Not everything in this world costs an arm and a leg. And while most people believe that their quality of life is largely governed by the amount of money they have, this illuminating thread proves us wrong.

Shared on the Frugal community on Reddit, the thread has people sharing the cheapest buys and even things that cost nothing they use to improve their life quality and overall wellbeing.

From small things like incense sticks to amazing things that are free of charge like long sleeps and walks in nature, there are many ways to get ourselves together without breaking the bank!

#1

The library. Free. So much joy and entertainment and learning right there.

Image credits: shiplesp

#2

Long walks as often as you can. Preferably in nature.

Image credits: bUrNtKoOlAiD

#3

$1 bamboo back scratcher (is this an age thing, I never needed one when I was young?)

Image credits: dogsRgr8too

#4

Getting a good, long sleep.

Image credits: 1714alpha

#5

A hot shower.
And the little metal hair catcher I put in the drain so it doesn’t clog.

Image credits: KemptHeveled

#6

Blackout curtains for your bedroom window

Image credits: turfinite

#7

Homemade bread!

Image credits: MsRachelGroupie

#8

Growing my own vegetables. Getting out in fresh air and working in it. Frees my mind and helps me relax. Plus is fresh vegetables.

Image credits: darkwitch1306

#9

I'm going to go with... Buying duplicates to cut down on the barrier to chores.

For example, cleaning the toilet. I could buy just one bottle of toilet bowl cleaner and carry it to each bathroom when I'm cleaning. But instead, I buy one for each bathroom and leave one by each toilet. This doesn't cost more than buying just one in the long run, since the cleaner is consumed at about through the same rate (although it's a little faster because I'm actually using it), but it means that it's that much easier to clean a toilet when I need to do it. And because it's easier to clean the toilet, they stay cleaner, which means it takes barely a few minutes to clean a toilet and I don't have to deal with the extra nasty level of grime that's hard to clean.

Another example would be having broom for each floor of the house. I'm more likely to sweep if I don't have to bring a broom from upstairs or something. Or buying extra rolls of trash bags and leaving the rolls near each trash can.

Image credits: aja_c

#10

A hot cup of tea with a little honey.

A day spent hiking or biking.

Free YouTube yoga classes.

Exercise in general - no expensive gym needed. Work out at home or outside.

An afternoon on the sofa with a good book and a blanket.

Image credits: sauvignonyum

#11

Condoms

Image credits: Slow-Doctor9227

#12

Not always cheap (vary in price) but houseplants.

Image credits: crazycatlady331

#13

Drinking water lol no sodas or carbonated beverages. My teeth, gut and overall health are a bit grateful.

Image credits: WatercressSubject717

#14

Dental floss

Image credits: burnz1

#15

We never had fresh flowers in the house growing up, but now that I’m almost 30 and married, I love getting the little $5 flower bunches at Kroger every week! I know $5 adds up over the year, but it makes me so happy seeing pretty little blooms on our dining room table. Sometimes little joys are worth the expense :)

Image credits: jlladd16

#16

I received a microwave splatter cover as a Christmas present. I heard it was bought at a dollar store. It's my most valued, most often used gift of the past many years.

Image credits: Seeking_Balance101

#17

Yoga With Adriene on YouTube. I love her relaxed vibe and variety of offerings. So much better than having to go somewhere and pay for a class, and I always feel so good afterwards.

Image credits: hillycake

#18

A walk beside the ocean. A cup of tea and a blanket and a book.

Image credits: the_wet_coast

#19

Walking my daughter to school.

We literally live across the street and I would drive her. The amount of time it would take for us to get from our apartment to the van, get buckled, and down to the exit of the parking garage, around the block and wait at the light, I could already be across the street.

Now we walk to and from, round trip is 20 mins, twice per day, so roughly 40 mins of low-impact cardio per day five days per week.

We have more energy and diminished pain (she has scoliosis and some fused vertebrae and I have fibromyalgia). Bonus: my pants are now too big.

#20

Cheap organizational containers- I tend to misplace things a lot, so having my items (office supplies, makeup, food, etc) allocated to different boxes saves me so much time and frustration. Also, it allows me to save space by vertically organizing my desk/cabinets via stacking boxes.

Used/resold books - I’ve gotten some classics for $2-3 at Half Price Books and at other great sales to add to my mini library and preoccupy me. Taking advantage of the library for free books/movies is also a great idea, and the library (or mine, at least) used to have a program where they were selling older books for $0.25-0.50.

Humidifier/diffuser/air purifier - The diffuser I got was from Five Below and had a low capacity, so it could only humidify a very small space, but all you do is put essential oils into the small sponge provided and it makes the room smell amazing. My tiny, drab dorm smelled like roses and was beautified by the changing rainbow light built in, which made my time in there less miserable lol. If you live in a cold, dry midwestern state like me, then a humidifier is a great investment and you can find a pretty good one under $20 on Amazon.

Image credits: The_Sanity_Diaries

#21

Really good food, not expensive either. Today I'm cooking mahi mahi over cheesy grits with asparagus . Less than $4 a serving. Everything was bought on sale. Last week was Mongolian pork with ramen noodles. Pork loin on sale for $1.48 a pound, ramen $.39 per packet.

Image credits: lilithONE

#22

Taking walks or hiking in the woods. So rejuvenating!

Or simply birdwatching and listening to birds in the backyard.

#23

Water bottle

Image credits: Professional-Pace-43

#24

Sobriety

#25

Tongue scraper and a fresh razor blade are some of my top “why didn’t I get this sooner?” Items

Image credits: aariel3145

#26

SLIPPERS

Image credits: Fletcher_Munson

#27

All of these suggestions are so good. Scrolling through I had that "these are my people" feeling. I love this sub ?

Lemon or cucumber water!
A crystal suncatcher prism in a sunny window (rainbows everywhere!)
A clean, organized home
Exercise in nature (hikes, yoga, wild swimming, etc)
Line dried bedding (the freshness makes me so happy)
Deep breathing
Tea and a book
Fresh flowers (bought or foraged)
Gardening
Volunteering

#28

Using the 3D printer at the library. All it costs is the cost of the materials (usually less than $5 per piece).

I make shelves, [lithographs](https://all3dp.com/2/how-to-3d-print-your-own-lithophane/) from photos, hooks and mounts and all sorts of gadgets, gears… I even fixed a pair of our fav scissors when they broke!

#29

The drive home alone after work- where I can decompress and leave the stress before walking in the door

#30

Squeegee. Squeegee your shower walls after you shower. Cuts down on mildew significantly.

Image credits: BurlyNumNum

#31

A microwavable heat pack. Helps me feel relaxed and ease aches and pains

Image credits: wiredandtired1980

#32

Generic brand Mr Clean Magic Erasers. Scuff marks on walls, gone. Hard water deposits on glasses, gone. Cleans every surface in my kitchen, gets label residue off stuff, brings outdoor resin chairs back to looking like new. I’m in love with these cleaning miracles.

Image credits: lninoh

#33

Binder clips. Handy for closing chip bags. Handy for anchoring picnic tablecloths to the table. Handy for posting things prominently so you remember to do them.

I keep some in multiple rooms of my house and in my vehicles.

Image credits: excoriator

#34

Earplugs - they help with sleep, relaxation, focus. It might take a few tries to find a pair that is comfy for you.

#35

There are these little rubber things that go around a dog’s leash that can then hold your full dog poop bag, allowing you to pick up the poop without having to carry the bag the whole time. I highly recommend them for dog owners.

#36

Going to Goodwill, putting on headphones and browsing for treasures for an hour. I always spend less than $40 bucks but get a dopamine hit like a major shopping spree!!!

#37

Magnesium

#38

I’ve bought a few plastic jugs with screw tops (1L-2L), I make tea in my French press then keep it chilled in the fridge in the jugs. Homemade iced tea for the cost of a few bags per jug. I’ve been drinking soooooo much iced tea, all sorts of different teas.

#39

Lip balm/ Chapstick, homemade sugar or salt scrub, nice lotion, a protein pack hair mask, a moisturizing bubble sheet mask. Less than $5 each. Put on some spa music and relax the hours away and look happy and healthy afterwards.

#40

A second vote for some dollar store bins.

Having ADHD causes me to forget to do morning routine things constantly. So I finally put everything in a basket - hair brush, hair ties, toothbrush, toothpaste, deodorant, tongue scraper, ear cleaner. Basket comes out and everything is right there.

Also a pill organizer. I got two huge unopened ones from the thrift store and since I take several daily meds to keep me alive, it's kind of important to remember to take them. So on Sundays I refill and I have two so I only have to do it twice a month. It sits out on my counter as a reminder.

Image credits: Chester730

#41

Little sticky hooks to hold my phone on the wall while I wash dishes so I can Watch Netflix or listen to a podcast

#42

A $20 bidet.

Image credits: TheBoringInvestor96

#43

A whiteboard. It's hung right inside my front door and great for making to-do lists and leaving notes for my housemate when we're working opposite shifts.

#44

Buying treats for my pet, and showing him love through them. Quite rewarding

#45

If we can count free apps:

A meditation app. Meditation has so many benefits.

#46

Rainx windshield wash fluid. The difference driving in rain is night and day. For only a few dollars.

#47

Puzzles. I exchange with neighbors and friends so don't buy many. Everyone in my house gravitates to the puzzle - we put on music, we drink tea or a glass of wine, we chat. It's a zen thing.

Image credits: hobbitlover

#48

Dawn Powerwash. I can't believe how much easier it makes handwashing dishes than any other dishwashing liquid.

#49

A small spray bottle filled with homemade lavender pillow spray (distilled water + essential oil). Spritz on your pillow before you get in bed for the night. And a small notebook to document your favorite moments of the day, what you're thankful for, and to set an intention for tomorrow.

An earthenware mug that feels nice to hold

Also if you're in a snowy place and short, an extendable brush/ice scraper for the car. Although I think mine was $12.

#50

Training your cat to use the toilet. I have not bought litter in over a decade. The only upfront cost was a city kitty training kit.

#51

Dude’s legitimately asking for product recommendations and everybody here is like “A nice weekend spent with friends at home costs you nothing,” or “Not doing crack cocaine is free and can save tons of money by not having to go to expensive rehab.”

#52

Fans. When the house is hot and the outside is cool, a window fan can vent the heat of the house out fast. In winter the fan and move warm afternoon air in.

#53

Those little brillo pads with soap from dollar tree are golden. Nothing more irritating than a pan soaking for 3 days clogging up real estate in my kitchen. Just scrub whatever the fam burned in it off and toss in the cupboard.

I have a hallway style kitchen & I find I avoid cooking if it's dirty or cluttered.

#54

Pop socket. Such a simple invention. But I couldn’t use my phone comfortably with out it.

#55

Clear door hanging shoe organizer. I use it for storage & organization. I have ADHD so object permanence is important to remember I even have something. I have a lot of random small items that I lose easily or get mixed up with a bunch of other items. It helps keep my space clean, easy to put stuff away (just a simple drop), and relieves the constant stress of losing something. Bonus points for adding labels to help me keep it really organized and not mixed up.

#56

De-icer spray. I had never heard of this until a couple years ago. I spent the first 22 years of my life as a driving person scraping ice off by hand or burning up all my gas waiting for the window to defrost. One day we were going somewhere and my husband pulled out this magic spray elixir that melted the ice instantly. I was completely blown away. About $6. We only need it a couple times per year, but man is it worth it.

#57

Grocery delivery. We pay a monthly fee which is about five. I can order groceries on the bus on my way to work. The app remembers my preferences which makes subsequent orders easier.

With a bunch of kids as a single parent, it's worth every penny.

#58

Podcasts to listen to while walking. Opens a whole new world of knowledge and learning.

#59

The scrubber with a handle you can fill with soap & replace the brush pad is easily one of the most useful things I own, it's about $2 or $3.

#60

Salt