Frugal Wives Secretly Do These 11 Things To Save Money Without Telling Their Husbands
Setting aside a squirrel fund without your husband might seem bad, but it's for the bills, not a divorce.
Victoria Strelets / Shutterstock Frugal wives will cleverly set aside a squirrel fund that they hide away in the home in case of an emergency. This small stash of cash and coins serves as a backup for bills or grocery hauls that they keep secret from their husbands. These clever tactics aren't about deception but are about keeping the family financially secure.
What might surprise their husbands is how effective these strategies actually were when they finally find out. Things like returning items they never use to cooking copycat restaurant recipes at home, there's nothing a frugal wife won't do if it means saving a little bit of money here and there. By making every cent in their home count, they make things for their family ten times easier.
Frugal wives secretly do these 11 things to save money without telling their husbands
1. Rounding up expenses
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For frugal wives, there's something infinitely better about rounding up the home expenses by one or two dollars just to make sure that they overestimate the cost of a bill. Not only does it give them peace of mind knowing that they have enough, but it often surprises their husbands when they find out that there is some spare change left to spend. When you overinflate a purchase by a few dollars, often including the tax, you trick your brain into thinking you have less when you really have more than what you thought.
No offense to the odd numbers, but even numbers are just nicer to look at, and customers agree with me. Consumers favor round figures when making choices in real-world contexts. This tactic is the sneakiest thing that a wife can do because it’s hard to notice by their husbands, but trust me when I say that it is worth it.
2. Using their points or rewards systems
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Some reward systems from companies work while others are a bit unfair. Yet, this doesn't stop frugal wives from using them when it can benefit their families. They might even use apps they hate just to get the small discounts on products and earn points for doing so.
Around 79% of people like to save their points for high-value redemptions, but 58% also frequently use them for small, everyday purchases. To their husbands, this system goes above their heads due to their lack of interest in shopping for household items. Although their wives never share their secret of how they received two cases of water, they're just glad that she somehow managed it.
3. Stashing away spare change
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It might trigger some people when one partner actively hides money from the other in a household, but when it comes to spare change, it doesn't have to be so complicated. Having a joint money jar between the two of you shouldn't be secretive, but frugal wives tend to hide this from their husbands for their own personal reasons, and it has nothing to do with wanting to leave them. Instead, it's about having spare money set aside in case they mess up financially.
This might sound strange, but not every frugal person is great at what they do. They are human, just like the rest of us, and occasionally want a personal treat, but those types of luxury buys add up eventually. To avoid conflict with their husband over buying their eleventh ice cream cone, they hide the money.
4. Keeping secret pantry inventory
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When organizing the pantries, husbands might start to notice that there is a secret cabinet filled with perishable bulk foods that their frugal wives have hidden away for emergencies. Considering that American households waste nearly a third of the food they acquire, he will be glad to see that some food isn't going to waste. Households that check their pantry inventory before shopping waste less food and spend less money.
Behind the scenes, a frugal wife is using strategic meal planning for her entire family, often making tough decisions on what they should eat and what they shouldn't. Keeping it hidden is just a precaution to ensure that she doesn't get pushback. They may not know how much money she is saving them, but you can bet that it's a lot.
5. Quietly downgrading brands
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Frugal wives often save money by downgrading the brands that their families usually consume, from buying knock-off shoes to food products. For instance, there are so many alternative brands of yogurt that you can buy that are just as healthy and tasty as name brands.
There's nothing wrong with buying value brands as long as they're not radioactive. By opting for store brands, they maintain the household budget while still providing their family with their basic needs. It's a secretive way they stay financially responsible, and their husbands are none the wiser.
6. Return and refund items
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One overlooked strategy employed by frugal wives is the ability to return items and obtain a refund for something they never used. As consumers, we should all have the right to return items within reason. This isn't about being sneaky, but rather about being smart with the money and getting rid of items that they no longer find necessary.
Rather than argue with their husbands about overspending or making them feel guilty for not wearing that dress shirt she bought him, she simply returns it. Saving money is worth more than having something gathering up dust in your closet. They may even take their used goods out and sell those items at garage sales to make some extra dough.
7. Secretly lowering the energy bill
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When it comes to saving energy in the home, frugal wives will go to great lengths to make sure the house goes green. She'll air dry the wet clothes or even unplug every outlet before bedtime to save costs. She will see the Department of Energy claiming that LED light bulbs use 90% less energy and last 25 times longer as a crusade to save money around the house and suddenly buy them in bulk.
While their husbands might not notice the difference until the bill comes, the savings tend to decrease month by month. These small tasks improve their finances tremendously without impacting their lifestyle. When the bill finally comes, her husband is shocked over how much it has gone down due to her efforts, though she would never admit it to him.
8. Fake shopping sprees
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We've all heard of the term 'window shopping,' but thanks to online shopping, welcome to the brand new world of 'fake shopping sprees,' where you put things in your cart and never check them out. Around 55% of online shoppers abandon their cart because the extra costs are too high. For frugal wives, simply looking up products or even houses that they can never afford gives them a sense of hope and something to strive for one day.
Choosing not to make a purchase takes tremendous amounts of self-control. Just because you have the money doesn't mean you have to spend it. Unbeknownst to their husbands, these wives have countless wishlists and hearted properties saved in their bookmarks. Even if their husbands did find out, they wouldn't dare ruin their dreams of owning something that nice anyway.
9. Creating copycat recipes at home
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One thing you can count on frugal wives to do is copycat recipes from your favorite restaurants just to save money. Home cooks spend $273 per month compared to those who spend $330 per month eating out. While their families might think that it's the real meal from the restaurant, wives rarely tell them that they made it themselves.
Some may wonder why, but it's to avoid any scrutiny of their cooking skills or silly comparisons. These savvy women do more than just follow the online recipe. Instead, they add their own special twist to it, making what looks like an expensive meal actually cost less.
10. Getting rid of unused subscriptions
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When they are looking for immediate results, getting rid of unused subscriptions is a great way to save money. Streaming services and meal prep apps can add up to a significant expense when you factor in their yearly costs. While the savings are small, frugal women do it because there is no point in keeping them if no one uses them.
It's such a small part of life that their family members rarely notice if they're gone. Constantly checking what drains the home's finances is what makes frugal wives some of the most responsible and reliable individuals on the planet. They're dealing with numbers so frequently, they might as well be the home's personal bookkeeper.
11. Skimming from the grocery budget
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Frugal wives are experts in saving money, and one way they do it, little by little, is by skimming from the grocery budget. This might seem deceitful, but if they set aside a budget of two hundred dollars for groceries and only spend half of it, then they can save the rest of it for something else. They achieve this by targeting stores that are offering sales or BOGO deals.
Coupons also serve as a way to lower their grocery costs even further. Just like a product won't go to waste in their home, neither will any of the money. This extra load of cash lying around tends to go towards the family, such as saving up for a house, college fund, or even a car.
Sylvia Ojeda is a screenplay writer and journalist who covers self-help, relationships, culture, and human interest stories.
