Just like the saying “you need to spend money to make money” is true most of the time, it’s also the case that sometimes you have to shell cash out up front in order to save money down the road.

If you’re wondering where to start when it comes to making real changes to your financial reality, these 19 frugal folks say these items are worth the investment.

You’ve gotta love leftovers.

“Crock pot! I’m working part-time through nursing school. I batch cook things when I go to work, put about two servings in the freezer, and eat it for two or three meals.”

So many advantages.

“Our electricity bill went down when we bought our air fryer in July three years ago — the hottest month of the year.

We weren’t heating up the apartment with the oven. We were sold after that. Just upgraded to a bigger air fryer earlier this year.”

It’s an investment though.

“Electric vehicle. It costs us about 3 cents per mile to drive and our fuel costs don’t fluctuate with the cost of a barrel of oil. Our old internal combustion economy car used to cost us 10 cents per mile to drive when gas was cheap.

Right now it would be closer to 12 cents per mile. We sold that car in 2015.”

A classic for a reason.

“Library card. I’ve been listening to a lot of audiobooks using the Libby app, but there are other free resources that having a library card will give you access to as well.”

A massive difference.

“Heavy curtains and fans. No AC needed, plus in winter the curtains will keep the room warm.”

“I have blackout curtains and notice a massive difference in room temperature depending on if they’re opened or closed.”

You’ve gotta be able to stock up.

“I love being able to stock up when I find something at a great price. My favorite are deals on meat and butter.”

Cut food waste in half.

“Vacuum sealer.

Keeps frozen food from drying out and allows me to store it for months and months without a problem.

I cut my food waste by at least half when I got one of those.”

Lower the thermostat.

“Mattress warmer, not to be confused with an electric blanket. Using the mattress warmer lets us lower the thermostat in winter. Downside/upside: it’s a pet magnet.”

It can be therapeutic.

“A pedicure kit.

Pick up a dishwashing tub at the dollar store, a bag of Epsom salt, and a cheap pedi tools kit.

I’ve gotten quite addicted to caring for my own feet.”

DIY tools.

“This one is great.

Using YouTube and online resources have saved me tons of money. Project Farm on YouTube is great for tool recommendations.

For tools, I strategize some. If it is a tool/device that is important or needed, I will buy the quality tool. If it is not as important, I will buy secondhand or the cheap version and use them until they break and then upgrade.”

Built to last.

“Lots of reasonable quality kitchen items. Pots and pans, knives, utensils, dishware, etc. Nothing too high-end, just stuff that’s built to last.

I won’t have to replace any of it for 10 years and at least some of it will last a lifetime. It also all makes cooking easier, which makes me less likely to eat out all the time.”

Wait for the deal.

“Using Camelcamelcamel to check price history on items I’m interested in buying and Fakespot to check authenticity of reviews.”

Induction heat.

“Induction cooking has changed my life.

on’t miss excess heat in my face and I save so much time not having to do anything more than wipe it down to clean it.

On my electric cooktop before, things would burn when they over spilled, but with only the bottom of the pot getting hot enough to cook, no more burnt on anything!”

Avoiding the dryer.

“This little octopus thingy I got at IKEA made to hang laundry to dry. It has a bunch of clothespins and can hold all kinds of socks/undies/shorts/etc. Got two of them.

Generally, I don’t use my clothes dryer and hang dry 95% of my laundry.

Towels/bedding have to be machine dried. And things that I don’t want any wrinkles, gets put into the machine for just long enough to pull the wrinkles out, then they get put on a hanger to finish.

A bonus of avoiding the dryer is your clothes last a bit longer.”

You really have to downsize, though.

“I ‘cut the cord’ a few years ago by dropping my landline and cable. I have internet through my provider and Sling TV. Save probably $150/month. That, plus YouTube, is enough for me.

For my cell phones, I did not go with a more expensive unlimited plan. I have a 6G plan and it’s enough since I use Wi-Fi at home and at work.

Plus I don’t game or watch movies on my phone so don’t use much data. Those are the most money-saving tips I have.”

Simplify your life.

“Honestly, my smartphone. I’m old enough that I lived a good chunk of my life before they existed.

I remember in the car having a CD Walkman with that tape adapter, a booklet full of CDs, a bunch of paper maps in the trunk for when I got lost, and the pain in the ass that digital cameras were back then.

My smartphone has replaced the need for so many other devices in my life, and made a lot of tasks simpler and less of a pain in the ass than they used to be.”

Stop wandering.

“I order my groceries online, does that count? Prevents me from buying unnecessary junk and I can flip through the flyer and add sales, and have it dropped off first thing in the morning!”

Faster and cheaper.

“Electric tea kettle so I don’t have to turn on the stove. Water is ready so fast!”

Use them wisely.

And finally, “Cash-back credit cards (with no annual fee.) It’s FREE MONEY! I have several of these cards, and I use them in every store or bill that accepts it; including the monthly bills like electric/gas, insurance, phone, etc. Different cards have rewards for various types of purchases, so choose carefully.

The secret is that you MUST pay off the entire balance every month, or the interest charges will cancel out any benefit. So the other secret is that I pretend I am spending cash whenever I buy anything. That is, I don’t charge anything that I won’t be able to pay for at the end of the month.

If it’s a big purchase, I’ll save up until I have enough for it, then put it on the card and pay it off a few weeks later. Instant discount! I have been doing this since cash-back cards were introduced, and these days I get around $5,000 back per year.

Over the years, I have probably made an extra year’s salary this way.”

These are some decent arguments in favor.

Time to decide where the cash is best spent.