17 Frugal Life Hacks To Buy Now and Save Later

More than just some people like to save money.  But what does it mean to save money around your house?  Does it always suggest buying the cheapest items?  What if I could give you some great frugal life hacks to save you money in the long run?

Would you be interested?  Even if it meant you might have to spend a little more upfront?

I agree with the concept of spending more money up front to save money later. I prefer good quality that will last a long time rather than having to replace something when it breaks, wears out, or gets dirty. 

Call them frugal life hacks or just plain common sense!

Led light bulbs

According to Popular Mechanics, LED lightbulbs last five times longer than conventional lightbulbs and use a fraction of the electricity. Since their first release, the price of LED lightbulbs has come down dramatically.

Amazon has a great price on these LED bulbs; you can find them in bulk.

Solar lights for outside

Years ago, my husband wired sidewalk lights for his aunt. There were so many issues with those lights. Now, you can get solar lights to light up your house and yard without electricity.

They are powered by the sun, and even in (way) Upstate NY, we get plenty of sunshine to power our lights.  Check them out at Amazon.

Dryer balls

A while back, I did a little experiment with towels and dryer balls. I washed a load of 12 towels and separated them into two groups: six with the dryer balls and six without.

The ones WITH the dryer balls dried 10 minutes faster than the ones without.  If this happens with every load of wash, that’s a LOT of energy saved!  I got mine through my friend Stacey and Norwex, but Amazon sells them, too!

Produce fresh bags

I have been getting Misfits fruits and veggies delivered to my house twice a month. If you haven’t heard about Misfits (here is my link for a coupon), they are a company that delivers imperfect organic fruits and veggies to your door.

I have been getting them for MONTHS and do not see any imperfections!

I also wrote a great blog post on how to save money and eat organic.

I like keeping them in these produce bags so they don’t go bad.  I am sure I’m not the only one who has had to throw out the cucumbers because they turned too much in the veggie drawer.

Low flow shower head

A low-flow showerhead will save you money on your water and HOT WATER bills.  The trick is to do some reading to see which shower head still has some decent water pressure.

This might take some adjustment if you are used to good water pressure.  But for this showerhead’s price, you can’t say no to savings!! Check out Amazon or visit your local home improvement store to see what they recommend.

Rechargeable batteries

These rechargeable batteries are brilliant. With a boy in the house who plays Xbox (only on vacations and weekends), we used to use many batteries.

Since we invested in rechargeable batteries, we have seen a drastic reduction in the number of batteries we use. We use them for everything. Amazon has quite a selection, including its own brand.

Don’t forget the charging dock!

Programmable thermostat

We had one of these when we moved into the house 17 years ago, and shockingly enough, it is still going strong.  We secretly (maybe not so secretly) want it to give up so we can invest in a Nest.  Those are pretty awesome.

This will enable you to regulate the temperature when you are not home and sleeping, saving you money on your heating and cooling costs.

There is a big assortment of these on Amazon, and they are still making the one we have.

Cloth napkins

I do not buy paper napkins.  I have had cloth napkins for over ten years!  If you are even a little crafty, you can sew out of clearance fabric or pick up a set of pretty cloth napkins from Amazon.

I have not spent money on paper napkins in over ten years, and the fabric probably cost less than $10!

Glass storage

There is no longer a need to buy plastic containers that you melt in the microwave and recycle only to buy more. There is also no longer a need for zip bags and plastic wrap. There are now just some Anchor or Pyrex dishes to use over and over.

I have not been a fan of plastic for some time. I believe it has many issues (including health issues), so I have worked very hard to find alternatives.

These glass dishes are one of the greatest investments I have ever made.

Spend the money once you are set for life.  Even glass mason jars work great for leftovers!!

Reusable coffee mug

I love my reusable coffee mug… It is PINK!  I think it goes just about everywhere with me.  Not only can I fill it at home to save me from buying coffee, but I can also save money when I buy at a convenience store or Starbucks.

It saves me money, and it has been around for a long time.

I also have a thermal mug that I use at home.  My Yeti mug with a handle and a lid was pretty affordable as far as Yeti stuff goes.

Perfect frugal life hack!

It is excellent when I am hanging around the house because it keeps my coffee warm if I am busy and get distracted. That way, I do not have to reheat it in the microwave or, worse, throw it out for a hot, fresh cup.

I got my reusable cups and mugs at Target and Dick’s Sporting Goods, but Amazon sure does have a great selection!

Energy saving appliances

Any energy-saving appliance is going to be a great improvement, from toasters to microwaves to hair dryers! Any time you replace an appliance, make sure it is more energy efficient than the last one.

Confirm they are Energy Star Certified.  You could be looking at hundreds of dollars!

Consider updating older appliances, even if they are still running. Upgrades will cost you now but save you money in the long run.

Deep freezer

Purchasing a freezer has saved me so much money!  I can grocery shop every two weeks, saving on gas and time.  I can stock up on sales for meat and freeze the berries I pick and the veggies I get from my Misfits Box talked about above.

I also buy two turkeys during Thanksgiving when they are on sale.  I couldn’t do that without a decent freezer.

On-demand water heater

We have had an on-demand water heater since we moved into our house 17 years ago. I love it. We heat with propane, and that applies not only to our furnace but also to our hot water tank.

It has saved us thousands of dollars over the years. If it’s time to change out the water heater, consider on-demand!

Quality flooring

We are shopping for flooring right now. The renovations upstairs are almost done, and it’s time to look into carpet. We could go with the cheapest.

It is upstairs, so the more affordable carpet might be okay (reduced traffic, no shoes, no dog upstairs), but I do not want to have to replace it in five years.

So we are going with a moderately priced, quality carpet.

Consider a laminate or ceramic tile for your flooring.  The life expectancy can be much longer than carpeting.

Consider spending a little more on the new flooring so it saves replacement costs and will last longer than the cheap stuff!

A good mattress

You spend one-third of your life in bed and another one-third wanting to be in bed (or is that just me?). Invest in your health and your body by purchasing a quality mattress that will last the next twenty years.

I have spoken to so many who have failed themselves by spending cheaply and regretted it. I know mattresses are not cheap, but getting good sleep is a huge favor to your well-being.

New windows

We no longer feel a draft when we put our hands to the window in February. All of our windows have been replaced. It took years to complete, but we have done it gradually.

Gone are the days of putting plastic window insulation up every late fall and rolling up towels to insulate.

The money we are saving must be astronomical!  I can’t imagine the amount of heat lost!!

TV antenna

I know, I know.  Kickin’ it old school here.  But TV antennas are making a HUGE comeback!!

With the price of cable continuing to go up and the availability of streaming services, people are not willing to pay for services they don’t need.  We have contemplated an antenna just for the local channels.

Talk about a frugal life hack!  TV for around $20 – for life!!!

I am still working on this with my husband. There are a few channels he still really likes. Please send positive cable-cutting vibes!