(Part 2) Best products from r/Frugal

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:

1. The first step is recognizing what's causing your grocery bill to be so large. You've already figured out that eating out is a big problem for you, and what's even better is that you've figured out why. Instead of just saying "we're not eating out anymore", brainstorm a couple of ways that you can get out of the house with your husband for less money - perhaps even with someone watching the baby so you can have a real date (when you're ready if your baby is still a newborn). You can take walks together, have cheaper outings (say, getting an ice cream sundae and sharing it rather than having a full dinner out, or making a date out of a glass of wine and shared appetizer somewhere), or depending on where you live, some areas have plenty of free activities to offer, such as free concerts in a park, free screenings of movies in a park, or free museums.
   
   
2. Once you've decided how you're going to reduce your spending, you need to figure out what it's going to take to make that happen. A very common reason that people spend more on prepared foods or going out is being too tired or too busy to prepare meals. A lot of people do some cooking in advance on various levels. Some people get ingredients that require dicing or mincing all prepped to reduce the total cooking time for each meal, some people prepare entire meals and freeze them in portions, and some folks (especially those with kids, it seems) actually have monthly meal swaps where you make a big batch of a favorite meal and can trade portions of it with other people for what they've made as a way to get more variety in your meals without having to increase your effort too much. I personally think the last one is an awesome idea and I've been trying to find something like that in my area. Slow cooking is also a great idea that might fit your lifestyle!
   
   
3. To lower the cost of the groceries themselves, stock up items when they're on sale if you have a chest freezer or reduce your spending on meats and prepared foods. Look for both manufacturer's and store coupons for items you use regularly or that you use occasionally but are shelf-stable. You can also do the math and see if you'd save money by shopping at a place like Costco, BJ's, or Sam's Club. I personally love Costco because of the amazing quality and their great business practices, and even just with two of us plus our dog, we definitely save more than the membership cost each year. Again, this is helped by the ability to freeze some items.
   
   
4. Lower the cost of each meal. While I personally like having some meat and fish in my diet, meats are generally the most expensive ingredient and not every meal has to feature flesh as the main dish. Whether you choose to try her recipes or not, I think you'd really benefit from perusing Budget Bytes to see the variety of delicious, healthy meals you can prepare for $1-2 per serving. There's also a great book called "Make the Bread, Buy the Butter" that explains what foods you can save money on by making yourself versus which ones just aren't worth the trouble or may even be more expensive to DIY. I bet your local library has a copy!
   
   
5. Reduce food waste. Beyond re-purposing veggie scraps and chicken bones to make stock, make sure you go through your leftovers quickly enough or freeze what you know you won't eat immediately. This is one I still struggle with even though I have a freezer, in part because I often think my husband is bringing leftovers for lunch when in reality he's totally forgotten about them. I'm going to try putting a chart on our fridge that says what leftovers we have in there and when they were made, and hopefully that might help!
   
   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:

1. Start an emergency fund in a new savings account with 3-12 months of expenses. Don't touch this unless there is an emergency (job loss, car repairs, etc.). This will keep you from acquiring any debt and allows you to be bold with your savings/investment and other life goals.
   
   
2. Take advantage of any/all tax-advantaged investment vehicles that Australia offers. (American equivalents would be 401Ks, Roth IRAs, etc.)
   
   
3. If you've made it this far, all you have left to do is live your life. You're making all the right decisions, so do what you want. Save for a house or a car, start a family, give to charity, take time off from work, travel, etc.
   
   
4. If you don't know what you want, continue to save, save, save so when you DO find out you can do what you want. If you can max your retirement accounts every year, you'll be well on your way to financial security. But those are your retirement savings, and you won't be able to utilize them for a while. So your best bet is to save and invest a large portion of your remaining income - this will ensure that you will not have to take on any additional debt and can save thousands if not hundreds of thousands along the way (think paying cash for a house vs. a 30 year mortgage)
   
   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 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!

Most of the manual sharpeners will make your knife sharp enough to slice paper with draw cuts fairly well. They won't make your knife razor sharp, and are usually preset to a pretty wide angle, meaning they'll never make your knife as sharp as the Japanese styled knives. That being said, they are more durable.

https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B001CQTLJM/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E5c4IKhtlic

This one is very cheap, sturdy and comfortable and makes knives sharp enough for kitchen work. They'll be about 80% of factory sharpness. Just look up the proper technique of applying almost no pressure and hone your knives before doing this.

If you have a Breadknife, consider this one instead:https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B000O8OTNC/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1

It is less comfortable to use, but comes with a diamond rod that sharpens the scallops in a breadknife.

Now if you want to make it razor sharp, you'll need a bit of practice and a finer grit sharpening stone or tool.

If you have the patience, you can just use the smooth(yes smooth glazed) part of a ceramic object to refine and polish the edge. Remove the burr on a piece of cardboard then finish with a strop.

Done that, and you can make it sharper than factory, but isn't really necessary, I did it for fun XP

You can also go old school and learn to use a whetstone. a 200-800 Grit stone costs about $5. These will help completely redo an edge.

1000-3000 grit stones get you to the knife sharpener sharp. Costs around 10$

8000 grit stones get you razor sharp edges, around 10$, all available on Aliexpress, be mindful of the size, some may sell you a teeny tiny one.

Strop I find is absolutely necessary though if you want a clean, and especially a razor edge.

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!

As others have said, get away from the Gillette or cartridge razor system.

Get a cheap double-edge safety razor. Get one of these. It's a classic, easy, and reasonably priced option.

Then get some razor blades. Here's a good sampler set, and it should give you a good overview. Then, buy the one you like best. One of my favorites, the Astra Platinum Deluxe, is < 10 bucks for 100 blades. That'll last me a few years, since I only shave once a week, and use each blade twice.

Once you pay the money for the razor itself, the blades amortize to about 10c each, so you can easily have a new blade every week.

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.

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

I have a Merkur Classic that I used for shaving, and I love it. As an experiment in frugality, I picked up a cheapy safety razor for my wife for shaving her legs, and to be honest, there's a big difference between these two options -- both for her shaving her legs and for me shaving my face. The Merkur is much better, though I can't say whether it's because of the open combs, the angle of the blade, or what.

That said, buy a Merkur Classic (or similar, good quality razor) plus a bunch of blades at $0.10 each and you're good to go for a long time. Very frugal.

All-Clad is kind of the "Cadillac" of cookware, and a big set costs over $1000. In a highly-regarded test kitchen, this Tramontina set for $135 gets good reviews and sells for a fraction of the price. There are other set configurations and open stock (to buy in pieces) items of the same Tramontina line. I would add an 8- and 10-inch nonstick skillet and you would be set for a long time.



The same reviewers like these Victorinox knives as their second best choice. The first choice is the far more expensive German knives. There are different knife set configurations, even big sets in wood blocks, but my link is to the basics.


You need a knife sharpener. This one works very well and is simple to use, and is inexpensive as well.



You will need a colander set. This is the one I use. Stainless steel, lasts for years, cleans up in the dishwasher.

You will need hot pads, trivets, rubber spatulas (bowl scrapers) cookie sheets, etc. Just think through what you like to cook (or eat) and make a list of what you need for each step. Cookies? Mixing bowl, mixer or big spoon, measuring cups, measuring spoons, cookie sheet and spatula. Spaghetti? Frying pan, spatula, can opener, saucepan, big spoon for stirring pasta sauce, bigger pot to cook the pasta, colander, tongs, hot pads or mitts to protect hands while draining pasta. Just think through the steps and make a list.

Buy a cheap rice cooker. Keep rice and microwavable "pouch meals" stocked. I get chana masala (indian chickpea dish), bean dishes and such in microwavable pouches and eat it on rice. Affordable (cheap even), delicious, fast, and can be managed in a dorm room if you have access to a microwave. Also, rice cooker is easy to clean without a kitchen sink.

I have something like this. Good for small batches, cheap, and effective.

Cook's Illustrated has a lot of reviews of kitchen items, including knives. I have the magazine somewhere, and they chose one of the Victorinox Chef's Knives as their best value - performed almost as well as the higher-end knives but only $30 (at the time). I believe it's this one that's currently $40 on Amazon. The link above goes directly to their summary of their chef's knife criteria/testing, though unfortunately you need to subscribe to get full access to the website etc. etc. They do have a very thorough description of what they look for in a knife, and might help you in your general "What should I look for in a knife" question.

I've heard from multiple places that the average user only really needs 3 knives: a chef's knife, a paring knife, and a bread knife. I think bread knives are pretty hard to mess up - I just bought a bagel knife from my local superstore and called it a day. My current set of knives is actually a set of Kiwi knives that are very nice and sharp, but were really cheap at my local Asian store. I have this for my chef's knife (bought for $4 + tax) and this for my paring knife (bought for $2 + tax). They've served me well so far, and like I said, they're nice and sharp (though my paring knife has dulled since my roommate ran it through the dishwasher :( ). The only thing I dislike about them is that they're on the thin side. While I wouldn't call them flimsy, I am a bit afraid to use my Kiwi knives on something more difficult, like cutting up a pineapple. They do great on my veggies, though. If you have an Asian supermarket near you, maybe check if they have them?

I second all of this. The R H Forschner by Victorinox are the best knives you can buy for the money, bar none. For $25, you get a chef's knife that's functionally the equal of just about anything else out there. It's a no brainer, and Cook's Illustrated recommended. You only really need 2 knives to start with; the chef's knife and a paring knife. A long serrated bread knife would be the 3rd, then you can go crazy after you learn to use those 3. I find a boning knife to be rather useful if you're cookin' a lot of meats.

I do not, however, recommend the rosewood handled ones. The "plastic" (AKA Fibrox) handles on the Fibrox Forschner's are more comfortable, and safer because they are much more slip resistant. Kitchen knives are tools, not decorations!

EDIT: And pick up the matching steel, and the best home sharpener you can buy: The Accusharp 001 for $10. Now we're talking frugality and function!

I bought this brand mattress about 18 months ago for a guest bedroom and everyone seems to love it. It's not a TempurPedic but I've slept on it and it is very comfortable. It also came with free shipping courtesy of Amazon Prime. You really can't beat the price.

I double wrap all of my mattresses in water proof/bed bug proof covers and double the sheets but I bet most people don't. You're really playing the lottery buying a used mattress and that isn't something I would be willing to gamble with, not when you can get a brand new mattress for a couple hundred bucks.

There is also a company called Mattress Firm and they occasionally have $50 for $200 Groupon's. Basically, you pay $50 and get a $200 voucher in the store. You can do the same haggling that you would otherwise but take $200 off the sticker price.

For just starting out, I recommend this one. I had the equivalent bought for me in highschool and it lasted me 11 years (including being hauled around the country multiple times). I used it for all my alterations (hemming, taking in t-shirts) and re-purposing (re-using old jeans).

When that one finally bit the dust, I upgraded to this one. It is a bit more fancypants with speed levels, a million stitch types, and a highly moveable presser foot.

Recommendations aside, sewing is barely frugal. I use it mainly for re-purposing clothes that I wouldn't be able to wear in the first place. Like XL race t-shirts. Or for mending clothes like when a hem comes unraveled.

Sewing from scratch for a beginner/intermediate sewer is not frugal at all and should be considered a hobby not a savings technique. Fabric and notions are expensive, along with your time. However, the bonus is that you are wearing a one-of-a-kind item and something that fits you perfectly.

Amazon actually sells a custom guard solution. It's not the cheapest option, but it's dentist-quality and should fit much better than a generic. They send you a package and you send them back a mold of your teeth, which they use to make a custom-fit guard. I haven't purchased one for myself, but the reviews are positive. Link

there are some cookbooks on amazon for frugal student cooking
used copies plus shipping is about $5. and some have great reviews.

Obviously there some awesome websites for recipes http://studentrecipes.com/ http://www.budgetbytes.com/


What i found useful were recipes you could make from raw ingredients you could get easily cheaply and store well. this is why pasta, rice and noodles are popular. the base is always handy and all you have to do is add dressings. Cans of beans and nuts are also great ways to add a protein to your meal without having to worry about it going bad before you eat it.

Find about 12 recipes you like and can make easily and then just rotate them. That's enough to keep you from being bored, save MEAT centered recipes for once a week, such as in a crockpot and the rest of the week eat meat free. Because meat is the most expensive ingredient and the easiest to screw up and let it go bad before you remember to cook it. Essentially you buy the meat on the same day you cook it and the leftovers go in the fridge and have to be eaten before the next time you cook meat, so the leftover won't go blue and fuzzy.



Indeed a crockpot is essentia Proctor 1.5 slow cooker $13 but i'd get the biggest one you can afford. ...actually when i moved in this apartment i had no serious money and no stove. I started off with all the inexpensive items from Proctor Silex - usually sold in walgreens, cvs, and other cheap appliance stores... Proctor 1 liter electric kettle $14 Proctor Toaster Oven $22 Proctor Hot Plate $14 which does have a draw back for boiling large pots of anyting, it's really a more egg frying/ grilled cheesy thing. Black and Decker has a 3 cup rice cooker for $12

It is easy for your dorm room to get unkempt if you start cooking in it for real, so a dedicated foot locker perhaps upright with shelves banged in. Put everything away clean when you don't use it. Put a dishpan in the locker, 1st thing you take out put your dirty items in it as you cook and eat, then take it to the bathroom and wash everything and then bring it all back and put it in the footlocker and then put everything in on top.

One of my favorite books was Cooking in a Bedsitter by Whitehorn..an English cookery book, but the ideas worked. A bedsitter is a dorm room with no running water, no fridge and nothing but a gas ring/hot plate to cook on. So basically you have to really think out what you are going to make and plan ahead. My solution was to cook small amounts very often so i didn't have to store a lot of food or leftovers.

For my son's school lunches, I bought a food thermos from amazon. It keeps the food piping hot for many hours. This is a great way to send soups, ramen, pasta, stew, etc. The thermos has been amazing, I'm very happy with it, plus it comes with a sturdy foldable spoon in the lid.

A good, cheap pair of earbuds

Or, if you're willing to spend a few dollars more, these earbuds are fantastic.

A watch

Amazon also sells tons of their own cool stuff- look around

A safety razor.

Also, Amazon sells a ton of books for super cheap. Look around.

I have this. Slight over budget, but I love it. It does a great job of heating up a 12 x 12 room that is not hooked up to the HVAC system and the remote is priceless on cold mornings.

A good double-edge safety razor, blade sampler pack, shaving brush, and shaving soap can free the both of you from expensive cartridge razors and canned goo. It could take you a little bit to learn how to shave the "old fashioned" way, but as someone who recently took the plunge, it's worth it. Gives a much better shave for a fraction of the cost. (Replacement blades are usually $0.07 - $0.30 each)

If you have hard water, you may want to go with a shaving cream instead, or you could get a gallon of distilled water for $1 that will last you through about a month's worth of shaves.

Shameless plug for /r/wicked_edge. There are a lot of resources there to help you transition.

[edit] Here's a cheaper alternate razor - this is what I have. You can get them even cheaper if you want to wait a few weeks.

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.

Sewing in a straight line is a great frugal life skill. Very basic sewing machines can be found for well under $100, a very good sewing machine can be found for around $150. Amazon had the Brother CS6000i on lightning deal for $115 a couple of days ago (I missed it-- FFFffuuuuu!!!!).

You can also sew by hand. Sure, IKEA (and other merchants) may carry iron-on hemming tape, but don't expect it to last thru a single washing/dryer cycle.

WalMart has fleece by the yard, but check on the sale prices of ready-made new or thrifted fleece blankets too.

I forgot to mention that craigslist and freecycle, etc., may be a good resource too!

For the meek investor who has no knowledge of finance and don't want to manage their own money, than this is good advise.

On the flip side, with some knowledge, you can learn to manage your money on your own, and while $400k is a chunk of change, it's by no means unmanageable if you're determined. There are lots of good books out there on finance but to start out, I would suggest either The Coffeehouse Investor for a very basic approach, or The Boglehead's Guide to Investing for a better book that explains some more investment vehicles (but yet is still easy to read/understand for the beginner).

As for your girlfriend's investment adviser telling you that you could earn 7%... I'd be very skeptical. As countless others have mentioned, this isn't considered conservative, and you should RUN from any adviser guaranteeing any percentage of a return. Remember, it's possible to beat the stock market for a year, but to be able to do it consistently is very hard and only a handful of people can do so (and they make millions of dollars to do so). Use common sense and good luck.

Edit: formatting

Maruchan Instant Lunch isn't a bad meal either, you can get them for 49 cents from Wal-Mart and other discount stores, they are super easy to make with an electric kettle and if you like hot tea you have a quick and easy meal right there.

This mattress is amazing. I mention it every time someone needs a frugal mattress recommendation on here because I love it so much. It's the best sleep I've ever had for the price of a regular crappy mattress.

The BF and I have been sleeping on it for 10 months and I never have back pain, hardly ever wake up in the in the middle of the night (which I used to constantly on a regular mattress), and his tossing and turning does not shake the entire mattress.

It doesn't get hot as some people worry about either, and no permanent indentation so far. I am 150 lb and he is 180 lb, if that helps.

Plus it can be delivered straight to you, make sure you air it out!

I personally found the Feathers to be great. You might try a sampler pack yourself.

Here is the pack I bought, although it was about $8 when I bought it. About half have been fair, then 25% awesome, and 25% absolute garbage.

Also I can't speak for your technique, try /r/wicked_edge.

dont bother with an OTC one that you have to boil or whatever. i spent the 90bucks on this custom made one from amazon and its made the exact same way as it will from your dentist. the only difference? your dentist takes the mold, and sends it off to be made. you can save 500 by making the mold yourself then sending it off.

edit: for what its worth, ive used mine every night for the last year. still works, and in good condition (i brush mine in the morning with whatever toothpaste is leftover on the toothbrush after brushing my teeth). also, there is an option to "upgrade" to the harder, tougher material for an extra 10-15 bucks that the top poster is raving about for which he paid $700. i declined as the soft one seemed to make more sense for me. you can also get a replacement for ~20 bucks through them as well if you do lose it. they keep your mold on file! all of this information is on the included instructions

www.amazon.com/Professional-Custom-Dental-Teeth-Direct/dp/B0042UAZCM

I use this sharpener. I've had it for over a year and it works great. It's only $6 and has really great reviews on Amazon. Plus it's small, so I just store it in a drawer with my knives.

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.

my credit is a little shot (590ish) but I've been through the ringer with care credit. most of the insurances I've had, through myself or work, doesn't always cover dental and, at the time, it was considered cosmetic thus not covered.
someone in the thread posted this
http://www.amazon.com/Professional-Custom-Dental-Teeth-Direct/dp/B0042UAZCM
and I plan to try it. I don't grind as hard as I used to but i find myself clenching a little when I'm overly sleep deprived(newborn daughter).

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.

I don't have a knife set, just random knives. Is a honing steel important enough to buy separately? I've got a bamboo cutting board and do a fair amount of vegetable cutting.

Is this what you have? http://www.amazon.com/AccuSharp-1-001-Knife-Sharpener/dp/B00004VWKQ Is it pretty easy to use?

They go on sale on amazon all the time and have amazing reviews. http://www.amazon.com/Victorinox-Swiss-8-Inch-Fibrox-Straight/dp/B008M5U1C2

http://camelcamelcamel.com/Victorinox-Swiss-8-Inch-Fibrox-Straight/product/B008M5U1C2

Sub $25 is usually a good deal

> Knives

Cheap and amazing knife. Take care of it and it will last a very long time.

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'm not sure what your question is exactly. At no point did I claim that one was somehow creating more heat than the laws of physics allow. If you're confused about the difference between a radiator, which heats a room slowly and retains heat, and a fan/ceramic/etc (all known as space heaters afaik - like this one: http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B000TTV2QS/ref=mp_s_a_1_12?qid=1405371454&sr=1-12&pi=AC_SX110_SY165_QL70), then google might help.

They both heat "space" but have different purposes. Ones that directly heat the air around them use more electricity than those which heat a liquid which retains and radiates the heat in order to bring up the temperature of a larger enclosed space. But don't take my word for it. Look up the specs for portable oil filled heaters vs heated element heaters for the same square footage, as your area might have something more efficient than what is available in mine, or your needs for the space might be different (enclosed room vs desk in an open warehouse, for instance).

Yep. I have one of these that I bought almost 2 years ago, as I just graduated college was poor, and had an Amazon gift card.

I got this one:

http://www.amazon.com/LinenSpa-Triple-Layer-Mattress-25-Year-Warranty/dp/B0050JL4TC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1373573691&sr=8-1&keywords=lucid+12

I have no complaints except, I might go for the 10" or the 8", as the 12" is just too big and regular sheets struggle to fit it. Its too thick and I suspect the 10" would be the perfect size, but the 8" would probably work fine too.

No complaints about comfort, smell, wear after use, or anything like that. I would purchase again in a thinner model, even now that I have money saved up.

buy a steamer since it shouldn't break ANY school dorm rules at all, (and maybe an electric kettle like this for things like tea or whatever.)

Then, just every few days, pick up healthy meals at a cheaper place, say Aldi. (Aldi has frequently been cheaper than Walmart or Costco per oz. Just figure out when they get their shipments, though, because produce is only good there like twice a week) and just steam your meals. Buy some spices to make it yummy, and if you get the electric kettle you can heat water or milk to makes sauces.

The only thing that is difficult to do with a steamer is red meat. Usually to cook meat via steam you need a pressure cooker. That said, though, if you cut it into small pieces it can work. That would take some messing around with. I'm assuming your dorm has a microwave somewhere too and maybe a community toaster?

You can make lots of things in the steamer, including some not-quite-so-healthy foods like many of the Asian style of appetizer (dumpling, pork bun, etc).

There's a chance you could get a mini fridge with a larger freezer portion, but unfortunately until that happens with my method you'd have to buy in small portions and go shopping once every 4 days or so too keep the food guaranteed fresh.

Just buy Forschner/Victorinox knives from Amazon. Here's your chef's knife. Best bang for the buck in the knife world.

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

Buy the rice cooker.

Source: Chinese person.

Edit: Buy the CHEAP rice cooker. Anything over $30.00 isn't worth all the extra bells and whistles. It only needs ONE BUTTON. When pushed down, it's cooking. When it pops up, rice is done and it's warming. That's all you need.

I recommend something like this: http://www.amazon.com/Black-Decker-RC3303-Cooked-Cooker/dp/B002CVTT52/ref=sr_1_7?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1375150030&sr=1-7

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.

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.

Or you can get a cheap safety razor for $6 and a pack of 100 blades for $11 on amazon.com with free shipping (if you have prime or buy other things to total $35).

The razor I use- good quality, but the handle is a little short(you get used to it very quickly)
http://www.amazon.com/Silver-Double-Shaver-Nonslip-Handle/dp/B0050HO9MI/ref=sr_1_5?s=hpc&ie=UTF8&qid=1407807209&sr=1-5&keywords=safety+razor

The blades:
http://www.amazon.com/Astra-Superior-Premium-Platinum-Double/dp/B001QY8QXM

This guy is $6 bucks on amazon. It's tiny! And it is easy to use. Don't overdo it though.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B001CQTLJM/ref=s9_top_hm_b1DPH_g79_i1

Source: this is the exact model I have in my kitchen and use.

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.

(Programmable Space Heaters)[ Lasko 755320 Ceramic Tower Heater with Digital Display and Remote Control https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000TTV2QS/ref=cm_sw_r_awd_3Hcwub0NAY876] We have been using ones like these since our first was born 4 years ago. They are great. Lots of built in protections. We have the ones Costco Sells but they are all about the same.

Set the temp you want and it will cycle on and off to maintain that temp.

invest in a hot food container with multiple compartments (like this one for example). put a hot starch in one container, and a hot gravy dish in the other. combine and eat. rice and curry would work well, for instance, or pasta and tomato sauce, or bread rolls and chili. just make sure to have it really hot before filling the thermos.

I'm a big hot lunch person, which makes it really hard for me to pack anything. I really want this: http://www.amazon.com/Thermos-Stainless-King-SK3000MB4-Midnight/dp/B0017IFSIS/ref=wl_it_dp_o?ie=UTF8&coliid=I2YXBMELHJN3KI&colid=LHY9MS4ORGMK
For soups and pastas, and other yummy things.

You just inspired me to get one. Here is what I ordered.

1. Buy razor handle
   
2. Buy pack of razors
   
3. Shave
   
4. ...
   
5. Profit

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.

Does your work have no power plugs? If your boss is ok with a microwave being there you may find one at a thrift store cheap.

You can also just store food hot in a container like this. If you put in a soup that was simmering in the morning by lunch it would likely still be hot. As I said elsewhere in this post when I put coffee in my thermos in the morning it could still be hot 12 hours later.

Stainless Thermos.

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

i eat curry 3 times a week. i keep it piping hot in this:http://www.amazon.com/Thermos-Stainless-King-SK3000MBTRI4-Midnight/dp/B0017IFSIS/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1345616713&sr=8-1&keywords=thermos+food+jar
then pour it over rice or eat with naan at lunch.

There's a book I read that weighed the pros and cons of buying/making common foods - Make the Bread, Buy the Butter

I've been using this one for years https://www.amazon.com/dp/B002RBF1PO/ref=cm_sw_r_awd_3ovBub0XESRZ3

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

Glass and hot coffee...hmmmmm....no

There is a newer version of the book uk amazon link

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.