Saving money in 2025 was no easy feat. With rising home and grocery prices, everyday life became increasingly expensive. And it hasn’t gotten easier: consumer prices rose 3.7% over the 12 months ending in September 2026, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, so these tips are as timely as ever.

But frugal people made it work. They used their savvy, money-saving skills to cut heating costs, grocery bills, and more.

In a discussion on Reddit, frugal people shared how they managed to save boatloads of money in 2025. These are 23 of the most effective ways they saved money.

Here are all the ways they did it

“Mine was just bringing my own food to work. I didn’t think it would matter that much, but not buying lunch out every day saved way more than I expected.” – salamagogo

“Meal planning prioritizing what I have in my fridge that will go bad in the next few days. My food waste is way down once I started doing this.” – danedori

“It’s a great year for savin money. I completely stopped ordering takeout and drive-thru. Air fryer and rice cooker for the win! Brought all my own lunches. Best bonus, lost some weight, and brought down my blood pressure a couple digits.” – garlicnaughts

Eating out is also getting pricier faster than groceries: USDA forecasts restaurant prices will rise 3.5% in 2026, compared with 2.3% for food at home, in its October 2026 outlook.

“Biggest change that will pay dividends (eventually) that I made was upping my mortgage repayments. About 2 years in at what started as a 30-year, I am now on pace to be done in another 15. If I can shave off a couple more in the coming years and just be done in 15 years all in, would be pretty happy. Gonna save me hundreds of thousands in interest over the life of the loan.” – dinkygoat

“Track my spending daily and aim for 13-18 no spend days a month. I’m ending this year with 60% No spend days and added over $1k/month to savings.” – justanother1014

“I also have a list in my reminders app........

© Upworthy