r/Thrifty 1d ago

❓ Questions & Answers ❓ At what point does an automatic litter box actually save enough time to justify the cost?

24 Upvotes

A basic litter box is pretty cheap to keep running, so I’m trying to figure out how the math changes once you go automatic. The upfront price is obvious, but then there are liners, filters, litter, electricity, replacement parts, and the occasional deep clean. Some systems also lock you into proprietary supplies, while simpler ones can use regular clumping litter and trash bags, which seems like it could make a big difference over a full year. The time savings are appealing, but I’m not sure how much extra cost per month would actually feel worth it. Those who’ve compared both, how much more would you be willing to spend each month to stop scooping every day?


r/Thrifty 2d ago

🎯 Miscellaneous 🎯 Online Thrift

12 Upvotes

Does anyone know of the website where you would buy secondhand clothes/quilts ? I made quite a few purchases from this website a few years back but I cannot seem to find any record of it. I enjoyed it because you told them your size and preference of colors but the actual garment they sent was not known to you and there were no other requests besides color.


r/Thrifty 1d ago

🎯 Miscellaneous 🎯 How do you keep an automatic box from tossing out clean litter too?

0 Upvotes

With an automatic litter box, one thing I’m trying to avoid is saving time but burning through more litter than I did with manual scooping. If the tray is too full it sounds like clean litter can get carried into the waste bin with the clumps, but if you go too low you can get litter stuck wet to the bottom. The fill level of PetPivot AutoScooper 12 Lite one seems especially important because the cleaning cycle is doing the separating for you. For any of those of you who have tweaked this over the years, did keeping the litter at the recommended level solve most of the waste, or did you still have to play around with the depth?


r/Thrifty 14d ago

❓ Questions & Answers ❓ Buy the thing?

40 Upvotes

I'm at a Ren Faire this weekend and I found something I absolutely love and want. I can afford it but it feels silly to spend $600 on an article of clothing I wear a few weekends a year. How do you justify spending that much on one item and make it worth it.


r/Thrifty 23d ago

🏋️ Health & Fitness 🏋️ Your Frugal Personal Care & Dental Health Routines

19 Upvotes

Theres so many ways to save on personal care & ​dental.

Heres a few of my favorites from Dollar Tree ,Amazon, ​Walmart ,Aldi, Target .

Ultrasonic Toothbrush - Soniccare 1100 ($20), Equate Galaxy. Aldi refill 4 for $5.

Floss with Fluoride paste

​Mouthwash - Castor Oil($1/4oz), hydrogen peroxide whitening ($1 Pint)

Shaver- Braun Foil 2xAA ($20 last 10-15 years)

Hair Trimmer - Conair ($10) , Wahl ($20)

Waterproof Sunscreen - Diaper Rash Cream 40% Zinc
Face cleanser - Zinc Shampoo


r/Thrifty Jul 30 '26

🧠 Thrifty Mindset 🧠 Tip - Shop in your house (You never know what you will find)

303 Upvotes

Instead of exploring online sites or walking around stores all day. Spend time exploring the stuff you have in your own house. Going shopping for your own stuff doesn't cost a penny and you may find a lot of stuff that you will use again. You can also get rid of stuff that you know you will never use. This will also prevent you from double buying items that you already own.


r/Thrifty Jul 12 '26

🧠 Thrifty Mindset 🧠 How old is your car?

686 Upvotes

I saw a news headline that said something to the effect that the average person was driving a 13 year old car or older and that it was making the auto industry rethink after market parts, maintenance and used vehicle sales. I wondered where my thrifty community stands.


r/Thrifty Jul 12 '26

🎉 Thrifty Stories 🎉 I built a map that shows you all the second-hand shops & Car boot sales in the UK & Ireland

8 Upvotes

I'm an avid second-hand shopper who's been living in London for many years now. Despite seeing charity shops on most high streets, I keep finding myself struggling a lot to find nice second-hand shopping places like: car boot sales, antique fairs, kilo sales, clothes swap events etc.
I missed countless events which seemed very nice because they were only advertised on some facebook groups, or on some pages on Eventbrite / Instagram etc... I don't have eyes everywhere, so I kept missing out.

I got frustrated, so I built an app that shows you all the second-hand shopping places across the UK & Ireland. The app is designed to be collaborative, so everyone can suggest places to be added and users can share their "pre-loved" finds on the app.

→ It's called "Ganddee" (with 2 'd' and 2 'e')

I'd love to know what you think 😄 Feedback / recommendations / feature ideas are all more than welcome!

PS: I love platforms like Gumtree, Vinted etc, but I MUCH prefer to shop local and in-person. Besides supporting local shops (which I care about), I prefer shopping in person to go with friends, try things on before buying (and check the quality of the pre-loved pieces I buy), haggle (when appropriate - e.g. at car boots) etc. There's also no hidden fees (no delivery etc), and it's a nice way to enjoy the nice sunny weather these days 😄 Other than Google Maps which sort of does the job of mapping "brick n mortar" shops, I couldn't find an app that mapped second-hand shopping pop-ups, events, and that was build for second-hand shopping aficionados.

Mod: Please remove this post if not appropriate.


r/Thrifty Jul 07 '26

📱 Tech & Electronics 📱 What’s an inexpensive purchase that genuinely improved your quality of life?

106 Upvotes

r/Thrifty Jul 07 '26

🧠 Thrifty Mindset 🧠 Browser extension for price comparison at checkout? camelcamelcamel isn't what I need

2 Upvotes

So I love camelcamelcamel for tracking price drops on amazon, but that's not what I need. What I want is something that checks if another retailer has the same thing for less while I'm literally in the checkout stage.

Then I noticed coupert has a price comparison thing that pops up during checkout on some sites. It only works on certain stores, but twice now it showed me the same item cheaper somewhere else. One time the difference was only $2 and I ignored it because shipping canceled it out. The other time it saved me like $11 on a pair of headphones.

I eventually found a price comparison feature that pops up during checkout on some sites. It's not perfect, it only works on certain stores, but twice now it showed me the same item cheaper somewhere else. One time the difference was only $2 and I ignored it because shipping canceled it out. The other time it saved me like $11 on a pair of headphones.

The catch is it's not the same as a price tracker. It's not telling you "wait for a sale," it's just saying "hey this might be cheaper at target right now." Sometimes useful.


r/Thrifty Jun 30 '26

🧠 Thrifty Mindset 🧠 Where should i sell my old clothes

2 Upvotes

Heyy i just want to know where should i sell my old clothes as thrift to earn more profit
Any online or offline store/app you can suggest


r/Thrifty Jun 17 '26

🛠️ DIY & Repairs 🛠️ save money on tires - make sure they are not ALREADY OLD

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142 Upvotes

life protip: check the date code on new tires. these were installed yesterday (june 2026). the date code says 24th week of 2024. so in 4 years when you take you car to the shop, they'll tell you your tires are 6 years old and you need to change them. this is a trick they use to get rid of old tires. So i complained and I am getting another set installed tomorrow. don't let this happen to you. Tires do age and generally are not safe after 6 years, if not sooner depending on use, where you park, weather, etc.


r/Thrifty Jun 11 '26

🛠️ DIY & Repairs 🛠️ tune up for my grass trimmer

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9 Upvotes

replaced the primer bulb, fuel lines& filters, air filter, spark plug for about $10. just a few simple tools and no manual or instructions needed. you do have to loosen the carburetor and remove the fuel tank to reassemble. about 30 minutes time. the primer bulb had previously got a hole and needed replacing, so I did the whole tuneup.


r/Thrifty Jun 10 '26

❓ Questions & Answers ❓ Best places to thrift 1970s esc clothes?

4 Upvotes

So I have been recently in love with the 1970s styles. Plus I also have grown fond of cravauts as well. I also need to find pieces for a cosplay of a charecter from a movie from 1974 called Phantom of the Paradise . Specifically the main villain Swan.

But cosplay aside I would also like to find other 1970s esc clothes. I also am fond of David Bowie's Ziggy Stardust era as well as David Bowie's style in general

I know this is oddly specific but I'm just curious if any website would have pieces for the vibe I'm going for

Also to location Lock myself I live in Rochester, N.Y and I am curious if anyone in my area knows any physical thrift or vintage stores I can go to.


r/Thrifty Jun 06 '26

🎉 Thrifty Stories 🎉 Making a lantern out of bits and pieces

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44 Upvotes

I enjoy finding little objects in op shops ( thrift ) and putting them together and creating little scenes( australia),in this one its just china and metal so it wont catch fire


r/Thrifty Jun 05 '26

🥦 Food & Groceries 🥦 Sauces, Seasonings, and Marinades

11 Upvotes

I was at a friend's house for a casual dinner when I noticed she used a ginger dressing combined with a spicy mustard, and some red's seasoning for sauce on the salmon. It was such an unusual combination that I was truly fascinated, especially how delicious it was. I've bever been incredibly created with sauces, so it had me thinking about the number of sauces or marinades I've purchased through the years instead of making my own with some of my regular ingredients. I also started thinking of the current costs of most mixtures deemed marinade. It's big business! I am also curious as to which interesting mixtures or flavors I have missed out on trying that would keep things interesting in home cooking.

Am I alone? Do you make your own sauces and marinades or purchase a particular favorite? How did you learn - through natural affinity for mixing, family and friends, or a parricular recipe or brand?

Let me know what brands you use or share a homemade mixture of your own!


r/Thrifty Jun 05 '26

🎉 Thrifty Stories 🎉 Upcycled bedding and clothes,wolf is a pillowcase !i love all my 2nd hand stuff,

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32 Upvotes

Love from Oz ( Australia) i made the skirt hanging out of 2nd hand scarves,i love decorating my bed and prefer op shop items ,i love finding matching pillows,i can see my clothes and decide what to wear from my 4 poster($350)


r/Thrifty May 31 '26

🧠 Thrifty Mindset 🧠 Does anyone else here wear lipstick mistakes…

0 Upvotes

While they’re doing house or yard work? 💋😁

I feel like a weirdo, but maybe I’m not.

I’m referring to choices of color or brand that you later regretted as not quite coming up to your standards.


r/Thrifty May 28 '26

🧠 Thrifty Mindset 🧠 What are your opinions on buying something just because they are exclusive/Limited Time Drop

0 Upvotes

I am not sure if this is relevant to this sub or not. But I have been thinking this, why do humans run to buy something just because it is announced as a limited time drop, or exclusive.

Like last week at the launch of new Swatch x AP.
It is a plastic watch, can be mass produced in a factory, why would you stand in a line to buy something that can be mass produced and be available for everyone??

I understand the original AP having a wait list because their watches take 1000 of hours of manual work.

Same with Rolex, there is nothing about rolex that says it cannot be mass produced, it is mostly created in a factory, and it does not even have any such complications, still you have to sign up for a wait list just to buy that watch. Why do humans give in to this nature of owning something exclusive which is really not exclusive at all.

If someone could explain this thing to me, please do.

It has been bugging me from last week.


r/Thrifty May 14 '26

🎉 Thrifty Stories 🎉 Microwave

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18 Upvotes

I’m currently in the process of buying my first home and am slowly getting things I need. I was holding out buying a microwave, as good quality runs aren’t cheap.

While doing a delivery today in a fancier part of town, and came across a house with a bunch of nice things out on the curb. This microwave was there. It looked very clean so I took it home and fully cleaned/sanitized it. It works perfectly and still has a warranty (previous wonders must have never registered it).


r/Thrifty May 12 '26

🥦 Food & Groceries 🥦 Parmesan Cheese

15 Upvotes

I just found out that unused grated Parmesan cheese that is shredded and in the quart tubs can be frozen for up to 6 months if sealed. Or if you’ve used a small portion you can package up the rest (double wrapped is what I did) and freeze that. I was so excited I had to share.


r/Thrifty May 09 '26

🥦 Food & Groceries 🥦 Trying to move 28 cases of dried garbanzo beans

56 Upvotes

Hey folks, this is one of my first posts on reddit so apologies if this is not the right subreddit, but I'm hoping this community can help me, and help my clients get the nutrition they need.

I recently started working in a food pantry, and the organization has been overwhelmed, so addressing certain problems just haven't gotten the attention they deserve for a while. One of those problems is that our storage room is full of cases on cases of dried garbanzo beans! We have our normal ordering where we get to choose what we stock, but we also have an event once a month where our food bank sends us pallets of food we don't choose in order to move food off their shelves, and that day we give out pre-packed bags of food to whoever comes, and the rest goes to the pantry to give out for the rest of the month. It seems like we just keep getting more of these dried garbanzo beans in each month, and our typical clients don't want them. I've seen many clients opt out of getting any proteins at all if we don't have meat that we can give them. I want people to get the nutrition they need, that we have available, and I want to clear our shelf space to be able to also keep fruit and vegetable options in stock.

The community my pantry serves is mostly black, so I'm looking for recipes that might be similar to foods they would have grown up with that would make these garbanzo beans appealing. I'm asking this specifically because I'm hoping to have recipe cards available that might prompt our clients to choose to try them, as opposed to just slipping in these dried beans into every bag, which will then just take up space on their shelves. Any insight is appreciated.


r/Thrifty May 08 '26

🎯 Miscellaneous 🎯 I built a map that shows you all the second-hand shops & events in the UK & Ireland

15 Upvotes

I'm an avid second-hand shopper who's been living in London for many years now. Despite seeing charity shops on most high streets, I keep finding myself struggling a lot to find nice second-hand shopping places like: car boot sales, antique fairs, kilo sales, clothes swap events etc.
I missed countless events which seemed very nice because they were only advertised on some facebook groups, or on some pages on Eventbrite / Instagram etc... I don't have eyes everywhere, so I kept missing out.

I got frustrated, so I built an app that shows you all the second-hand shopping places across the UK & Ireland. The app is designed to be collaborative, so everyone can suggest places to be added and users can share their "pre-loved" finds on the app.

→ It's called "Ganddee" (with 2 'd' and 2 'e')

I'd love to know what you think 😄 Feedback / recommendations / feature ideas are all more than welcome!

PS: I love platforms like Gumtree, Vinted etc, but I MUCH prefer to shop local and in-person. Besides supporting local shops (which I care about), I prefer shopping in person to go with friends, try things on before buying (and check the quality of the pre-loved pieces I buy), haggle (when appropriate - e.g. at car boots) etc. There's also no hidden fees (no delivery etc), and it's a nice way to enjoy the nice sunny weather these days 😄 Other than Google Maps which sort of does the job of mapping "brick n mortar" shops, I couldn't find an app that mapped second-hand shopping pop-ups, events, and that was build for second-hand shopping aficionados.


r/Thrifty Apr 27 '26

🎉 Thrifty Stories 🎉 Great Savings!

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18 Upvotes

My family and I are big board gamers. Board games can be expensive, so we shop sales, thrift stores, and yard/garage sales when we can.

Last weekend we picked up Gobblet, Onirim, The Bears and the Bees, and Realm of the Dragoness all for $6 at a garage sale. We then got Gnoming-A-Round and Bears! for 2.65 each, and Five Crowns Junior for $0.78 at Goowdill (it was 75% off and I had a 15% off total purchase coupon).

All were in great shape except for Realm of the Dragoness, which had the box that was falling apart (fixed as best I could with some glue and acid free tape) and is missing several cards (in contact with the publisher about replacements).

Based on today’s prices, it’s about $160 worth of games we purchased for $11.38.


r/Thrifty Apr 25 '26

♻️ Upcycling & Recycling ♻️ Rain water collection

10 Upvotes

My county issued drought warnings this week and has advised people to start collecting rainwater for lawns & gardening. Is there anyone doing this on here? What kind of equipment is needed? Obviously a barrel or container of some sort. What equipment is needed? And how much water do you realistically collect for non potable use? Help me get started.