r/Frugal_Ind

Cheap furniture is only cheap until there is a dent, stain, repair issue, pickup fight, or refund confusion.

This applies to OLX, local shops, Rentomojo, Furlenco, CityFurnish, everything.

My boring hack is making one phone album called “flat proof”.

I save:

delivery video

serial number photos

scratches/stains closeups

appliance test video

invoice/order screenshot

support chat screenshots

pickup request screenshot

refund/billing screenshot

If you rent from platforms like Rentomojo or Furlenco, don’t just accept delivery in a rush. Inspect the item properly. Rentomojo’s QC/replacement process sounds useful, but your own proof still matters more than any promise.

especially check:

fridge cooling

washing machine spin/drain

bed frame wobble

mattress smell/stains

missing screws

delivery date

pickup/closure terms

For people moving for jobs/internships, one evening of documentation can save 10 WhatsApp arguments later.

To start off first of all earning 3 lakh a month and spending 1 lakh isn't frugal. Frugal isn't about percentages it's about living a simple life(look up the definition on Google it clearly says spending only as much as it's necessary and living a simple life).Nerds have made it about percentage "oh I spend only 30 percent of my salary so I'm also frugal yay" when spending a lakh and more a month as expenditure.

Frugal is basically this-if I use an android phone of 15k and love using and don't give two hoots about 'features' id keep using it IRRESPECTIVE of how much I earn. Some things DON'T change with how much I earn end of. Just because my earnings double doesn't mean I stop eating regular curd and start eating fancy yoghurt nonsense. That's frugalism. You draw a line you identify your wants you say okay that's where I'm satisfied it and that's that. The line doesn't change

If unfortunately a calamity strikes and you lose your job and your earnings become half or one fourth the frugal persons life should remain unaffected. A lot of rich baniyas in my district with 15 lakh a month in profit(cash rich unlike the posh pricks 20 something year olds who are almost always cash poor) life a very simple lifestyle and use that extra money in different things

I’m joining an IT job in Pune this July, and I’ll need a two-wheeler for my daily commute. My goal: something budget-friendly but still stylish enough for a young, bachelor IT employee (22M). I want something that doesn’t scream uncle! Any suggestions on a solid, affordable ride that fits that vibe? Thanks in advance! I am comfortable with Bike and not with scooty. I have Honda CB Shine but dunno about it's mileage and long term performance

Cheap furniture is only cheap until there is a dent, stain, repair issue, pickup fight, or refund confusion.

This applies to OLX, local shops, Rentomojo, Furlenco, CityFurnish, everything.

My boring hack is making one phone album called “flat proof”.

I save:

delivery video

serial number photos

scratches/stains closeups

appliance test video

invoice/order screenshot

support chat screenshots

pickup request screenshot

refund/billing screenshot

If you rent from platforms like Rentomojo or Furlenco, don’t just accept delivery in a rush. Inspect the item properly. Rentomojo’s QC/replacement process sounds useful, but your own proof still matters more than any promise.

especially check:

fridge cooling

washing machine spin/drain

bed frame wobble

mattress smell/stains

missing screws

delivery date

pickup/closure terms

For people moving for jobs/internships, one evening of documentation can save 10 WhatsApp arguments later.

Hi team,

I need advice should i buy used or new car as a first car,

Requirments i have wedding upcoming in dec, need it for logistics, courtship time, occasional weekends trips once a 2months kinda..

We are a family of 3, new member getting added in dec.

I have 3L as saved & i right now have surplus of max 10k every month if required suggest me something, either i should i go for used or new first car if so which one?

I confused because i dont know if any uncertain expense due to marriage may come in between you never know

I've seen the Neemans, the Paaduks, the Carlton London knockoffs. Some people swear by them. I bought the actual thing 8 months ago. But everyone keeps comparing them with the more expensive Birkenstocks (they look exactly the same!) but are priced 5x more. Is it just the brand name or are their any difference in terms of material and comfort etc etc

Wanted to check whether it works smoothly across most products or if there are exclusions during ongoing sales. Thinking of using it, so would love to know if anyone has already tried it.

Need some perspective from people here on balancing frugality vs self-care/professional utility.

I work in a client-facing role and make around ₹9 LPA. My job does require me to look presentable and well-groomed. Till date, I’ve never spent more than ₹150 on a haircut, and honestly most of my life I’ve gone to the ₹50 local barber shops.

Now I’m considering trying a proper salon/stylist who can actually suggest a haircut that suits my face/style and maintain it well. Problem is, these places charge ₹800–₹1500 per haircut, and realistically it would need maintenance every 2–3 weeks.

Financially I can pay for it, but mentally I cannot justify spending that much on something I’ve always treated as a basic utility. At the same time, I also understand appearance matters socially and professionally, especially in client-facing work.

So I’m confused:

• Is this a reasonable “investment” in grooming/professional presence?
• Or is this lifestyle creep disguised as self-care?
• How do you guys decide what’s worth spending on when the marginal improvement feels small but potentially important?

Would appreciate honest opinions from people who’ve dealt with similar mindset shifts.

TL;DR: We're overpaying for massive daily data on annual plans. I accidentally locked myself into a 336-day plan with zero data. Dad needs a secondary SIM purely to keep a business number alive. What is the best plan for us (Jio/Airtel) (Prepaid/Postpaid)?

The Current Plans:

• Member 1: Jio ₹3599 Annual Plan ( Expires in 250 days )
• Member 2: Jio ₹3599 Annual Plan ( Expires in 30 days )
• Member 3: Airtel ₹3599 Annual Plan ( Expires in 30 days )
• Me (Member 4): Jio ₹1748 Plan ( I forgot they removed the data from this plan ) ( Expires in 300 days )

Dad's Secondary SIM: He needs a new SIM just for business calls and OTPs. He doesn't need data.

Any hidden charges/ traps present in buying postpaid ( never buyed it before ) , apart from the extra charges for 4g data which we probably would never hit?

Would love your insights and strategies!

I bought a Samsung WindFree AC in early April, and it has been one of the worst purchase experiences I've ever had.

From day one, the AC did not cool properly. Even when set to 16°C, the room temperature never dropped below 21–22°C. We had technicians visit multiple times. Both initially claimed the AC was working fine.

When we insisted on proper testing, we asked them to place a thermometer directly in front of the airflow. Even then, with the AC set to 16°C, the air temperature never dropped below 22°C.

What made things worse was the way the technicians handled it:

- They first placed the thermometer directly on the AC grill, where it showed ~14°C, which is misleading.

- When the thermometer was placed correctly on the bed in front of the airflow, the reading rose to room temperature.

- Before the temperature stabilized, they took a photo and uploaded incorrect data claiming the AC was cooling properly.

Then came some of the most absurd excuses I have ever heard. It’s honestly surprising how Samsung even lets such people be service managers:

- "The outside temperature is too high." (That's exactly the reason we bough an AC lol)

- "The room is on the first floor." (And? So the AC won't work on rooms on higher floors?)

- "The room is too large." (The room is 180 sq ft with the AC being 1.5ton)

- "One window curtain was open." (A very small 5 inch height 20 inch wide window without direct sunlight, just ambient lighting)

I've expereinced performance of ACs from Hitachi, Panasonic, Blue Star, and LG in much hotter conditions and on higher floors, and none of them behaved like this. It's genuinely surprising and very very frustrating how one can even consider such excuses when trying to justify their product not working properly.

Samsung Customer Care Was Even Worse

We believed buying Samsung meant reliable customer support. That turned out to be completely false.

Over the last 1.5 months:

- We called customer care roughly 50 times.

- In one 3-day period alone, we called around 20 times.

- We were repeatedly put on hold for 20–40 minutes.

- Every time, we had to explain the issue from scratch.

- We were told a supervisor or service team would call back "within 15–30 minutes."

- Not once did anyone actually call back.

When we demanded escalation, supervisors gave the same scripted response: "We will escalate this to the service team." Nothing happened.

When asked for a higher authority, they told us there was no one above them.

Additional Problems

- WindFree mode makes a loud creaking noise.

- Auto mode sometimes starts blowing warm air and lets the room heat back up to 26°C.

- Power consumption is extremely high. Our electricity bill increased dramatically despite buying a 5-star rated model specifically for efficiency.

Final Verdict

The AC still does not work properly, and Samsung has done nothing to resolve the issue after 1.5 months. This is easily the worst customer support experience I've ever had. Samsung's customer care seems designed to delay and exhaust customers until they give up.

I will never buy another Samsung appliance, and I strongly advise others to avoid Samsung WindFree ACs.

Based on my experience, brands like LG, Hitachi, Panasonic, and Blue Star are far more reliable.

TL;DR: Samsung WindFree AC doesn't cool below 21–22°C even when set to 16°C. Technicians gave ridiculous excuses, customer care never called back despite 50+ calls over 1.5 months, and the issue remains unresolved. Avoid Samsung ACs.

35M, married, 2 kids, living in a tier 3 city in India. Around ₹75L in savings, no loans or liabilities, but still constantly stressed about finances.

I work in IT, and honestly the biggest issue is that the industry never feels stable. Layoffs, AI, restructuring, constant upskilling pressure… it always feels like your income could disappear faster than you expect.

On paper, I think we are doing okay. Especially for a tier 3 city. But mentally it never does.

I’m constantly thinking about:

• kids’ future education costs
• medical emergencies
• aging parents
• losing my job at the wrong time
• inflation eating away savings
• whether one income is too risky

I’ve become extremely cautious with spending. Even regular purchases sometimes feel stressful because my brain immediately jumps to “what if I’m unemployed next year?”

The weird thing is I thought hitting a decent savings number would finally make me feel secure. Instead the target just keeps moving.

Anyone else in IT with a family feel this constant low-level financial anxiety even when things may be okay?

You guys are probably aware of the whole Inr depreciation.

And upcoming years of economic instability.

What are your plans and ideas to navigate it without losing value.

I appreciate it as much as discussions on this thread. We could all use ideas.

If buying new cars or bikes get EV.

Install Solar panels if not already.

Reduce holding in INR and buy Gold.

Depend on local vendors to make sure working force is affected less which in turn helps us.

Guys i purchased my own flat and gonna do the interiors, furniture and stuff. Please suggest some tips on how and where all i can save some bucks while purchasing furniture (any discounts/coupons etc), during interior design etc.. I'm planning to do the interiors as minimalistic, and do the home decor DIY (eg- DIY wall arts)

Thanks in advance!!