11 Things Frugal People Buy Once And Use For The Rest Of Their Lives
They don't feed into consumer culture or fast fashion.
Olena Yakobchuk / Shutterstock While our consumerist culture hyper-focused on trends certainly holds a lot of power in influencing people to overspend on things they don’t need, studies argue that frugality is coming back in style. According to a Talker Research study for TopCashback, some even argue that it’s an attractive trait, whether that’s watching a partner be intentional with budgeting or finding financial security at home by saving money.
So, what does a frugal lifestyle really mean? It’s all about your mindset. If you’re overspending on things you don’t need, developing an emotional tie with your spending habits, and falling into the traps of consumerist culture, like fast fashion and TikTok home decor ideas, it’s harder to spend money. However, there are several things frugal people buy once and use for the rest of their lives, changing their mindset about what’s really necessary to buy and what’s not.
Here are 11 things frugal people buy once and use for the rest of their lives
1. Reusable water bottles
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According to a report from DigDeep, the average person can save nearly $1,400 annually by opting for a reusable water bottle over disposables. Considering a stainless steel water bottle lasts for nearly 2 decades, it’s not surprising that it’s one of the things frugal people buy once or twice and use for the rest of their lives.
While these small and simple habits seem unsuspecting, coupled with a routine of money-saving habits and intentional purchases, the average frugal person can save thousands of dollars every year.
2. Towels and rags
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If you’ve ever been to someone’s house and they have mismatched towels, raggedy hand clothes, and loads of rags, chances are that’s an intentional frugal habit. Rather than buying new matching sets and towels every year, they reuse the same ones every year, washing and caring for them intentionally to maximize their longevity.
While trends online and consumerist culture try to pressure people to invest thousands into their home decor, from matching cutlery to bathroom towels, frugal people know it’s just not necessary to spend year after year on aesthetics.
3. High-quality clothes
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According to a report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average American spends over $2K annually on apparel and clothing, which is around the same amount of money car owners are spending on gas over a year. Even when it’s not necessary, many people overspend on clothing, unable to escape the pressures of a consumerist culture, “fitting in” with trends, and grappling with comparison culture online.
If they do have to purchase something new, they don’t mind borrowing from their neighbors, second-hand shopping, or going to a thrift store, rather than feeding into fast fashion and purchasing something brand new that’s not made to last. Despite popular belief, frugal people don’t mind spending more money on something that will last. They value quality over quantity, even when it comes to their closets.
4. Reusable food containers
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While other people may opt for cheap Tupperware containers to save money in the moment or even overspend on paper products to store their food, quality glass storage containers are one of the things frugal people buy once and use for the rest of their lives.
Coupled with sustainability, something that generally influences frugal people’s behaviors around food waste, recycling, and environmental concerns, glass food containers often support frugal values. It helps frugal households to save money on other less quality containers, but also helps to eliminate waste from leftovers and extra food.
5. Coffee mugs
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Compared to the average person, who has 10 or 20 coffee mugs overflowing in their kitchen cabinets, frugal people are intentional about the ones they keep at home. Whether it’s a couple of their favorites or one for every person in their household, it’s one of the things frugal people buy once and use for the rest of their lives.
Part of the misguided money mindsets that sabotage people from saving money or cultivating financial comfort revolve around emotional coping skills. If you’re overspending on clothing, food, or even coffee mugs to feign a misguided sense of control or comfort in your stressful life, of course, it’s going to be hard to break those habits because they're not strictly financial, but also emotional.
6. A well-made belt
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If you buy one high-quality belt or even a purse, duffle bag, or winter jacket, there’s really no reason to buy another one, unless it doesn’t fit or work anymore. It’s one of the things frugal people buy once and use for the rest of their lives.
If it’s not broken, don’t fix it. That’s the mentality frugal people use to save money, especially in our culture that pressures people to buy new clothes every season and spend hundreds on outfits for a single event that they’ll never wear again.
7. High-quality pots and pans
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Investing in high-quality kitchen utensils, pots, and pans is crucial for frugal people, because it not only gives them the opportunity to cook efficiently at home, it also ensures they won’t have to spend year after year on new cooking equipment when it starts to rust.
Of course, that doesn’t have to mean frugal people buy all their pots and pans brand new at a hefty cost. There are a number of money-saving hacks for getting a great deal.
8. A sturdy broom and dustpan
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Like many other cleaning supplies, from towels to vacuum cleaners and mops, many frugal people don’t feel the need to overspend. They invest in a high-quality product, like a broom and dustpan, and continue using it throughout their whole life.
Even if that means having a less aesthetic cleaning routine than the TikTok influencers they watch online or needing to do a little extra work with an old broom, they don’t mind doing so if it means they’ll save some money at the end of the year that they can invest elsewhere.
9. A basic but well-stocked tool set
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High-quality tool sets with household items like hammers and screwdrivers are one of the things frugal people buy once and use for the rest of their lives. They make an effort to invest in something that will last them a lifetime, so when they do their home improvement projects or fix their car, they have something they can rely on.
Like many of these other products, frugal people invest in longevity and quality, rather than filling their homes with tons of material things that they won’t end up using.
10. A reliable car
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Rather than constantly upgrading their car to the newest trend or taking on extra monthly payments to have the next best thing, buying a high-quality and strong car is one of the things frugal people buy once and use for the rest of their lives. They’d prefer to have a stable car that lasts the tests of time than invest in something trendy that they end up pouring more money into.
According to a Consumer Reports study, there are several companies, makes, and models that are known to be reliable for frugal people to invest their money into, but it’s largely a mindset choice. Are you willing to take care of a car, intelligently invest money into it, and pay it off before deciding to buy something else?
11. A mattress
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According to psychologist and sleep expert Shelby Harris, changing your mattress out for a new one depends on the material, but most last around a decade. If you initially invest in a high-quality mattress and take intentional steps to keep it long-lasting, it can last even longer.
A high-quality mattress is one of the things frugal people buy once and use for the rest of their lives. Of course, they may be forced to invest in a new one when it gets ruined or old, but for the most part, they’re not overspending on sheets or a mattress simply for the sake of trying something new.
Zayda Slabbekoorn is a staff writer with a bachelor’s degree in social relations & policy and gender studies who focuses on psychology, relationships, self-help, and human interest stories.
