9 Purchases That Save You Time and Money Every Month

Some purchases deliver value in two ways. They save money and give you back hours every month. These aren’t just about cutting costs. They’re about making life easier while your budget gets healthier. Here are nine purchases that save both time and money on a monthly basis.

Instant Pot or Pressure Cooker

An Instant Pot costs $80 to $120. It cooks meals in a fraction of the time traditional methods take. Dried beans finish in 30 minutes instead of hours. Tough cuts of meat become tender in 45 minutes.

The time savings are massive. You’re not standing over a stove or checking the oven constantly. Throw ingredients in, set the timer, and walk away. The money savings come from cooking at home more often because it’s actually convenient. When cooking at home becomes this easy, you stop defaulting to expensive takeout.

Robot Vacuum

A decent robot vacuum costs $200 to $400. It cleans your floors while you’re doing other things or not even home. Set it to run daily and your floors stay clean without any effort from you.

You’re getting back hours every month that you’d spend pushing a regular vacuum around. The money savings come from not hiring cleaning services. Professional cleaners charge $100 to $150 per visit. If the robot vacuum lets you skip even one professional cleaning every few months, it pays for itself quickly.

Meal Delivery Kit for Groceries

This isn’t about prepared meal services that cost $12 per serving. This is grocery delivery from regular stores. Services like Instacart or Walmart+ cost $10 to $15 per month for unlimited delivery.

You save hours every week by not going to the store. No driving, parking, wandering aisles, waiting in line, or unloading the car. You also save money by not making impulse purchases. When you shop from a list at home, you buy exactly what you need and nothing else. People who struggle with impulse buys find this especially valuable.

Quality Slow Cooker

Slow cookers cost $40 to $80. Prep your ingredients in the morning, turn it on, and come home to a finished meal. No afternoon cooking stress or last-minute decisions about dinner.

The time savings happen in the morning when you have energy. Five minutes of chopping vegetables beats 45 minutes of cooking when you’re tired after work. Cheap ingredients like chicken thighs and root vegetables become delicious meals. You’re saving money by using affordable ingredients and avoiding restaurant meals on busy weeknights.

Electric Toothbrush with Timer

A good electric toothbrush costs $50 to $100. It has a built-in two-minute timer. You’re brushing the right amount of time without thinking about it.

The time savings are small daily but add up. You’re not guessing how long to brush or doing it inefficiently. The money savings come from fewer dental problems. One avoided cavity saves $200 to $500 in dental work. Better oral health from proper brushing prevents expensive procedures down the road.

Programmable Coffee Maker

Programmable coffee makers cost $60 to $150. Set it up the night before and wake up to fresh coffee. No waiting around half-asleep while it brews.

You’re saving 10 minutes every morning. That’s over an hour per week. The money savings come from not stopping at coffee shops. Even cutting out two coffee shop visits per week saves $80 per month. That’s nearly $1,000 per year.

High-Quality Blender

A solid blender costs $100 to $200. It makes smoothies, soups, sauces, and purees in minutes. Cheap blenders struggle with ice and frozen fruit. Good ones power through everything.

You save time by making quick meals and snacks. A smoothie takes two minutes instead of cooking breakfast. Homemade soup happens in five minutes instead of opening a can or buying it prepared. The money savings add up when you’re making food instead of buying pre-made versions that cost three times as much.

Cordless Vacuum for Quick Cleanups

A cordless stick vacuum costs $150 to $300. It’s always charged and ready. Spills and messes get cleaned in 30 seconds instead of dragging out the big vacuum.

Quick cleanups prevent bigger cleaning sessions later. You’re maintaining instead of deep cleaning constantly. The time savings are significant over a month. The money aspect comes from extending the life of your floors and carpets through regular maintenance. You’re also avoiding professional cleaning services for small messes.

Budget Tracking App with Auto-Sync

Some budget apps are free. Premium versions cost $5 to $15 per month. They automatically sync with your bank accounts and categorize spending. You see exactly where your money goes without manual entry.

The time savings are huge. No more collecting receipts or entering transactions. Everything updates automatically. The money savings come from awareness. When you see that you spent $200 on random Amazon purchases last month, you adjust. People who start tracking spending this way often find hundreds in budget leaks they never noticed before.

The Double Return

These purchases work because they solve two problems at once. You get your time back and your money goes further. That combination is rare and valuable.

The upfront cost feels easier to justify when you’re getting dual benefits. A $100 robot vacuum seems expensive until you realize it’s giving you back three hours per month and eliminating $100 cleaning bills. The math works even better over a full year. Most of these items pay for themselves within six months just on the money side. The time savings are pure bonus after that point.

This article first appeared on Cents + Purpose.