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9 super simple things people can do to save money that are often overlooked

Doing all of these things really adds up.

man driving, woman flossing

People might not consider driving the speed limit to taking care of your teeth as money-savers, but they are.

No matter how the economy is doing at any given time, people are always looking for ways to save money. Rents go up. Job losses happen. Kids need braces. Retirement looms.

Financial advice often focuses on where to put your money for the best returns, but that advice is only helpful if you have extra money to save or invest. Money-saving tips can help free up some cash to save or invest, and they can also help you avoid having to put borrow money or use credit for things you can't immediately afford.

While some people understandably scoff at frugal tips like "eat less avocado toast"—as if saving a few bucks here and there will solve the housing crisis or make college affordable—there is something to be said for small amounts adding up. For instance, not buying a soda when you're eating out to save $4 may not seem like much, but if you did that once a week, you'd save over $200 in a year. Not a fortune, but nothing to sneeze at either.

And if you start combining lots of small money-saving habits like that, you may be surprised at what a difference it makes. Here are nine super simple ways people can save money—but often don't—from users on Reddit:


Take good care of your teeth

"An ounce of prevention's worth a pound of cure," as the saying goes. Toothbrushes and dental floss are cheap. Cavities, root canals and gum disease are wicked expensive. Good oral hygiene may not be the first thing you think of when it comes to saving money, but ask anyone who has neglected their teeth how much it has cost them in the long run.

"Take care of your teeth: brush and floss everyday - preventative care now will save you THOUSANDS later if you need major dental work!

"Yup. This is often overlooked advice. My mom had lost most of her teeth by the time she was my age (40). She always said that this was her biggest regret in life. Because of this, my siblings and I have always been pretty good about taking care of our teeth. Right now my mom has dentures that don't fit well because she lost another of her remaining teeth but can't afford new dentures."

"As someone who has paid a thousand and will pay many thousands more in the near future…yes. Take care of your teeth."

"Can confirm! Just spent 20,000 on my teeth. Talk about eye opening!!!"

Only drink water

Drinks are expensive, and not just fancy ones. A basic soda will set you back $3 or $4 minimum at most restaurants, and everything else goes up from there. Water is free. Even at home, you can save a lot by simply drinking water. It's a simple rule that helps improve the health of your body as well as your bank account.

"Drink water at restaurants and not soda."

"Only drink water. Not only will you save money, but your body will love you for this as well. Win\win."

"Water is my biggy. Don't drink soda period. Filtered at home. Doing this for 5 years and seriously tastes so good."

"Yep. Just take a look at what restaurants charge for a soda. It's usually around $3 now. Then, look at how many empty calories are in a 20 oz soda. It's basically 10% of your daily value on just one drink. Not worth it."

"If I learned anything in the military... drinking more water solves 99% of all problems."

Use the library (not just for books)

Free reading material? No brainer. But libraries have so many more free services that people often don't know about. From movies to language learning apps to artwork and tools you can check out, the range of things you can get from the library is wild. Definitely worth checking out your local public library's offerings if you haven't lately.

"Make use of free services. Mostly, the local library. Sometimes there's a feeling that just because it's free it's trashy or peasant-like. I don't need to pay to see something in order to feel good about it. And libraries are amazing! Free books! Audio books! So many things."

"My library has tools and equipment available to borrow. Before going to big orange to rent a pressure washer, floor sander, paint sprayer, or post auger, I always check the library first lol"

"Public libraries are a gold mine for (almost) free. Ask them about their other options (than books, movies, music, etc.). Many libraries offer museum passes. I’ve heard of fishing poles. My library has a seed library."

"Ours you can check out a sewing machine. Plus attend a free workshop to learn how to sew!"

Ditch DoorDash

I know. All of those food delivery services are so convenient. But they're also soooo expensive. If you're in money-saving mode, definitely avoid these services like the plague. Just pretend they don't exist (because they literally didn't until very recently).

"This. Your meal is easily 50% more expensive when you factor in delivery fees and a tip. and some restaurants charge more on door dash than they do in-person."

"Delivery fee? That's just the tip of it! Ever notice how there still is a bunch of extra fees on top even when they offer you the delivery fee for free?"

"And to make it worse, I tell myself that I have to order more food to justify the delivery fee! So now just paying more and overeating."

"It really is an addictive habit. We started using it during the pandemic and it really just was a bit of convenience that we found hard to give up because it was so easy... Pick up your phone, order, get delivery, eat, done... Every time we saw the card, we knew that the delivery fees were what was pushing our eating out budget way over but after a hard day of work and school, it was easy to convince ourselves that delivery is a worthwhile indulgence and the expenses add up real quick. It took us a lot of introspection and telling ourselves that we were 'sacrificing' for the future, and all that to stop ordering via delivery apps and within a couple of months, we saw us being closer to managing our budget."

Drop addictive substances

Addiction is a huge and tricky challenge, for sure, and I don't want to minimize how difficult this tip might be for some. But drinking, drugs, smoking, vaping, gambling—they all cost a lot of money. And the addictive nature of them means that you'll just keep spending more and more.

"Quit addictive habits: Smoking, drinking, coffee, weed, etc. They're all expensive and you'd save a bundle quitting. But people don't because they think those things make life better. Some do and some don't, but the monetary savings can't be discounted. If you're broke, don't smoke or drink. Some people truly need weed for health problems. But nobody needs the others."

"Stop drinking and smoking, the government punishes you with a sin tax and makes big time bank of your vices."

"Seems obvious but quitting smoking. I see so many people complain about being broke but spend hundreds a month on ciggs."

"Stop drinking, smoking and going out so often. You'd be surprised how good sobriety feels! Even if you continue, just slow down!"

Say no to storage

Most of us have too much stuff. There is an entire industry around trying to help people pare down and "declutter," and there's an entire industry dedicated to renting people space to store their excess stuff. Making a rule to only hold onto the belongings that actually fit in your home will save you a lot of money in storage.

"More prevalent in the US, but get rid of your storage unit and most of the stuff in it. More often than not, you're paying more to store things that it would cost to buy it all again. If you can't fit it in your home, re-evaluate if you really need it."

"There are so many huge storage unit buildings in my area and it makes no sense to me. How important can this stuff be if you can't fit it in your home? I understand there are certain situations that require for a short term solution."

"That was my goal for 2022, Took me a few Saturdays to go through everything but it was worth it. I'm having over $200 a month now."

Cook at home a lot more

Even when inflation makes grocery prices uncomfortably high, it's still almost always cheaper—often significantly so—to cook food at home compared to eating out. Yes, that even goes for fast food. There are a million videos and social media channels dedicated to cooking and recipes can be found for free all over the internet.

"Cook at home 98% of the month."

"Cooking/meal prepping VS Eating out every night."

"Batch cooking saves both time and money. Like you can spend 2 hours making meals for the rest of the week. Paying 8-15 dollars to eat out adds up very, very fast, if you do it regularly, to keep up with work or personal schedules."

"Learn to cook what you like to eat."

Drive the speed limit

This isn't one people usually think about, but driving the speed limit saves you money in several ways. For one, it's gas-efficient, and with the cost of gas in some places, it's worth easing up on the gas pedal. Second, speeding tickets are expensive, plus they lead to higher insurance premiums.

"For those that don't get this: driving the speed limit avoids citations but also saves you gas, extends oil life and tires some, extends brakes quite a bit, and just generally lowers the wear and tear on your vehicle."

"This is so underrated, I don’t think enough people realize the extra cost of driving fast."

"It also only gets you there maybe 1-2 min faster, at best. Hitting Traffic lights at the wrong time will ruin any gains made by speeding. And only if you don’t get caught. Get caught and get points on your license, a fee, and it delays you 20-30 minutes."

"Your car insurance rates go up when you get tickets also. Get too many, and they may drop you."

"My step-sister was saying she pays the city about $500 a month in speeding tickets and parking tickets. The real wild thing is she said it like its a normal thing everyone has to deal with, like she was shocked when we didn't say 'Well that's <CITY> for you. What can ya do?'"

Fix things yourself

Many people never consider trying to fix something themselves, assuming that sort of thing is best left to the experts. But there are so many resources now with YouTube videos and such that can help walk you through a lot of fix-it projects that can save you boatloads. Not everything can be a DIY, of course, but probably more than you might think.

"I've saved thousands of dollars by repairing things myself following YouTube videos. Washer, dryer, automotive stuff, cell phone screen replacements, etc."

"There is a website, repairclinic.com. They not only have tons of videos on how to fix stuff, but they also sell parts. I have a dryer that’s over 40 years old. I can’t get parts for it in regular stores. That website has been a lifesaver! I’ve been able to keep the thing going for the last decade and it works great! I’ve spent maybe $75 over the years to keep it running. Definitely cheaper than a new one."

"If you tackle things within reason it saves a butt load of money. $350 mechanic bill turns into $16 part and 1hr of your time."



via Rob Dance (used with permission).

CEO Rob Dance holds a list of things he's "sick" of hearing from his employees.

Since the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted workplaces worldwide, there has been a greater push for improved work-life balance and many companies are taking notice. The exciting thing is that when companies become more flexible, their employees become happier and more productive. It’s a win-win for all involved.

Rob Dance, the CEO of ROCK, a technology consulting company in the UK, recently went viral for posting about his approach to work-life balance on Instagram. What, at first, appeared to be a CEO reprimanding his employees revealed a boss who knows how to get the best out of his team by treating them like adults.

The post was of Dance holding a whiteboard that reads:

Things I’m sick of hearing from my employees:

- Can I leave early today

- I’ll be late in the morning

- My child is sick, can I rush off

- I’ve got a doctor’s appointment tomorrow, is that okay

- I’m going to be late back from lunch, I’ve got some things to sort.

I don’t care.

I hired you for a job and I fully TRUST you to get it done.

I don’t need you to account for every single hour.

Times have changed, and the workplace is different these days.

People are sick of being treated like children.

All that should matter is that everyone is happy, and that the work gets done.


He also shared his advice for companies on how to treat their employees. “Treat your staff like adults. That’s it, that’s the big secret,” he wrote. “Give them autonomy. Respect that they have lives outside of work. Don’t gaslight them into being grateful for not being fired every day.” Because in the end, the only thing that matters is if they get the job done. “Output should always trump hours,” he concluded.

Upworthy contacted Dance, who explained why managers still hesitate to treat their employees like adults.

“Many bosses don't trust their employees and keep extremely close tabs on them because of past experiences and a desire for control. They might believe that micromanaging ensures productivity and prevents issues,” he told Upworthy. “Additionally, the pressure to meet business targets can drive bosses to monitor employees obsessively, thinking it will lead to better outcomes. This approach, however, only undermines trust and destroys morale in the workplace. It creates a toxic environment where employees feel undervalued and stressed, leading to higher turnover rates and decreased overall performance. Instead of fostering a culture of accountability and growth, this behavior only promotes fear and resentment.”


Dance says that technology has helped drive demand for improved work-life balance.

“Mobile technology definitely started to blur the lines between one’s professional and personal life, making it tough to switch off from work,” he told Upworthy. “As a millennial leader, I've always valued work-life harmony for my staff, helping them to achieve both flexibility and finding purpose in their work.”

The ROCK CEO also has advice for employees who’d like to gain their employer’s trust.

“Always deliver quality work and aim to meet or exceed expectations. Keep communication lines open by regularly updating your manager on your progress, challenges, and successes,” he told Upworthy. “Take the initiative to go beyond basic requirements, showing your willingness to contribute more. Act with integrity by always being honest and ethical. Seek honest feedback and make tangible improvements based on it, demonstrating your commitment to growth. Finally, a big one is building positive relationships with everyone you work with, as strong connections are what help to build real trust.”

In April 2025, Dance shared some additional wisdom that highlights the power of leaders prioritizing culture. He took a photo of himself holding a whiteboard with some more wisdom that all CEOs should take to heart: "An employee who leaves for the salary might return for the culture, but if they leave because of the culture, no salary will ever bring them back."

It makes you wonder, if the money was right, which previous jobs would you go back to, and which ones would you reject?


rob dance, work-life balance, ROCK UK, bosess, pto, time off, employee complaintsCEO Rob Dance holds up a whipe board with his culture philosophy. www.linkedin.com


This article originally appeared last year.

Boomers weren't wrong about everything.

Baby boomers (people born between 1946 and 1964) notoriously take heat from younger generations who think that their me-first mentality helped create a world where the climate is getting warmer, the rich are getting richer, the poor are getting poorer and people born in the ‘40s and ‘50s still rule the modern workplace.

Boomers are also often super frustrating because many can’t figure out modern technology, and the younger folks have to explain it until they are blue in the face.

Of course, these are all generational stereotypes that many baby boomers would reject. But regardless, they would probably stand up and cheer if they read a list of tweets inspired by X user @FvreignLL, who asked, “What is the most boomer complaint you have?” The since-deleted post was embraced by younger people and received over 123 million views.

Even though boomers are frequently in the hot seat these days, just about everyone can agree that they’re right about many things that get under younger people’s skin, too. One of the recurring themes of the post was that people can’t stand the fact that we are overly dependent on technology, and often, instead of making things more accessible, it makes them more frustrating.

Here are 15 of the best ‘boomer complaints’ that younger people have, too.

People had a lot of thoughts on the state of tipping culture.


They also can’t stand the idea that technology has complicated things unnecessarily.



On that note, technology has also made people super annoying. What's the point in paying upwards of $23 for a movie and scrolling through your phone in the theater the whole time?

People also noted that with a lack of third spaces, we now have a world that isn’t exactly kid-friendly

Also—what happened to adult clothes?


Whatever happened to paying for something once and then owning it? Or being able to own physical media so that you don’t have to pay every time you watch your favorite movie?


Moving on to food complaints, when did we all decide that almost every chip has to be kettle-cooked and made for people with cobalt teeth? Enjoying a snack shouldn't result in a $5,000 dental bill.

Remember when coffee was a quarter? Boomers do. These days, it's common to spend $6 or $7 PLUS on a cup of Joe.

Essentially, now everyone past 30 understands the issue of folks standing on their finely manicured lawn.


We might label boomers as the cranky generation, but eventually, Gen Xers, millennials and, yes, even Gen Zers will be right behind them, complaining about "kids these days" and why things were so much better "in my day." Tis the circle of life. One the bright side though, they'll at least be better at using technology.

This article originally appeared last year.

Photo courtesy of Kerry Hyde

Do cat buttholes touch every surface they sit on? Science answers.

Cat owners sometimes have unique questions that even Google doesn't always have the answer to. This is probably the sole reason cat forums exist, but one kid who needed a 6th grade science project decided to skip the cat forums for answers and instead use the scientific method. Kaeden Henry, a sixth grader living in Florida, bravely pondered a question few (if any one) has been brave enough to ask: do cat buttholes touch every surface they sit on?

Since cats do whatever the heck they want, training them not to jump on kitchen counters is a feat even Hercules struggles to complete. These fierce felines don't care if you're cooking dinner or trying to get comfy in bed. If they want to sit somewhere, they're going to do it. The thought of cat butts on that expensive Serta pillow designed to feel like you're sleeping on a cloud can gross people out, but thanks to Kaeden, you no longer have to wonder if the butthole itself is also making contact.

Courtesy of Kerry Hyde

The curious sixth grader is homeschooled and well-versed in the scientific method thanks to her mother's PhD in animal behavior with a concentration in feline behavior. And, since they own cats, the science experiment was pretty straightforward (and directly impactful).

To complete the experiment, Henry and his mom, Kerry Hyde, bought non-toxic lipstick and applied it to each of their cat's anuses. Then, the cats were given commands.

Courtesy of Kerry Hyde

"Non-toxic lipstick was applied to their bum-bums, they were then given a series of commands (sit, wait, lie down, and jump up. Side note: Both cats have been trained since kittenhood with a variety of commands, they also know how to high-five, spin around, and speak.), they were compensated with lots of praise, pets, and their favorite treats, and the lipstick was removed with a baby wipe once we collected our data in just under 10 minutes," Hyde wrote in a Facebook post.

The results? Turns out that, no, cat buttholes do not touch every surface cats sit on. Now, let's all take a collective sigh of relief while we go over the details. Kaeden's experiment covered long-haired, short-haired, and medium-haired cats (if your cat is hairless, you better stock up on Clorox wipes just in case).

"His results and general findings: Long and medium haired cat’s buttholes made NO contact with soft or hard surfaces at all. Short haired cats made NO contact on hard surfaces. But we did see evidence of a slight smear on the soft bedding surface. Conclusion, if you have a short haired cat and they may be lying on a pile of laundry, an unmade bed, or other soft uneven surface, then their butthole MAY touch those surfaces!" Hyde shares.

Now every curious cat owner can rest easy knowing that as long as their cat has hair, their bare bottom balloon knot is not touching the majority of surfaces in their home.

Courtesy of Kerry Hyde

The amusing experiment caught the Internet's attention. People laughed and commented, with one person writing, "This is probably the most useful information I’ve learned from a science fair project."

"Good to know!...I can now eat my sandwich left on the counter with confidence!" another writes.

Courtesy of Kerry Hyde

"A+++!!! Whew!! I am very grateful for your sciencing on this subject. My fears from walking in on my cat sitting on my laptop keyboard and subsequently being grossed out and cleaning furiously in a hyper-ocd manner have been somewhat allayed and now maybe I won’t have to use QUIIITE so many wipes." someone chimes in.

"Finally.. Someone answers the important questions!!"

A Māori choir sings the Queen classic "Bohemian Rhapsody."

Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody" has been covered dozens of different ways, but you've never seen it performed like this.

As one of the most iconic songs in rock music, "Bohemian Rhapsody" is recognizable no matter how it's done. As children, my brother and I used to belt out Galileos and Figaros in the backseat of our parents' Volkswagon whenever the song came on (yes, just like in Wayne's World). While other kids learned about Beelzebub in Sunday School, I learned about him from Queen's perfect harmonies. If there were an anthem from my classic-rock-filled childhood, it would be "Bohemian Rhapsody."

It's one of those songs that is hard to cover well, though it hasn't stopped people from trying. Some renditions are definitely better than others, but this kapa haka version from New Zealand has caught people's attention and delight like few "Bohemian Rhapsody" covers have.

A Māori choir in native garb sang the song live in the Māori language, and it is something to see.

The group Hātea performed the song on February 21, 2019, at New Zealand's national kapa haka festival, Te Matatini, in Wellington. The festival brings 46 kapa haka (Māori performing arts) groups together to compete against one another.

Newshub reports that Hātea collaborated with musical artist William Waiirua to create a "Bohemian Rhapsody" cover in the Māori language, both as a tribute to Freddie Mercury and to celebrate the Oscar-nominated movie about his life.

- YouTubewww.youtube.com

The group had previously created a music video for their cover, but seeing it performed live is something else. The voices, the harmony, the presentation—everything—is wonderful.

This kind of cultural mashup reminds us how small our world has become.

The contrast between Queen's 1970s British rock and the Māori people's traditional kapa haka could not be more striking. And yet, the melding of the two totally works. Music has the power to bring people together, and this performance is a great example of how it can bridge cultures with beautiful results.

Watch the live performance here:

- YouTubeyoutu.be

People loved seeing it:

"Lump in the throat. Im so proud to be a Kiwi. This Kapa haka group is so talented. The harmonies are fantastic. The Maori language is so precious as are our Maori people. I could listen to this group over and over again. Spectacular."

"I was just totally moved, and have legitimately got goosebumps from this beautiful Maori rendition, of a Queen classic, Bohemian Rhapsody. I just had this wave of emotion, come soaring throughout my whole entire body."

"I’m just a simple Aussie but that was incredibly moving, something inherently beautiful about the Polynesian peoples, don’t ever change."

"Freddie told his executor before he died that he didn’t care what was done with his legacy, just ‘don’t make me boring’. This is exactly the kind of thing he was hoping would happen with his legacy when he said that."

"The reach of this song, far and wide, across all kinds of languages, cultures and ages, is astounding. This is GLORIOUS. No one could have imagined this in 1974/75. Thank goodness the record exec who said it wouldn't sell didn't stop Queen from releasing it back then."

"That was freaking awesome! Freddy is smiling down on this! Thank you!"

As one commenter pointed out, it's interesting how often "mama" is a common word among different languages. It's unmistakable in this song, even if you don't understand any of the other words.

And if you want more, check out the official music video for the "Bohemian Rhapsody" cover as well:

- YouTubeyoutu.be


This article originally appeared six years ago.

Relaxed008/YouTube

UPS driver invited to family's cookout.

Family cookouts are the ultimate get-together. Good food, good people, and good quality time together. Invites are usually extended to close friends and kin—but one family extended the invite to a UPS driver (and total stranger) working a shift on a holiday weekend, proving community and hospitality are still alive and well.

TikToker @1fanto shared a touching video with his followers from Easter weekend where his family invited a UPS driver making rounds in their neighborhood to come to their cookout and 'make a plate.'

"Everybody family around here 😭," he captioned the video. "Everybody invited to the cookout.😂"

@1fanto

Everybody family around here 😭 #easter #cookout #wherethefunction

In the video, the UPS driver is seen standing in the family's driveway, and a group of cookout attendees warmly welcome him to join them. The uncle of @1fanto says to the driver, "You've been working hard all day man, you can go on in there!" He calls out for a woman named Stephanie to "take care of him!"

The UPS driver walks up the driveway, and they encourage him to go inside and get his fill as he enters the garage. After securing a plate of food and a drink, the driver walks back outside to mingle with guests, shaking hands with the uncle who invited him.

"You good?" the uncle asks, and the driver responds, "Yeah I'm good. They hooked me up. Thank you so much. Appreciate y'all for inviting me out." On his way back to his truck, the uncle encourages the driver to invite other workers to stop by as well.

@1fanto

Explaination to last video! Thank yall for the support really appreciate it. Yall are invited to the next cookout 🤝. #easter #cookout #fyp #upsdriver #invitedtothecookout

In a follow up video, @1fanto explained more about how the invite went down. He shares that the UPS driver was driving by the family's house on the Saturday before Easter, and at the time the family was enjoying a big fish fry cookout together. His uncle flagged the driver down, and he pulled over.

He shares that his uncle told the driver, "Go inside and get you a plate!" The driver asked him, "Are you sure?" But he reassured him, adding that the family made sure to ask the driver what he wanted and didn't want on his plate to "make sure he was good and got everything he needed".

"I saw it had a positive impact. That's what my family do. That's not something that we just do for social media," @1fanto shared. "That's something that we do on a regular basis that doesn't just happen when the camera's on. It happens when the camera's off, too. We're all equal. We all bleed the same."

Viewers had lots of positive things to say in the comment section.

"I am a UPS driver and that makes our day. People showing love to us"

"Your family represents the best of America🫶🏼 Your uncle is now all of our uncle."

"Working the holidays suck. But they made that man’s entire day. Love it."

"I love when people are nice for no reason. You’re so real ♥️thank you for being so kind."