It’s been way too long since our last Save It post (like this one, this one, this one, this one, this one, and this one to name a few), so the other night I was thinking about a few things that we just don’t buy, and how going without those things probably adds up to saving a decent amount of cash-money.
And it doesn’t feel particularly martyr-ish of us – it’s normal and easy after years of living this way. So it feels less like “going without” and more like “streamlining and simplifying.” We’ve mentioned a few of these things over the years, but I realized there were others that I never really thought about (or blogged about) so here’s a big ol’ brain dump of all the things that we typically skip.
- Meat three or four nights a week: Some nights we just opt for spaghetti, bean burritos, vegetable stir fry, homemade pizza, nachos, sweet potatoes and salad, etc.
- Fabric softener: We use vinegar sometimes, but most times it’s just nothing. We don’t notice a difference!
- Dusting spray: We both grew up with Pledge, but now we just use microfiber cloths and water.
- Regular dry cleaning: All of our clothes are machine or hand washable so we only do one trip per year for a few coats/blazers instead of monthly trips.
- Dog grooming: Burger’s short haired, so we just bathe him at home and cut his nails ourselves and we’re good.
- Newspaper: We get our news online (almost every newspaper has an online format now) and on the radio (NPR).
- Bottled water: We have a water filter and use Klean Kanteens that we refill ourselves.
- Starbucks: In the past year or so I’ve become a chai lover – and it’s $3.99 to make seven cups from this grocery store box, as opposed to that price for one cup at Starbucks. So I save that for special occasions and make a cup at home every morning instead.
- Bag-checking fees: Even when we’ve flown with a dog or a kid, we’ve actually never paid to check a single bag (we’re nerds for the challenge of packing light).
- Gel, hairspray, mousse, or serum: I haven’t bought that stuff since college. I’m just a wash and wear girl – plus I tend to break out a lot from hair stuff, so this is for vanity as well as saving money.
- Lipstick: It’s not my bag baby, so I use what’s in this makeup tote and nothing more (not buying 20 shades of eye shadow definitely keeps money in my pocket too).
- Creams and self tanners: I’m pale and totally cool with it – plus my mom looks awesome for her age and doesn’t use any fancy potions or creams, so I’m hoping to follow in her glamorous grandma footsteps.
- Perfume: I like the smell of my shampoo (John doesn’t wear cologne either).
- Haircuts & colors: Maybe once every two years I get a $35 cut, but other than that I just trim it myself. And of course cutting John’s hair saves us money too.
- Regular manicures and pedicures: I go about once a year with a friend (and usually hit up Starbucks while I’m splurging) but other than that I do my own toes at home and usually leave my fingers bare.
- Gym membership for me: It’s just not my thing, but John loves his.
- Alcohol: John has just never been a drinker and I might drink a bottle of wine a year at home (although most years it’s a gift from some sweet house guest) so it’s not a monthly expense for us.
- Disposable diapers: More on that here.
- Diaper bag: I never got one, just used a purse and kept extra stuff in the car.
- Incandescent bulbs: Using CFLs and LEDs in the bulk of our fixtures adds up to a lot of money saved. We’d love to eventually go all LED in our house, but it’s not exactly a cheap switch, so we’re trying to chip away at different rooms over time.
- A second car: This one definitely doesn’t works for everyone, but since I’ve been freelancing from home for the past seven years it’s no big deal to have one car (and it saves us the cost of a car, the gas, the maintenance, and the insurance).
Best of all, saving in some areas allows us to more easily afford other things that are more important to our family, like project materials, organic produce, cable TV, and ceramic animals. Guess it’s all one big balancing act right? I’d love to hear your “skip it” list! And this is a no judgement zone. You might LOVE to get your hair dyed but can resist giant dangly earrings when I can’t (I may or may not have over a dozen of those in my night table).
Psst- You can peruse over 30 money-saving posts of yore here.
bethblntn says
ok, so after reading things I think to myself ‘how on EARTH do we still end up with more month then money in our house!?” I koodo’s you guys for doing this but after reading your post I realized, our house hold does the same (mostly) I do get starbucks about twice a month but we don’t have cable at all OR a gym pass for either of us… we live in Charlottesville so I don’t think the cost of living is really any higher then where you guys live. Maybe its because we eat 100% organic or that we are a one income family. *sigh* but I guess in a way its good to know we are on the right track… and so are you guys! ;)
Heather says
same. and I’m not sure that not working out because you don’t like to counts as a budgeting tip.
Alyssa says
I got super excited (flailing arms were involved) about the chai mention because I love it too but it kills me paying so much for just one (& they just increased the prices!). I have the one from Trader Joe’s but it tastes nothing like the one from Starbucks :/ I’ve been debating between Oregon Chai & Tazo. Do you like the Tazo/have you tried other ones? I like a milder chai like the ones at Starbucks. Thanks! Ps I love these kinds of posts; I’ve re-read your other posts like these many times for inspiration :)
jenny says
Tazo is owned by the starbucks company, and starbucks sells tazo teas. So if you want the starbucks one, that’s what you should get! Also, fyi, you can buy starbucks syrups from the stores and make your own drinks at home for a fraction of the cost.
CG says
A few things we do to save some cash:
-Do most of our grocery shopping at a combination of Aldi, farmers’ markets, and Costco (we ask for our membership each year as an Xmas gift). Aldi saves us so much money! I was skeptical at first, but now I love it.
-Using a rain barrel for all our watering
-Drying most of our clothes outside or on a drying rack
-Using a programmable thermostat
-Make our own cleaning and laundry products
Now if only I could cut done my shopping, that would help even more! ;)
Dawn Pfeiffer says
Meal planning is a pretty big savings for my family of three. I can plan simple or crockpot meals when I know I will be out of the house all day and can make large meals and have planned leftovers the next night. It greatly avoids the need to grab fast food when we are in a hurry. We got caught in that trap a few years ago and we were forever eating out just because I hadn’t planned for quick meals or bought enough food for the week. Also, I go to the grocery only once a week, thus avoiding the trap of multiple trips “just picking up a couple things” which usually ends up costing an extra $40-50.
Sarah says
This was such a timely post for me. My husband and I have talked about how we can simplify our lives and save (or make) money in the process. I just started reading a book called “7” by Jen Hatmaker. It’s all about simplifying different areas of our lives to just 7 things. This is not a total lifestyle change for me, but has made me think about how much money gets spent on excess “stuff” that we really don’t need. I’ve saved money on my gym membership by getting a two-hour-a week job there, one benefit is a free membership! That saves me $70 a month.
Andrea says
I can absolutely recommend the zerowastehome blog and thepeacefulmom.com. Both might be a wee bit too extreme for some but they have really, really good advice on simplifying and saving money :)
Jana says
When my husband went back to school for Engineering I had to leave corporate american and our cozy home in order to make it work with the rigid engineering schedule and our finances. We moved into a garage converted apartment with our two kids that is under 375 sq ft. We are beginning our 4th year here and it is not easy. In fact now more than ever I am ready for a little more space, but it has taught us to do without a lot, for the sake of space and also for the cost savings.
We have no TV, and no cable. We stream Netflix on our computer
We use vinegar to clean almost EVERYTHING. I am a sucker for yummy smells so I do use Method grapefruit all purpose cleaner.
We use Method Concentrated laundry detergent in the little pump (space saving)
and do without fabric sheets or softeners.
We are on the countdown to ditch Verizon and go to a prepaid plan as well (so excited about that)
I have access to professional hair products so I color my own hair, and splurge once a year on a good haircut.
We have well water…what a savings! and it forces you to really think about what you are putting into the ground (chemical wise)
Jasmin M says
I like to cook so we save a bunch by not eating out very much. Also we don’t pay for cable which can run up to $80.00 a month. We just pay our $14.00 Netflix and $29.00 internet which works great for the family. I also love, love, love magazines but subscriptions can add up and I don’t like contributing to all that paper madness, so my library card gets used a bunch.
Rachel says
Love this post! And I love reading about how everyone’s priorities and items to skip are a little bit different. Cable is totally a “skip it” for my boyfriend and I (I didn’t have it for most of my childhood, and haven’t since moving out of my parents’ house), as are TVs, actually–we have 2 old CRTs (one of which was free), although we are super excited to upgrade to the 21st century and get a flat screen sometime in the next couple months :) Plus we rent a teeny old house in a sketchy but convenient neighborhood that’s way cheaper than we could technically afford, but is perfect for us. My boyfriend also cuts his own hair, but he’s been doing that since his mom stopped cutting it (which, can I just say I find all this DIY hair-cutting soooo impressive?! :))
Alcohol on the other hand is totally NOT a “skip it” (we’re both craft beer lovers) and cooking/eating is also a big hobby of ours, so we probably spend more than more people on groceries (although I keep trying to get this down… it’s hard!) and eat out a couple times a month.
Sara Richins says
I don’t buy any snack items, bagels, pretzels, prebaked cookies or cakes. The kids and I have a hard time only eating a few crackers or cookies at a time. Instead, if we want a little snack, we make our own crackers. Once a week or so, we make homemade bagels or soft pretzels. My two and five year old girls love to help, and the oldest can even twist the bagels herself. Saves us tons of money and gives us something fun to do together.
Lindsey says
We make a lot of things from scratch to save money… Enchilada sauce, tortillas, broth, sprouts, refried beans. I wish we could eat meatless most days, but my husband feels best when he eats a TON of meat. I guess we save a little by eating egg-based dishes a few nights a week. We also make our own laundry detergent and just tried making our own dishwasher detergent. It works well, but seriously, how big of an expense are those two items for two people? Not much, but I get a kick out of it so it’s worth it.
As soon as we have a place of our own, we’re having a garden and chickens!
Chelsea says
I totally skip dry cleaning too…and I work in a professional office environment and some of my clothes are ‘dry clean only’. I use the Woolite dry clean at home cloths and they work perfectly fine! Of course you have to iron still but it is so much cheaper!
I save money on haircuts too…my husband has a wonderful bald head :) and I continue to go to my hometown hairdresser that cuts hair out of his house for only $20 a cut!
Karen says
Question, Sherry. If you’re not gung-ho on makeup, perfume and hair stuff, and you don’t seem vain at all, why bother still with contacts? Why not just stick to glasses? There are a lot of cool and inexpensive Web sites out there! Contacts have to be way expensive, no?
YoungHouseLove says
My only beef with glasses is that I love sunglasses and swimming, so for those two reasons contacts are just easier. They’re not that expensive (we have a vision plan for like $5 a month and I think I spend $20 a month on contacts for a year?).
xo
s
Sally says
I recently got my first pair of prescription sunglasses. I LOVE them. I get contacts periodically that I only wear for swimming/boating/other things where I don’t want to lose my glasses.
Sharon says
I LOVE that you guys are so thrifty. Makes me feel like I’m not the only one out there that is thrifty, but likes to make nice/cool DIY things. I’m kinda the black sheep in my family when it comes to that :)
Archer says
What a fun post, guys! Love it.
I saved money by not getting a gym membership for years, but after having kids, getting high intensity exercise in without one has been difficult! Mine ran out recently but I’ll be renewing it.
I naturally have mouse brown hair, so it racks a bit of expense to add some color interest to it. Luckily, my MIL is a hair stylist, who has done it for me for free many times, but when she can’t do it, I go to the Aveda hair school. The Aveda products are more natural based and they do a really good job for the price! My hair is super long, so to get a foil here it would be around $200, but at the school for cut + foil it’s $70.
We buy almost all organic as much as possible, and our way to balance our food budget expense is not eating out and we make almost every single thing we eat from scratch. The quality of the food when eating out goes down significantly compared to what we eat at home, so it’s a win-win.
We used to save money with the CFLs, but we only use them in areas where they are promised not to break. After my daughter dropped one on the floor and was exposed to mercury vapor (which does get into the body and is very toxic), we did a major switch-out to prevent any mishaps in the future. The LED option sounds like a great idea to save energy and save mercury exposure.
I wrote a post on the CFLs here:
http://www.archerfriendly.com/2012/04/switched-to-cfls-for-earth-day-beware
K, I think that’s enough for now! Love your blog and how green you are. Keep at it guys!
Kim says
It amazes me how much people spend on things I never even considered! I moved to the U.S. three years ago. As a German, we are used to cooking home and only eat out for special occasions. It should be something special, like a treat, right? Got my first manicure in the States. I always do it myself and it looks good, plus I keep it simple anyway. Never spend a dollar on Starbucks. This place is way to expensive. It’s just coffee. We don’t use fabric softener. My clothes smell totally fine. Friends of mine have tons of hygiene and makeup products. I only buy something if I need it. I don’t want to have too much cludder. Love the post. Maybe some other people can share more ideas and we will soon read a part 2. Oh, but cable – cant skip that. One word – BRAVO….
Karen says
Whoops, sorry, I thought I lost the 1st post I wrote! Ah, thought contacts were mucho $$$.
YoungHouseLove says
I think they can be if you don’t have vision coverage, but thankfully ours is $5 a month on top of regular insurance and it gives us a rebate/break so they’re not too bad when we buy them in bulk for a year.
xo
s
Karen says
Instead of meat for protein, why don’t you all try BEANS? Great source of fiber, protein, etc. It’s cheap, just make sure to soak overnight, and there are soooo many great recipes out there for them. It’s super-filling too – I promise no guy will go hungry!
YoungHouseLove says
We love beans! We do bean burritos, nachos with beans and cheese, and even have tried beans on pizza!
xo
s
karen says
cool! i’ll have to sift through the other comments tonight for more ideas.
here are some of mine.
-i have no cell phone and i love it. my mother did without and so can i.
-we use a free phone line.
-neither of us drink coffee/alcohol or smoke.
i swear we are not amish! italian in fact.
Jennie says
Actually, most Amish have cell phones and many have iPads /pods/ phones now too! The “house” phone still has to be outside though, by most bishops’ orders.
GreenInOC says
Toilet paper and paper towels!
Seriously. I have reusable, washable bamboo wipes (they’re super dooper soft) for the toilet paper and diapers and other towels and rags instead of paper towels.
I’ve replaced almost every household cleaner with Vodka. For my floors I use Bona and I use a hand/dish, dishwasher and laundry soap. Other than that, it’s Vodka – straight up!!
I use wood polish from Howard Naturals that I love but once it runs out, I’m going to try your trick Sherry.
Whitney says
I definitely had a pink skip-it! Hours of fun!
Michelle says
I don’t mean this in a bad way, but everyone is talking about how they save on every little thing and don’t splurge. Isn’t that kinda sad? One lady says she’s dying for a magazine subscription, but won’t get one because she needs to save money. It’s like $20. Is it really worth “dying” over to save twenty bucks? I understand being frugal on some things, but not all. Geez, you gotta live a little!
YoungHouseLove says
Someone suggested a post about what we splurge on and I love that idea! Some folks have already started replying with their answers in that comment thread. I think it’s totally a trade off/ balance thing – you save one some things so you can enjoy others. For us it’s things like cable and vacations and organic food and home improvement materials (along with my dangly earring problem, haha!).
xo
s
Michelle says
I do feel bad for some of the commenters that they are denying themselves such simple (cheap) things just to say they pinched some pennies. At least enjoy life a little!!! If you want to get your hair or nails done, go, if you want a magazine, get it, if you want a steak, eat it. Life is meant to be enjoyed! I follow your blog religiously and of course, appreciate your posts on how you are thrifty, but I would definitely enjoy a post about what you guys DO splurge on. So grab your yearly bottle of wine and get to writing!
YoungHouseLove says
Haha! Will do! I can’t wait to hear what folks splurge on.
xo
s
GreenInOC says
@Michelle, I don’t think that people skipping things means that that deny themselves certain pleasures. At least not with me.
I am “dying” to subscribe to Vanity Fair. I don’t because I can’t justify the cost.
At the same time I pay $20 a gallon for my small dairy raw milk and over $17/pound for Fair-Trade chocolate because I can justify those splurges. My justification? I love them!
Michelle says
I guess I don’t ever skip anything. We pay our bills, we have money in savings and we enjoy life with what’s left over. Maybe my tastes aren’t expensive and frivolous enough to ever deny myself of anything I want… But honestly, if you want Vanity Fair, why not just get it??? It’s not like you want a new Gucci purse every day, it’s a magazine, that you get to sit down and read. I always think the simple things are worth the money. Just my 2 cents :)
amanda says
A $20 gallon of milk?! Have you considered just buying a cow? Seriously.
GreenInOC says
@Michelle, I don’t because I know that it would mostly go unread, it would generate extra trash, etc… For me, it’s not worth it so at the end of my calculations it’s not a “denial” for me.
I don’t think “skipping” is necessarily about denying yourself, it’s about things you have found you can do without or substitute. Instead of just buying, buying, buying it’s a step toward conscious consumerism.
At the end of the day if I can buy 1 bottle of Vodka that will clean my whole house for 3 months and I have more money for things I want to splurge on or save for, how is that bad or “not enjoying life”?
@Amanda, I totally would but there isn’t any room on my condo balcony for one!
Melissa says
Hi! We skip new clothes for the kids. Seriously…almost all of my kids clothes are from yard sales, consignment, or hand me downs. Now that they are getting older, I am having to consider buying new (since most pants and bigger size clothes are hard to find in good shape)…but seriously, I have a 7 and 9 year old, and hardly ever buy new clothes. I think we must have saved hundreds or more over the years!
Erin says
Sorry Donna D., but your “tip” about stealing 8 rolls of toilet paper from hotels just isn’t cool. That’s not being frugal, that’s being a thief.
Maria says
I refuse to pay more than $10.00 for a purse. I almost throw up on the spot when the other ladies in the hood stop by to show off their $500 coach or Michael Kors bags! My favorite bag was one I found at a yard sale for $2.00…it had this super cool map design and I swear I got daily compliments on it. I used the heck out of it for 3 years, and just replaced it with a black leather cross body bag for $3.99…Goodwill!
Ann says
Would it be possible to some day do a post on how you cut your own hair? I can’t figure it out… and my husband hates cutting mine for me because he’s always nervous he’s going to do it wrong haha. Any help would be appreciated!
YoungHouseLove says
My hair is just long and I don’t do layers or anything, I just shower, come out, comb it out, and then cut the sides and back straight across (it’s long enough for me to pinch sections flat between my fingers and bring them in front of my face where I can see them and just cut). I’ll try to remember to make a video. Means I can’t be naked though. Haha!
xo
s
GreenInOC says
@Ann, I can tell you what NOT to do…
Don’t watch two YouTube videos and deem yourself an Honors Graduate from the Cosmetology School of Google. Me and my lopsided hair can attest to that!!
It probably also has to do with the fact that I’m left handed, but use right handed scissors and can’t for the life of me, until something is waaaay off, tell if it’s level. For further proof see all of my childhood baby and Barbie dolls who sported crew cuts from my “talents”!!
danielle says
we skip many of the things you’ve already mentioned on your list… but the skip that seems to shock people the most is that we don’t have cable tv. instead, we live with netflix and it meets our tv needs just fine… for $9/month.
Tiffany says
We skip papertowels/napkins, (unless there are guests) Otherwise we use cloth napkins (inexpensive washcloths with like 10 tied in a ribbon) are great.
And household cleaners, typically we just go with castile soap, vinegar, baking soda, etc – not all mixed together of course.
Jenna says
I love that you are nerds for saving money!!! We do so many of the same things as you and it really doesn’t feel like hard work or like I’m missing out. I know you covered a lot here, but keep the savings sharing coming if you ever come up with more ideas! I just love em!
Kim says
I guess people just have different priorities. Like I stated a couple of posts earlier, I don’t splurge on these things and its not a necessity for me. Do I splurge on things? Hell yeah! But in a different way. My family lives in Germany so flying to Germany twice a year is a must. We love to travel and explore the world. That’s my splurge. I can easily say no to Starbucks, pedicures etc when I can look forward to going overseas or getting to no a different culture. Like I said, everyone has different priorities. Live and let live. I just liked the idea of the post and look forward to read more about daily savings.
Jamie says
My husband is addicted to Chai Lattes, but they are so crazy expensive. He talked our local coffee shop guy into telling us what they use & his life has never been the same.
http://www.amazon.com/David-Rio-Elephant-Chai-4lb/dp/B0000E2RIA/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1377119372&sr=8-2&keywords=david+rio+elephant+vanilla+chai
Why yes, that is a four pound bag of chai mix. It lasts about two months.
YoungHouseLove says
That’s awesome!
xo
s
Kim says
Unfortunately, I have a sales job with clients in major cities so things like clothes, regular haircuts, makeup etc is not avoidable. I do try to only highlight 2 – 3 times a year and do a manicure/pedicure 2x a year or if my cuticles truly need it. We are also tv watchers so no go there but we rarely eat out or get Starbucks or Dunks, we never go to a movie, take up all the offers we can get for free babysitting and hand-me downs. My kids wear very few Gap, Gymboree itc even on sale these are more expensive than other options. We do have a ton of toys but the majority are gifts or hand-me downs. We also try to buy everything on sale and with coupons though I am far from an extreme couponer.
SarahN @ livetolist says
I skipped internet at home for almost all of 18 months! (and for 6+ months of those, I was a 5 times a day blogger!) Shush… thank you work, for being light on. And I’ll never pay ATM fees – I plan my week to get cash without fees. But otherwise, I spend on so much I could probably get away with not spending on!
Janel says
Not sure if it’s already been asked, but since you posted a video of cutting John’s hair (amazing job by the way…can anyone say Sherry Sassoon?), I think we need to see one of YOU trimming your hair. Say yes…please?!?!
YoungHouseLove says
There has been another request for that! I’ll have to try to remember to take one (and put clothes on for it since it’s usually right when I hop out of the shower, haha!)
xo
s
Ally says
Great tips, everyone!
I have to laugh…out of curiosity, I checked the Starbucks (Canada) website for your Chai Tea Latte, $herdog…this is their take on their product:
“Enjoy this with:
A cinnamon scone and a dreamy look in your eyes.”
HA! From now on, I’ll picture you gazing adoringly over at Jboom, while scarfing down your scone :)
xox
YoungHouseLove says
HILARIOUS! I get that dreamy look every time.
xo
s
Ally says
Oh wait, it gets even better (Sbuxs has quite the writing staff :)
“You are a spicy one, aren’t you?
Like a drive through an exotic marketplace with the windows rolled down, this blend of black teas will fill your senses, while the sweet cinnamon, spicy ginger and fragrant cardamom flirtatiously grab the steering wheel to take you in another direction.”
Since you don’t really drive much, this is perfect…forget Jboom – let your chai latte take the wheel! :)
xox
YoungHouseLove says
Dude, I am in love with that copywriter.
xo
s
RobinD says
It seems like my clothing is free, because I sew almost all of my own clothes. I buy fabric when I see something I like at a great price. I trim my own bangs, so the same haircut lasts for a few months. And I wear almost no makeup.
On the flip side, I do own a custom-made-to-my measurements dressmaker’s mannequin (that cost over $1k but I LOVE IT) and I use pricey skincare products from a dermatologists office. They customize the regimen for my skin and it is the only way I have found to clear up acne. And my skin looks good enough to skip makeup, which only makes me break out anyway.
Kate HM says
This post has really resonated with me. I think one of the elements of being “budget friendly” is to remember not to be penny wise and pound foolish. I will buy quality over quantity any day of the week. I just purchased a backpack and lunch box from Lands End for my 5 year old and had his monogram added. I used a coupon code and saved 25%, but it was still more expensive than a backpack and lunch box from Target. However, I know this set will last three to four years whereas the Target set probably wouldn’t last but one school year. Now I would have been thrilled to purchase a similar set used from a thrift store or kids resale shop, but I’ve never seen them there.
Something else to remember is to buy what you love. This doesn’t mean to buy everything you love, but when you do buy something, make sure you love it. Life is too short to live with things that you don’t like or love. You are more likely to take care of it and keep it for a longer period of time if you love it. There are economic benefits right there since you will purchase fewer things over the long term.
Don’t be afraid to be non-negotiable on certain things. For me it is shoes. I refuse to purchase poor quality shoes for anyone in my family. I will buy good quality and in good condition shoes from thrift and resale shoes, but I will never buy shoes at Payless or Target. My family is hard on shoes and poor quality shoes from those stores don’t last more than two or three weeks. It makes more financial sense for us to put more money into shoes upfront (hello Nordstrom’s Rack) and not be nickeled and dimed every month.
Amy says
I definitely think my/our list would be different if we didn’t live in a 10hr work day in a corporate setting but alas, we definitely do without…
-cable, we netflix & made sure our internet was awesome
-a million different house cleaners, I have one bottle of concentrate, one gallon bleach, one gallon vinegar and make a bunch up. (We rent and have had issues in the past we can’t shake so sometimes we rely on bleach to help us keep renting as pristine as can be).
-starbucks, we keurig it up (so I am not wasting a full pot day in and out) I use my Kohls Cash to buy variety packs so I use it wisely.
-mani/pedis, I just use my skilled hands at maintaining them
-eyebrow maintainence- done at home
-dry cleaning, I do this at home in the dryer and press everything ourselves
-car washes (diy)
-vacations (we save these up for bigger things and just save up our dates for baller 5 star restaurants so we feel like we are still able to get out there!
-we also have one car!(hefty commute)
-we rarely eat out
-we only have 2 magazine subscriptions total, and also get the rest of our info & news online
-I wash and reuse (in good condition) ziplock bags
-We use tupperware or mason jars for lunch all the time-try to rarely use disposable
-No bottled water, Brita over here!
*have to get my hair diddd… I’m already 20% gray and >30 over here!)
Diana says
I love posts like this and all the comments!!
We pride ourselves in being pretty frugal: no cable or any pay tv, rarely eating out, I make a lot of our foods from scratch (all bread products and anything else I can figure out how to do), we use homemade cleaning products including laundry detergent, neither the husband or I buy much clothes and the baby hardly needs any either with so many hand me downs and gifts. We’re in the process of selling our second car, we have no debt (paid off our mortgage years ago and never had car loans). I’ve never had a mani/pedi in my life and we don’t drink coffee so no daily runs there. LOVE the local library; I’m there every single week for books, magazines, and movies.
We do splurge on vacations (although less of a splurge with only one income now) and we have owned jet skis the last 5 years to use at my in-laws lake cottage. And iPhones. Those are kinda a splurge.
We’ve really been focusing on simplifying our lives this year, figuring out what we don’t need and it’s really freeing. I don’t feel like we are missing out, just have different priorities. I’d rather live a simple life with less stuff.
Leigh says
I loved the skip-it!!!! I had forgotten about it until now but I was good at it. I skip mani/pedi’s. I just do it myself. It’s a once every year or two splurge. We also don’t drink coffee so no Starbucks runs and we aren’t big alcohol drinkers. We don’t eat out often either. But this is mainly because our 2 year old has A LOT of food allergies and its hard to find restaurants that can feed him.
I get my hair cut & highlighted every 8 weeks. My stylist is a friend of mine so my cut and highlight, a cut for the hubby and a cut for the wiggly toddler doesn’t cost us much. My son and I would be fine cutting meat out several times a week but then my hubby wouldn’t have anything to eat! The one thing we tried to cut was cable but when I called to disconnect it, my bill didn’t change. Turns out that cable & Internet “bundle” really is saving us money!
Andrea says
Just a couple additional money-saving tips here (besides the no-cable, veggie garden, chicken-raising tips already mentioned, which we DO)
-Split the cost of a Costco membership with family members. My sister and I do this with my mom, and then we pay cash when we shop together (about once a month).
-Organize a magazine exchange at work?? I bring all my magazines to work once I’m done reading them and leave them in the lunchroom, and my coworkers do the same. People are free to take the ones they’re interested in reading.
-Switch to a Kindle (cheapest version is $69 I think?) I’m as much of a book lover as the next person, but I don’t have the space anymore for all those books, and the Kindle versions are almost always cheaper.
-Check out places like e-salon if your hair color routine is simple (like, say, getting rid of the grays). I don’t color my hair, but when I get to that gray-fighting stage this is the route I’m going!
-Check out alternative vehicles. I work super close to home so a second car isn’t necessarily a requirement for me, and right now we have no car payments. BUT if we find ourselves needing another vehicle in the future, I think I’m going to seriously consider a gas-powered scooter! They can be as cheap as $1500 to buy and get great gas mileage.
-Take a basic auto shop class at night at your local community college. This is something I REALLY want to do soon. I would love to be able to do my own oil changes and replace my own brakes on my car (right now, my dad does these for me)
-Shop consignment. This is so easy to do, especially with the recent rise in online consignment shops. We use Moxie Jean for my kid’s clothes and it could not be easier.
-If you have to eat out, eat out SMART. We eat out ALL THE TIME (she said while hanging her head in shame) but my kids are terrible eaters. The absolute worst. They are the type who take two bites and say “I’m done!” So we always share. Sharing is caring. And nobody gets a soda. Water for 4!
Sorry to go on and on… but I’m loving all the suggestions here!
Gwen, The Makerista says
This is so good! I love your honesty..thrifty is awesome! I will spend money on some things that people think I’m crazy for, but for instance, I only wash my hair once or twice a week and I use suave shampoo and conditioner. My husband will only use a brand new razor blade to shave his face, so I just use his razors too. :) And I just buy a big thing of suave men’s body wash and we both use that. I think the men’s fragrances smell better anyways!
Catherine @ Happily Ever Crafter says
I STILL have a Skip-It!!!
Katie says
I’m sorry, I must have missed how this is in any way DIY related…
YoungHouseLove says
We’ve been writing about this subject for 5+ years (we have an entire category on our site devoted to saving money) and the volume of comments on posts like these never fail to remind us that people love chatting about it!
xo,
s
Alison says
Hey Katie,
Who said everything on this blog is DIY related….?
Christy says
How about this: one of the very good reasons for DIY is to save money! And if you save money in other small ways, you can buy more supplies for DIY, right? It’s part of the lifestyle, baby. ;)
And my teeny $-saving tip of the day is to cut “empty” hand lotion bottles in half. It’s amazing how many days-worth of lotion I used to throw away in those “empty” pump bottles.
Heather says
Is it sad that I would consider making myself a Starbucks chai latte at home every day a splurge??
Marissa says
Totally in love with this post! Thrift gives me a sense of glee. :-)
One thing that we’ve found is working well for us is that after a few years living on our own, my husband and I went back to having roommates. Since we’re expecting a baby soon, this has raised a few eyebrows, but the savings are incredible. Not only in rent, but in every other expense–not just the basics like food & utilities, but also saving time since there are more people pitching in with the housework. We can hitch rides with each other, and I’m never lonely so I’m less likely to spend money out of boredom. Definitely not for everyone, but if you can find good roommates it’s something to keep an open mind about if you’re trying to save money.
I am also a librarian-and am a huge advocate for libraries!-so I rarely buy new books or media and use library databases to access things I can’t get in hard copy (Consumer Reports without a subscription, people!). We got by on only one car for a long time, but did get a second car when I found out I was pregnant because the walk to the bus stop was getting to be too much. We don’t buy anything new unless we absolutely can’t find it used–kitchen appliances, clothes, furniture. I don’t wear any make-up or use any beauty products except for sunscreen, though I do splurge on a nice face wash. We are vegans and that saves a good deal of money. We have prepaid cell phones, which are not too bad. Next year I want to start a garden!
As far as splurges, I love a good movie in the theatre every now and then, would shrivel up and die without a decent broadband connection, and I do love to buy insanely overpriced vegan versions of things (like vegan cheese or meat) when the homemade stuff just won’t cut it. :-)
Mindy says
Totally had a Skip It! (And I was terrible at it!) My list looks a lot like yours, but I cannot give up fabric softener! I grew up in a house that didn’t use it, but we were having some major static cling issues a few years ago, so I got a bottle, and now I’ll never go back! No more crunchy air dried clothes!
Elizabeth says
SKIP IT. YES. My favorite toy until my friend broke it. We weren’t friends after that. I actually saw a knock off skip it at Target called a ” hop, skip, jumper”. So not the same thing.
Andrea says
I love the tips and seeing additional ways to try to save money. I have the same carry-on bag from Target and you can fit EVERYTHING in there!!
Hannah says
Is this a joke post?
This is how I (and everybody I know) live when I’m not being frugal or working hard to save for something… And I’m on a part-time income. It’s great you’re doing well financially but you’re a bit out of touch if this is your definition of “streamlined & simple”. Serious ‘what the?’ face over here!
Shannon [Our Home Notebook] says
I loved hearing your ideas! It really does seem about balance, saving in one area so you can put it in another where it matters more. We like to save by menu planning and eating at home (except for date night :), DIY whatever you can, line drying our clothes in the summer, using netflix instead of cable, shopping the sales for clothing, cutting each other’s hair, etc.
My guilty pleasures: books, hot chocolate and less laundry by using disposable diapers. (Laundry and I aren’t the best of friends).
We like to put our saved money for our mortgage, home improvements, family vacations, etc.