A netizen recently asked, “Frugal friends, what’s one thing you’ve stopped buying that’s made a big difference in your budget?”. Here are the top responses!
Alcohol
“Alcohol. I’ve saved over $1000 this year so far.”, said one user.
“I quit drinking for health reasons (mental and physical) and quickly noticed how much money I was saving.
Seriously blew my mind and also put into perspective how expensive it was to destroy my body!
Props to people who can have one or two and stop but I am a textbook alcoholic and spent every extra penny on alcohol. Was definitely a pleasant surprise!” Another added.
Yearly OTT Subscriptions
“We’ve started rotating our streaming services. One month we’ll do Netflix, then the next Disney or whatever so we’re only paying for one service per month instead of 4-5.”, said one user.
“I like this idea! I only have Netflix but maybe this is a good idea to try something new.”, added another user.
Fast Food
“Mostly, but when I do, I’ve stopped buying fries/drink (combo), I bring my own drink, a can of (diet) soda is $0.33 a bottle of water is $0.15.
I usually look for deals for 2 sandwiches for a price of $2-4 cheaper than a combo.”
Advertised Stuff
“I stopped buying things that were advertised to me. Workout clothes and protein powders/bars, mostly. Now I do research when I want a new product and don’t switch from something I know I like.”.
Food Delivery Services
“Food delivery is definitely something that is a huge money sink. Uber Eats for example is typically 2X the price of picking up yourself (once you add tip, markup and Uber fees) and the restaurant is typically 3-5X the cost of making it yourself. So all in all you are looking at 6-10X the cost.
Add on to the fact that if you have to order it for delivery or pickup it’s not going to be the freshest vs making it at home.”
Cigarettes
“Both my husband and I quit smoking about 15 years ago….we’ve saved about $6800/year since then, valued at how much they cost back then…no telling how much it’d be now. Not to mention hopefully improved health.”
Starbucks Coffee
“Starbucks. When I realized I spent 300 bucks one month on coffee. I won’t go back.”, said one.
“I used to go 3-4X/week but I stopped during the pandemic and never really restarted. I didn’t realize how much I previously went until I went on vacation.
I always saved the points to be able to get fancy drinks only on vacation. Not only did I have no rewards, but was going to have points expiring because I don’t go enough anymore.”, another user added.
Lunch
“Lunch, I now pack my own sandwiches. Every time I open that baby up I feel like I’m saving about 10 euros.”
Razors
“Razors. My partner and I changed to refillable and just replaced individual blades from time to time, which are cheap as hell. It’s a more challenging shave, but works.”
Manicures, Pedicures, & Other Self-Grooming Services
“Before the pandemic, I used to get manicures and pedicures regularly – nothing fancy or crazy long, but every two weeks I had a single color dip polish job changed out and every six weeks I had a gel pedicure.
I have not gone back and honestly, I don’t notice or care. I just keep my nails short and clean, well-trimmed and groomed. I am sure at this point I’ve saved thousands.
Eyebrow threading – same thing. I let my brows grow in fully naturally during the pandemic and realized I kind of liked how it looked! My skin in that area is doing much better too.
Threading was super cheap so not sure how much I’ve saved, but I just tweeze a bit around the edges and use a brow gel when I want a more polished look. Savings definitely in the 100s now.”
Financed Cars
“Financed cars. I save a ton of money having a car that’s paid for.”, said one user.
“My husband and I have always bought new vehicles, then drive til the wheels fall off. I love those years after it’s paid off!”, another user added.
Vanilla Extract
“Vanilla extract. You’d think those little 1 oz bottles were liquid good at the prices stores charge for them! I now make my own using cheap vodka and vanilla beans.
Takes a bit of time to start up but overall I think I’ve spent $20 per two or three quarts of the stuff rather than $6 per tiny mackerel of it.”
Red Meat
“Red meat. Most decent steaks in my area are in the double-digit range, compared to chicken drumsticks which were 59 cents a pound last week.
I’ve used the increasing takeout prices as an excuse to cut back on eating out and focus more on cooking healthier things for myself. Since my grocery budget is mostly cheaper poultry and veggies now, I’ve saved a pretty penny for myself.”
Dish Network
“I gave up my Dish network and started streaming. Got a tip here on one of the frugal boards and now I only pay $25 a month to Philo.
My dish bill was $76 a month – so big difference. Whoever posted the tip on Philo thank you!!!”
Home Decor Items
“Home decor items. I found a flexible, colorful aesthetic and tell myself those little things I find in home goods won’t fit anywhere. I do still buy gifts etc, but it helps to know that I don’t really need this or that home item.
Not physically going to stores as frequently helps too.
It also helps to have a frugal partner- I’m influenced by his frugality, and if I were to buy some bring frivolously I don’t want to discuss it… so sometimes that dissuades me from buying things I don’t need.”
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The article was originally published on Mrs Daaku Studio.