Article created by: Viktorija Ošikaitė
In 2021, the U.S. poverty rate was 12.8%, but it varied significantly among age groups. For example, among children (people under the age of 18) it was 16.9%, while for those ages 65 and over it stood at 10.3%.
Interested in how these folks get by, Reddit user ReindeerBest8970 made a post on the platform, asking everyone who grew up poor to share what was their go-to money-saving "hack." And their call was answered. As of now, the Redditor's question has received over 900 replies, many of which paint a vivid picture of frugal living.
#1
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#2
You can use vinegar, baking soda or dish soap to clean almost everything. You don’t need to spend money on a bunch of specialty cleaning products. Also, don’t throw away torn/stained clothing or towels. These are your new cleaning rags. Now you don’t need paper towels.
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#3
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#4
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#5
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#6
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#7
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#8
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#9
If you can't brush your teeth, eat an apple instead to clean your gums and freshen your breath, or use baking soda on a damp rag to gently scrub your gums and teeth.
Remember, just using a toothbrush is about 80% as effective as using toothpaste. Even if you can't afford toothpaste, brush any way.
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#10
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#11
Potatoes are the cheapest and most underrated food you can buy and do different recipes with. Dinner was basically $0.15 each.
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#12
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#13
1. Thrift basically everything. You can find really cheap clothes, furniture, kitchenware, and more in good condition for pennies on the dollar. Especially true if you go to a thrift in a a nicer part of town.
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#14
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#15
Use every gym's free trial.
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#16
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#17
Quit wasting $ on restaurant food, buy store brand groceries and learn to cook. Don't buy bottled water, reuse a jug and fill with tap water (might depend where you live).
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#18
Buy generic brands! It's the same things under a different label.
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#19
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#20
Sometimes drinking a lot of water can help with hunger.
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#21
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#22
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#23
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#24
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#25
Foil over your windows if you don’t have air conditioning to keep the heat out.
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#26
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#27
When soap runs out, fill the bottle up with water a little bit.
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