Cheap Life, Good Life

Energy efficiency: is the higher appliance price worth it?

Compare an appliance efficiency premium with annual electricity savings. See how your rate and ownership period…

Replace an old refrigerator: does the saving pay off?

Keep or replace your refrigerator? Compare upfront cost, annual electricity and payback with a worked example,…

How to Calculate Shrinkflation from Package Sizes

Calculate shrinkflation by comparing old and new unit prices. Includes the formula, a worked package-size example…

How to Compare Unit Prices at the Grocery Store

Compare grocery unit prices per pound, kg, liter or item. Includes worked examples, a package-size calculator and…

Is Buying in Bulk Cheaper? Count What You Use

Check whether buying in bulk saves money after unused food. Worked example, usage break-even, checkout-budget…

Packed lunch vs buying lunch: calculate the real saving

Compare packed-lunch costs with buying lunch. Include ingredients, actual purchases and preparation time, with a…

$626 per year

The water you already pay for, and then buy again

What a gallon of tap water costs at the utility's own published rate, why no federal average exists for the…

$261 per year

What a home-cooked portion actually costs

An honest per-portion cost for cooking at home, including the line items the savings advice leaves out, and the…

$1,644 per year

The membership fee is the least interesting number in warehouse club math

What the big warehouse clubs actually charge, what the break-even looks like, and the one figure that decides…

$65 per year

Eating well for less: the split nobody looks at

What Americans actually spend on food at home versus away, why the ratio matters more than the total, and how to…

The library card: the cheapest thing you already own

What a public library card covers beyond books, why it is the best value in a household budget, and how to…