12 Frugal Habits That Are More Trouble Than They're Worth

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Everyone wants to live a more frugal life by saving money while being efficient. But, there are some so-called “frugal habits” that actually contradict themselves, making these habits more wasteful instead. So, a Reddit user asked the community what outdated or just wrong pieces of frugal advice people are still repeating.

1. Don’t Use Credit Cards

Always paying for everything with cash hinders your ability to build a great score, especially when you need a loan. Some credit cards also offer cashback and extra rewards and bonuses. To avoid paying interest, pay off your statement balance in full.

2. Buy In Bulk

Buying in bulk is not always the solution, especially if the items expire. Perishable items spoil or lose their freshness, making them a waste. On other occasions, a person may only need a fraction of that bulk item, causing them to lose money.

3. Build Everything Yourself

Content creators make it seem that anyone can easily create household furniture themselves. What they leave out is the cost it took to purchase the equipment used to build such things. So, although the material may cost $80, the equipment costs anywhere from hundreds to thousands of dollars more.

4. Clip Grocery Store Name Brand Coupons

Manufacturers’ coupons are highly marked up for processed foods. And, sometimes, a different size of the same product by the same manufacturer that didn’t qualify for a discount was a better buy. Try buying generic and cooking from scratch.

5. Driving For Miles To Save A Few Cents On Gas

With gas prices going up, everyone is always looking to save money. But, unfortunately, others find driving miles to another gas station useless to save a few cents a gallon.

6. Wash Dishes By Hand

Dishwashers are more efficient now by using less power to heat the water and run a load. Also, a dishwasher uses less water than a full sink and can do more dishes with that amount of water.

7. Make Your Own Detergent

A lot of DIY recipes are soaps rather than true detergents. As a result, they won’t get clothes as clean and leave a residue that must be stripped more often to prevent stink and grime.

Others say using baking soda, and vinegar doesn’t cut it. Instead, they say to save frustration and time and buy proper cleaning products.

8. Doing It All Yourself

Doing everything yourself can make you feel like you’re saving money. But the real question is, “How much time did you spend?” Also, can you do as good of a job as someone who does it for a living?

9. Hoard Something To Use One Day

It saves money as long as you aren’t branching out to storage units. But if a person never uses it, it only takes up valuable space in their home.

10. Shop On Black Friday

Black Friday used to offer some deep discounts on select items and lesser deals on almost everything else. Today it’s 20 percent off a few big things, and everything else is at regular price.

11. Skimping on Necessary Health Care

Neglecting regular check-ups and preventive care may result in undetected health problems, which can worsen over time and require more extensive and costly treatments. Prioritizing proper health care ensures early detection and timely management of health conditions, ultimately leading to better overall well-being and potentially lower long-term medical expenses.

12. Forgoing Proper Insurance Coverage

Without adequate insurance, individuals may face substantial out-of-pocket expenses for medical treatments, car repairs, home damage, or other unforeseen circumstances. The savings from avoiding insurance premiums can quickly be overshadowed by the potentially overwhelming costs of dealing with emergencies without proper coverage, making it an imprudent financial decision in the long run.