“I was extremely skeptical about reusable paper towels, but I was sold the moment I started using them. They are essentially super thin cloths that roll onto a core, just like paper towels. We wash them in our normal loads of colors and roll them back up.”
“Not eating fast food at all. As weird as it is to say, I am glad they upped the prices.”
“This year I stopped getting coffee and drinks outside. This saves me about $125-$150 per month. I’m unexpectedly not even missing it and I’m planning to throw this money into my retirement account.”
“Cutting my own hair. I started during the pandemic because none of the hair salons were open, and I figured if it looked terrible no one would see it anyway. I tend to prefer simple cuts that are easy to do on myself, and this also cuts out the awkward small talk and all the chemical smells that trigger my asthma. If I decide I want a more complicated hairstyle I’ll pay a professional, but if all I want is a trim I can do it myself for free (the hair scissors paid for themselves with the first haircut).”
“Eating beans for lunch every day. On the weekends, I make a large amount of some type of bean dish. Falafel, beans and rice, navy beans soup, bean burritos, etc. Then I just pack it for lunch during the workday. Buying dry beans is like $1.50 for five meals. It’s delicious and healthy”
“Giving up alcohol. I quit last year after going through my budget at the end of 2022 and realizing the insane amount I spent going out. I still go out with my friends, but I drink club sodas instead now- which normally bartenders don’t even charge me for or are free refills. Went from spending $500+ /month on alcohol to maybe $30 on flavored seltzers. Huge huge win, and I am not only better off financially, but mentally and physically also.”
“Wool dryer balls. It reduces the price of laundry and at the same time it reduces the amount of fragrance there is. Win Win”
“Bought a bread machine from Goodwill for $15. We used to buy bread that was $3 a loaf, but now making our own bread cost us pennies”
“Buying clothes secondhand only. 3 years in and frankly I no longer see the point of ever paying retail prices for new clothes. I thrift about once a week and over time have easily found everything I need. Bonus: it’s helped with my mindset in sort of training myself out of immediacy/instant gratification and into longer term planning and patience.”
“Reusable floor pads like swiffer but they go in laundry
Reusable dish sponges that go to laundry . So much better.”
“Switching to old-school razor blade razor instead of the plastic ones. Shaves fantastically, lasts forever and razor blades are incredibly cheap.”
“Did a no spend year on clothes. It was way easier and more enjoyable than expected. I made myself “shop” my own closet and discovered so many cool pieces I’d forgotten about. Other than to replace essential things that get worn out/fall apart, I really don’t need any new clothes. That was a liberating discovery”
“I stopped driving to run small errands. I walk instead.”
“I canceled my Amazon Prime subscription. I tracked how much my family and I spent year over year and it had grown astronomically. I’m talking well over $15,000 a year. So far this year I’ve only spent around $50. This month I’m on a no-spend challenge and I haven’t ordered anything from Amazon. It may not sound like much, but it was way too easy to order things I didn’t really need just because it was available.”
“Doing my own nails and saving $50 per visit”
“Cycling ! Super cheap mean of transportation (basically just maintenance and even that is super cheap), good for your health, makes you smile. Can’t believe there aren’t more people doing it, it truly feels like a cheat code. It’s my main way to go from A to B. I’ll buy a cargo bike for sure.”
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Were.
Note: $500 divided by 30 days is about $16.60 a day; around here that is two beers and a shot.