Frugal doesn’t mean avoiding every purchase, it means making every penny count and getting value for your money. Kitchen tools and appliances can be a great value, even if the initial cash outlay is significant, but only if they return that investment in time saved, work done, and in better quality, more nutritious meals and snacks over a long, trouble-free service life.
- High quality cookware
- Bowls
- Cutlery
- Bakeware
- Slow cooker
Now, if you were hoping for a follow-up with “gadgets to avoid”, I’m afraid you’re going to be disappointed. I’m not about to say an air fryer or electric griddle or bread machine can’t be frugal if it gets you cooking from scratch, making lots of food, and consuming less energy. On the other hand, if those things are gathering dust, or you’re basically just using them to crank out expensive, unhealthy processed foods, maybe that’s not a frugal choice.
When you decide to take control over your life, health, and finances and adopt a more frugal lifestyle, that means planning and researching purchases, and also being realistic with yourself. If you take that approach, and you have a lot of confidence that you’ll use that tool or appliance a lot, and that it will save you money in the long run, then maybe that will turn out to be a frugal choice. If your good intentions don’t pan out, and you realize maybe that “must-have” item was more of a splurge, then remember that for next time, and see if somebody wants to swap you for that cotton candy machine, or personal donut fryer, or Ronco Corn Doggery or whatever.