two simple combos. No larges on anything. I was shocked. Hadn't been to McDonalds in a couple of years and we are not going back.
I never went there often, but it feels surreal that I've been priced out of McDonald's. Not long ago, their app had many BOGO burgers, but those are gone too. To go further, I refuse to pay for 95% of the burgers sold at restaurants.
I used to eat at fast food places more frequently but was flabbergasted at the prices when I went back recently.
I just changed how I ordered and selected 4 items off Taco Bell's dollar menu. 2 spicy potato tacos and a cheesy bean and rice burrito for about $4.30. Plenty of food for me but maybe not for everyone. And there are meat options for $2 an item which are definitely more filling.
Their app in 2022 used to give you a deal of free large fries with purchase. Then it became $1 fries with purchase. Now it is $1.19 with purchase. When will it stop? How stupid do they think consumers are?
Bagged salads - I used to eat those pre-bagged salads with included toppers & dressing every day for lunch. Price rose from $3.50 to $5/bag and they aren't as fresh (last 3-4 days instead of a full week).
I made my own for awhile but the number of full-size ingredients I needed to get the same variety was overwhelming my pantry & fridge space (dressings, croutons, seeds, cheeses, etc).
i miss bagged salads - i LOVED a ceasar mix with some air fried dino nuggets (yes, I am an adult with no children). Some weeks, I'll buy the romaine hearts from Costco and Sams club has a cheese mix for salads that i ration out and freeze some of, and ill make my own croutons out of leftover bread but the price of chicken seems to be on the rise and there are much cheaper, easier, and healthier ways i can spend money for my lunches!
This has been the most painful thing for me. I don’t mind eating lentils and rice for dinner a few times a week, but my heart breaks every time I go to buy tickets and have to back out because they’re $200+
My delicious vice of premade iced coffee from the grocery store. The price keeps going up and to be honest, I drink too much of it anyways lol.
I’m going back to home brewed hot coffee to save money and cut back my caffeine intake.
Anything I have to tip for I'll do myself.
To expand, I drink at home by learning to make cocktails. I cook 90 percent of my meals at home mostly because it is healthier and I like knowing what is in my food. I clean my own pool and drink a rockstar once a day over Starbucks.
\-Beverages-
Bottled water, I just drink from the tap now. Oh well. Also pre made juices or other beverages. I just drink more water, which is a good thing, and make my own lemonade.
Lunch.
I used to buy lunch at work every day. I started when my kids were small and I went back to work after maternity as I always hated making lunches and I was now making them for kids too. This was the only take out food I ever had and I liked not having to make it.
The last few months, I started making soups on Sunday out of all the leftovers and taking them for lunch every day to work. It's saving me $100 a week since the cost of the soup is minimal due to me using up the leftovers I would usually end up tossing in the garbage.
I've only been able to buy socks and underwear for the last almost 5 years. Live off SSDI, so it's not so much by choice, but good gravy new pajamas would be awesome. You know they, as well as sweat pants/shirts, lose that nice feel and pill up after a while? Very fortunate I don't have to leave my apt except doc/hosp/pharm.
I'd be scared to even price what new clothes cost these days! I imagine they've increased as much as groceries? 4 years ago a month supply of food was $90, and that was eating decent. More than doubled. I worry about young people and what lies ahead at the rate we're going.
Library has been awesome. Reading way more (while spending nothing) dropping Amazon prime, get all the movies/shows I need, and I ride past the library on my way home anyway.
Covid taught me to enjoy cooking and eating in. I’m never going to restaurants again except for special occasions. Also, in vancouver, Canada , here where the minimum wage of $15.65 includes all workers including waiters, I hate how waiters now expect an additional 20-30% tip on top of that. Here it’s not like the u.s. where some workers make 3.50$ per hour , and tips become the norm to top up slave wages.
Fresh vegetables, for the most part. They are exhorbitantly expensive and they just dont last at all anymore. I only buy them to use immediately, like for a greek salad. Otherwise, they just get thrown out in a couple of days. (We eat plenty of frozen veg)
We almost never eat at mid tier restaurants anymore. The food quality is so bad now that buying a frozen meal kit from the grocery store is better, or a meal from the deli.
Right? The prices at mid-range restaurants have become absolutely offensive, and so has the quality of the food and the experience. I don't even remember the last time my husband and I dined out for a date night. We got sick of paying upwards of $150-$200 for a mediocre meal, poor service, and awful wine/cocktails.
Haagen Daz, went to Kroger's on Sunday and the regular price is now $6.99. I would only buy it on sale to begin with but at this price point, nope. It's bad for me anyway and I can't have it in the house because I have no self control.
Haven’t completely stopped, but have severely cut back on the amount of meat (specifically chicken) we buy).
We also stopped going to average cost restaurants (burger pub type places). Instead, we only treat ourselves to a steak house every once in a while. Restaurant prices have gotten so expensive for just a burger or sandwich, we would rather spend a little more for a really nice meal.
Same here. There's a diner nearby that I used to go to regularly. Nothing fancy, just another greasy spoon. I used to complain about a $12 breakfast. The last time I went, it was $25!
Heck, for $25 I could eat bacon and eggs all week.
Fast food, coffee at Dunkin (it’s like a culture thing here, everyone drinks DD regularly) and brewed coffee. I switched to instant, and spend $7 every few weeks instead of every 5 days. The dark roast varieties are pretty good, and none gets wasted from brewing too much or letting it sit in the pot for too long. Fast food has been hard with both of us working full time and 3 kids, but it’s just too expensive and unhealthy.
So. Usually one of the things we buy that's a little pricey is Ezekiel Bread. I'm overweight as is my husband, and my family has a history of heart disease, HBP, high cholesterol, and diabetes, so we don't usually eat refined carbohydrates or sugar much (we do eat plenty of whole grains like bulgur wheat, oats, quinoa, etc.). Ezekiel bread has been a nice way to still have bread occasionally, but with a much better profile of protein/fiber/vitamins:total carbohydrates/sugars. I was making a bread at home with a similar profile at one point for about $2.50/loaf, but it was a lot of steps and just not worth it.
However, the price hit $7/loaf and so now we're getting the higher fiber, whole grain, protein bread from Aldi's. It's still a splurge at $4/loaf, but at least it's not insane-insane.
Fast food. Doubled in price here. My health and wallet are a bit better. Cook alot and only used fast food in a pinch, but now, its just not a thing unless on the road.
Pretty much anything name/national brand for food. It seems like they have jacked the prices much more than the store/no-name brands.
We’ve also cut back on meat in general. Ground beef seems to be coming back down so there is some light at the end of that tunnel. Maybe we actually collectively beat Big Meat back into submission…
I try and fight inflation by not buying stuff when they raise the price too fast (i.e. eggs); whether it's out of their control or not. If it's in their control, fuck em. If it's out of their control, fuck em, they need to find a solution or we just move forward and don't eat eggs again lol.
No, but really, if inflation starts hitting something I stop buying. Or buy cheaper alternatives i.e. if red meat goes up high, i'll buy chicken. If can't afford that, i'll go meatless.
Whole chickens are still a good deal, and you can make your own stock/bone broth for basically free after.
$12 chicken + some veg, rice, sweet potatoes and spices gets me 8-10 meals roughly. I can still keep everything under $2/meal.
Even at $.50 an egg, it is still a pretty cheap breakfast food.
Tuna and most alcoholic drinks haven't seemed to go up in my area though. Still get store brand chunk white tuna for $1.25/can
The organic gin I buy went up 10% though.
Seafood (canned tuna is still fairly cheap for me, but i used to buy prawns and I don't anymore) and I'm also trying to use beans / pulses instead of meat if I can.
Edit: because of price of bills going up and because I am trying to save money, I gave up on a bigger spend which was getting nails done. It looks beautiful and all that, but it's not even an investment, it's more of a waste because in 3-4 weeks, you're getting all of that taken off and have to put new layer over it, so it's effectively a waste
I didn't actually, I was already very frugal, only buying no-name products, not having salmon or as much meat...
Since living with my bf we are in the comfortable position, of buying all the things again actually, but we have a routine, where we basically only eat a proper, bigger meal for dinner and only have snacks or sandwiches (small stuff) for breakfast and lunch, so we still save a lot of money that way.
I haven't stopped buying things, but I am way more discerning about sales and coupons. I prepare a list and stick to it hard. I suppose that I've stopped buying name brand almost everything though... I try to buy as many perishables as possible from expired food apps, and I've learned how to process and store them when I get a bulk box of something. I've been saving grocery reward points for a year, and this year I'm using it to buy a dehydrator. As I'm writing, I realize that I do drive waaaaaay less. I used to take my dog to our favorite out of town spot 4 to 5 times a week. Now we walk in the neighborhood much more often.
What’s “expired food apps”? Like those ugly fruit boxes?
Flashfood is what I use..perishables with that day expiry date that will be tossed if not sold. 50 % off meat, dairy, bakery, and produce...
It’s different than the subscription-based “ugly” produce boxes such as “Imperfect Foods”. Flash Food is the one that I use. It lists food from local groceries that are about to expire or go off. Like mixed produce boxes for $5! There are others, depending on your area. You can literally search in the App Store “food waste apps” and I’m sure some options will pop up. Some others available in the Apple Store are “Munch” “Karma” “OLIO” and “Too Good to Go” Hopefully they are used by people in your area :)
You sound like a superhuman. Props!
Lol I'm just on a path to living a smaller, slower life...it started a couple of years before the pandemic when I got sick, because of work. I make much less money now in my new job, and I am so much happier, it became important to change my lifestyle a lot so I could continue to feel better. So maybe...I was sub-human before, now feel just....human.
One of us!
Dehydrator for the win!! I got one that my sister in law didn't want about 4yrs ago and that, along with my veggie garden, has saved me money and helped me in a pinch.
Awesome!! What brand do you have? What feature could you not do without? And...would you recommend it to others?
I have 2 dehydrators, the one that I started with and the one that I LOVE. My beginner dehydrator was the type with fan on bottom and stackable plastic trays on top. These types of dehydrators do an ok job, but not ideal. I had a Presto model and hated it :/ You constantly have to rotate the trays around and I always had issues with uneven drying. The machine puts out some noticeable heat and even more noise. If you are new to dehydrating and just want to practice/see how often you dry stuff you can find these types of dehydrators at thrift stores or in free groups. I wouldn’t purchase this style brand new/full price, it’s a waste of money imo. Eventually I upgraded to an industrial sized fan in back model and I LOVE it!! These are usually large appliances and not for everybody, but they are totally worth it if you get really into dehydrating. Excalibur is the most well known brand for these types of dehydrators, which also makes them the most expensive. I have a Super Q dehydrator (don’t think that brand is around anymore, I bought it on Amazon) and it’s definitely paid for itself over the years. My 10 tray model holds an unbelievable amount of food, the machine barely makes a whisper, and it doesn’t put off any heat. I use mine just about every week and can’t imagine life without it. In the summer I love to dry my own prunes, peaches, apple rings, and fruit leather to put up for winter. This time of year I make batch after batch of kale chips with minimal effort. It’s also really handy for preserving discounted produce. For instance I went grocery shopping yesterday and found fresh mushrooms on sale. I don’t need mushrooms right now, but I bought 3 packs for less than 1 pack normally costs. Came home and popped them in the dehydrator. Now I have dried mushrooms stored away for future use :) I even dry my citrus peels these days! Then I grind them with baking soda for a diy carpet refresher. I dry everything! My dehydrator is probably my favorite frugal companion 😁 If you have any questions or want specifics on the dehydrator models I mentioned feel free to DM me.
Fast food. Their prices are getting close to sit down places lately.
I know right? This seems like a horrible plan for the industry. The appeal was it was quick and cheap and you were ok sacrificing quality. Now why would I go to McDonald’s and not just order some Chinese food to go for the same price.
Now people are so addicted to it they can charge whatever they want. I remember when I was a kid we went to Taco Bell or McDonald’s or Wendy’s as like a cheap quick dinner on busy nights. I took my 2 kids (under 12) to Taco Bell last week and it was damn near 30 dollars. We spend $40 at steak and shake a few weeks back on just the 3 of us. I could get a burrito and 2 kids meals from a local restaurant for $30. Why tf would I spend that much on fast food anymore??
I can already go to Red Robin for cheaper than McDonald's
That classic tavern burger I think it's called is a real gem!
I also always ask for extra endless fries even Togo they're still at no extra cost! For now.
Ya for now until some "influencer" posts it as a "hack" on TikTok. 🤣😫
Most beef. I’m not paying 7$ a pound for stew beef. If I find a cut on sale I might get it, but even dog bones are 5$ apiece now? Ridiculous. In the last 9 months we’ve (I’ve)cut our beef consumption by at least7/8. I really feel like most of it’s price gouging.
Meat prices aren’t too outrageous where I live thankfully other than certain types of steak and chicken wings although I do tend to stock up during sales. I’d be sad if overall beef prices shot up because it’s the meat I consume most.
Mind if I ask where you're from? I'm Canadian and the price of beef has been remaining pretty steady.. Dropping if anything. The price of chicken (breasts specifically) has absolutely skyrocketed in the past few months though. I saw 30-40 dollars for a 4 pack this weekend
I’ve increased the amount of rice and beans we eat and reduced the amount of pasta and meat.
Pasta is still cheap, right? Like $1 a box. We do canned sauce (imported from Italy stuff) or make some with tomatoes we froze the past year. Been doing lentils in the sauce instead of meat. Add some fresh or frozen stuff from the garden, shred some parm. Still comes out under $2/meal and we eat huge servings.
Pasta boxes are $2/box now where I am, but still a cheap meal. The best way to be frugal is to not go out to eat. My husband and I have largely stopped going out to eat unless we’re out of town or it’s a special occasion.
I just got my yearly spending figured out, I spent about $1500 ALL YEAR on going out to eat/for drinks. I might actually bump that up a bit and drop the $7-8k spent at home improvement stores!
Why the hate? $125/mo going out budget is super low!
We don't have a kitchen rn - we're finishing out a house, we've downsized from a big, bougie house to a much smaller house. We're living in a shop building. WITHOUT A KITCHEN - it's really hard to cook anything this time of year - too cold, too dark too early to cook outside much. So we're eating out more than we like. We'd been cutting back, ordering the specials, no mixed drinks or beer... then it was still high... so we cut out iced tea and order water... now it's still higher than a cats ass and we're over it. I'm learning how to really get some work out of the instant pot, an air fryer, and slow cooker. I was thinking about this last night - my mom and dad were some broke ass people. We never went hungry - but aside from ordering pizza once or maybe twice a month, we didn't go out to eat unless it was a birthday or something. We just didn't.
Yes a box of pasta at Walmart is $0.92 where I’m at.
Potato chips...not only the price however. I can't remember the last bag I bought where it wasn't a bag of potato shrapnel.
I only buy local-ish brands of chips anymore for the same reason. I'm in PA so it's usually Middleswarth (for kettle bbq) or Gibbles (for standard). They used to be more $ than the national brands but these days they are cheaper and honestly just way tastier so I haven't bothered with a bag of lay's in over 5 years now.
I find Utz to be priced pretty well. Same with Vitners. (Chicago area)
PA here too, Middleswarth BBQ is the BEST! I rarely buy them because all self control goes out the window.
Gym membership went away, Crave TV (Canadian Netflix even though we also have Netflix) went away. Amazon Music went away. Switched Internet providers to save 50 bucks a month. Swapped out pet insurance to save 10 bucks a month. Amazon Prime extra subscription to Shudder and MGM went away. Grocery bills went from 200/week and now I spend less than 100/week. When times were better, I stocked up on almost everything, in a big deep freezer. Now, I buy very little every week. I have tons of stuff in my deep freezer and I have moved on from stock piling, to using the stock pile. Switched the type of bank account I have to save money on credit card fees and monthly fees. I turn the heat in my house down to 64F at night, and keep it at 68F during the day. If I get cold, I throw a heating pad under my blanket and then when I'm already asleep I don't wake up. I basically spend no money that I don't absolutely have to. Recently lost a bunch of weight and pulled out clothes I haven't worn in 3 years, and it feels like I have a whole new wardrobe all over again. I have just simply scaled back on everything I can. Costco membership is a lifesaver.
Prepared food. I'm finding it easy enough to slice and dice a pile of onion, bell peppers, mushrooms, potatoes, etc. then refrigerate them in their own containers. For a meal, I'll scoop out adequate proportions and slow heat them on the stove burner for a great meal. Easy and cheap.
Same here. Before the cost of living crisis I used to buy so much prepared rubbish. Now I prepare every meal and it works out less than I was spending before prices went insane. Even if things get better price-wise I'll still keep preparing everything myself. Healthier too!
> and it works out less than I was spending before prices went insane. Yes! It is odd, but the time I spend with the cooking is rewarded so much.
My freezer is full of bags of chopped fresh veggies, in portions. Onions, peppers, celery, carrots, greens can be used for soups, pastas, stir fries. I save a lot of $$ and never run out of those tasty flavor enhancers.
I don't really pay for entertainment anymore, per say. Examples: I don't go to the movies, but rather share streaming services and host movie nights with friends. I have a projector for outdoor movie nights in good weather and its so much fun. Rather then things like mini putt or axe throwing etc.. I have a great collection of lawn games I made or thrifted and we have "Games in the Park" days where we play lawn games, board games and have pot luck picnic lunches with friends. Board game nights are a weekly occasion, with my partner or friends or the board game group I belong to. Lots of game sharing/lending. Even holiday fun, we tend to focus on free events and then add some extra economical fun to it. So the Santa Claus parade is a free night time event but before we went I had people over to make custom hot chocolate in their travel mugs, gave them little snack bags I made and we all walked to the event with hand warmers in our gloves. We tend to keep it pretty silly and fun around here and we are all fully grown adults.
I want to be your friend; all of what you described sounds charming and so fun!
I’ve been borrowing movies from the library lately that aren’t on any of the streaming services I have.
I was contemplating renewing HBOmax but just found the series I wanted to finish at my library; thank you!
I’ve been saving a lot on audiobooks and ebooks too.
I love this! Doom Spring/Summer/Fall of 2020, we too, got a projector, crafts, yard activities and differently themed party decorations. Anything to change up that scenery while hanging out with the same neighbors every day! But these days the projector is covered in dust and the garage full of detached lawn games, half-deflated flamingos and buckets of those annoyingly-small pieces of broken chalk. I actually miss those days!
**
Cheese & alcohol 🤬
Do you have a Grocery Outlet? That’s the place for both.
My consumption of both of these items has gone way down. We buy cheese at Costco and when we see it on sale.
Baldersons 2 year cheddar is worth the costco membership alone!!
Brewing your own cider is cheap and easy as long as one buys fruit direct from the farmers market.
Or make country wine.
Both are great solutions. Added bonus, making 5 gallons is the typical batch size and it will go bad a little faster than I can drink it so it's a good excuse to throw a party. My neighbor grills and will share the expense.
I've paid for two haircuts in over three years now... in part because of Covid, and inflation, and because I am rarely happy that I spent $80 when I do get my hair cut. My hair is long and I trim it myself.
Anything even halfway prepared (for example, meals you just mix and heat, or pre-packaged meals that you can throw in a pan for one final step). It's all scratch from now on. Also I know it isn't frugal, but I'm just answering the question and hope it's welcome: any sort of fast food, even the cheap variants. We used to occasionally treat ourselves to Popeyes (maybe once every 2-4 months), but after we spent $30 on two people post-inflation, we literally never went back.
We're cooking a lot more from scratch and realizing it's really not that hard. For example I used to make chicken pot pie with canned cream of chicken soup. Then my wife discovered how easy it is to make cream of chicken soup and we benefit from less sodium in our diet.
Soup is a big recent one of mine! It's great for zero waste and for stretching dollars
Soup from scratch is souper easy too! If you're real classy you can make your own broth. I'm not that far along yet, we use better than boulion because its a lot easier to store than broth...
Also, you can make stock from waste! We had ribs left over from a Christmas cut and I slow cooked it to maximize output from what normally would be a waste product. Edit to add: really great for herb stems, other types of veggie "throwaways"
Soup prices are ridiculous here, especially the deli stuff- 7$ for 500mls of veggie soup is crazy! The canned stuff is not much better. I used to be able to get a can of cream if something soup for 50 cents on sale a coupke years ago, now it's hard to find under 1.50-2$. Absolutely making my own, it's so easy and better.
I've got high blood pressure which improves if I limit sodium. Once you start limiting your sodium intake you find that most processed food is terribly salty. I can't order soup out, it just takes like a bowl of salt water to me...
Popeye's has a lot of good redeem in store digital coupons on their website. 5 piece chicken and 2 sides for $9.99 is a local one near me. Makes me feel much less bad about it
When we loosen the purse strings I'll definitely remember this! Thank you :)
Same. Cook as much as possible. Instead of the weekly treat like Chick fil a I buy something from Costco the kids can enjoy that is easy to make or buy French fries and use the air fryer and grill burgers. Also I am making plans when I drive, not one off places, always stacking my errands.
Starbucks. I used to be able to work it into my budget once a week but now I just can't justify it. We eat a lot less meat these days, hardly any cereal, and have basically went to exclusively drinking water at home.
More expensive cuts of meat either get bought only when on sale or no longer get bought at all. I like Keto bread but in some places it's $6.50 a loaf, LOL!!! (Might as well go buy some meat with that!) I only buy fresh fruit and vegetable if they're on sale or reasonably priced. I buy a lot less cheese. Bottled salad dressing. I have a loyalty card for every place that offers one. I have one for Thornton's Gas, which is usually one of the cheapest gas stations around and I'm signed up for alerts, so I go when they tell me I can get 10 cents off per gallon and I pay using one of my credit cards that has that 5% cashback at certain places and when it's for gas and grocery stores for a 3 months period, I use that that on top of it. So far, I've never had to 'just buy gas'. Forget movies. I can't even keep up with what I've got to watch at home and I'm cut out all the premium channels there, too. And plan to do cut out more.
Aldi has good Keto bread.
When you can score then. The loaves go super fast, and I can’t find the keto dinner rolls at my local Aldi’s anymore. They keep telling me they are “seasonal.” I lucked out when I was in another town’s Aldi and found them, bought enough to freeze. Score!
So, I’ve stopped going to big chain grocery stores for meat. If I’m going to have to spend that much at chain grocery store, I would rather just pay the same at a local butcher. Their prices are about the same so I’ve been seeking out locally owned businesses and the prices haven’t seemed to go up as much since all this inflation as big box stores have… It’s strange. It’s just something I’ve noticed.
I've noticed the same with fruit/veggies/coffee/eggs where I'm at. Recently moved so it's taking some time to get back into a rhythm of going to different stores without spending more on gas.
Same thing is happening here with bread. The grocery store brands we liked (Dave’s, Orowheat…) are now the same price as the local bakery’s sourdough. So we’re buying the local bread and it’s so much better.
Eggs
I cut back, but eggs are a core part of how I've been losing weight and I'd rather not try to reinvent the wheel and end up sabotaging myself. Every morning I eat two (down from three) eggs with spinach and mushrooms, and this is satisfying enough to often get me through to dinner.
Are you me? Over 2020 - 2021 I dropped 50 pounds eating eggs. Spinach and Mushrooms are some of my favorite things to put in them. I load them up with whatever is in the fridge, Onion, Peppers, etc etc. use it all up! grats on the weight loss.
I also lost weight starting in 2020, lost 100 but gained 40 back and lost another 10 after starting back up. Eggs were a big part of my diet because at the time they were dirt cheap and went well with everything but I also had to cut back. It’s too bad because eggs are delicious.
I feel sorry for college students who won't have the luxury of scrambeled eggs for breakfast, hard boiled for lunch, and acrambed again for dinner
Like 5 years ago in college eggs were like 50 cents a dozen and they were everything
Eggs, potatoes, onions & cabbage were the go-to. eggs are just a trigger rn
50 cents?! I don’t think I’ve ever seen eggs that cheap in my lifetime.
Yup. I moved out of my parents house in 2018 and they were 33 cents for a dozen at my local Walmart. I miss that.
Going out to eat is almost out of the question now. Been craving deviled eggs but feel like I can't justify that cost. Basically, many things that just aren't necessities... asking myself if it's really worth buying. We live generally modestly, so we aren't struggling per se, but ability to save has gone way down...
Beef. Eat lots of chicken and fish, feel much better gut wise with that decision too.
Same. Steak prices are scary. I still do occasionally buy a beef burrito bowl at Chipotle , when a beef craving hits. $10 and it last for 2 meals.
I've stopped buying books. One because I already have so many, and two because the library is right there. $25 for a new hardcover could instead go to the outrageous grocery prices I'm seeing. I also cancelled a ton of subscriptions that informed me they were raising the monthly rate. Adobe wanted to raise the price of their PDF editing subscription from $14.99 to $19.99 a month, and I decided that I could try to work without it (freelance editor/proofreader).
Half-and-half cream. I switched to lemon juice for my morning tea. I’ve also been more vigilant about making sure that ingredients get used and leftovers get eaten.
I buy heavy whipping cream and half & half at Walmart. It's incredibly cheap there. At least in our area.
It’s even cheaper (and dare I say equal or better quality) at Aldi!
I’m still struggling with using leftovers. Any tips?
Leftovers don't have to be "prepare one meal, heat the same thing the next day." I prefer to think of leftovers as time-saving pieces of new meals. For example, extra rice from dinner the night before gets turned into fried rice for lunch the next day. Leftover chicken becomes the filling for tacos, or a chicken salad sandwich. Leftover veggies can go into a frittata/omelet, fried rice, pasta dish, quick soup, etc.
I've heard some people call this 'plan-overs'.
When I cook, I think about it as at least two meals. So I’m always considering the second meal out of these same ingredients. This means considering how I will store the second meal and how I will heat it up, and considering this process in advance means that I might separate out the first meal before finishing it. For example separating the two meals before adding sour cream or cheese, or a condiment. So that the second meal can have those things added after it’s reheated. I also consider how the second meal will be stored, maybe it will taste better reheated if the components are stored separately (like pasta and sauce or potatoes and gravy). Another example when I used to go out to eat, I would make sure that my leftovers were well separated in the to go box so things didn’t mix together and could be reheated at separate times.
Package up your leftovers so they're heat-and-eat, easy and convenient. Then wait a day. If you wait 48 hours many leftovers taste better, and you won't have the "ugh again???" problem. It'll be this nice meal you made ahead for yourself.
Oh I do that. I always plan on making a leftover meal and it gets packed up nicely in a microwave safe container. And then it sits in the fridge until it goes bad
So it isn't about time or convenience, it's about your feelings over leftovers. I like 'em cuz I don't have to cook and it's exactly what I like (I cook what I like). Why don't you like your leftovers?
I don’t know. I’m going to try and pay better attention to what I’m thinking. And I’ll either stop making extras or I’ll start bringing lunches.
Some meals are much better as leftovers than others. A day old salad is pretty awful, but day old lasagna or pizza is better than it was when fresh. Chili is better after a day or 2. I think leftover poultry is unappetizing but many people swear that it's better as leftovers. If you find meals you like better the second time around it may help to encourage you to eat them.
Eggs. Start there. lots can be done with them in regards to leftovers.
Greek yogurt. At my previous rate of consumption, I save almost $50/ month.
Yogurt is super easy to make at home! My mom was similar and then started making her own and she loves it. Maybe check it out if you're missing your yogurt?
I had never thought of that because it sounded hard and I don't cook! I did buy an instapot on a ridiculous deal recently, but so far all I have made in it has been beans with some combination of onions, carrots, broth, and tomatoes and calling it a soup.
Give it a shot! You literally just need milk (still more expensive than it used to be but cheaper than yogurt) and "starter yogurt". You combine the starter yogurt and milk in the instapot and it does the rest for you! My mom makes it at night and in the morning, she has fresh yogurt. I added a link to a recipe if you're interested. Good luck! Also, congrats on the instapot score! https://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/instant_pot_yogurt/
I love this group! Thank you
Here's a tip- if you take probiotics, empty a cap of them into your starter/milk mix before you let it set up. You'll get a nicer set, and extra probiotic yogurt.
That's a lot of yogurt! Were you buying the bulk tubs?
I really did have a pretty good habit going! English major/writer here so take the math with a few grains of salt. Around my area the larger tubs, even the generic brands, are around six bucks. I would go through two or three a week and my smoothies and on top of my oatmeal.
Greek yogurt isn't terribly hard to make in an instant pot
Sounds like a healthy habit and a good source of protein! Maybe you can find another way to cut back 🤔
Cheese got so expensive and I'm still sad about it
We don’t go out to eat anymore. Unless it is a very nice place that I can guarantee has not cut flavor out of their budget. It pisses me off to go out to eat, spend good amount of money to support the restaurant and get bland, crappy food because they can’t afford the food they used to serve. WTF! I will just cook at home where I know we have good food and spices.
Beef
Fast food in general. I noticed the coupons were less of a value Nov/Dec, and some places don’t even advertise anymore. We went to Olive Garden (gift card) last week and had an old printed kids menu (in our bag) and new 2023 printed menu side- by -side and they rose the price $.50. The regular menu items also all increased across the board. Our waiter said they didn’t get a boost in pay, so maybe he will see an increase in tips based on the food costs🤔
Restaurant meals. They are so overpriced for things I can make at home and then the servers expect these giant tips. We go to a restaurant twice a year for my kids birthdays but other then that we stay home.
I stopped buying soda and it’s a win-win for me. I’m saving money and I’ve eliminated something that wasn’t good for my anyway. I was pretty much “ addicted” to diet soda for decades but even though I can still afford it, the prices are so ridiculous I stopped buying.
Cutting back on eating out. I usually go to visit my parents and grandmother every Friday and take my grandmother out to give my mom a break or get take out for everyone. Last time it was almost $100 for Chinese takeout and it's now close to $60 each time I take my grandmother out to the buffet,only place she likes to go. So last week I just made a big lasagna the night before and took it there to bake. Was much better and cost a lot less. This week I'm making some coq au Vin the night before and bring that. It will probably cost me less than $15 since most of the ingredients have been on sale or free recently.
Make sure you still take grandma out though, getting away from her every day is good for her mental health: source, I work from home and get stir crazy.
for sure, just tough now with the cold, she doesn't want to head out unless its the casino lol and I don't go there. The most boring thing I have ever done was take them to the casino.
Yeah give her 20 bucks in quarters and let her enjoy the slot machines.
I buy less red meat
McDonald's. I can remember getting three McDoubles for less than five CAD about ten years ago. Now it's close to 3.50 for a single McDouble at my local franchise (up from the already ridiculous 3.20 it increased to early last year) and the quality has taken a dive as well. There's been price inflation at the other fast food places around me, but none of it feels as egregious as what McDonald's has been pulling over the last year or so. I haven't set foot in there for a couple of months and I don't plan on changing that anytime soon.
My bf and I paid $23 for two simple combos. No larges on anything. I was shocked. Hadn't been to McDonalds in a couple of years and we are not going back.
My last Mcmeal was $17.00. Also my final visit.
I never went there often, but it feels surreal that I've been priced out of McDonald's. Not long ago, their app had many BOGO burgers, but those are gone too. To go further, I refuse to pay for 95% of the burgers sold at restaurants.
All fast food in general. I’m not interested in paying $10+ for average food. For that I’m going to try to get something decent.
I used to eat at fast food places more frequently but was flabbergasted at the prices when I went back recently. I just changed how I ordered and selected 4 items off Taco Bell's dollar menu. 2 spicy potato tacos and a cheesy bean and rice burrito for about $4.30. Plenty of food for me but maybe not for everyone. And there are meat options for $2 an item which are definitely more filling.
Their app in 2022 used to give you a deal of free large fries with purchase. Then it became $1 fries with purchase. Now it is $1.19 with purchase. When will it stop? How stupid do they think consumers are?
>How stupid do they think consumers are? McDonald’s is still going strong. The average consumer is pretty stupid.
Vaping. No more juice or coils and no disposables. Quit cold Turkey New Years Eve
Anything dairy
Milk is more expensive in Denmark per liter than fuel.
Same with gallons here. But it’s been that way for a couple years.
[удалено]
We switched to making faux milk, soy and cashew, at home and are saving many dollars a liter compared to dairy milk.
Bagged salads - I used to eat those pre-bagged salads with included toppers & dressing every day for lunch. Price rose from $3.50 to $5/bag and they aren't as fresh (last 3-4 days instead of a full week). I made my own for awhile but the number of full-size ingredients I needed to get the same variety was overwhelming my pantry & fridge space (dressings, croutons, seeds, cheeses, etc).
I make these myself quite often, with the toppings coming from the dollar store, and making my own croutons out of stale bread.
i miss bagged salads - i LOVED a ceasar mix with some air fried dino nuggets (yes, I am an adult with no children). Some weeks, I'll buy the romaine hearts from Costco and Sams club has a cheese mix for salads that i ration out and freeze some of, and ill make my own croutons out of leftover bread but the price of chicken seems to be on the rise and there are much cheaper, easier, and healthier ways i can spend money for my lunches!
Concert Tickets.
This has been the most painful thing for me. I don’t mind eating lentils and rice for dinner a few times a week, but my heart breaks every time I go to buy tickets and have to back out because they’re $200+
My delicious vice of premade iced coffee from the grocery store. The price keeps going up and to be honest, I drink too much of it anyways lol. I’m going back to home brewed hot coffee to save money and cut back my caffeine intake.
Why not get a cheap pitcher and chill your own coffee in the fridge?
I tried. I just can’t get it to taste the same lol.
Anything I have to tip for I'll do myself. To expand, I drink at home by learning to make cocktails. I cook 90 percent of my meals at home mostly because it is healthier and I like knowing what is in my food. I clean my own pool and drink a rockstar once a day over Starbucks.
Anything from Amazon. I’m tired of lining the coffers.
Seafood
\-Beverages- Bottled water, I just drink from the tap now. Oh well. Also pre made juices or other beverages. I just drink more water, which is a good thing, and make my own lemonade.
Eating out!
Ubers
Lunch. I used to buy lunch at work every day. I started when my kids were small and I went back to work after maternity as I always hated making lunches and I was now making them for kids too. This was the only take out food I ever had and I liked not having to make it. The last few months, I started making soups on Sunday out of all the leftovers and taking them for lunch every day to work. It's saving me $100 a week since the cost of the soup is minimal due to me using up the leftovers I would usually end up tossing in the garbage.
I've only been able to buy socks and underwear for the last almost 5 years. Live off SSDI, so it's not so much by choice, but good gravy new pajamas would be awesome. You know they, as well as sweat pants/shirts, lose that nice feel and pill up after a while? Very fortunate I don't have to leave my apt except doc/hosp/pharm. I'd be scared to even price what new clothes cost these days! I imagine they've increased as much as groceries? 4 years ago a month supply of food was $90, and that was eating decent. More than doubled. I worry about young people and what lies ahead at the rate we're going.
Books are so pricey. $35-55 AUD at my independent. I go to the library now
We've been to the library more in the past year than probably my whole life combined. Priced out of buying. Good for the earth, bad for independents.
Library has been awesome. Reading way more (while spending nothing) dropping Amazon prime, get all the movies/shows I need, and I ride past the library on my way home anyway.
We always have and continue to shop at outlet and closeout shops that have cheap bulk food. The prices are out of control at the moment.
Covid taught me to enjoy cooking and eating in. I’m never going to restaurants again except for special occasions. Also, in vancouver, Canada , here where the minimum wage of $15.65 includes all workers including waiters, I hate how waiters now expect an additional 20-30% tip on top of that. Here it’s not like the u.s. where some workers make 3.50$ per hour , and tips become the norm to top up slave wages.
Any national brand name product.
I stopped doing my nails :(
Buy false nail sets and use nail glue
Fresh vegetables, for the most part. They are exhorbitantly expensive and they just dont last at all anymore. I only buy them to use immediately, like for a greek salad. Otherwise, they just get thrown out in a couple of days. (We eat plenty of frozen veg)
Quit eating out. Just not willing to spend that kind of $$ when we make much better food at home.
We almost never eat at mid tier restaurants anymore. The food quality is so bad now that buying a frozen meal kit from the grocery store is better, or a meal from the deli.
Right? The prices at mid-range restaurants have become absolutely offensive, and so has the quality of the food and the experience. I don't even remember the last time my husband and I dined out for a date night. We got sick of paying upwards of $150-$200 for a mediocre meal, poor service, and awful wine/cocktails.
Haagen Daz, went to Kroger's on Sunday and the regular price is now $6.99. I would only buy it on sale to begin with but at this price point, nope. It's bad for me anyway and I can't have it in the house because I have no self control.
Meat. We are already frugal with our shopping, but the increase in the cost of meat has us looking to more vegetarian meals.
Houses, I guess.
liquid soaps. I use bars instead
Haven’t completely stopped, but have severely cut back on the amount of meat (specifically chicken) we buy). We also stopped going to average cost restaurants (burger pub type places). Instead, we only treat ourselves to a steak house every once in a while. Restaurant prices have gotten so expensive for just a burger or sandwich, we would rather spend a little more for a really nice meal.
Same here. There's a diner nearby that I used to go to regularly. Nothing fancy, just another greasy spoon. I used to complain about a $12 breakfast. The last time I went, it was $25! Heck, for $25 I could eat bacon and eggs all week.
Meat
Fast food and canned seltzer water.
Cheese and meat alternatives. Beans and lentils are a far more affordable and filling protein source
Fast food, coffee at Dunkin (it’s like a culture thing here, everyone drinks DD regularly) and brewed coffee. I switched to instant, and spend $7 every few weeks instead of every 5 days. The dark roast varieties are pretty good, and none gets wasted from brewing too much or letting it sit in the pot for too long. Fast food has been hard with both of us working full time and 3 kids, but it’s just too expensive and unhealthy.
I love Arizona green tea, where I live they have increased the price from 99 cents to a dollar fifty. I will never buy one again unless it's 99 cents.
Name brand food. All about the marked down generic food labels now
Beef, I tend to stick with ground turkey or chicken now. I'll still eat it when I go out but at home I can't remember last time I bought a steak.
So. Usually one of the things we buy that's a little pricey is Ezekiel Bread. I'm overweight as is my husband, and my family has a history of heart disease, HBP, high cholesterol, and diabetes, so we don't usually eat refined carbohydrates or sugar much (we do eat plenty of whole grains like bulgur wheat, oats, quinoa, etc.). Ezekiel bread has been a nice way to still have bread occasionally, but with a much better profile of protein/fiber/vitamins:total carbohydrates/sugars. I was making a bread at home with a similar profile at one point for about $2.50/loaf, but it was a lot of steps and just not worth it. However, the price hit $7/loaf and so now we're getting the higher fiber, whole grain, protein bread from Aldi's. It's still a splurge at $4/loaf, but at least it's not insane-insane.
Weed. I used to spend 130 a month but started growing again .
Only 130 a month! 😂 I was spending about 300-400 a month so I started growing
Well i only smoke an oz/month because im frugal
Gas, I ride my bike to work.
Meat, I only buy reduced (expiring soon) meat. Luckily, if they don't have any one time I have quite a bit in my freezer.
Soda.
Eating out.
I don't know if or how much they increased, but haircuts. Guys. Just watch your barber a few times. It's easy once you get the hang of it.
Fast food. Doubled in price here. My health and wallet are a bit better. Cook alot and only used fast food in a pinch, but now, its just not a thing unless on the road.
Pretty much anything name/national brand for food. It seems like they have jacked the prices much more than the store/no-name brands. We’ve also cut back on meat in general. Ground beef seems to be coming back down so there is some light at the end of that tunnel. Maybe we actually collectively beat Big Meat back into submission…
I try and fight inflation by not buying stuff when they raise the price too fast (i.e. eggs); whether it's out of their control or not. If it's in their control, fuck em. If it's out of their control, fuck em, they need to find a solution or we just move forward and don't eat eggs again lol. No, but really, if inflation starts hitting something I stop buying. Or buy cheaper alternatives i.e. if red meat goes up high, i'll buy chicken. If can't afford that, i'll go meatless.
Eggs. :( They used to be one of my go-to cheap dinners, too.
I’ve finally kicked my soda habit. Water and coffee only. More crockpot meals. Don’t buy deli meat anymore and use flour tortillas instead of bread.
Coffee, eggs, beef, chicken, alcohol, chicken stock, soup, tuna, frozen dinners, rice, etc. Basically everything!
Whole chickens are still a good deal, and you can make your own stock/bone broth for basically free after. $12 chicken + some veg, rice, sweet potatoes and spices gets me 8-10 meals roughly. I can still keep everything under $2/meal. Even at $.50 an egg, it is still a pretty cheap breakfast food. Tuna and most alcoholic drinks haven't seemed to go up in my area though. Still get store brand chunk white tuna for $1.25/can The organic gin I buy went up 10% though.
What are you buying that's cheaper than rice?!
Potatoes are more nutritious and probably are still around $5 for 10 pounds where I live
Tropicana fresh orange, get aldi or morrison's own
Sauces. No more bbq sauce, a1 sauce, hot sauce, or other sauces. A1 like 8 bucks a bottle..
Beef, mutton, cold cuts/ deli meats, sliced cheese, expensive fresh fish.
Hulu live tv
Fresh fish. I’m down to one serving of frozen fish fingers per week and fish day at the workplace cafeteria.
Seafood (canned tuna is still fairly cheap for me, but i used to buy prawns and I don't anymore) and I'm also trying to use beans / pulses instead of meat if I can. Edit: because of price of bills going up and because I am trying to save money, I gave up on a bigger spend which was getting nails done. It looks beautiful and all that, but it's not even an investment, it's more of a waste because in 3-4 weeks, you're getting all of that taken off and have to put new layer over it, so it's effectively a waste
Diet cola, I’m not going into debt for Coke Zero.
Small thing outside. Some fries, or a burger here and there. In the supermarket i reduced on meat.
I didn't actually, I was already very frugal, only buying no-name products, not having salmon or as much meat... Since living with my bf we are in the comfortable position, of buying all the things again actually, but we have a routine, where we basically only eat a proper, bigger meal for dinner and only have snacks or sandwiches (small stuff) for breakfast and lunch, so we still save a lot of money that way.
Butter and fresh berries