Frugal people share the 19 ways they save money on heating their homes during winter

"I wish I’d done this like 3 winters ago."

By Emily Shiffer

Getting warm and cozy indoors is one of the joys of the winter season. But the cost of heating your home or apartment can quickly get expensive. According to a December 2025 report by the National Energy Assistance Directors’ Association (NEADA), heating costs are expected to rise 9.2% the next three months, and will bring the average cost to heat a home in the United States to $995.

Cutting heating costs can save you a lot of money. And frugal people have found brilliant ways to keep their homes heated without paying extravagant heating bills.

On Reddit, frugal people shared their advice for how to lower heating bills without being miserably cold. From better insulation to heat sources, these are 19 of their best tips for cutting heating costs.

Couple in Japan invents a nearly perfect cat litter box that solves many common problems

It's attractive, functional, and their cats love it.

By Annie Reneau

No matter how much cat owners love their furry felines, they all have one complaint in common: the cat box. No one loves managing a litter box. Unless you stay right on top of them, they get messy and smelly, the litter and/or dust from litter gets everywhere, and it's just generally a gross thing you have to deal with in order to enjoy the benefits of having a cat.

Companies have tried making litter boxes better, of course. Now we have extra deep boxes for the "flingers," covered litter boxes (which are great if your cat doesn't refuse to use them), and fancy self-cleaning litter boxes (which are also great if your cat doesn't refuse to use them). And regardless of the kind you use, there's still the problem of where to keep the unsightly poop receptacle in your home.

That's where an innovative design from a couple living in Japan comes in. Rachel and Jun have three cats and a knack for designing cool things, and their custom "Japanese Poop House" is a next-level litter box solution.

The effort put into this. 🥹

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Real parents share 13 'cheat codes' that work on their kids every single time

The "Broken Record" technique is undefeated.

By Evan Porter

Parenting is a dynamic and challenging endeavor often learned through a lot of trial and error. OK, mostly error. But luckily, billions of people have been through it before us and have learned a few great tricks through their own mistakes so we don't have to make them ourselves.

Here are some of the best parenting "cheat codes" that reduce tantrums, ease kids' anxiety, and make life easier on us parents.