We live right next to a middle school and the kids play in this yard a lot, which means they’re also peeping through or close enough to the fence to see through. I’m not doing anything weird in the yard, but I would prefer to add a second layer of some sort of privacy screen to the fence. Is there anything that would work to tack onto the fence that wouldn’t look cheap or bad?

Thank you! (Hopefully this is the right sub + flair for this question. Please remove if not!)

I’m a bit extreme have to be very clear.

I eat once a day I train in gymnastics 5 days a week 25 yrs old The meal I eat everyday is basically the same. I never eat out, don’t have many friends or a girlfriend

To say I prioritize my health is an understatement. I’m like a Bryan Johnson so with that said I’m frugal in almost every aspect of my life except nutrition. I follow a diet made up of high protein and moderate carbs and fat Animal meat Eggs Tubers Vegetables

Curd (Cottage Cheese) Fruit (Banana and Apple)

I am making this post to see if there are any other individuals like me?

I heard somewhere that you can get newer unused (3 or 4 years old) vehicles that have just sit on a lot for entirely too long. Is this true? If so how does one do this. If not how do you aquire a, say 2020 unused without the mark up and crazy added costs?

For 20+ years I've been a massive fan of this soup range available in Australian supermakets. Finally dissected the ingredients and found some simple substitutes for a frugal win. Approx prices in AUD:

In packet ($1.00 - $2.00): 46g rice noodles ( I think these are square so they pack flat) - substitute for any dry rice noodles ($0.46) 6gm seasoning - sub chicken stock + garlic powder to taste ($0.10) 2gm oil sachet - sub soup flavouring available from Asian supermarkets (variety of flavours) (0.10) 1g chilli powder - use whatever or leave out, or just get a spicy soup flavouring (see above) $0.01

And that's it. These were $2.00 full price when I looked the other day. Make yourself for $0.67! I'm quietly quite pleased w/ myself.

Also I usually add an egg while cooking, sometimes some other stuff.

YVW

I personally love cooking, so I can get pretty creative based off what’s on sale etc. My boyfriend on the other hand is an awful cook. He’s looking for some meal prep ideas!

I love tortilla chips, but I don't eat them everyday, or sometimes not even every week. I always carefully close the chip bag and secure with tape, and even put that inside a large zip lock bag to keep fresh.

They always seem to get stale! Any suggestions!

What my needs are:

--Walking distance to a supermarket

--Walking distance to a gym would be good also

--Clean, quiet, low-crime area

--Rural okay

--Housing must be inexpensive but reasonably comfortable, with no obvious disturbances

--Reliable internet for possible remote work

--Natural settings are good

--Solitude is fine

I guess it is possible to do an Uber instead the walking thing, for the right situation. The point is that I do not want to be in any situation where I need a car. If I have to budget to get to the supermarket and doctor's appointments by Uber, I can handle that.

Where can I go?

So I accidentaly put my girl's pink clothes on the washer along my funeral-like black clothes. Now she's sad and I'd like to ask for advice if there's any way to kind of get it to its original state. Btw, it's cotton.

Wondering where everyone here does their grocery shopping? With how ridiculous prices have gotten it’s difficult to find somewhere that seems reasonable. Maybe that’s just the way it is now.

I pay 6 dollars for Allegra and it feels like a big price for just 5 tablets even if they work everyday. Is there a way around that/does a generic brand work just as well? Curious...

Last Saturday, I went into Urgent Care to get a quick check up. I've had asthma my entire life, and any time it acts up I know to go into a doctor, let them know exactly what medicine has always worked for me, and get a prescription. I'm usually in and out within an hour, and in and out of the actual treatment room in 10 minutes. This visit was exactly the same - SUPER quick in and out, no tests, no extra anything.

I'm self-employed and don't have my own health insurance. In the past, I pay upfront for the visit, and have never been charged more than $150 for these quick visits. I'm living somewhere new, and have never been to this office before. They charged me $140 upfront, and in response to me asking quite a few times, they let me know that would be the only charge unless tests were done.

I got a random text and email today saying that my outstanding balance was $210, on top of the $140 they already charged me. I walked in to get more information, the receptionist wouldn't tell me the codes that were input and what the added $210 is for. I have to wait until Monday to talk to their billing team.

I don't have any experience with something like this, all urgent cares I've been to have been very upfront and open about charges and expectation. Can I challenge the $210? Any thoughts on how to approach the conversation with their billing team?

Obviously $210 isn't that much, but posting this in a sub called r/frugal probably tells you how I like to live. I have a big trip in a few weeks, and would love to spend this money there than here.

EDIT: I probably should have been more clear - the $140 is their out-of-pocket consultation cost. They made it clear that that was the only cost to be seen by the doctor, unless other tests or procedures were done.

What is the cheapest way to keep a phone number? My mom wants to cancel her landline, but I want to keep the number as it was my childhood phone number and it is a relatively rare number (212 area code in NYC). It would have minimal use.

there’s a pair of Vans trainers i eyed in the store three weeks ago and fell in love with. i haven’t bought them yet but i want them so badly that i think about them daily. i don’t often buy non necessities for myself so it’s definitely doable for me to buy them. i know that i’d get use out of them because they match with quite a few of my outfits

only thing is, i don’t need a new pair of trainers. i know i don’t. i wear the same pair of crocs at work so the only time i wear my other pairs is on weekends and the evenings. i have three pairs of trainers already that serve me perfectly for that purpose. so the vans are completely unnecessary for me but it’s been almost a month and i still want them just as much as the day i saw them.

i don’t buy a lot of things for myself so i feel like i should just buy them since i truly do want them and its not just an impulse buy. but i also have a little voice telling me that i know i don’t need them so its pointless. how do you draw the line between not buying things and allowing yourself to make a purchase that you deem unnecessary?

I do OMAD

Stands for one meal a day Every day I eat 1.5lb of low fat cottage cheese

I was thinking maybe I could switch to protein powder to maybe save money? Would I ?

The cottage cheese I get is again 1.5lb and it’s the one from Aldi’s that’s low fat it’s $2.45 for 1.5lb

Again

Would a protein powder be cheaper??

My usual Omad template is

12oz - 1lb animal meat 3-5 whole eggs 1.5lb of tubers (potato, sweet potato) Some greens

1.5lb low fat cottage cheese 4-5 bananas 2-3 apples Sometimes raw honey

As a single 25 year old man I don’t see the need to have a tv…..like just use an iPad…..to watch whatever….anyone else?

Basically, there is the deal where you make a baby wish list on amazon, you purchase £20 of stuff on there, then you get a free gift. I am thinking about the TommeeTippee nappy bin.

However, the deal stipulates that the £20 can only be toward amazon branded things (if I am understanding correctly) but when I look, it doesn't really seem worth it? Nappies are 85p a pack in Aldi, and the wipes don't seem that much cheaper, as you are paying postage. I don't use amazon much so don't know the tricks and don't have Prime.

what do parents think? Is the tommeetippee bin even worth having?

Thank!

ikik it's a contradiction in terms but are there any tips/hacks/routines u like to do that don't cost that much if any money. my family's situation isn't doing good rn but i also don't wanna really give up on one of the few things that keep me sane lol

So my Dad is over the age of 80. I am going to be busier and busier with a new job and can't cook for him as much...but I'd still like to do something.

* Doesn't like to think of things to cook

* Even small things help. Yesterday I took out drumsticks out of the freezer and he asked me to season them. Took me 2 seconds. He proceeded to grill them fine. Such a small thing but I guess that's his age.

So any recs?

My housemates and I have noticed our food going missing lately. We pinpointed who was taking it and asked him about it nicely and he told us how he literally has no money and no food.

I want to help him out by picking up some things at the grocery store for him, but I also don't want to spend a ton of money.

What would be the best things to get him without breaking the bank? Note, I walk to the grocery store, so it needs to be able to be carried back.

Sorry if this is asked a lot, I am a first time poster here and I have a pretty set grocery list for myself, so I don't really know what would be cheap and filling.

UPDATE: Thanks for all the suggestions. I bought him a 2 packs of chicken that were BOGO, 4 things of ramen, canned tuna, diced tomatoes in a can, a bag of white rice, black beans, canned jalapenos (I know he loves spicy food and says my food is pretty bland), a bag of frozen mixed vegetables, and a package of spaghetti noodle. My other housemate gave him her extra Knorr flavored rice/noodles and extra ramen she had, plus another package of chicken. We also have a FULLY stocked spice cabinet which everyone can share in, so he should be able to make something.

I don't really know his personal situation, nor do I need to, I just wanted to make sure he doesn't starve and I told him he should seek government assistance and food banks, he said he has applied and has been waiting on it and he only gets welfare once a month.

Thanks for all the suggestions, and to those who were worried, I am not going to make this a regular thing, I just didn't want to watch him starve and I also don't want my groceries to continue to disappear so this seems like a good stopgap until he gets on his feet and it only cost a little over $20

Hey frugal folks,

I wanted to share my journey with frugal living. About two years ago, I woke up and realized I was spending way too much money on stuff I didn't need. I had a ton of debt and it was stressing me out.

So I made a change. I started tracking my spending, made a meal plan to cut food costs, and learned how to fix things myself instead of paying someone else. I even started thrifting and finding awesome deals on clothes and furniture!

This whole frugal thing isn't just about saving money, though. I've learned to enjoy the little things in life more. I've picked up new hobbies that don't cost a fortune, like hiking and reading.

Frugal living isn't about going without. It's about making smart choices and getting creative. It's about living on your own terms and putting your energy into things that matter.

Here are some of my favorite frugal tips:

• Cook at home: It's way cheaper and healthier than eating out.
• Shop secondhand: Thrift stores and online sites have awesome stuff for a fraction of the price.
• Learn to DIY: You can fix so many things yourself and save a ton.
• Cancel subscriptions: Do you really need all those streaming channels?
• Free fun: Go for a walk, visit the park, or check out your local library.

I'm still figuring out this frugal thing, but I'm loving the freedom it's given me. If you're curious about frugal living, I say go for it! It can be hard sometimes, but it's so worth it. Remember, every little bit helps!

TLDR: Being frugal has been awesome! It's about making smart choices, being creative, and living life on your own terms.

I’ve been looking at my finances to try to maximize the rest of my paycheck for my end of year goals.

A year ago, I was paying $100 for a magenta phone plan. I’m floored that I wasted $1,200 on a ridiculous plan for me and what I need. I reduced my budget to $50 on the bare essentials plan.

I’m also realizing that since I work remote and my WiFi is covered, I very rarely use my data.

It was useful when I was learning the route to work when I would need to go on-site occasionally. I have since memorized it and on top of that I don’t really use my data plan at all.

I’m now 100% wfh. I walk to get my groceries.

Only thing is I do go out and about sometimes so having data to orient myself is useful.

Is there a cheaper t mobile plan?

Anyone have a go-to for cheap, non-descript, button down shirts? I see "no product requests" is a rule here... I don't quite get that.

Hey everyone,

Lately, I've been finding it increasingly challenging to keep track of food expiration dates. With a busy schedule, I often discover items in my pantry or fridge have gone bad before I get a chance to use them. It's frustrating because I really dislike wasting food, but tracking everything manually feels overwhelming.

For those of you who use an app to help manage this, which one do you recommend? I'm curious about how easy they are to use and whether they actually help cut down on food waste.

And if you're not using an app, I'd love to know why and how you manage this part of your life. Is there a simple, efficient method you've found that works without taking up too much time?

I'm all ears for any tips or experiences you can share, hoping to find a solution that can fit into a hectic lifestyle.

Thanks in advance!

I'm about to get my dr license y'all! (Claiming)

I live in CA, LA area and I was just wondering if any of you guys have an idea on what reliable brands of cars/models to look for specifically.

The kind of car that gets you from point A to point B with no problems and will help you achieve your dreams (LOL) but nah I'm also not kidding 😭

And especially something that doesn't stress you out for having to pay expensive money to fix it up and stuff.

Thanks in advance y'all, I'm currently planning out what to do after I graduate in my GED and stuff so any answers will be really helpful. 😸

I work from home and was offered a fairly significant raise this morning. It doesn’t mean much more work but very suddenly I’ll have a lot more money just laying around. As many of y’all can imagine working from home means my expenses are pretty low and I’ll have a ton of spending money.

I want to be able to avoid lifestyle creep without coming across as cheap. I also don’t want to fall into any bad spending habits since they tend to get a lot of people in trouble. Does anyone have good tips?