15 Frugal Living Tips That Are a Waste of Time (& What Really Works)

Last month, I spent three hours making laundry detergent from scratch. The ingredients cost $8, and I ended up with enough detergent to last two months. When I did the math afterward, I realized I’d saved exactly $7 compared to buying my usual brand on sale. Three hours of work for $7 in savings, that’s $2.33 per hour, far below minimum wage. I’d have been better off working an extra hour at my regular job or even filling out online surveys.

This experience made me question how many other “frugal” activities I’ve been doing that actually waste more than they save. Many Americans are actively looking for ways to save money and live more frugally in today’s economic climate. But how many of these efforts actually pay off?

Let’s explore 15 common frugal living tips that might be wasting your time, and what you should do instead to genuinely improve your financial situation.

1. Making Your Own Cleaning Products

Why it’s often a waste: While mixing vinegar and water works for some cleaning jobs, many homemade solutions don’t disinfect properly or take excessive scrubbing to be effective. Factor in your time, and the savings rarely justify the effort.

What works instead: Buy concentrated commercial cleaners and dilute them according to instructions. This approach can reduce cleaning costs while maintaining effectiveness. Stock up during sales and use cashback apps for additional savings.

2. Extreme Couponing

Why it’s often a waste: Dedicated couponers spend many hours weekly collecting, organizing, and planning shopping trips. When you calculate the time investment against the savings, the hourly “wage” is often disappointingly low.

What works instead: Use a cashback app like Ibotta, Rakuten or Fetch that requires minimal time investment. These apps can provide reasonable savings with much less effort, and a better return on your time investment.

3. Driving Across Town for Cheaper Gas

Why it’s often a waste: If you drive an extra 10 miles round trip to save 10 cents per gallon on a 15-gallon tank, you’re saving $1.50 total. But those extra miles cost money in depreciation, gas, and maintenance. Your net savings may be negligible for the extra time and effort.

What works instead: Use gas price comparison apps to find the best prices along your usual routes, and combine gas station visits with other errands. Some gas station reward programs and credit cards offer per-gallon discounts that exceed what you’d save by driving out of your way.

4. Washing and Reusing Ziplock Bags

Why it’s often a waste: Between the water, soap, time spent washing, and the inevitable deterioration of the bags after a few uses, you’re saving pennies while spending minutes.

What works instead: Invest in quality reusable silicone food storage bags. They become more economical than disposable alternatives after multiple uses and can last for years. They’re also better for the environment, easier to clean (many are dishwasher-safe), and actually work better.

5. Making Your Own Yogurt/Bread/Pasta

Why it’s often a waste: These DIY food projects often seem economical until you factor in equipment costs, ingredients, energy usage, and most importantly, your time. Homemade pasta costs less per serving than quality store-bought pasta, but takes considerable time to make from scratch.

What works instead: Focus on cooking fundamentals that save money without excessive time investment. Learning to cook dried beans in a pressure cooker, preparing large batches of versatile basics (rice, roasted vegetables), and mastering leftover transformations yield far better financial returns than labor-intensive DIY projects.

6. Cutting Your Own Hair

Why it’s often a waste: Unless you’re maintaining a simple buzz cut, DIY haircuts often result in emergency salon visits that cost more than regular maintenance would have. Plus, a bad haircut can affect your professional image and confidence.

What works instead: Find affordable alternatives like beauty schools (significantly cheaper than salons), barber colleges, or mid-range salons that offer loyalty programs. Extending time between cuts by finding versatile styles that grow out well can reduce your annual haircare budget.

7. Over-Diluting Products

Why it’s often a waste: Excessively diluting shampoo, dishwashing liquid, or laundry detergent typically means you use more product to achieve the same result, or worse, damage your belongings through inadequate cleaning.

What works instead: Follow manufacturer’s dilution recommendations. For genuine savings, switch to concentrated products designed for dilution. Using the correct amount of a quality concentrated product often costs less per use than over-diluting standard formulations.

8. Driving Long Distances for Sales or Outlet Shopping

Why it’s often a waste: Between transportation costs, impulse purchases, and the opportunity cost of your time, these shopping “expeditions” rarely yield real savings. Consumers typically spend more than planned during dedicated shopping trips.

What works instead: Use price tracking tools like CamelCamelCamel or Honey to buy exactly what you need when it hits your target price. Online outlet shopping during major sale events often provides better discounts without travel costs, and price-matching policies at major retailers have made in-person “deal hunting” largely obsolete.

9. Over-Repairing Old Appliances

Why it’s often a waste: While fixing things is generally economical, repeatedly repairing major appliances beyond their efficient lifespan wastes money on repairs while you continue paying for their inefficient energy usage.

What works instead: Use the 50% rule, if a repair costs more than 50% of a new appliance’s price, or if the appliance is beyond 75% of its expected lifespan, replacement is usually more economical. Replacing an old refrigerator with an efficient model can save significant energy costs over several years.

10. Excessive Stockpiling

Why it’s often a waste: Large stockpiles tie up cash, require storage space, and often lead to waste through expired or unused items. Households with extensive stockpiles may waste more food than those who shop more frequently.

What works instead: Maintain a moderate, well-organized inventory of genuinely useful items with long shelf lives. Focus on rotational storage systems and purchase what you’ll actually use within a reasonable timeframe. Digital inventory apps can help prevent duplicate purchases and expiration waste.

11. DIY Home Repairs Beyond Your Skill Level

Why it’s often a waste: Amateur plumbing, electrical, or structural repairs can lead to costly professional fixes later, not to mention safety hazards. Many DIY home projects ultimately require professional intervention, often at premium rates.

What works instead: Invest time in learning which home maintenance tasks offer the best ROI for DIY efforts. Simple tasks like replacing washers, unclogging drains (before they become severe), changing filters, and basic weatherproofing yield excellent returns without significant risk. For complex projects, consider becoming a helper to a professional to learn while still getting the job done right.

12. Reusing Tea Bags or Coffee Grounds

Why it’s often a waste: The minimal savings (approximately 5-10 cents per serving) come with a significant quality decline. The second use contains less flavor and fewer beneficial compounds.

What works instead: Buy quality tea or coffee in bulk, which can reduce per-serving costs compared to pre-packaged options. Proper storage to maintain freshness provides better value than reusing spent products. Used grounds and tea bags can instead benefit your garden as compost.

13. Spending Hours on Rebate Programs

Why it’s often a waste: Many rebate programs are designed to be complicated and time-consuming, hoping you’ll give up. A significant percentage of rebates are never redeemed, and of those submitted, many are rejected for technical reasons.

What works instead: Prioritize instant rebates or cashback through credit cards and shopping portals. These provide immediate savings without paperwork or follow-up. If a mail-in rebate exceeds $20 and requires minimal documentation, it might be worth pursuing; otherwise, focus your energy elsewhere.

14. Making Your Own Furniture Without Woodworking Skills

Why it’s often a waste: DIY furniture projects often end up costing more than anticipated once you factor in tools, materials, and inevitable mistakes. Without proper skills, the results frequently don’t last as long as professionally made pieces.

What works instead: Learn to refurbish and upcycle existing furniture, which requires fewer specialized skills while still providing customization. Estate sales, thrift stores, and marketplace apps offer high-quality used furniture at significant discounts from retail.

15. Chasing Bank Sign-Up Bonuses

Why it’s often a waste: Moving money between accounts to capture small bonuses involves paperwork, monitoring requirements, and sometimes maintaining minimum balances that could be better invested elsewhere. The time spent often yields less than minimum wage.

What works instead: Focus on high-value financial optimizations like eliminating high-interest credit card debt, taking full advantage of employer 401(k) matches (an immediate 100% return), or selecting investment accounts with low fees that can save thousands over your lifetime.

What Actually Works: The Big Picture Approach to Frugality

Truly effective frugality focuses on high-impact areas rather than penny-pinching activities. Here’s what actually works:

• Housing optimization: Moving to a slightly smaller home or a less expensive area can save hundreds monthly. Housing represents a significant portion of the average American budget, making it the highest-impact area for meaningful savings.
• Transportation efficiency: The average annual cost of car ownership is substantial. Keeping vehicles longer, choosing fuel-efficient models, or using alternatives like public transportation when feasible creates substantial savings.
• Insurance auditing: Spending a few hours annually comparing insurance rates across providers often yields hundreds in savings with minimal effort.
• Meal planning: Reducing food waste and restaurant spending through basic meal planning saves the average household thousands annually.
• Automated saving and investing: Setting up automatic transfers to savings and investment accounts, before you can spend the money, builds wealth more effectively than any penny-pinching activity.

The Bottom Line: Value Your Time

Effective frugality isn’t about doing everything yourself or living with less; it’s about optimizing the relationship between your time, money, and quality of life. When considering a money-saving activity, calculate your effective hourly rate by dividing the money saved by the time invested. If it’s significantly below what you earn (or could earn), it’s probably not worth your time.

Remember that the goal of frugality isn’t deprivation or busywork, it’s creating financial freedom and security while maintaining a life you enjoy. Sometimes, the most frugal thing you can do is recognize when saving pennies costs you dollars.

What frugal activities have you found to be worth or not worth your time? Share your experiences in the comments below!

Have you tried any of these time-wasting frugal tips? What actually worked for you instead?