10 Attempts at Frugality That Could End Up Costing You Money

Advertising Disclosure: When you buy something by clicking links on our site, we may earn a small commission, but it never affects the products or services we recommend.

Marko Aliaksandr / Shutterstock.com

Editor's Note: This story originally appeared on The Penny Hoarder.

Every now and then, well-intentioned plans to save money simply fail.

You think you’re following the frugality playbook, only to have it backfire. It’s when trying to be cheap ends up being expensive.

It happens to the best of us.

The following are 10 situations in which trying to pinch pennies has the potential to end up costing you money.

1. Letting Meal Prep Go to Waste

Wasted food
Andrey_Popov / Shutterstock.com

Preparing meals in advance means you won’t be tempted to grab fast food or order takeout whenever you don’t feel like cooking. But there’s always the potential of wasting a week’s worth of chopped veggies or a Tupperware container full of chicken breasts if they’ve gone bad or you just can’t stomach eating the same meal several days in a row.

That’s just tossing money in the garbage.

The same thing can happen when you try to be thrifty by buying in bulk — but end up throwing out half of what you bought because it’s too much.

The remedy: Meal prep a few days out rather than for an entire week. Store food properly and freeze what you won’t eat soon. Make use of sauces and spices to add variety to staples like chicken and rice.

2. Spending a Fortune on Dinner Ingredients

Man surprised by his grocery receipt
PERO studio / Shutterstock.com

Cooking at home is usually a much cheaper option than eating out at restaurants — except, of course, when you go overboard buying gourmet groceries and getting 10 unique ingredients for each recipe.

When you total everything up, you realize you could afford to dine out after all.

The remedy: Choose recipes that include ingredients you already have at home or that are inexpensive. If you need to buy new ingredients, make sure you can use them in multiple recipes.

3. Buying Stuff Just Because It’s on Sale

Middle age hispanic woman holding shopping bags head smack regret
Aaron Amat / Shutterstock.com

Sometimes the thrill of saving money can cloud your judgment. You load up your grocery cart with BOGO items, grab clothes off the clearance rack and buy Groupon deals — without much thought to whether you actually need or want it all.

You can easily end up blowing your budget chasing deals and discounts.

The remedy: Before you buy something that’s on sale, ask yourself if it’s something you really want or if you’re just buying it because of the deal. If the sale price was the regular price and there was no discount, would you still want it? Do you have a plan to actually use what you’re buying? Is it in your budget? It’s okay to pass up a good deal sometimes.

4. Driving All Over to Find the Lowest Price on Gas

Man pumping gas
Monkey Business Images / Shutterstock.com

Sure, you can save 10 cents per gallon filling up your tank at a gas station on the other side of town, but you’re going to waste gas getting there and back.

The remedy: Use a gas-price app, like GasBuddy, to find the cheapest prices for fuel along your normal driving route. Take advantage of fuel rewards programs and discounted gift cards as other ways to save money on gas.

5. Going Carless Only to Spend More Money Getting Around

oneinchpunch / Shutterstock.com

Car payments, insurance, gas, maintenance … it all adds up. Ditching your vehicle seems like it could help you save.

However, if you’re hailing Uber every day and renting a car every other weekend, those costs might be even more expensive.

The remedy: Before you go carless, make a plan for how you’ll get around and what the costs will be. Research public transportation options in your area. Consider carpooling or biking to work. If giving up your car is not the best option, you can still save money by swapping your current vehicle for one that’s more fuel-efficient or that comes with a lower payment.

6. Buying a Used Car Without Doing Due Diligence

Mr.Exen / Shutterstock.com

You’ll lose money in depreciation just by driving a new car off the lot. That’s what we’re always told.

Buying a used car isn’t much better, though, if you drive away only to have your check engine light come on. Buying used means your vehicle may not be in optimal condition. And if you buy from a shady seller and don’t take the time to really examine the car and dig into its history, you may end up with a money pit.

The remedy: When you buy a used car, where you shop matters. You can find certified pre-owned vehicles at legit dealerships that have been thoroughly inspected and may come with some type of warranty coverage. Check the Carfax report for accident history and past maintenance information. Conduct a thorough test drive and try to get your mechanic to inspect the car, if possible.

7. Signing Up for Free Trials and Forgetting to Cancel

joker1991 / Shutterstock.com

It makes sense for a frugal person to take advantage of free trial offers. And for the first week or 30 days, everything is great.

The problem arises when you forget to cancel your free trials before the free period is over and you end up being charged for stuff you never intended to pay for.

The remedy: If you can cancel a free trial immediately and still take advantage of the service until the trial period ends, do that. If not, set calendar alerts to remind yourself to cancel before you get charged. Signing up for a free trial with a virtual credit card is another way to avoid getting looped into auto-pay after the free trial ends.

8. Losing Time and Money on DIY Projects

Painter
Brett Taylor Photography / Shutterstock.com

Say you drop $20 on equipment and supplies at a craft store to make some home decor piece you could get at HomeGoods for $30.

You think you’re saving money — except your completed project turns out nothing like what you intended. It goes straight into the trash. On top of that, you’ve wasted hours trying to do it yourself, and we all know time is money. Of course, the bigger the project, the more money you could lose doing it wrong.

The remedy: Don’t overspend on supplies, and for ambitious home projects, know what to DIY versus what requires a professional.

9. Replacing Cable TV With a Bunch of Subscription Services

TV streaming services
Paolo De Gasperis / Shutterstock.com

You’re sick of paying over $100 a month for cable so you decide to finally cut the cord. But in its place, you sign up for Netflix, Hulu, Disney+, HBO Now, Showtime, Sling TV and more — until what you pay for television and movies exceeds your old cable bill.

The remedy: Ask yourself what content really matters to you and limit yourself to a couple of streaming services.

10. Getting Rewards Credit Cards and Going Into Debt

Stressed woman looking at bills and credit card
kitzcorner / Shutterstock.com

Rewards credit cards lure you in with perks like cash back or points to use toward future purchases. Store cards hook you with the promise of saving a percentage off each time you swipe.

But if you carry a balance on those cards, what you pay back in interest could easily negate the rewards and savings.

The remedy: Check out these questions to ask yourself before getting a new credit card for the rewards. If you do get a new card, treat it like cash and only charge what you can afford to pay off.

Get smarter with your money!

Want the best money-news and tips to help you make more and spend less? Then sign up for the free Money Talks Newsletter to receive daily updates of personal finance news and advice, delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for our free newsletter today.