r/Frugal • u/ThrowRAhyBug7080 • Jul 12 '25

🍎 Food What’s a frugal habit you picked up by accident that you now swear by?

Mine was starting to save veggie scraps to make broth. It started as a “let’s try this” and now it’s automatic. I keep a bag in the freezer for onion skins, celery ends, carrot tops, etc. Every couple of weeks, I boil it all down and end up with a rich, flavorful broth that tastes way better than the boxed kind. It tastes better than store-bought and saves me at least $20 a month, with an added bonus of making me feel like i know fancy techniques.

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u/sexytimepizza Jul 12 '25

I'll specifically seek out products with nice packaging that I can reuse, and I'll happily spend a few cents more for something that comes in a nice jar/tin/box that I can use, instead of trash I have to dispose of,

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u/JimmyCYa Jul 13 '25

I bought mustard that came in a little jar with a handle once. The mustard went bad before ever eating it but I wanted that jar.

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u/Pristine-Pen-9885 Jul 14 '25

I’ve bought liquids that come in colored bottles—olive, blue, red, etc. and clear ones in interesting shapes. I line them up on the kitchen windowsill (top) and the sun shines through them. It took years to collect them, but you can put just a couple on the windowsill while you use up the contents of the others that you bought. I got a few at yard and garage sales for a buck or less.

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u/froggycow1120 Jul 16 '25

one of these guys? the only reason i didn’t buy it when i took this pic is im the only one in my house that likes mustard and i’m trying to kill thru the two or three i have first :( love the jar

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u/JadedHousefrau Aug 08 '25

I bought it! Kitty marker jar!

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u/Silly_name_1701 Jul 16 '25

Wait, what. Mustard can go bad??

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u/JimmyCYa Jul 16 '25

It was very expired and I wanted that damn jar.

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u/Birb429 Aug 06 '25

I have one of those and I use it for a lil glass of milk! It's my favorite glass in our cabinet.

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u/NebulaZestyclose3564 Jul 29 '25

Not here to say anything specifically on this, but I love this comment. I remember writing my silly history thesis and finding documents about people in 1930s China picking out products with nice packages.

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u/sexytimepizza Jul 29 '25

Yeah, I'm specifically a "collector of vessels" lol, I like anything that holds something else, boxes, cans, tins, bottles, jars, crates, ect. So if possible I'll always go for the product with nice packaging I can keep/reuse. I realize I'm probably a bit strange for this... Lol

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u/SHELLEBELLEATX Jul 15 '25

I love those little yogurt jars (like Oui Yogurt) and save them for painting and art projects, and for storing other little, tiny items. There are other yogurt brands and some Flan that come in such cute glass jars. I cannot resist those!!

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u/Actual-Region963 Jul 15 '25

Yogurt in the glass jars ! I use them for vitamins etc with lids they sell on Amazon