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Ask Crystal: What money-saving strategies are worth your time?

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Ask Crystal: What money-saving strategies are worth your time?

Every Thursday in 2025, I’ll be answering a question on money and/or budgeting. If you have a question you’d love for me to answer in an upcoming post, please submit it here.

This week’s question is:

“I would love for you to share some money-saving strategies you feel are worth the time and effort.” – a reader

I love saving money, but you know what I love even more? Saving money in ways that actually make a difference without taking up my entire day. Because the truth is: time is money, too!

One of the best ways to decide if a money-saving strategy is worth your effort is to think of it in terms of return on investment (ROI).

Ask yourself:

How much does this save me per hour?

Is that a good hourly “wage” for my effort?

Would I rather spend my time doing something else that provides a better return?

And here’s the best part—every dollar you save is tax-free! Unlike earned income, you don’t have to pay taxes on money you didn’t spend.

So, what money-saving strategies are actually worth your time? Well, that is going to be different for every person, but I’ll share five money-saving strategies in the kitchen that might help you get the wheels turning in your brain as to what would be worth your investment of time for the money saved:

Five Money-Saving Strategies That Are Worth the ROI for Me (Kitchen Edition!)

1. Making Homemade Uncrustables – Saves $0.80 per minute

My kids love Uncrustables, but they are pricey? Instead of paying nearly a dollar per sandwich, I make my own in batches and freeze them. It takes around 10 minutes to make a dozen, and the savings add up quickly.

Worth it? Absolutely! That’s nearly $50 saved per hour!

2. Checking Grocery Store Sales Flyers – Saves $1–$2 per minute

Before I place my Kroger delivery order, I spend about 10 minutes scanning the sales flyers for the best sales, digital coupons, and BOGO deals. By focusing on what’s on sale and planning meals accordingly, I save anywhere from $10–$20 each week—sometimes more!

Worth it? YES! It’s an easy way to stretch our grocery budget with very little effort.

3. Planning My Menu Around What We Have on Hand – Saves $1–$2 per minute

Meal planning doesn’t have to be complicated! Instead of starting with what sounds good or just trying to come up with ideas, I check my pantry, fridge, and freezer to see what I can make with what I already have. This reduces waste, prevents unnecessary grocery runs, and saves money.

Tip: Need some quick and easy meal ideas — many that will use items you may already have on hand? Download my free cheatsheet: 60 Meals to Make Instead of Getting Takeout.

Worth it? 100%! Bonus: It also keeps food from going bad!

4. Bringing My Lunch to Work Every Day – Saves $1–$2 per minute

Buying lunch out can easily cost $10–$15 per meal. Packing my lunch takes maybe 5–10 minutes in the morning, but it saves me $50+ per week. That’s over $2,500 a year!

Worth it? Without a doubt! And I eat healthier, too!

5. Meal Prepping on the Weekends – Saves $30–$40 per hour

Spending an hour or two prepping ingredients (chopping veggies, marinating proteins, making a big batch of rice or soup or muffins) makes it so much easier to throw meals together during the week. Not only does it prevent the “let’s just grab takeout” temptation, but it also saves time and money.

Worth it? Yes! The time savings alone make it a no-brainer!

Not Every Money-Saving Hack is Worth It

While I love a good frugal win, not every trick is a great use of my time. For example:

Driving across town to save $0.10 per gallon on gas – That’s only a few dollars in savings for an extra 20-minute trip. Nope!

Saving money on groceries I won’t use – If I spend 20-30 minutes looking at sales and digital coupons and plan a shopping trip that saves a lot of money but I’m buying things we won’t even use, that’s not saving money.

DIYing everything – Some things (like homemade laundry detergent) might not actually save that much when you factor in time and effort.

What Money-Saving Strategies Are Worth It for You?

I’d love to hear from you! What’s a frugal strategy that saves you good money for the time invested? And what’s something you tried but realized wasn’t worth the effort? Drop your thoughts in the comments!