For me I generally pirate most books I read, although if there is a book I really enjoyed I will buy the physical copy.

I also generally tend to avoid having takeaways because they are just so expensive in this day and age with inflation and tend to opt for cheap meals like pasta or rice etc.

Also I don’t pay for any streaming services, but borrow a VPN service from a friend to pirate the movies I watch.

Curious to hear of some ways that you people here save money.

  • heeplr@feddit.de
    9·
    10 months ago

    Some things basically come for free when they were used. Washing machine, stoves… Disassembling them to fully clean them takes a day or two, but it’s still faster than buying new and chances are good, someone wants to get rid of their high quality stuff near you and will give it away for cheap if you “dispose” it for them.

    You can even wash a mattress for a few bucks. If it’s good quality, a decade old used filthy mattress can come out like brand new.

    People finding that gross or poorish are the reason, stuff is so cheap

    • MJBrune@beehaw.orgEnglish
      7·
      10 months ago

      Appliances are one thing but a mattress contains a bunch of the previous owner’s dead skin, sweat, and other fluids. Mattresses are also fairly uncleanable. You can’t get rid of most of the build-up. Mattress cleaning can only do so much and that’s surface level.

      • heeplr@feddit.de
        1·
        10 months ago

        That’s not true. All mattresses except the cheapest foam ones are washable (they are, too but they might change properties then). But why get a used cheap one?

        There are mattress washing services with giant washing machines that are used by hotels. Ask hotel staff to find one.

        You can’t get rid of most of the build-up.

        You actually can get rid of all the buildups. Just like with clothes. Also don’t think sellers throw it away when you refund a mattress - they wash it and sell it again.

        • MJBrune@beehaw.orgEnglish
          1·
          10 months ago

          When you refund a mattress they just surface clean it. Most of the cleaners you are talking about use something like a carpet cleaner on the mattress. Equally, a carpet cleaner doesn’t clean the carpet completely. Neither do the mattress cleaners. I’ve not seen a giant washing machine-style mattress cleaner, maybe those could get the mattress clean but getting them dry would be a challenge. Looking it up, there seems to be a foam mattress version of those cleaners where they collapse them down by pressure to dry them. Something you can’t do with spring mattresses. Either way, surface cleaning a mattress isn’t going to get rid of the core scum and dirt of a mattress. If you have a picture or a link to those large mattress washing machines for spring or thick mattresses feel free to share.

          • heeplr@feddit.de
            1·
            10 months ago

            When you refund a mattress they just surface clean it

            yuck. I doubt that. It’s manual work and far more expensive than a machine.

            but getting them dry would be a challenge

            seriously? I mean, there is a chance no such service exists in your town. Bad luck then. But there is close to zero chance it doesn’t exist in your country.

            What do you think hospitals do? (Or good hotels, as mentioned). Source: Worked in an elderly home that used such a service regularly.

            Here’s an image of such a mattress washing machine.

            They work.

    • ganymede@lemmy.ml
      2·
      10 months ago

      nice! how to you assess if the old appliance is likely to be salvagable or not? either when viewing online, or in person at their place?

      • heeplr@feddit.de
        2·
        10 months ago

        just ask beforehand if you can test it quickly. while that’s not 100% proof, most people are honest (at least when giving away stuff for cheap/free). There’s a risk, but at worst you get free trash. Never happened to me, tho.

        Also most high-quality stuff is always salvageable. Surely it’s more hassle then if you have to order spare parts or such.

    • Bread@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
      2·
      10 months ago

      I would argue a mattress is not a good idea. The risk of Bedbugs is not worth remotely the cost of a new mattress. Financially and peace of mind wise.