Recently on Reddit, Frugal people shared the small purchases that have saved them the most time, and their replies were too helpful not to share. Here's what people had to say:
1.
"Strategic duplication. I travel a lot for work, and started buying things I travel with regularly so I don’t have to worry about unpacking or forgetting those items somewhere (e.g., I use a spray bottle to style my curly hair and bought an extra that just lives in my suitcase). Saves time, plus a huge amount of mental load."
2.
"A slow cooker, Crockpot, or any of the competitors. You can cook everything from soup to a full meal of pot roast with veggies in one, and with the liners, there’s minimal cleanup. Just throw everything in the pot in the morning, turn it on, ignore it, and go about your day. Dinner is ready and waiting for you in the evening."
"Alternatively, do your prep after dinner and let it cook while you sleep. In the morning, turn it off first thing and let it cool while you shower and dress. Put the crock in the fridge before you leave or start your WFH routine, plate and heat in the microwave at dinner.
Or get the raw ingredients in the crock after dinner and put it in the fridge. In the morning, get the crock out, put it in the base, and turn it on."
—Curious_Rick0353
3.
"I bought oven guards for my old place, and it saved me so much time cleaning. That place had a big gap between the counters and the oven. Food constantly fell and dropped down the side of the oven."
—AutumnFalls89
"Yes! I bought one, and it has stopped many a French fry from dropping into Oblivion."
—Throwaway-ish123a
4.
"Dishwasher. (If you count the number of years they last, they’re actually inexpensive.) Not only is it time-saving and germ-fighting, but it is also a huge water saver in this drought in my area."
5.
"This will sound so silly, but one of those little mini dustpans. I bought it on a whim a few years ago, so not a frugally-minded purchase, but I was shocked that it actually made clearing the kitchen countertops and dining table of crumbs so much more efficient than using a rag. And it’s a cute color, which makes us want to use it more; our kid happily grabs it when we tell her to clean. It’s just made things noticeably tidier because it made that one task so much easier."
—birdypi
"Yes! I'm a messy cook, and it helps so much to clean off the counters."
—nobodycares65
6.
"Robot vacuum. Got one secondhand for like $50, and the amount of 'daily maintenance' vacuuming it does is insane. I have to spend a minute rescuing it every few days when it gets lost, or the cat derails it too much, but it’s been a huge quality of life upgrade. Plus provides entertainment because it’s just…kind of delightfully dumb."
—MammothKale9363
7.
"Grocery delivery. I just switched from curbside pickup to delivery and have saved a ton of time. Curbside pickup was taking anywhere between 15 minutes and 1.5 hours. Curbside pickup saved me a ton of money by not being influenced by store displays and giving in to impulse purchases. Delivery has been well worth the $12 per month to save two hours per week. I shop anywhere, any time from my phone and schedule delivery for when I know I’ll be home."
8.
"Mattress topper!! I got mine on Amazon for under $100 (not one of the super expensive ones), but omgggg it's been a life-changing purchase. I thought my bed was comfortable, then I got this, and the game changed entirely."
—GirlFriday360
"Completely agree. May I also suggest a mattress protector? It protects your mattress from liquids. My roommate spilled coffee on my bed when she let herself in and started talking with her hands. The mattress did not get stained. It also protected my mattress when I had the flu. My mattress did not get ruined. That mattress protector has saved my mattress quite a few times."
—southdakotagirl
9.
"I would say Souper Cubes. They saved me from wasting food, but definitely helped me figure out easy meals when I don’t really want to cook."
—Snow11Whit
"YES! I love Souper Cubes sooooooo much!!!"
—MamaAuthorAlly
10.
"Hair clippers. I'm a guy, and I’ve been cutting my hair since COVID. It takes me about 10 minutes now, so another time and money savings every month over the last 6 years."
11.
"A hanging organizer meant for kids, labeled with the days of the week. One cubby for each day. I use it to pick out my clothes for the whole week in advance."
—Naive-Molasses-729
12.
"Litter-Robot. I no longer have to scoop litter every day. With just one cat, I get 10-14 days before I have to empty it, and then I fully dump out the litter and do a deeper clean every 6-8 weeks. I’m also using fewer bags of litter. It takes around two months to go through an 18 lb bag."
—laurenbanjo
"Yes! Same. I have three cats, and getting automatic litter boxes was a life changer."
—jackedariel
13.
"I have one kind of white socks and two kinds of black socks that are easily distinguishable by thickness. This has saved me all kinds of time sorting them after they're washed. I'm no longer playing Concentration (old card game based on matching things) with my socks."
14.
"Those air fryer liners that you just throw away after use, so you do not have to clean the entire basket after each use, but maybe after three or four times."
—It_is_Fries_No_Patat
15.
"Bar mops. I got a pack of 10 for $6 at Walmart, and I use them instead of paper towels in the kitchen, PLUS I put them on my Swiffer, mix vinegar, water, and a little Dawn in a squirt bottle, squirt it on the floor, and mop it up. It goes into the wash, and my floors are squeaky clean."
—nobodycares65
16.
"Drawer organizers. Our miscellaneous drawer in the kitchen is very functional! I can find what I need in an instant."
17.
And finally, "A handheld vacuum. We have a VERY sheddy dog, and getting out the big vacuum to do the couch a couple times a week was a huge pain. The handheld vacuum is easy to use on the daily, and I find things stay a lot cleaner. Also very handy for my car, small messes, etc. Worth every cent."
—MySoullsAPterodactyl
Is there anything you would add? Tell us all about it in the comments!
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