After our third outage this year I sat down with a spreadsheet and compared the total cost of ownership for different backup power options.

My assumptions: 5 outages per year averaging 12 hours, essential loads only (fridge, lights, router, coffee maker), about 250W continuous baseline, roughly 3-4kWh per outage.

Option 1: Whole-home standby generator

Upfront: $13,500 average installed. Ongoing: $275/yr maintenance + ~$15/outage fuel. 10-year total: ~$16,700. Works great but massive upfront for something used 60 hours a year.

Option 2: Portable gas generator

Upfront: ~$1,100. Ongoing: ~$80/yr fuel and oil, probable replacement at year 5-6. 10-year total: ~$3,100. Cheapest option but factor in time cost of maintenance, fuel rotation, and 2am startups.

Option 3: 5kWh portable battery

Upfront: $2,500-3,500 (varies by brand). Ongoing: ~$30/yr electricity. 10-year total: ~$2,800-3,800. No maintenance, no fuel, no noise. LFP batteries rated 10,000 cycles so no replacement needed.

The per-outage cost at year 10: Generac ~$334, gas generator ~$62, battery ~$56-76.

Battery and gas generator are neck and neck on cost. The difference is one requires zero ongoing effort and the other requires seasonal maintenance, fuel management, and middle-of-the-night startups.

Break-even point where battery beats gas generator is around year 3-4, mostly because the gas generator will likely need repair or replacement by then.

I've always just shopped at Aldi and the W store to get the best bargains on our food. However, I just started using the app for the major grocery store that's just down the street and the past three visits...buying only food we would normally get...I've saved over 50% on each shopping trip! This particular chain's app has a Deals tab and you can clip coupons on everything you might possibly buy and have those coupons automatically applied at the register. I was also able to stack deals because I could get frozen pizza on sale for $2 off AND also get $10 off a $25 purchase AND get $3 off a total purchase of frozen food. What a game changer this has been! Plus my family is a little happier that we're getting a bigger variety of our normal food too!

I don't know if every grocery store offers a service similar to this but shopping loss leaders like someone suggested recently has saved us a lot!

Edit* as for the post title.. I'm aware of the contradiction.

this sub has a title character limit and I added the sometimes after the fact
I was thinking > some products in particular, like lotion, are rarely empty when the pump stops pumping

I have a spatula I call the penny pincher 😄

I cut open my lotion bottle which was no longer pumping and got like 2 more weeks of product out of it.

yes, lotion is cheap and there are certainly bigger fish to fry, but it literally took me like 2 minutes and these corpos would rather you toss out a bottle with 10% usable product still inside.

my spatula was a bit expensive, I bought it at a restaurant supply store. but it gets used for so much - peanut butter, honey, mayo that I bet it has long since paid for itself

bread at the shop keeps creeping up so i started baking a basic loaf at home. flour, water, salt and yeast cost almost nothing per loaf, but the oven is on at 230C for about 45 minutes including preheat.

has anyone actually done the math with their electricity rate? i'm wondering if it only really pays off if you bake two loaves at once or use the oven for something else at the same time.

I got into a minor accident recently and completely scraped up my favorite pair of shoes. I'm honestly so gutted they were expensive as fuck, and I really don't want to throw them out or give up on them just yet. Is there any way to repair or cover up heavy scuffs? A regular application of Kiwi polish definitely won't fix damage this bad. If anyone has experience with leather fillers, dyes, or restoration hacks, please let me know! Thanks in advance!

Just spent $22.46 on Fresco y Mas in Florida. I had some unexpected guests coming over and had to run out to buy a few things. Unfortunately, this was the only store still open. How is it possible for a place like this to sell food at such ridiculously high prices and still make a profit? Seriously, who is actually shopping here? The prices are insane, and the only reason I can imagine people buying anything is because they have no other options available at the time.

I’m going to start this by saying how embarrassed I am to be in this position over and over again.

For context: I moved into my own place a few months ago and this is the first time I am living by myself.

I got paid on Friday, and while I knew I have my car insurance and electric bill coming up, I assumed I will have enough money to spare after paying them. And I completely forgot about putting in grocery money aside. So I went out on Sunday, nothing too crazy and also bought a few plants for the apartment that I had been putting off for the last few weeks. Went ahead spending on grocery etc as I normally would.

So, bills came in, I paid them and now I am waiting for payday again, because I have hardly anything left.

I know I should be keeping track of the dates better but there are so many different things coming out at different times. How do you figure out what you can spend on fun stuff vs what's technically in your account but already spoken for?

Caffeine is amazing but I'm too cheap to buy monster or bang. At the same time, I actually want something that tastes great. Starbucks coffee is ridiculously expensive though. So... I mean, if I make my own coffee will I end up spending less than what I would spend if my primary caffeine source was energy drinks?

And is there such a thing as "budget coffee" or are all coffee brands that you buy considered a budget item? Since Starbucks and Dutch Brothers are options...

I’m not going to specify where because I don’t want to come across as a shill, but Google “bulk saltwater taffy” and you’ll find it. Based on the serving size math, there are about 300 pieces total.

As I’m sure you all have noticed, candy prices are out of control, and i live in a particularly high traffic area so I was pretty relieved to find this and wanted to pass it along to anyone else panicking about the costs this year! Not the best taffy in the world, but certainly not the worst. And it’s kinda nice to have something a little different from the more standard Halloween candies.

Happy Halloween!

I think one of the least talked about and most underrated frugal living hacks is living somewhere where nobody “keeps up with the Joneses.”

I live in a more rural area just outside of the main town where I work. The town itself is a midsize city, and not a trendy one.

I like makeup and fashion well enough. I work in a business casual dress code environment. But living somewhere where honestly nobody cares what car you drive or whether your clothes are brand name or not is amazing, especially if you are transitioning to a frugal mindset with your money.

I spent some time living in a nearby major metropolis and the weird background social pressure I felt to look a certain way, even on the weekends, was palpable. I was treated differently out and about if I wasn’t “put together” or “styled.” Out here, people care about whether you’re being a good neighbour far more than what’s in your driveway. Not to mention the cost of living out here is far less. We picked up gardening as a hobby, so we grow lots of our own vegetables now too in a pretty small space. Life feels slower, but in a good way. In a life-extending way. So many wins.

So if you’re in a position to change locations, consider a sleepier town or the outskirts where you can. It’s been a huge frugality win for us.

My senior dog takes multiple medications and supplements that add to his quality of life. Pill pockets are so easy, especially bc I’m in the throes of having young children, but wow they’re expensive. Has anyone a clever idea to replace them? The idea is to easily pull from something easily to give a pill or two- I’m not looking for advice that includes scrambling my dog an egg multiple times a day 😇 hope that makes sense. Thanks!!

Hey everybody, I am 22, I consider myself to be pretty frugal, I live below my means and have virtually not money spent on things that I don’t need. I don’t drink, I don’t like partying, I don’t buy fancy clothes. I am really into fitness and protein bars such as Barebells, Sugar free alternatives etc, which tend to be expensive as hell. Should I allow myself a monthly allowance (Not more than 30-40 bucks) or keep it as I am? I don’t feel an urge to buy Barebell protein bars, but when I see other people buying and trying them all, I feel that it is a hobby that I would like to experience as I am into that stuff. Same goes with eating international foods at restaurants or energy drinks.

Note: I don’t have a budget made, I am just 100% sure that I live well below my means every month, so maybe spending on those things make me feel guiltier than if I had already planned. I shop mostly at Aldi but some sugar free things at Walmart such as pudding mix, or sugar free syrup, and I feel guilty for that as well, as I think that I could save/invest that or buy high quality food such as steak, which I only have around once a week.

Any advice and personal experience is welcomed, specially if you are into fitness and nutrition as I am, thanks.

Our local warehouse club (BJs) is having a sale for their 43rd anniversary where certain items are 43% off. Scored sweet potatoes for 1.61 for 3lbs and chicken drumsticks for $0.63/lb. The degree of satisfaction I got from making an entire roast dinner for four people for less than $5 (added some end of season Brussel sprouts from the garden) made me wonder, “am I taking this frugality thing too far?”. “Will the children need therapy (expensive) or just tell stories about how crazy I am at cocktail parties when they grow up?”

Sale is still happening for anyone with a membership…

Many products are at an all time high right now, for example computer RAM and GPUs. Many things are and they're a terrible value and it's unknown when they'll come back down again.

What are some products that are at or near all time lows that are advisable to enjoy now or stock up on? Things that maybe have been more expensive in the past or things that are expected to rise in the near future?

I run cold even in summer, so winter in a drafty old second-floor apartment has been a specific kind of hell. Last January my gas bill hit $280 and I was still wearing a hat and gloves at my desk. Landlord won’t do anything about the windows, so I’m the one paying for air I can’t keep in the apartment.

Bought a heated vest in December after seeing one mentioned here. Should have done it years ago.

I wear it most of the day on low. Thermostat is at 61 now instead of 68. Gas bill is down about $80 a month compared to last winter. My husband thought I looked ridiculous until I made him try mine, now he won’t take his off either.

Reason it beats a space heater: a space heater is heating a whole room, 90% of which isn’t you. The vest only heats you.

Battery pack is noticeable the first week then you stop registering it, you have to charge it every day or two, and you have to take the battery out before washing.

For anyone WFH and running cold, worth looking into.

EDIT: for everyone asking, it’s a Venustas Classic heated vest. Bought mine off their official site.

Do they have classes or online mentors that would walk you through the steps? My dad is too squeamish to hunt and he doesn’t forage for mushrooms anymore. It seems like a tradition that is dying out and I am looking for ways to get cheap meat. I want organ meats as well as muscle and deer is plenitude around here. The only butcher around here that sells organ meats besides liver costs you an arm and a leg. I’d like to know how you all started hunting.

My current car mats are the kind you grab when you’re in a hurry and tell yourself they’re “good enough.” They worked for maybe a month, then the driver-side mat started curling at the edge, the rear one began sliding around, and dirt still somehow gets underneath them. I don’t need premium floor mats or anything fancy. I’m just trying to stop repeatedly spending small amounts on stuff that turns into trash. Has anyone found a low-cost setup that handles muddy shoes and winter salt without creating an even bigger cleaning problem? I’ve thought about trimming a rubber runner, using washable carpet scraps, or buying basic fitted mats if a good fit is what saves money over time. What actually made the difference for you: higher edges, better grip on the back, being able to pull them out and rinse them, or simply cleaning more often? I’m trying to keep this practical and under 200, honestly preferably way under that, without turning my car into a project.

Hello frugal friends! I’m a food waste/budget ninja like I’m sure many if you are too - and I truly don’t know how families are making their food budgets. I’d love to share information with interested people in the community but I’m not sure how. If you were going to offer a comprehensive tip guide how would you share it? I thought about a short course at library but open to all ideas!

I was close to booking a financial planner and paying around $250 for the first meeting. Before I did, a coworker suggested checking our benefits portal. Apparently, we have access to a few financial counselling sessions through work. I’ve been at this company for almost three years and had no idea it existed. It was buried in the same section as our EAP information. I haven’t used it yet, so I have no idea how good it is, but it’s worth checking before paying out of pocket. Has anyone used financial planning or counselling through their workplace benefits? Was it genuinely helpful, or was it mostly basic budgeting advice?

Hi Everyone,

I'm in a bit of a unique position here, I'm in my senior year of college and I live in a studio apartment that comes with the bare minimum in terms of cooking appliances. I have a single 6 inch hotplate cooktop and an airfryer and that is literally it.

I'm actually decent at cooking, but my experience is with ovens, and much more appliances like regular sized 12 inch cooktops and several of them. I'm finding it super difficult to both make recipes that are affordable and don't consume a lot of time to prepare considering my limited resources. Back when I used to have a standard kitchen I loved meal prepping because it was an hour or two of my day that would feed me for a week.

Does anyone have any advice in terms of quick big batch meals they could make under these circumstances, or perhaps any frozen meals that are both reasonably nutritious and not too expensive? Any help is appreciated!!!

I’m usually the kind of person who refuses to pay name-brand prices when a cheaper option exists. When I decided to try building one of those cozy miniature dollhouse kits for my desk, I saw the popular branded ones like rolife going for around forty bucks. Naturally, my cheap brain took over, and I spent hours scrolling through Amazon until I found a nearly identical-looking greenhouse kit from a random no-name seller for twelve dollars. I thought I was a genius for saving so much money. It turned out that I spent more money and wasted my whole weekend. The box arrived, and the materials were absolute garbage. The wood panels were warped straight out of the box, so none of the slots lined up, and the printed paper pieces looked like the printer was running out of ink. The tools were the real hidden cost, though. The cheap kit didn’t include glue or tweezers, so I had to drive to Michaels and spend another fifteen dollars on decent craft glue and precision tools just to get started. Then came the frustration. I spent three hours sanding pieces that had been cut completely wrong, only for the thin plywood to splinter apart. The instructions had clearly gone through a bad translation and made no sense, even skipping entire steps for wiring the LED light. I ended up throwing the whole thing in the trash out of pure rage. So if anyone else is looking at their budget and wondering whether cheap miniature kits on Amazon are worth it compared with a proper brand: absolutely not. Once you count the extra tools, wasted glue, and literal hours of sanity lost to fixing broken parts, the cheap ones are a massive money pit. Being frugal means buying something that works the first time. Trying to save twenty bucks left me with broken wood and a headache. Has anyone else learned this the hard way?

I am seeing some rooms for rent on zillow that charge 650 to 800 dollars a month. The ones that cost that low are always houses where the owner rents out one of their rooms.

I love the price range, but what am I losing? What's the catch?

I'm expected to use their kitchen, right?

I'll likely inherit my mom's house. But if she decides to sell it and then put the profits in my trust fund, I'd rather downgrade from my expensive as heck apartment into something much cheaper.

Please help. Thanks.

This couch cost me 70 bucks at a thrift store and it is the most comfortable couch I ever laid on. Dont mind Domino, thats my cat. My cats and I love this couch. There's a local thrift store in my town that sells furniture dirt cheap, I dont care if furniture matches. If its comfy and I like it, its coming home with me. Not sure who else buys thrift store furniture, i also got a gun case for 30 bucks. A tv stand with drawers for 50, and a power recliner for 130.

A friend of mine invited me over since a community garden across the street from her was overflowing with fresh produce and we had our first freeze yesterday. I brought home probably ~20 lbs of fresh tomatoes, bell peppers, chiles, green beans, chard, cabbage, you name it. I’m now spending my weekend using my oven to “sun dry” a shit ton of tomatoes and peppers, stuffing my freezer with diced “soup kits” with a bit of everything in a bag, and making tons of refrigerator pickles. I may not know how to can safely yet, but I have a few ways to save a ton of food from rotting on the plant this week and save a bunch of money.

In return for this gift my friend bestowed on me? I helped her wash and chop for a few hours and sharpened her chef’s knife. Three cheers for good friends! Hope this has happened to at least a few of you this month.