Dry-clean-only clothes
Frugal people capitalize on the power in building a budget, and then they stick to it. This strategy for their money allows them to line up their spending on what matters most.
Frugal shoppers know that clothes make the person, but they also know they can destroy the wallet. Dry-clean only clothes ask for a lot. They entail you to pay for the service, drive to the shop – waste gas and spend your time – that most precious of commodities, just to get clothes cleaned.
When all this can be done, cost and time efficiently from the comfort of your own house.
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59 thoughts on “10 Things Frugal People NEVER Buy”
I don’t consider myself a frugal person but I don’t buy a lot of things, especially lottery tickets, because my wallet doesn’t know what that green papers are that are supposed to be used.
Where are the items listed?
I’M AM MASTER AT PROCUREMENT (professional my entire life) and I CAN REFUTE MAJORITY OF WHY 10 things a FRUGAL PERSON WOULD NEVER BUY..is a big MISTAKE! I save $ buying Name Brands because they are QUALITY, n only if LIFETIME free replacement! I buy extended warranty if I Know history of my autos n I ALWAYS BUY NEW SUBARU(I never saw them sitting alongside Highway) heading up North to boondocks, n if I buy used, I buy the Dealership General Mngrs ride because still low mileage, AD magnets protected it from knicks n scrapes, n the bugs were already worked out n fixed, then if QUALITY SUV, I buy the extended warranty n has SAVED $$$$! You read exactly what is covered under warranty n have them include xtras!, I buy books because INTERNET EDUCATION IS 99% BULL SHIT.. look at artificially educated now! I rarely buy lottery which is 100% ESSENTIAL TO USA SURVIVAL RIGHT NOW because in debt to CHINA n USA IS BROKE n pays SSA, SSDI, UNEMPLOYMENT, Welfare, Vets.. but if it’s high I buy 1 ticket n maybe a scratch off once out few weeks n check to see how many of each amount is still unclaimed. I can dispute more because I am Frugal Queen n that allows me xtra $ for my faves!
Great information that we can practice. I have practice many of them and I will add the others. Can’t spend money twice. Thanks
I totally disagree about the books and cable TV. I don’t want to borrow books all the time; there are many I would want to own so I can re-read them as often as I like. Furthermore, libraries don’t carry many books that I’ve read about or heard about that I would like to read. As to cable TV, there are programs that I watch that are only on cable; network TV is limited in scope.
Yes you can spend money twice…once on an inferior product then once to replace it with a quality product.
NOT A GOOD IDEA if you like to write in the margins of your books.
Most often libraries sell used books for 25cents, 50cents and up to a dollar. They also sell C/D’s and DVD’s! You may want to check it out. I love the feel of a good book! Please check out your local library, or one in the next town. Enjoy!
I get about 95% of all my books at the library for a dollar apiece. Then when I’m finished reading I give them back to the library so others can enjoy them. The other 5% I buy brand new from stores like Meijers and Walmart for 6 or 7 dollars apiece. I give these to the library also after I read them.
I totally agree. There are three public libraries within 10 miles of where I live and all of them sell used books, CDs, and DVDs. I’ve purchased numerous items that are no longer available in stores. A few of them cost $2 or even $3, but most were a dollar or less. Also, sometimes libraries in elementary schools, colleges, and universities sell items that aren’t often checked out so as to raise money to purchase new items.
I forgot to mention if the C/D’s, DVD’s etc., don’t work, you can return them! I have bought many C/D’s for the car and never have had a problem!
I enjoyed reading this but don’t do many of the things (cable is a necessity as we watch mostly British movies/mysteries/Great British Bakeoff, etc.). It is a reminder to me though that I need to not be as impulsive in buying small items that can quickly add up. Very good advice about coffee (I drink Pepsi instead) and the cost of that overall vs. Buying a Sodastream. Enjoyed everyone’s comments
For me, it’s that I am not able to sit more than 10-30 minutes to read. I used to use the library religiously until I started having to constantly go and renew them. I work 365/year now, 12-14 hours/day during the low season, 18-20 hours during the busy seasons. Now I look back and long for the days that I used to be able to sit for a couple of hours and read.
Before anyone recommends another business, I have a back injury and also had surgery to remove a portion of my intestines. The combination of the chronic symptoms from both excludes most vocations/jobs. I used to be a nurse. I have always been frugal because I was a single parent with no child support for 18 years.
go to estate sales and buy a LOT of books dead cheap. Cherry pick the ones you want or give away and donate rest to Friends Of The Library! I once got 27 BOXS of Books when the Sellers asked why I wanted so many and the response was “TAKE THEM ALL!” Three trips later with SUV filled up.. and productive evening sorting them~!
I don’t consider my self a frugal person but I don’t buy lottery tickets (I used to), can’t afford a new car; in fact, not even a used car at today’s prices, don’t buy dry clean only clothes because our last tailor/dry cleaner retired last year but got rid of any dry clean only clothes a long time ago,, working on getting rid of cable but it’s hard because my husband doesn’t understand technology and would never be able to watch TV without me. I don’t buy clothes or get rid of those out of fashion because sooner or later, they’re back in fashion. I keep them in marked dated totes so I know which ones are now in fashion again. I do buy books but rarely…bought 5 within the last 20 years. The suggestions, however, are good for those people who have never been frugal and a good start.
Cathy
I just finished reading your article and found out I’m frugal without even realizing it. I only do 1 of the 10 things because my husband thinks he can’t live without his cable T.V. and I think I can’t live without my internet. We get the T.V./Internet package. I think I’m doing o.k. being frugal!
Well, I guess I’m fairly frugal. I only do two of the 10 things listed.
I agree with everything, with one caveat. Surprisingly, it’s lottery tickets. Every once in a while it’s fun to dream. Also a nifty cheap gift for dinner guests. Everyone goes home and check if they’ve won …
I agree and my feeling if I lose my 2 dollars is that somewhere someone is very happy.
Actually A lot of dry clean clothes can be machine washed and do just fine as far as frugality just be a Minimalist… less is more
Less is not more when it comes down to USEFUL tools. One doesn’t know when he will need the socket set. So to repeat a valid cliche I’d rather have it and not need it than need it and not have it.
A lot of clothes with “dry clean only labels” actually can be washed. So before you ditch that “dry clean only” item in your closet, try washing it.
I would never buy a brand new car off the lot (though, if I ever won the lottery I might indulge lol, but still not likely) … as soon as you drive it off the lot it’s decreased in value. I occasionally buy a lottery ticket … as someone said, it’s a little bit for a nice dream, but I rarely do it. I love my books, but usually use the library or browse the zillions of free downloads on amazon kindle (and doesn’t require being amazon prime member) but I still buy books occasionally, if I see something I like that’s on sale really cheap because I love books and I love just holding them and looking at them and knowing I can keep it instead of having to return it to the library. I don’t buy the latest tech when it comes out. I rarely treat myself to a coffee, but it’s only Frappuccinos … regular coffee I use my Keurig for, don’t need to buy coffee every day … treated myself to a venti yesterday for the first time in months and I figured for those people who might get one every day going to work, they’re spending around $1500 a year for it. Once I calculated that I almost fell out of my chair, can likely get a really good Frapaccino machine for that and make them yourself. I don’t consider myself frugal, especially since I’m a shopaholic, I just choose what I spend my money on so I can buy more lol (and brand names don’t mean anything to me unless I can get it from around the same price as a non-brand name ). As for dry cleaning, I have some jackets that I have to do that with (special jackets, only choice with not to get them and that wasn’t really a choice to me) and I refuse to buy regular clothes that are dry clean only.
We have a coffee/Capuchino machine that was a housewarming gift from 30+ years ago – still works. We also have a Keurig coffee maker – about 12 yrs old that works fine. These days, the newer the appliance/car/ major purchase, etc the shorter the lifespan. We use the library for books (we also belong to a book club, that gets us to read different genres of books without purchasing). I haven’t bought a brand-new car since the 80’s. The only thing that can’t be ignored are appliances. We used the 20 yr old refrigerator that was in the house at purchase for almost15 yrs before replacing it. The new one only lasted 10 years. Our HVAC system was 20+ years old – Replacement lasted about 10 yrs – guessing that one will last 7-8 yrs..
I disagree with the extended warranty. A repair man recently told me that with the degree of electronics and computerization in todays appliances they are bound to breakdown within 5 years. I have bought an extended warranty for my last three appliances. A washer, stove and dishwasher. I am glad I did. Each of those machines needed expensive repairs within a year. The $100 warranty on each machine was a bargain compared to the repair bill.
So appliances are designed in todays world to break down…great.
I think the key phrase here is “needed expensive repairs within a year”. Most appliances come with at least a year warranty and as I said to the last salesman that sold me a washing machine recently, if there is a serious and expensive to fix problem it will likely show up within that year (Maytag guarantees the drum for at least 10 years).
If I add up all the extended warranties I did not buy I believe it would cover the expense of throwing away anything that broke out of the manufacturer’s warranty and buying a new whatever.
Wow, that would be highly unusual to have three appliances each need an expensive repair during the first year of use. Also, most manufacturer cover those items, parts and labor, for at least a year. In addition, most major credit cards provide you with up to additional 1 year warranty on your purchase.
Well, I guess I AM frugal, by this definition. The only thing I buy nowadays are gold, silver, and old US coins. My favorite places to shop is at the Salvation Army and Dollar stores.
You can buy books, name brand clothes is you browse Goodwill. Some stores donate new clothes that don’t sell on clearance – tags still on
Lots of other really cool stuff like fishes and glassware and seasonal items.
What store donate clothes?
I am frugal other than I buy a lottery ticket two or three times a year. Also, I donate items to Goodwill. If I need to replace worn out clothes I will stop at Goodwill and check out their clothing. Many times I have been able to find clothing that still had the tags attached. Garage sales and auctions are good places to find perfectly good items at lower prices. Just don’t over bid.
They make great stocking stuffers
Look for Plus TV to add to your regular over-the-air channels. There are currently more than 400 channels and more get added occasionally as they negotiate contracts. There are older movie channels (especially Westerns); Spanish language channels; news channels; home improvement; cooking channels; children’s channels; and more.
Good article. As a low-income worker my entire life, I
was forced to become frugal throughout my life. It is
the natural way I think & live. Now in retirement, I have
had to cut necessary expenses even more so that I had some “discretionary” money to shop for important
items & occasionally an item I just want but do not really need, like a new inexpensive ukulele. The best
advice I can add is to find cheap auto insurance. It took me 40 years but I finally found a major insurance CO that would give me a good low rate for my economical sub-compact car.
What auto insurance company did you decide to go with?
I bought an extended warranty on my (expensive) Lenovo laptop and it was worth every penny because liquid ended being spilled on the keyboard and a tech came to my house within hours and replaced the keyboard. I think whether an extended warranty is worth it or not must be decided on a case by case basis which takes into how much the item cost to buy and must it would cost to replace a few years later.
Good grief! Reading is one of the things I lead a frugal life for! There are many books that I frequently reread and want at my fingertips. I love the public library and use it and a private library and the library of my Guild and a church library when available and the little library boxes in my neighbourhood. I use these resources a lot. But if tonight I feel like reading one of James Herriot’s animal stories or sharing a passage of TREASURE ISLAND with my grandchild I don’t want to have to put this on a list of things to pick up when I am in town running errands. I recently paid a tidy sum to replace a rare book I lost when a rainstorm crashed in the ceiling of my old house. I consider the money well spent. The book contains specialized hobby information not available elsewhere. I just about wore out the copy that was in the public library when I was a teenager. It has now been long out of print but is still the best work in its field. One of the reasons I live a frugal life is to be able to spend purposefully on books and music I need not settle for something someone feels I should have or something someone offers for free. I can choose. That choice is precious to me.
You can skip buying any streaming service and just get your DVD’s from the library. The can order most any current series from any of the pay channels and that’s if they don’t already have it.
While I think that the advice given is spot on, and I have always followed most of the suggestions, the most important one was left out: don’t part with a dollar on anything that is non-essential that you can’t afford. I remember in my 20’s when I was pretty poor, living from meager paycheck to meager paycheck, and not even sure if those would continue. I received out of the blue $100 from a relative that particularly wanted me to use the money on something non-essential. I thought about all of the things that I could buy for that $100, and rolled it around in my head for a couple of weeks. I ranked the list in my head based on seeing myself using each item in the future, as in how often I would use it. Once a week? Every day? Only in the summer time? I eventually bought a nice pair of running shoes and a cross-country ski outfit (boots, poles and skis – I was living in northern Wisconsin at the time, and could use the skis almost every day for several months). I skied a great deal winter after winter (the skis and such lasted more than 10 years of heavy use), and I used the running shoes for about three years frequently after the snows melted away. The point is 1) I didn’t buy something non-essential that I couldn’t afford, no matter how much I might have wanted it. I only bought it when I could afford to. 2) I considered all of the “toys” that I could have bought with the money on hand, and settled on those that would give me the greatest usage.
No one mentioned bottle water
I don’t buy that unless I’m out and didn’t bring my favorite tumbler
We have a refrigerator that has a filter on it
Frugal people also don’t enter “charity” raffles by mail. My late husband had dementia and was convinced that if he just mailed the “charity” $10 (or more) he would win anywhere from $10,000 to a million dollars. Anyone of sound mind would know that these are “scams”, but a person with dementia doesn’t. He would have been better off buying a lottery ticket; at least the money in our state goes to education.
I live in the country (11 miles from town). One of the most frugal things I do is consolidate needs from town so I don’t make multiple trips buying a few things at a time. I make a shopping list and stick to ….only pickup items if I forgot to add to list…..and gas up. I grocery shop at Aldi’s. There is a discount bread store Close by, so I buy extra loaves of bread and stock up the freezer. They may not carry everything so I go to the Wal _ _ _ _ just for the items I can’t get at my regular store. I don’t store hop for bargains. I find that is not time efficient. I do use my credit card for everything and pay it off at the end of the month. Its fun using the points when they accumulate. My clothing pallet is black so, I buy quality items at thrift stores keeping that in mind. (Never dry cleaned items). I sew seasonal gift bags for small gifts. I write a note for occasions…birthdays, baby showers, etc., on a decorative blank card. Cards and gift bags are so expensive. I do draw the line on “one ply” toilet paper!! On some things you just can’t compromise 😊
I am not a heavy coffee drinker. One cup a day is enough for me. Therefore, it would be senseless to buy a coffee maker, when I can get my one cup a day at any McDonald’s for .75 or .99 (senior size). Most of my immediate family are either non coffee drinkers or drink very little coffee, making it doubly unnecessary for me to own a coffee maker.
For the last few years I have been hitting the thrift stores for certain articles of clothing. I can get a nice “name brand” blouse or skirt for much, much less than the average retail price in trendy shops and department stores. Also depending on what color sales tag is on a garment, I can get it for 25%, 50%, or even 75% off the thrift store price. If when I get it home an it doesn’t suit me for any reason, I just give it back to the store I got it from as a donation.
There are good advice on this site
Being frugal is for minnions who don’t understand what it really means to be rich…lol
My husband is frugal. We offen have a disagreement about tipping . How much is a reasonable tip for a car wash? What if the employees come out and dry off your car?
I don’t waste money, per se, but I am not 100% frugal. I like a brand new car, and have never bought a used one in my 53 years of driving. I do not trade cars that often though, usually keeping the car at least 7-8 years. I also have Directv, it is expensive, but I like the choice of using a DVR to tape shows, or partial shows. The other 8 frugal things I do follow.
I’m not totally against libraries, just know that they are a form of censorship. Many of the books I like to read, I buy directly from the authors or independent book stores ….they aren’t in the libraries. I actually came across a book that I thought was something the public should have access to and offered to buy copies that could be donated to my local library and my charity was refused.
I can afford to buy a new car, but I keep them until they die or need major repairs. Change the oil and essential fluids, keep up on the maintenance as recommended by the manufacturer and you will not go wrong. Of course buy a known reliable brand. Also because I use a car for my work, I can write off some of it on my income taxes.
I am learning to be frugal so that I can splurge on things I really want, mainly travel. I do buy new cars though. I had my last car for 13 years before I traded it in July 2005 for my current car. Going strong after 19 years.
I consider myself a frugal person, but I’ll never buy a used car, and I still pay for cable so I can see anything in any room in the house and have the programmed recording feature. Everything else I do.
Think, “MINIMIZE MY CARBON FOOTPRINT.”
Of course, shop at home (closets, cupboards) before “going shopping,” and don’t duplicate purchases.
I walk and exercise with a FREE daily television program to stay strong and active.
After twenty-three years, my (new-bought) car died on the freeway (238,000 miles), and I did not replace it. I now get 50.00 a month carport rent; have no auto maintenance costs, and use public transportation and Uber. It was my LIBERATION DAY. I am reducing pollution.
My father and mother taught and showed me, Take only what you need, and I stick to that.
My ex-husband was a big spender, travelled alot on business, and bought a new, expensive duffle bag at many hotel shops. I shopped at thrift stores. He recently died penniless.
I concentrate on excellent fresh foods and subscribe to a nutrition periodical that makes me smarter about the food I buy. This is my passion.
I memorized higher daily energy rates , and run my dishwasher during low-cost hours. My dishwasher runs with full loads only. I inplug my microwave between meals. I try to have no more than three outlets “on” (in use) at one time, and enjoy reading my monthly energy report to monitor my consumption.
SUNLIGHT AND AIR ARE FREE.
I switch out hot weather and cold weather clothes, and store and wear classics that last for decades. I wash everything by hand and dry my clothes in a ten-year-old rack on my deck in the sun. They look and feel fresh and beautiful, because they are treated gently. The fabrics last longer this way. It is also good exercise for me.
Moths bested me in the old days, and I don’t buy woolens because I’m not a good enough
housekeeper anymore.
The big secret – FRUGAL IS FUN and raises my self-esteem. I am looking forward to my eighty-first Birthday soon, and am still smiling.
Frugally speaking, forget the ready made coffee pods, instead scoop your own and save a lot of money, a13$ can of coffee , last over 2 months for us,
No one mentioned bottle water – you’re all guilty
Lol
I don’t buy bottled water unless I’m out and didn’t bring my favorite tumbler
We have a fridge that has a filter
It gives water and ice
What about vacations? Know people that spurge on cruises instead of just taking a cheap flight some where and staying where locals stay. I pay more for daily parking at an airport than what I pay to stay in local hotels in other countries!
I paint inside/outside of my personal residence and rentals.
Change my own oil on both rigs.
Wax them myself
Rent a carpet cleaner.
Do my own taxes on all properties.
Do all electrical on all properties.
Every bit of money I save.I put it in the market