(Part 2) Top products from r/Frugal
We found 93 product mentions on r/Frugal. We ranked the 1,998 resulting products by number of redditors who mentioned them. Here are the products ranked 21-40. You can also go back to the previous section.
21. Tweezerman Men's Shaving Brush
Sentiment score: 4
Number of reviews: 5
100% Badger hair bristlesA must have for a close comfortable shaveIdeal for creating and distributing latherGently exfoliates the skin
22. Derby Extra Double Edge Razor Blades, 100 Count
Sentiment score: -1
Number of reviews: 5
Made using stainless steelFit all kinds of safety razorYou don't need to split double edge razor blades any more
23. Make the Bread, Buy the Butter: What You Should and Shouldn't Cook from Scratch -- Over 120 Recipes for the Best Homemade Foods
Sentiment score: 2
Number of reviews: 5
24. AeroPress Coffee and Espresso Maker - Quickly Makes Delicious Coffee Without Bitterness - 1 to 3 Cups Per Pressing
Sentiment score: 3
Number of reviews: 5
Popular with coffee enthusiasts worldwide, the patented AeroPress is a new kind of coffee press that uses a rapid, total immersion brewing process to make smooth, delicious, full flavored coffee without bitterness and with low acidity.Good-bye French Press! The rapid brewing AeroPress avoids the bit...
25. Brother HL-2270DW Compact Laser Printer with Wireless Networking and Duplex
Sentiment score: 4
Number of reviews: 5
Prints upto 27ppmBuilt-in wireless and Ethernet network interfacesAutomatic duplex printing for two-sided documentsAdjustable, 250-sheet capacity paper tray32MB memory standard
26. The Bogleheads' Guide to Investing
Sentiment score: 5
Number of reviews: 5
Investing, Bogleheads' Guide toASIN: 0471730335
28. The Millionaire Next Door: The Surprising Secrets of America's Wealthy
Sentiment score: 3
Number of reviews: 4
Great product!
29. Edwin Jagger Double Edge Safety Razor
Sentiment score: 2
Number of reviews: 4
Unique design from the original designers of the DE8 Edwin Jagger Double Edge Safety Razor range, offers a very close, comfortable shave, with very low cost blade replacement it saves you money every dayComfortable weight and balance for accurate, close shaving. This is an ideal razor, with a blade ...
30. Aroma Housewares ARC-743-1NGR 6-Cup (Cooked) (3-Cup UNCOOKED) Pot Style Rice Cooker and Food Steamer,Red
Sentiment score: 3
Number of reviews: 4
Item Shape: RoundPerfectly prepares 2 to 6 cups of any variety of cooked riceSteams meat and vegetables while rice cooks belowSimple, one-touch operation with automatic Keep-WarmGreat for soups, jambalaya, chili and so much more!Full-view tempered glass lidIncludes Steam Tray, Rice Measuring Cup and...
31. Van Der Hagen Premium Shave Set (2.5 oz. Soap, Bowl, Brush)
Sentiment score: 0
Number of reviews: 4
Hypo-allergenic shave soap contains 40% humectants moisturizers to help soften even the toughest beardCeramic bowl designed to make lathering easier by holding the shave cake in place and fitting comfortably in the shaver's handHandmade shaving brushes using the world's finest quality 100% natural b...
32. Fiskars 18 Inch Staysharp Max Reel Mower
Sentiment score: 4
Number of reviews: 4
The smart design of our eco-friendly reel mower offers a cleaner cut without the hassles of gasoline, oil, battery charging, electrical cords or loud engine noiseA combination of advanced technologies make the StaySharp Max Reel Mower 60% easier to push than other reel mowersPatent-pending InertiaDr...
33. Lux WIN100 Automatic Heating & Cooling 5-2 Day Programmable Outlet Thermostat, Compatible with Portable A/C, Fans, and Space Heaters
Sentiment score: 1
Number of reviews: 4
PROGRAMMABLE: This 5-2 day thermostat allows you to program weekdays and weekends at different temperaturesEASY TO USE: Comes with easy to use touch keys and displays the current temperature for easy referenceINSTALLATION: No installation or wiring, easy to plug in and select the desired heatCOMPATI...
34. Bafx Products - Wireless Bluetooth OBD2 / OBDII Diagnostic Car Scanner & Reader Tool for Android Devices - Read/Clear Your Check Engine Light & Much More
Sentiment score: 3
Number of reviews: 4
NOT compatible with iOS devices (iPhones, iPads etc) For iOS devices, see our WiFi OBD Reader; This version of our Bluetooth OBD2 scanner and is only compatible with Android or Windows devicesCompatibility - Our OBDII reader will work on all vehicles purchased in the USA model year 1996 or newer; Un...
35. Lodge Pre-Seasoned Cast Iron Combo Cooker, 2-Piece Set, 10.25", Black
Sentiment score: 1
Number of reviews: 4
Foundry seasoned, ready to use upon purchaseUse on all cooking surfaces, grills and campfiresOven safeSauté, sear, fry, bake and stir fry to heart's contentMade in the USA
36. Parker SR1 Stainless Steel Straight Edge Professional Barber Razor and 5 Shark Super Stainless Blades
Sentiment score: 1
Number of reviews: 4
Genuine stainless steel blade arm (not aluminum) - Professional Quality for Barbershop use or at homeRounded exposure at the end of the blade compartment to minimize cutsSnap/Lock blade holder along with inserts to ensure secure blade insertion.Includes 5 Shark Stainless Professional razor bladesA g...
37. OSTER Classic 76 Universal Motor Clipper 76076010
Sentiment score: 2
Number of reviews: 4
Powerful, single speed universal motor for heavy-duty useDetachable blades - sizes 000 and 1Includes blade guard, lubricating oil, clipper grease and cleaning brushUltra-durable, break-resistant housing9 foot power cord; Designed with ultra-durable, break-resistant housingRenowned for its lasting du...
38. Belkin Conserve Socket with Energy Saving Outlet
Sentiment score: 0
Number of reviews: 4
Saves energy automatically by turning off TV peripherals when you turn off your TVThe Master Outlet detects when your TV is on or off and controls power to five Controlled outlets for DVD players, VCRs2 Not-Controlled outlets for continuous power to cable/satellite boxes and DVRs1080 Joules surge pr...
39. Signature Sleep Memoir 12-Inch Memory Foam Mattress, Queen Size
Sentiment score: 2
Number of reviews: 4
One 4" layer of Memory Foam on top followed by a 8" layer of high density foam, the Memory Foam molds to the body's natural shapeFoam in this mattress is made without PBDEs, TDCPP or TCEP (“Tris”) flame retardants, ozone depleters, mercury, lead and heavy metals. Foam is low in VOC emissions for...
Well, the good news is that reducing your grocery bill is completely doable, even for a family with a new baby. It's an area where a lot of folks, including people whose spending habits are otherwise good, often find that they're spending far more than they need to.
> How in the heck do you guys knock down your eating money? Amazing willpower?
It's a combination of several things:
If you want to stick to a particular food budget rather than just trying to have better food spending habits, try Dave Ramsey's envelope system where you withdraw your grocery budget in cash, and what goes in the envelope for the week or the month is what you get to spend - so spend wisely. I would budget a small amount each month for going out as your entertainment budget.
My other non-related food comment is that you're absolutely right - with three of you, $1000 definitely isn't enough of an emergency fund. That wouldn't even cover a major car repair, frankly, and that Subaru is probably going to need a new head gasket at some point down the road (I'd guess around 130-150k miles). Talk to your husband about directing your savings from the reduced grocery budget towards the emergency account.
One last question - your budget does include your husband paying into a 401k and/or other retirement accounts, right? Planning for retirement as early as possible is really important because time is your best ally.
The purpose of frugality is to save money in some areas of your life so that you can live the life you want. What are your goals in life? If you want to travel, travel. If you want an iPhone, get an iPhone. If you want to learn to fly, learn to fly. If you want to buy a house in 5 years, save! I want to retire pretty early and build a house, so I am saving/investing a large portion of my income like you.
It sounds like you've got this Frugality thing down pretty well, so here are some Personal Finance basics:
I would also start reading some about personal finance. It sounds like you might benefit by reading Your Money or Your Life - it's a good philosophical read for those that are thinking about a money/life balance. For a little motivation to keep up your frugality, try The Millionaire Next Door - It's pretty eye-opening and I recommend that to everyone regardless of their personal finance goals. For starters in investing, The Boglehead's Guide to Investing is great, and a lot of the information can be found free at the wiki.
Good luck!
I am not a financial advisor or anything of the sort and this is all my opinion.
Before you do anything... READ.
This will take awhile to get comfortable with and organized but it will benefit you more then you can imagine. Being as young as you are and starting now is hugely beneficial. Please do this as it will benefit you for the rest of your life if your serious about it now.
I would recommend either (get it at your library)
Bogleheads Guide To Investing or Common Sense on Mutual Funds as an easy book to get started with. However, there are many others that can be just as good.
If you are serious you should not see an advisor. This is something you and almost everyone can do yourself.
Investing in index funds is the simplest and arguably the best way to save money. The books above explain this very well. Don't worry about stock picking or anything stressful as that is often a fools errand. Good investing is highly automated and only requires patience and persistence.
As for your questions.
Compound interest is not a type of account. It is the idea of earning interest on the interest you have already earned in the previous years.
What you should do is read, starting with the book mentioned above (get it at your library).
A Roth IRA is an investment vehicle for retirement, not any specific type of investment.
A Roth IRA is very practical and until you have a 401k(another type of investment vehicle) you should be putting all your money that you intent to save, up to $5,000 a year into it.
While as soon as you read retirement you may thing its not for you, starting to save now will put you incredibly far ahead of your peers during all parts of life.
Sorry to be so vague but the books I mention above will explain everything far better then I can here. As I said if you are at all serious PLEASE read one.
I did some research myself and concluded that a good boar brush was well-regarded and even recommended for lathering with hard shaving soaps, and a high-quality boar brush (e.g. by Omega) would still be about half the price of a decent badger brush, which itself would be better suited to lathering with softer shaving creams.
For a double-edge safety razor handle, you can often find perfectly good, old Gillettes for a song at antiques shops and eBay, but for new models I can recommend the recent Muhle or Edwin Jagger models, which both use the same, gentle but effective head design (if you have a really coarse, dense beard, get the open-comb design).
For a cheaper alternative to dip your toes into safety razors at lower cost and risk, the Feather Popular seems well-regarded as a gentle, quality razor handle for the price, and if you decide to upgrade to a nicer handle later, you can always keep this around as the travel razor you could stand to lose with trivial concern.
After researching blades, I splurged on a 100-ct carton of Astra Superior Platinums and couldn't be more satisfied; smooth and sharp (but not quite as dangerously sharp as the more expensive Feather brand), they seem to last about twice as long as the 10-pack for $1.50 on sale Kroger store-brand blades I'd started with.
FWIW, most of my pre-purchase research was done at the Badger & Blade forum's reviews section, just take care they don't tempt you into making this an expensive hobby!
Instead of paying to talk to a financial advisor, why not spend a little time and becoming your own?
I'm not talking about making a living of being one or doing it for others, but don't automatically assume that a financial advisor is what you need to go about investing your money. I highly recommend you read The Bogleheads Guide to Investing. It's an excellent book that'll discuss how you can go about investing your money without spending a lot of money in an easy to understand way.
Beyond that? Take a trip, indulge a bit in that new video game or watch that you've always wanted. Keep it frugal, but enjoy things in life. As I tell my penny-pincher grandfather... you can't take it with you. Congratulations and enjoy!
here are tips i can add to the pile; get an accurate remote thermostat or humidistat for your window A/C units.
http://www.amazon.com/Lux-Heating-Cooling-Programmable-Thermostat/dp/B000E7NYY8
thermostats built into most A/C units are cheap, inaccurate and cycle your unit on/off unnecessarily.
what i do is plug an A/C rated appliance extension cord into this thermostat, then my A/C into the extension cord so the distance between the A/C and the thermostat is now across the room. this separate thermostat helps keep your A/C unit from cycling too much by moderating the temperature where you actually are in the room.
when you plug your A/C into this thermostate, set the A/C thermostate on lowest and fan on always. that way when the remote thermostate goes on the A/C will always be on Cool+Fan no matter what the temperature is.
some new A/C units have temperature sensing thermostat built into the remote control that you keep accross the room from the A/C unit window, so look for this feature when you are buying a new window unit as it should help you be more comfortable at higher ambient temperatures without your A/C cycling too much;
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0036WTWCQ (i do not own this A/C, i just link it as an example)
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if you really want to save money on A/C, you could set your unit to go on/off based on HUMIDITY, not temperature. to do that you will need to buy (and apply the same way as the above a remote thermostat);
http://www.amazon.com/DAYTON-1UHG2-Dehumidifier-Control-Plug/dp/B001OLVNU0
so when the room Humidity gets uncomfortably above 50%, only then will you let the A/C kick on more for it's dehumidification ability, then it's cooling power. once the air is lower in humidity you should be fine with nothing more than a box fan to circulate air against your skin for cooling.
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if you live in a dry heat zone, combine a fan with a evaporative wick humidifier. as the water evaporates it takes heat energy out of the fan blown air and moderately cools the room. the added humidity will also make you feel more comfortable in the dry air. this approach is commonly known as a desert cooler. evaporative wicks can last all season if you use a capful of bacteriostatic solution in the water. to clean a wick, simply allow it to run dry for a few hours.
http://www.amazon.com/821-000-Digital-Control-Evaporative-Humidifier/dp/B0000D8EJZ
Moka pots are definitely close enough for government work. If there's crema, I'm in. The AeroPress will get you even closer to the real deal, though! (And it doesn't splatter coffee all over my countertop like my $5 Moka with a loose lid ;_;).
ninja science edit for the interested: espresso is made by using air pressure to push boiling water through a "puck" of grounds. This forces a lot of solids and oils out of the grounds that you don't normally get with drip coffee, making it taste richer and stronger. Commercial espresso machines typically generate about 9 Bar of pressure. A Moka pot can generate about 1.5 Bar by forcing the water in the bottom reservoir to boil up through a tube into the grounds chamber, then up through another tube into the "pot" on top. The AeroPress, which uses a manually-operated plunger to generate the pressure, can get up to about 6.5 Bar, much closer to the real deal. All of these options are "real" espresso, but they're the McDonald's to an espresso machine's grassfed sous-vide burger. Still, ain't nothin' at all wrong with that when you just want to drink some damn espresso!
tl;dr - Like espresso? Get an AeroPress and have your life changed.
e: Also like someone else said, a latte-style drink made with drip coffee is called a cafe au lait ("coffee with milk," creative huh?). That's a perfectly valid alternative to espresso for drinks like this where most of the flavor comes from the sugar and flavoring, but you'll have to use a lot more coffee to get the same taste which will affect the texture and the taste to some extent. Still, nothin' wrong with that either, I ain't no coffee snob. Just an ex-barista who loves me some coffee and wants everyone else to too. =)
Wal-mart has pretty good deals on cast iron as well. Thrift stores can be good, but only if you know what you are looking for. Some cast iron has been made for decoration and other purposes and the metals included in the iron may be unsafe to cook on. I actually know a guy who won't use any cast iron made in China, as he doesn't believe many of their foundries use the best quality control on their metals.
Lodge makes good stuff and if you are buying new it isn't too pricey. I have purchased a 12" pan and a 3 qt dutch oven with another pan as the lid. I pretty much do all of my cooking right in these.
I would imagine if you need to start now, you could get the dutch oven with pan-lid for around $40 bucks if you shop around or check it out amazon.
http://www.amazon.com/Lodge-LCC3-Pre-Seasoned-Cast-Iron-3-Quart/dp/B0009JKG9M/ref=sr_1_cc_1?s=aps&ie=UTF8&qid=1420130913&sr=1-1-catcorr&keywords=lodge+dutch+oven+pan+lid
For me, the short answer is I spend less money.
The long answer, though, has to do with the YNAB method, reading some key financial books and ultimately changing the way I view money. Earlier this year my soon-to-be father-in-law gifted me The Millionaire Next Door. Then I read Your Money or Your Life. Those two books, combined with being so exhausted from living paycheck to paycheck, got me started down the path of actually really caring how I handled my money.
I had been using a basic spreadsheet to track income and expense but after finding YNAB, via Reddit of course, things just started to change. I stopped buying stupid shit I didn't need. I eliminated impulse buying. I stopped buying coffee and going out to eat a few times a week. Those little things add up. I saved for things I wanted instead of putting them on credit and paying for them later.
It sounds like you've got a lot of that under control already though. Like /u/ASK_IF_IM_PENGUIN said, it's the method. The four rules. You can absolutely incorporate those four rules into your existing spreadsheet and not pay a dime for the software. But the software they've developed is so goddamn good it just makes doing it myself so unappealing.
The other thing that helps is their support system. There is so much content available on YouTube. The podcast is awesome. You can even take their online courses for free.
Give the trial a go. You can use it fully featured for 34 days I think. There's a good chance it'll drop to $15 whenever the steam sale happens in a week or two. Pick it up then if you like it. If not, no harm!
My setup consists of Edwin Jagger's DE89L razor and Tweezerman's badger brush, both which consistently get great reviews on the shaving forums such as badgerandblade.com (mentioned by lou2ser). Getting these two alone will be saving you about $30 without sacrificing quality. (This is assuming you are buying new since getting a used razor would be even cheaper).
As for blades, the Merkur platinum blades are consistently good, but I never felt they were a good value at $0.50 to $0.71 a blade. There are other brands out there that will give you a better, smoother shave at a fraction of the cost. Although there will be great debate on what blades people prefer, my go to blade are the Astra platinums which you can get as low as $0.15 a blade.
What you should not leave out is the shave soap. If you are using the shaving cream from a can, that can add up quickly. By using shave soap which a decent puck can run between $2 - $6, it can last you for a year or more. Finally, you should wait on getting a stand since it is not really essential for getting a great shave.
edit:formatted the links
I too bought a reel mower, though I was a bit fancier, and bought one of these Fiskar's Momentum mowers. From past experience using reel mowers, I knew that easy adjustability was important, and I felt that the added benefit of the flywheel mechanism would make mowing easier.
I love the thing so far. And I especially love not having to buy gas. I also got a cordless electric weed eater, and so far my lawn care regimen is gasoline free.
Agreed, rich dad blows. It's a complete joke along with most of the parents' book recs.
Edit: OP, in the spirit of being constructive I'm going to link you to one of my favorite investing books. It's written by one of the best contemporary value investors, Seth Klarman. Klarman, through his investment organization--The Baupost Group, has returned upwards of 20% annually for years. His 1991 book, "Margin of Safety", sells on Amazon and the like for $1500+.
Link to the Margin of Safety PDF
For a book about mutual funds you can do no better than "The Bogleheads Guide to Investing"
I purchased that very same brush/soap/cup combo, and have been pretty happy with it, honestly. I also purchased a few cakes of colonel conk's soap, which I am happier with as a shave soap. The brush is not great, but it works just fine with a quality soapcake or any of the cream-style shave soaps out there. I might be purchasing the tweezerman badger brush soon, as I've read good things, and the price is pretty good.
Get rice cooker/steamer. Basically It's just a rice cooker but it has a steamer pan as well. I use it to cook rice, chicken, and broccoli all-in-one. Less dishes and pretty much the "set it and forget it". I happened to get an extra steam tray for mine because my roommate left it with me.
Also, near apartments, I noticed that when my neighbors move out at the end of their lease (most people are Aug, Sept year leases so the time is now) They dump all their unwanted stuff near the dumpster. So far I scored a few decorative boxes, a couch, a couple desks, a couple lamps 2 suitcases and a really nice big gym bag, a few shelves, 2 shoe racks... You get the idea. For me, no shame in dumpster diving! D: haha.
Also cruise on craigslist, you'll come across super needy people selling awesome stuff, or angry girlfriends selling their BF's xBox, TV, etc
If you wanted to get an awesome TV (don't know if you have the money, but this happened to me), Go to Best Buy, get one of the clearance TVs. Most times they are clearance b/c they are open box returns. Return policy needs the TV to be back in 15 days. My TV had the last owners Netflix logged in. And her Pandora (good music taste). But yeah... That was cool.
For personal coffee, I like the aeropress ($25 on Amazon.)
http://www.amazon.com/Aeropress-Coffee-and-Espresso-Maker/dp/B0047BIWSK
It takes a little more attention than an automatic coffee machine, but is quite quick and easy to clean (especially if you have an electric kettle.)
More importantly, it makes superb coffee. I keep one at work despite (or because) of the fact there is a fancy Keurig available.
I would debate that, other than the meat (which was the expensive part in my opinion), you need to eat the other ingredients in large quantities to get the health benefit. Yes, they're cheap. However, you need to be willing/able to cook to turn them into something edible. I eat a very nutritious, veggie rich diet on the cheap myself. OP sounds more like he wants a 30 sec solution for 20 cents a pack. You can't grate a carrot into ramen and fix the the macro/micro nutrient content.
If I were the OP, I'd ditch the ramen and buy the following: a bag of rice, soy sauce, a dozen eggs, an assortment of frozen veg, some carrots and onions (which are super cheap). I'd then live off of fried or steamed rice instead of ramen.
OP - you can buy a rice cooker with a steamer to prepare a number of things (including steaming meat and veg!) for $16
For getting started here's my recommendation:
Razor: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003A722RE/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Blades: http://www.amazon.com/Astra-Platinum-Double-Safety-Blades/dp/B001QY8QXM/ref=pd_ys_sf_s_rp_a1_1_p?ie=UTF8&refRID=0VH05WKF6N17QPSV05SM
Rest of the kit: http://www.amazon.com/Van-Hagen-Premium-Shave-Brush/dp/B001A3HPT0/ref=pd_ys_sf_s_rp_a1_2_p?ie=UTF8&refRID=0VH05WKF6N17QPSV05SM
I've got a somewhat better brush than the one in the kit [(here's the one I'm using)] (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003WR3QSG/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1), but for the price you can't go wrong.
Brush and soap aren't required to use a double-edge razor, but I'd highly recommend it. You have full control over the consistency of your lather and it lasts a lot longer than any foam would. I bought a 8oz tub of Proraso back in the spring and I've yet to go through all of it.
If you have any specific questions /r/wicked_edge is a great sub for shaving enthusiasts.
And for those of you who see time as money: this popcorn maker is a good investment. Occasionally it will go on sale for $10 (which is how much I paid for mine). It's nice because you can basically put the popcorn in, go do something else, and just listen.
I completely agree with OP, popcorn is the best frugal snack ever. You can pay $3 for a bag of potato chips or you can pay $2 for a huge bag of popcorn kernels that, when popped, basically equals... Idk, like 25 bags of chips? Just add butter and salt (or whatever seasoning you like, but with an air popper you can't use oil, so I like to melt a bit of butter for mine), and it's a great snack! (Not to mention a much healthier alternative to chips).
I went with the Mekur model 180 long handled razor, with Proraso shaving soap. I also got a real badger brush after reading some reviews about how they were better than the synthetic kind.
I am really impressed with the Mekur. It's all metal and really easy to take apart and clean. I would definitely recommend the long-handled version though, because it's not all that long. But I have biggish hands, so that might just be me.
With the badger brush, well... I really like mine now. But when I took that thing out of the box the stank that it produced was prodigious. I soaked it for about two weeks alternately in vinegar and conditioner (both recommendations I found through google). Now it just smells like the shaving soap.
I usually shave after I get out of the shower, because it's easier for me. I fill up the sink with hot water and use that for wetting the brush and cleaning off the razor. Dip the brush to start out, and shake out some of the water. Too much water makes a really loose foam with the shaving soap. Cover however much of your leg you want with the soap (I do by sections, rather than the whole thing at once). Shave one or two passes with the razor, then rinse it. And repeat.
Be extra careful around knees and ankles because, as some of the other ladies have attested, you can cut yourself wicked bad. I have a couple of new scars to prove it. For those areas, you just have to go a little slower and pay attention to what you're doing.
It has definitely helped with my razor burn/bumps problems, in a big way. As an added bonus, my legs are also softer from using the shaving soap.
The reason they have reviews on Amazon is so you don't have to feel like you're taking that much of a chance.
http://www.amazon.com/Signature-Sleep-12-Inch-Memory-Mattress/dp/B005A4OO80/ref=sr_1_1?s=furniture&ie=UTF8&qid=1418166819&sr=1-1&keywords=memory+foam
is $280 and has 4.5/5 stars with 702 reviews. I think it's safe to say that it's a pretty good mattress.
I started out cutting my hair with a conair, which lasted for about 2 years before the tripping blade broke. I figured I saved so much money that it would be okay to buy a premium hair clipper. I ended up getting the Oster classic for about 130 bucks. I've used this clipper for over a year now, and still running flawlessly. All I have to do is clean and oil the blades after each use. It is also recommended to add grease to the internal gears every once in a while. I love cutting my own hair, it's probably the best thing to ever happen to me, I can't believe people spend 40 bucks a month on cutting their hair.
You should consider a laser printer if you can. Brother makes some great printers, and if you only print B&W the toner will last you years and years.
Plus, it's magnitudes less expensive. I picked up my printer for $99 on sale, which is the current price on Amazon as of today:
http://www.amazon.com/Brother-HL-2270DW-Compact-Wireless-Networking/dp/B00450DVDY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1375384864&sr=8-1&keywords=brother+hl-2270dw
It is wireless and prints in duplex, and is fast!
The "starter" toner (like 1/3 full?) it came with lasted for something like 3 years. I replaced it with a "full" toner cartridge and have been using it for another 3 years just fine.
Plus, if you go into the manual, there is a setting in the printer which you can disable which will allow the printer to keep printing even if the toner is low, unlike inkjet printers:
> Here is how you override this:
> Go into the printer control page for the printer on your network via a web browser. This will be whatever IP address your printer is on, for e.g. 192.168.1.x where x is the ip assigned by your network. Just type it into your address bar. For example, mine is http://192.168.0.100.
> Once in, choose "printer settings" - it will ask you for a user name and password, and Brother tells you on the page to use "user" and "access". If you cannot get in, use the "administrator access" and the password of "admin" and password "access".
> Then go down to where it says Replace Toner - right down at the bottom. Change the bullet from "stop" to "continue". Press the "submit" button. Exit from the whole thing.... and off you go, printing away merrily again.
I did a bit yeah. In another discussion on here(I forget which subreddit) this printer was highly recommended by several people, some of which said they only had to change the toner every couple years. If anyone is interested, it was $10 cheaper on Amazon yesterday.
I wanted the scanner/copier functionality so I did a bit more research and ended up buying this one which had similarly good reviews on Amazon and some other pages, though I didn't see it specifically mentioned on reddit. If anyone is interested, this printer was $20 more yesterday when I checked Amazon, but the OfficeDepot nearby had it for $130.
I could have kept my old all-in-one ink-jet for the scanner/copier and saved the $30, but I don't really have a good place for two printers and I can probably sell my old one to a co-worker for $20 or so anyway. My office uses an electronic bulletin board where the thousand of employees in the area buy and sell stuff cheaply on a regular basis.
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Looks like my original response got eaten by the spam filter. I had originally used affiliate links to the Amazon pages(force of habit) but I guess frugal's filter doesn't like those. I've swapped out the links with non-affiliate versions.
My legs are so soft. It's fantastic. It takes practice, but it is totally worth it. I got a nice, BI4L razor for $40, and I go through a blade every week or two shaving pits and legs 3-4 times. I've been DE shaving since the beginning of May, and I think I've gone through six or seven blades. At $.20 a piece blade vs. the 7x$2.50 for my Venus blades...I'm pretty sure it's already paid for itself.
Even better than a safety razor:
$18, one time
Followed by:
[$18, every TWO YEARS] (http://www.amazon.com/Shark-Stainless-Straight-Barber-Professional/dp/B002OND3LO/ref=pd_sim_hpc_6)
And that's if you change the blade more often than you need to. In two years, you'll spend $144. This will cost you $36, including the initial investment.
It looks and seems scary. And yes, you'll cut yourself the first week a few times. But, really, it takes a few days to learn, and you're good to go forever. Well worth the effort and a little blood, IMHO.
You'll save hundreds.
I've been using that 20 inch Scotts mower for the last 3 years. Works great, but extra long grass and twigs are a pain (which is true for all reel mowers). Reel mowers tend to "skip" the long grass, especially if it's laying down, and small twigs will bring the mower to an abrupt halt. I kind of wish I paid a bit more for the Fiskars 6201... not that it would solve any of those problems.
I'll stick with reel mowers unless I ever get an extremely large yard. Super quiet, lightweight, and relatively maintenance free.
To go with a frugal theme, get an Aeropress. Seriously, it's awesome. You'll need a grinder capable of a fine grind as well, but this thing makes some of the best coffee I've ever had.
This is the code reader if in the future you're interested or working on another car. The app was free and I seriously love it. Code readers that a garage use are expensive because you're paying for a powerful handheld computer, but most of us already have powerful handheld computers!
Don't worry bro. I got your back. I've had this for the last two years and it has saved me tons of money and trips to Autozone (mostly for family cars). Torque is also awesome and shows you all kinds of cool data.
I was going to recommend the book The Bogleheads' Guide to Investing. I just finished reading it, and it really has changed my outlook on investing in general.
prozaconstilts pointed out The Boglehead's Guide to Retirement, which may be even better for your purposes, though I definitely recommend the book I linked.
I commented further up, but I may as well chime in here too:
I have a Fiskars Momentum (this one, now called the Staysharp) and I love it. Between how utterly quiet it is (your neighbors will sound like they are mowing with jets in comparison) and never having to gas up, I don't think I'd go back to a gas mower unless I had really difficult grass (this mower does not handle those round grass stalks well).
Actually, a good portion of the extremely wealthy act in frugal ways. This is what helped lead to their wealth. It was explored in the book The Millionaire Next Door.
Something like this would last generations when taken care of properly.
You get a 3 quart pot that you can use for whatever (frying chicken, soups, stews, chili etc.), just be careful with highly acidic foods (spaghetti/tomato sauces), a 10.25" skillet that doubles as a lid to do covered oven dishes like roasts and such.
Check out /r/castiron if you are going down this route. TONS of info in that sub.
Yup. I got an Oster 76 about a decade ago. Best investment in a personal care item I ever made.
This Tweezerman is generally recommended for people starting out on a tight budget.
Still, when we wet shavers talk about the financial savings with proper shaving, it's either comparing the total cost in the long run or the occasional per-blade comparison. A decent brush and razor should last a lifetime with proper care, and even the luxury soap and cream is more cost effective than canned gel.
Buy an aeropress. Single cup at a time. Makes awesome coffee. I've gone through a shitload of different coffee makers and its my favorite by far.
http://www.amazon.com/Aerobie-AeroPress-Coffee-Espresso-Maker/dp/B0047BIWSK
There's a whole subreddit for wet shaving. My roomate switched to it and says it's amazing
r/wicked_edge
Edit... He uses a a safety razor such as this. The blades are cheap, and he claims it gives him a much better, less irritating shave than something such as a Mach 3.
I know one of them was a Brother laser printer. Seems the top review (which is one of the best reviews I've seen on a product with Amazon) says 12,000 pages.
Due to the rules of house power outlets all space heaters are created pretty much equal as far as heat output. I have this little guy and quite like it.
I also got one of these to plug it in to so that it would have my room warm for me when I got home from work, but not waste power all day or while I sleep.
Pretty sure it is this one
I bought a Brother laser printer B&W new through Craiglist for $50. It's the older model of this. So far they have been pretty reliable and it's been almost two years now and I'm still on my original toner. I use it mostly for school stuff.
I don't know which thread (though I would be interested in seeing it) however I recently checked out this book at my library and it has some interesting suggestions along those lines, include cost breakdowns/differences so you can compare to your area
There's a great cookbook called "Make the Bread, Buy the Butter" where the author makes a lot of things from scratch that most people buy. Then she compares the time, cost and end result to determine if you really should make something from scratch or just buy it.
Go for a high quality reel mower. This one I have, and it works great on my slightly larger than 1/4 acre property. Takes me about an hour and a half (with a few breaks) to mow. Reel mowers don't require any gas or electricity, just powered by you.
I'll tell you what I recommend to anyone else who is an absolute beginner. The first thing to invest in is an education in investing. This book is the one and only book you need.
In short, I'd recommend setting up a Roth IRA at Vanguard and buying market index ETF's until you hit $1,000 and you can switch to a Retirement Fund around 2060. And check out the other subreddits that people have suggested.
Here's a 12-inch queen memory foam mattress with very positive reviews for $299, including shipping. That's $900 cheaper than your mattress, and you may have paid sales tax on yours too.
I got this rice cooker recently: http://www.amazon.com/Aroma-Arc-743-1Ngr-Uncooked-Cooked-Steamer/dp/B0057XGM5W/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1370856164&sr=8-2&keywords=rice+cooker
It'll help you stay frugal by making rice ridiculously easy to cook. My next frugal'ish purchase is a water filter. I tend to drink a lot of canned beverages, because I keep them cold and don't like city water (grew up drinking well water). With a water filter pitcher, I can keep it filled up in my fridge and drink on that all day, saving me .25$ a can I've been paying.
If you can scrape together a little more money between you guys I have first hand experience with this mattress, and can confirm that its a solid mattress choice.
This shuts off the power to your outlet after 30 minutes, 3 hours, or 6 hours. I think it'll help me, since I plug my phone in to recharge at night, and I'm sure just a 3 or 6 hour-recharge will be adequate.
This turns off your DVD-player et al. when you turn off your TV. I wonder if it could be used for computers and computer accessories too.
I haven't purchased these items, but I plan to when I move next week.
You just inspired me to get one. Here is what I ordered.
switch to double edge safety razors. After an initial investment in a handle (about $15 depending on quality) you can buy 100 blades for less than $10.
Try one of these if your car will take it. It has saved me money. I can just take the code to the mechanic and they can give me a repair plan. Then I can shop for the parts and make the repair.
It's my gf's, and she's at college right now, so I'm not sure of the exact model or brand. But it looks like this. Yellow rim, clearish plastic lid with a tray for heating up butter or oil while the popcorn pops. I'll ask her tomorrow for a specific brand.
This type of calculation is the premise for the book Make the Bread, Buy the Butter. Basically the author agrees with you, you probably won't come out ahead making your own butter, unless you have a cheap source for cream. You do get buttermilk out of it though.
this rice cooker is 5 bucks more but has better reviews (the Black Decker seems to have longevity problems as of late) http://www.amazon.com/Aroma-Arc-743-1Ngr-Uncooked-Cooked-Steamer/dp/B0057XGM5W/ref=sr_1_2?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1375161090&sr=1-2&keywords=rice+cooker
Presto on Amazon $23 prime eligible
I use one of these. You plug your TV into the control outlet, and peripherals into the others. When the TV is off, there's no vampire draw from the peripherals. I have several set ups like this in my home with fans and space heaters links to the lamp by the basement den door, etc.
Razor
Blades
Brush
Shaving Soap
As far as a frugal & straightforward approach to investing, I prefer the John Bogle approach:
http://www.bogleheads.org/forum/index.php
http://www.amazon.com/Bogleheads-Guide-Investing-Taylor-Larimore/dp/0470067365/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1291166813&sr=8-1
There's a book I read that weighed the pros and cons of buying/making common foods - Make the Bread, Buy the Butter
we need to go deeper
I've been using this one for years https://www.amazon.com/dp/B002RBF1PO/ref=cm_sw_r_awd_3ovBub0XESRZ3
If you don't need 5 quarts, this is 3 quarts and the lid doubles as a skillet.
Perhaps you need to buy one of these things? http://www.amazon.com/Lux-Heating-Cooling-Programmable-Thermostat/dp/B000E7NYY8
There is a newer version of the book uk amazon link
Oster 76
Easy buzz cut, takes me no time, no worry, it's built like a tank, I can service it and maintain it myself. I expect it would last multiple lifetimes if I could keep it that long.
I wish I would have bought it 20 years ago.
I'm partial to Derby and for $10? Psh, screw Gillett!
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004SGKMA0/ref=cm_sw_r_awd_nD1Sub0S2P4T0
People on /r/coffee seem to really be into the Aerobie Aeropress. I don't know a lot about it, but I've heard nothing but good things.
I got a Oster Classic 76 Professional Hair Clipper about 10 years ago and have cut my own hair ever since.
We bought something similar to [this surge protector] (http://www.amazon.com/Belkin-Conserve-Socket-Energy-Saving/dp/B003P2UMQ2/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1376370015&sr=8-7&keywords=surge+protector+controller). We use our Xbox as the controller for everything else since we run all our TV and movies through it. It cuts power to the TV, sound, etc. when we turn it off.
I have this
http://www.amazon.com/WIN100-Heating-Cooling-Programmable-Thermostat/dp/B000E7NYY8/
to use with a window AC with no thermostat. Though typically it runs for 2-3 mins, turns off for 10, on for 2-3 min, etc. , which is a little annoying.
But I mostly just use my window fan pointing at me.
I picked up a cheapo brother laser I saw on the front page of slickdeals a few years back, never even had to change a setting and it just kept on printing until pages came out white. I've since replaced it with a high yield cartridge and I couldn't recommend this printer more for anyone who wants a no frills (seriously, it has one single button apart from on/off) cheap laser.
I got myself 240 razor blades for under $20, to fit my stainless steel barber's straight razor, which was also under $20.
Damn, I've never felt so much like a spammer.
100 for $30 is an awful deal. I just picked up 100 personna blues for $12
Here's 100 Derby blades for $9
may I suggest this An unmatched combo; skillet + pot = dutch oven! For $35 it's a steal and you can start throwing away all the other pots and pans that cause such a clutter.
Here is a $2.63 razor that has been reviewed on /r/wicked_edge as a very decent starter double edge. Derby blades are $7.50 for 100 and this starter shave set can be found at walmart for a little less. Soap should last at least a few months, and if you use one blade a week, you should be good for ~2 years.
edited because my links were bad and I should feel bad.
Bought my own straight razor not so long ago for less than $40 with 120 blades. They no longer have that specific set, but I can recommend this razor, this soap set and some extra blades.
Not sure if it shows for everyone else, but under the blades it has all three of these items for $46.85. That's enough to shave for a year if you shave about once every three days and change a blade every time. This also keeps you from having to strope the razor and possibly mess it up, which is something that can ruin your shaving experience.
That said, your first few times with a straight razor is going to suck. Pure and simple. You're going to nick yourself and feel awkward. After a few months at it, I will never go back because of the money saved and how naturally it feels now.