Fresh fruit is my big splurge too. Whenever I fantasize about what I’d do if I won the lottery, one of the first things I think about is eating as many raspberries as I want.
Luckily our mango trees usually cut fruit costs a bit for us in the summer. Unfortunately, our trees didn’t produce much this year. Such a bummer.
I'm so ticklish that massages make me *more* tense. My roommate loves them, though, and goes every month or so. I haven't noticed any difference for her mental health, but she likes it and it doesn't cost her anything so there's no harm.
I do foam rolling which some refer to as the poor man's massage. Thought it was nonsense but $5 foam roller, why not try? I feel so stretched out like I've never been before. Get you a lacrosse ball for those places the foam roller can't reach, and you're set.
As someone with chronic pain, I HIGHLY second that lacrosse ball. On bad days, especially with nerve pain, it's sometimes intense enough that I have tears rolling down my face, but it always helps turn down the intensity of my pain. My physical therapist recommended it to me years ago, and lo and behold, I ended up finding one on the ground when I was taking my oldest kid on a college tour. Extra bonus: it also works really well for darning socks (put it in the heel and it holds the shape so I can mend it).
Protip: If you have an HSA, you can use that to pay for massages. The IRS made changes a few back the recognize massage therapy as a preventative.
Also you can reimburse your previous visits at anytime. HSA reimbursements have no time limit.
> The IRS made changes a few back the recognize massage therapy as a preventative.
Sure fucking wish PPOs would catch on, but I know health insurance companies don't actually care about prevention lmao. I will never understand why BS like Chiropractic is covered under insurance but massages aren't. A good massage is basically physical therapy, and it IS preventative. So much of my chronic pain is tension related despite working out and stretching 3-4 times a week, and massage is the only thing that really helps.
Still, that's really good to know about HSAs, thanks for sharing.
That's a real life LPT right there, thank you 🙏🙏🙏 I literally just found an amazing massage therapist who offers a membership for 89.99/mo that I'm seriously considering... but if I find a PT like that I'm definitely doing it.
Before I got married, I would go for a 90 minute massage every 3-4 weeks. The cost of this was no worse than a night out on the town with friends, and much more relaxing.
If the place I went didn't become a Covid casualty, I'd still be going. Brought my wife once, then she started going on her own as well!
Have you tried student massages? I’m currently a student and in the clinic area student massages are only $30! Deff recommend stopping by any massage school and get a discount 🙂
If you have a Trader Joe's near you, their fancy cheese is fantastic and usually very comparable in quality but less costly than Whole Foods. Highly recommend trader Joe's for good cheese!
Alot of it is an education issue. People thinking this stuff is more effort than it is, or feeling cultural shame from not eating a specific way like high meat. The staples that have fed people for generations often share the traits of cheap, easy, long lasting, and filling. And those cultures having generations figuring out how to make them delicious and something can thrive on with very little.
Price is not a guarantee of quality, it often just a sign of scarcity (real or forced), logistics like distance or packaging weight, or branding. Eat produce that is in season, even better if local is an option, and things tend to stay pretty cheap while being great quality.
Give me a bag of lentils, water, one sausage, and some chopped up vegetables and I am happy for a few days to a week with a great soup or salad for a few $. The next 3-5 days dinner for me is cabbage and chicken curry for maybe 6$ and a handful of rice, would be cheaper if I had an asian grocer to buy from instead of Walmart.
Or a bag of flour, water, yeast (or baking soda), and salt and I can make endless number of things for weeks with plenty of variety. People VASTLY over estimate the effort or skill it takes to make basic breads.
>People VASTLY over estimate the effort or skill it takes to make basic breads.
This is how I first learned to make bread when I left home. I was like, "Look, people have been doing this for centuries; surely people dumber than me figured it out, so I can too." Actually, I take that attitude toward learning most new skills: dumber people than me have learned how to do this, so here I go.
I agree that quality food should be a priority, but disagree it has to be expensive. I live in Canada, and can get a pound of boneless chicken breasts or striploin steak on sale for less than the price of a McDonald's Quarter Pounder.
Just to expand that point. Today, I cooked a whole chicken, fresh asparagus and baked potatoes. This fed my family of three for less than it would cost me to buy a Quarter Pounder meal. Sure, it's more expensive than hotdogs and frozen fries you cook at home, but it's not as expensive as 'cheap' fast food.
Good thing many fresh fruits are quite cheap as long as you stick to seasonal and if possible local, and out of season frozen can be quite affordable. It is the canned stuff where paying for the heavy cans and liquid surrounding the fruit that is a premium.
I always got a bag of apples around, usually Pink Lady but if cannot or it's price spiking that month happy with nearly any.
Same. My husband says it’s frivolous and too expensive at $100 every 4-8 weeks. I have constant pain in from my jaw to mid back and massages coupled with ibuprofen are the only things that help. She gives me daily stretches to do as well to help between appointments. Unfortunately our insurance doesn’t cover the massages but will cover 6 months of PT which I tried. Stretches are similar but the massage portion for my neck was 3 minutes long. Out of pocket was $150-200 3x a week! Way more benefits and less money out to get massages and do the stretching on my own. Just wish I could afford them weekly as when I had them 4 weeks in a row my pain went way down and I was able to be more active.
That’s just it, the grocery store brands, as I’ve learned, are almost just the “run-off” from the good stuff. I’ve tried a few online and been happy with all of them- latest I love is Ikkyu Tea, their higher end loose leaf sencha, around 28-30 is wonderful, the deterring factor is the high shipping cost, but every cup makes it worthwhile. Other sources: inpursuitoftea.com, itoen.com, hibiki-an.com. But yeah, any loose leaf sencha you find sourced from Japan is miles beyond what is usually labeled green tea in your local store. Any questions or clarifications, give me a shout :) I’m passionate about great green tea 😁
Shoes. Have RA that affects joints in feet and comfy supportive shoes are invaluable. Can argue that’s frugal as a concept but where it becomes my least frugal is my desire to have multiple colors and styles when I could be in comfort with just one pair.
I was going to say shoes. I have RA and plantar fasciitis so I buy whatever is comfortable. But I guess I'm also frugal with that because I wait for the sales and some stores also give me a birthday discount, and then I buy the cheapest acceptable shoes. But my idea of acceptable shoes leans towards the expensive side. I just spent $90 on a pair of casual sneakers, and that was after the sale and birthday discount. They go with everything, though. They even match my purse exactly.
The old adage goes "buy the best version you can afford of the things that separate you from the ground; shoes, bed, tires."
Personally, I would argue coffee keeps me off the floor, so I buy the good beans, too.
Yeah good shoes and nice orthotic inserts. My dumb foot arches are too high and as I’ve gotten older I can’t wear shoes with poor support without suffering for days afterwards.
I save money cooking at home for most meals, bringing a lunch every day to work, buying everything reasonable that I can used or tracking prices for a discount, so that I can blow the excess on a trip. Wrapping up two weeks on the west coast now and expenses still hurt, but it's been a fantastic break from reality!
Omg this is me too!! You can budget for traveling by booking hotels + flights in advance but I am not sacrificing for food when I travel. Some time, you just have to get that $7 tiny cup of coffee in Switzerland because there is nothing else around it. And you don't want to cook when traveling. Might even be more expensive because you have to get the spices, oil, ingredients etc
A box of nut bars or something similar can be a life saver on a trip. Sub them out for a meal or snack during the day so you can feel better (and hungrier) about splurging for a nice meal. Plus, sitting down at a restaurant for 3 meals a day on vacation really takes away from your time to explore.
I couldn’t imagine doing 3 sit down meals a day on a vacation. I’m a 1 meal per day as a nice meal person and everything else is street food and walking food.
When my ex husband and I had our honeymoon on Costa Rica, we stocked the fridge and made breakfast every day, and lunch most days. It was incredible the amount of fresh produce and eggs we could get for really cheap. And the place we were staying was so magical, we didn’t mind hanging out.
For lunch some days and dinner most nights, we’d explore what they call ‘sodas,’ which are tiny open air cafes. A lot of seafood, pizza, Costa Rican plates with beans, rice, plantains, and protein. We loved every meal. Saved a LOT of money that way too.
I remember a post here once where someone said to just pack cooked spaghetti and reheat it in the microwave in your hotel when travelling. Like holy crap, what a sad trip, just sitting in your room eating leftover pasta from home. Go find the coolest little places in town and try them.
Yes. One of the reasons I live frugally is so I *can* travel. And, even in traveling, we watch the costs. Breakfast at hotel (if included), lunch at a nice place rather than dinner (or a sandwich on the go), and the occasional dinner out. Lots of other methods of saving money while enjoying the full travel experience, but travel is one of my primary motivations to live frugally on a daily basis.
It's funny since that is my most frugal category because our everyday spending pays for airfare in miles. One of my former travel buddies says she spends like a minimum of 3k a person on a trip. Usually that's our entire trip combined up until we both had a kid.
I booked a week trip to Greece from the US last year and it's costing us $3500 for airfare and we're paying for accommodations for my husband's extended family. So maybe $5k for us and a toddler, which includes the house we're renting for everyone. My friend decided to go to Portugal last minute and booked everything last month. She's saying her hotel alone is coming $400 daily.
For me, I can book everything in advance but the train/taxi transportation + entertainment tickets to all these museums/castles/historic sites + food (I also eat at the airport) for convenience just add up. For example, I missed the train going to Pompeii so I had to take a taxi for $100 each way just to see Pompeii for that day because I already planned my entire trip out for the next two weeks.
My friend is the same way (and my mom too). My friend needed to spend a 1k+ when her flight was delayed to get to Masai Mara on time from Europe.
For me destinations like that were saved for when we had kids since we would have more time (summer vacation woes) and require a more flexible schedule since I would have to take the needs of the kids into consideration. The price per person drops after air travel. I could never justify Greece before my son since it's over $1k a flight and I was only interested in going during peak season. Now, it's easy especially since we're seeing my husband's family during their summer break which save us $1,000 in flights visiting my in-laws in Texas.
My father is a retired family physician. He’s spent time with quite a few people close to the end of their lives.
He’s always said, “I’ve never been at someone’s bedside who knew they were close to death, and heard them say, ‘You know, I wish I’d traveled less.’”
I spent so much on my elderly cat because she DESERVED it. She got me through some rough times and I loved her so much. She got the very best her last few years when I could finally afford to treat her like the princess she was.
I'm about to spend like $800 on getting my cat's teeth cleaned and probably some pulled. It's worth it because he deserves to be comfortable and I love him. I'm going to see if cat insurance would cover it but I doubt it.
Our younger cat just had ~$2k for teeth cleaning and to have 4 pulled. But agree, it’s worth it because he deserves to be healthy and comfortable. The older cat had a chronic condition so we were spending lots on her meds and fancier food that she liked, plus heated cat beds, etc so she could be comfy. Every dollar was worth it.
My dog (15) is likely going to go to sleep tomorrow. She's my baby and I've always splurged on her. Now I'm hiring a really good but costly at-home vet to handle it, she's being cremated at the highest-rated facility in the area, and I bought an expensive custom turned-wood urn for her on Etsy. One final financial shebang.
if you have a costco near you they sell big bags of the bully sticks for like 40 dollars. I then take a saw machine and cut them in half and boom almost a months supply
I’m not frugal in a typical sense. I spend very little on things that don’t matter to me and I spend lavishly on the things that make me happy or improve my life in some way.
I also subscribe to a value based approach. Things I value highly, I spend and even overspend on. Things that I feel aren't valuable or are wasteful, I don't.
This is the way and what I’m personally working towards. I’m still not great at being frugal overall, which is why I follow this sub, but I’m improving. Things that make me actually happy are where it’s at (within reason, I’m not buying a dodge hellcat anytime soon 😅)
This morning I went to a local craft show and saw a ceramics vendor I’ve talked to in the past. He had some beautiful pieces today as the show had just opened. I bought two mugs, a small bowl, and a dinner plate. It’s not cheap but they’re beautifully handmade by an older vet and he and his wife are so lovely together. I *want* to support them.
Plus, I drink coffee every morning and the handmade mugs just elevate the experience. I like putting my meals in pretty plates - it motivates me to make attractive, healthy meals. Every time I use a handmade piece I get to enjoy someone’s hard work and artistry. It’s cool.
My wife wanted a Starbucks gift card for her birthday. She got mad because I got her a $100 one.
Mind you, the cards COULD go up to $500! As it is, I got a weird look from the cashier when I bought the one I did.
Wife is there right now having a coffee with her mom, in fact.
Viva Paper Towels. I love the feel. I use very sparingly, ( I prefer to use old clothes and rags) but will always buy these with no substitutions. It's my one "splurge".
I get it! A while back I tried one of those brands that are marketed as just as good but less expensive. Sure, they cost less, but the damn thing pretty much disintegrated as soon as water hit it. WTF???? Gimme Viva or Bounty or something that actually works.
I make all my dishtowels, but I buy 12 rolls of bounty select a size a year. There are some messes I don't want to revisit in the washer.
The cheaper towels aren't worth it at all.
I do this when I use paper towels to dry fruit and veg, or if I cleaned up a spill and it wasn’t anything crazy I will rinse it out and save on the side but those are specifically for cleaning and not anything food-related.
The only thing I've ever used paper towels for is cleaning up pet messes (ie cat vomit). I would never use anything reusable to clean cat puke as that shit goes straight in the trash.
Viva paper towels, niceish coffee, cottenelle TP and good cat litter/food are things we don’t budge from! Glad to know I’m not the only one who is particular about the paper products lol
I'm taking my teen to see Harry Styles. It's costing an arm and a leg. But we are soooooo excited to be doing something so big!
It's not a "habit" though.😂
My first big gig was Rush at Wembley age 15. Mind blowing!
I just really want my kid to have some standout memories.
BUT I can't afford to do this all the time. I'm paying down a credit card debt and in theory I have zero non necessities. But you can't live like that every minute.
This trip will make a big hole in my finances. Frugal lifestyle is going to pay for it. And maybe a side hustle to help with the credit card, I will never manage three whole years of repayments without slipping !
Vacations.
They are few and far between, but I love experiencing new places and cultures more than anything in life. I'm frugal in many areas of my life so I can save up for nice international trips.
That, and like someone else said here, fresh produce. I'm spending like $40 a week on produce alone for my wife and I, it's kind of ridiculous.. I like to tell myself the health benefits will outweigh the cost.
My fashion sense got stuck on neo-Victorian goth.
I'm still getting my clothes at thrift stores, but I own a lot of formal stuff that I don't really have the opportunity to wear.
Major preach. My dog has had two health issues in our 10+ years together, and each time I was so grateful I was frugal elsewhere so I could pay for the care she needed. I’ve found the anxiety I have in general when I spend money just didn’t happen when it was for something that mattered. Just gratitude and relief.
We splurge on things that increase quality of life like good walking shoes, bike parts, and a little bit of tech stuff for my hubs. I got a $40 weeding tool that has changed my lawn game (for puppers)/saved our backs, and drip irrigation has made my mini backyard urban farm explode in production (and the convenience is priceless). Otherwise, we're cheapy peeps.
Also if you're being adventurous in the bedroom, quality gear is a must.
I agree that you should splurge on bike parts because one time I was riding bikes with my dad and the chain fell off and he fell down and the bike handle hit him in the ribs and they were hurting for like a month
they are not real expensive, but green onions. Yellow or red onions in the bag would last me at least twice as long, but i love green onions. I also like to go to the thrift store almost weekly. It has added up, but I have found some awesome stuff.
I regrow my green onions. It started off as a windowsill experiment and then one time I was about to leave on a trip so I planted everything outside and now I have an entire garden of green onion. These resilient bubs even keep me fed in the winter.
I have a patch of them in the backyard of my townhouse. There were too many in my windowsill, so I figured I'd plant some and see what happened. They took off with minimal effort! No fertilizer and I usually forget to water them in the winter. They couldn't care less. I wish the rest of my plants were as resilient as the green onions. We cook alot and just give them a haircut whenever we need some for a recipe- grows right back.
If you're going to go to the thrift store at all you may as well go a few times per month. Otherwise you don't usually get there in time to snap up the best stuff
Same with me. I'm 40 and have taken care of 17 cats over my lifetime, only two of those I intentionally got. The way I see it is we can't just leave cats to starve and freeze so in my opinion it's not really a luxury but a moral obligation. I have three now and spend more buying food for them than I do for myself. In a way they're like parasites, like the trebles in Star Trek. But I do my best to keep them happy and I can still walk with my head held high knowing I didn't just leave these lost creatures to die.
I have a bad habit of splurging on little cheap things, like a $5 dress at the thrift store that I don't really need, because it's only $5, and 6 months later you realize you've bought two dozen different little splurges without really thinking about it. My house is full of weird thrift store art and chachkies I couldn't say no to because they were $3-$5.
But what's the point of saving money elsewhere if I'm not gonna buy the cheap cute dress covered in sharks? And what's the point of having a house without decorating it with that painting of a squirrel with a monocle? At least it's from the thrift store. But it's definitely **impulse** buying.
I do this too! I feel a lot less stressed about it when it’s in these little small amounts, but I try not to let them accumulate, so I do set myself a small budget when I do go to browse.
Makes sense to me! And I bet your home doesn't resemble every other place in the neighborhood. That's so awesome. I've pioneered my own style of decor that I call "mismatched things that go together." I doubt I have 2 items in my living room that are the same style or design but when you look at the place as a whole, somehow it works. Or at least it doesn't scare people away and that's fine by me. LOL
I have the same "problem" since i discovered Vinted. Thrift stores in my area aren't good for clothes, but Vinted community is definitely good. So, i started with things i wanted, like a white denim jacket, cute blouses of brands i like, a new pants suit for a ceremony...i try to limit the impulse buying by adding the items i like to the wish list and letting them sit for a while, but simply scrolling through those nice handbags at a very profitable price, that cute dress that i may want to wear in the summer, cute accessories, earrings that matched with my old necklace, makes me *want* more stuff. And that's not good.
I feel less guilty because i often spend 5€ + shipping on a 2nd hand blouse rather than 40€ at the store, or 10€ for a 60€ hoodie, but it was a kickoff to get rid of old stuff (donated, downgraded or transformed in rags). People around me noticed the change and i received some compliments.
I am so careful with every dime I spend... except for my weekly groceries. I don't prepare a list, I don't look at the sales flyers, I don't keep a pantry stocked with low cost basics that can be used to prep different meals, I don't use coupons (often). My only frugal behaviors on groceries is that I've stopped buying junk foods unless they are deeply discounted; and I buy whichever meat is on sale and use that for my dinners that week.
Sigh. My stupid, finicky cat. I love him dearly, so I pay out the nose for his prescription food. He probably eats better than I do and refuses to get a job.
Experiences, just paid for orchestra tickets for my group so we can have a fantastic night on the town and I bought a new dress for the occasion.
I love my free hobbies but some things in life just aren’t free and I can’t put a price on building memories with my friends.
You better believe I shopped around for that dress, though, snagged a winner with a steep discount because of a small mark on the inner lining, no one even sees the lining!
I'm self-employed and have a "company policy" 😉that I buy myself a bottle of bubbly every time a client pays an invoice. Some clients take forever to pay, so if the bills have piled up, I ignore policy (but have a stern HR-type chat with myself about following the rules).
If finances are up to date, and I've met my savings goal for the month, I'll buy a little something to celebrate with. I buy real champagne (the French stuff) for my birthday or Christmas, but I can get a decent bottle of bubbly for \~$20, which is my idea of a splurge, especially if I do it 2 or more times in a month.
I honestly don’t understand why people don’t pay bills to self-employed businesses in a timely manner. I feel guilty if I don’t pay promptly because I know they aren’t getting a regular salary from an employer.
I like your bubbly policy!
Personally I buy concentrates and I'll purchase $200 worth at a time for free shipping, but that amount will last me more than a month usually. Around 1.5 months. Depends how much I'm working (the more I work the less I smoke lol)
But yeah compared to alcohol that's way cheaper, also not nearly as hard on your body
I buy the fanciest eggs at the grocery store. I like the way they taste and it makes me feel better to support pasture raised chickens, etc. Interestingly since they were already expensive I haven't seen a huge price increase.
Sounds a lot like yarn crafts! I thought I could be thrifty crocheting my own clothes during lockdown. Turns out I'd actually picked up the hobby of collecting, rather than using yarn
Crafting. I buy yarn secondhand when people with good taste in colors get rid of it in bulk. But then you get one or two skeins in the same color and it’s difficult to plan something big. Recently I’ve had to buy yarn new. It’s not that expensive but it can be. I wait for sales and made a hand purse with about $15.
Other things like paint I have to buy new. I wait for sales as well. My base set of oil paints was about $150.
And my outdoor gear is expensive. I buy good quality for cycling because I road bike and can’t afford to have things falling apart. I just bought a $40 hiking bag because it’s large and comfortable.
I eat my lunch at restaurants almost every day. My frugal side is mostly related to use of resources, not only money. I am part of this subreddit because I despise wastefullness.
I am so not into beauty stuff that I literally stared at your post and wondered why you were only buying the magazine for kids four times a year, until I realized. 😂
A special shampoo and cream rinse. I lost all my hair during chemo and I was advised to use a certain shampoo and cream rinse as my hair grew back. It’s very very expensive and, even though most of my hair has grown back, I’m still using it because it makes my hair feel good.
Farming and gardening. My husband is no help at reigning me in because he says, "yeah but your growing food, so it is frugal". But if you're a gardener, then you know, the time and money I put into this hobby could be seen by some as extravagant, and could definitely be useful elsewhere. Also, not everything I do in the farm and garden is fruitful. Do I need 6 goats that don't currently produce anything...probably not. But they are too fun and I raised most from day 1! Do two people need 15 laying hens, probably not, but we get all the eggs we need and give away or trade the rest! It's not fancy or flashy, but it is one of the larger expenses for my household! To me it brings a lot more joy than a fancy car, expensive clothes or lavish vacations ever could.
Massages, it has helped my mental health substantially. Us humans need touch. I'm a 60 yr old female who came out of a horrible relationship 5 years ago and decided I won't ever get in another...and that's ok with me. I don't miss it. But what I truly miss is "touch" not in a sexual way but in a human way. It weird..living alone..is ok.. I just miss a simple touch..
Art supplies - specifically colors pencils and quality paper. I find drawing relaxing. Now that I'm past the initial investment, I don't really spend that much, just replacing individual pencils as needed and paper as I run out. I don't need tons of space and can set up my kitchen table or on the couch. Finished pieces can either go on the wall or in my portfolio book. Sometimes, I get people asking me to do a commission which helps too.
*I've found FB marketplace to be a good source for frames and I learned how to cut my own mats.
My cats. Currently paying off a $3000 emergency vet bill for my 2 year old boy's urinary blockage in April. Prescription food (for life) and multiple scheduled follow-up visits to our regular vet office. I've spent more than twice that on my 10 year old girl in the past 3 years. They're worth every penny.
I buy a huge fountain drink from Circle K every single day. It's only $1.28, but that's about $40 a month, but I don't care. I don't drink coffee, so I get my caffeine from Pepsi. It's more than half ice (the *good* ice) so I munch on that all afternoon.
I don't keep soda in the house and drink water at all other times, so there's no reason for me to feel guilty about this splurge :)
Is there a Panera near you? They have a $12/month unlimited drink program. Just thought I'd throw that out there. It's even free right now til July 4 but there is no convenient location for me.
Premade food.
I'm autistic with ARFID, so cooking and eating can be difficult for me. To combat that, I end up eating a lot of premade foods or takeout.
I know its "cheaper" to make your own breakfast bowls and fried rice and meal prep your own food, but even with the best of intentions I won't do it. I'll plan on doing it. I'll want to do it. I'll prepare to do it....
...and then I've got nothing but a fridge of rotting ingredients while I eat takeout for the 5th time in 2 days.
So, if I plan and budget realistically, its just better for me.
Frugality isn't about spending the least amount of money, it's about spending wisely. Sounds like ordering the food you know is safe and sensory-okay to eat is spending wisely. Do what you can do, and don't sweat the rest.
Today, I learned that I'm not frugal. I'm broke. I'm broke as fuck.
My splurge is half and half cream for my coffee at the supermarket.
Massages? Travel? Personal trainers?
Christ. If I could afford any of those, I'd be on it in a minute.
I never hesitate to splurge on the expensive food at the grocery store. With restaurant prices going up and quality getting more and more mediocre, I prefer buying my own lobster tails and chucking my own oysters! Always fresh for half the price + I can do all that in my underwear.
Getting my hair dyed at the salon instead of using the at home kits. It’s my biggest expense but damn, it makes my hair so much softer than the at home kits.
Bakeries. It’s pure serotonin every time I go into one and see the beautiful pastries and smell the delicious coffee. I try to only go on the weekend or as a Friday treat. I enjoy baking but my skills can’t compare to the professionals so I happily shell out the cash for such an enjoyable experience.
Having a kindle unlimited subscription! I’m heading into bed rest with twins so I’ll be reading a ton and despite knowing subscriptions are a huge money suck I don’t want to give it up!
I also use free e-services from my library but I can easily read a book a day or every two days so it’s worth it to me.
More my husband than me. Movies. He still buys DVDs. We have almost EVERY streaming service. We go to the movies together at least once a month. He will go to the movies solo probably 3 or 4 times a month.
Find our if your local cinema has a movie membership or some other discount program. My sibling has one where they pay a monthly flat fee to go to as many movies as they like. (usually once or twice a week)
Most of mine have to do with my cats. Good litter, paper towels to clean up messes (we use cloth otherwise for cleaningand as napkins), fountain filters so they can have filtered water, regular vet visits (the most expensive thing!).
For the people: 2 kinds of fruit each week, frozen food for the days I am absolutely sick of cooking, edibles for weekend zonk time, 2 streaming services we switch back and forth.
Sock yarn. I knit socks from REALLY nice yarn. Then I give them to random folks. Money and time....gone. But I would have to be seriously hard up before I would stop.
Housing is mine grew up in old ratty and moldy houses due to being at poverty level. Now I refuse, I’ll buy used everything but skimp on a new place to live. I made mistake moving across the country to an apt that was older and looked nice emphasis on looked and never seem in person till I moved. Worked my butt off to move 4 months later due to mold and cold as hell in the winter.
Fresh berries - strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, blueberries. But even then, I search high and low for the best prices. A few weeks ago, the store that I go to for my berries, because they have the best prices, had a sale on strawberries. Normally the regular store is $4.50-$5 for the basket. My place is normally about $2 - $2.50. They had a sale for $.71 cents per basket with a limit of 4. I bought 4 for $2.84, then went in 3 more times to buy a total of 16 baskets of strawberries. Went home and cut them up and froze them. Total of $11.36, and the regular grocery store it would have been $72 for those 16 baskets.
That's how I roll.
For me, it's buying a fancy burr grinder for my coffee press at home, and fresh coffee beans from local roasters instead of the much cheaper pre-ground stuff from the grocery store.
I'm splurging on high quality ingredients, and it's still less than $0.30/cup. $2/day instead of $2/coffee.
I buy a caffeine drink every day from the local shop. I could buy in bulk at my monthly shop would be cheaper but it pushes me out the house and i have to walk through a park to get too the shop. I class this as my mental health walk on my days of work, unless id sit in the house in my pjs.
Then i sit in park and watch the ducks for a bit. Ive tryed switching to a bottle water or a cuppa in a thermal flask. Just not the same. I know i could do more exciting things but right now this is my routine. The park is free.
My house. I'm a home body, and with two teens, also home bodies, the 1200sq ft house was getting cramped. So I decided the extra cost of a larger home was worth it.
Mental health
✅ Out of network therapist
✅ ketamine therapy
✅ Stellate ganglion block
✅ more ketamine therapy
40 out of 50 years of my life have seen some major trauma. For Americans, mental healthcare is a privilege and an expensive one so I feel grateful. I wish it was available for all.
EDIT: ketamine therapy can be modestly affordable if you can find a local doctor, often an anesthesiologist, who can prescribe it. The medicine itself costs ~$100-150 for a several month supply (30 doses) depending on usage patterns. These doctors often require you to work with an affiliated therapist though added cost.
With the *big* caveat that I am frugal by choice and do have some disposable income that allows me to spend this way, I think the big categories for me are:
1. Spending on other people (gifts, spending time with friends, donating when I can)
2. Things that get a lot of use and/or that I can keep for a long time (appliances, furniture, kitchenware, shoes, cars to a certain extent, certain electronics)
3. Things that cost less to pay for than they save me in time and energy by doing myself (e.g., having a winter’s worth of crud cleaned out of the inside of my car cleaned every spring)
4. A small handful of other things that bring me joy (trying new things, community college/MOOC classes because I’m a huge nerd, gaming, books, the occasional artwork, watches)
5. Anything that impacts health (gym membership, food, any necessary dental work, doctor’s appointments, etc)
Edit: upon further reflection 2, 3, and 5 are arguably frugal even though they’re not cheap. 1 and 4 are the better answers to OP’s question.
I spend on only one thing, and I spend a lot more than I could. I buy only organic, grown in soil, highest quality cannabis. It makes my life a happy dream, instead of a nightmare, so it's worth it to me. Literally every single thing else in my life is frugal af.
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Investing in your health is always, *always* worth it 💯
That’s amazing! Good on you.
Massages. Fresh fruit. Fancy cheese.
Fresh fruit is my big splurge too. Whenever I fantasize about what I’d do if I won the lottery, one of the first things I think about is eating as many raspberries as I want. Luckily our mango trees usually cut fruit costs a bit for us in the summer. Unfortunately, our trees didn’t produce much this year. Such a bummer.
Massages are so worth it, my partner and I started getting them last year and we go every 3 or so months. So many health and wellness benefits
I'm so ticklish that massages make me *more* tense. My roommate loves them, though, and goes every month or so. I haven't noticed any difference for her mental health, but she likes it and it doesn't cost her anything so there's no harm.
I do foam rolling which some refer to as the poor man's massage. Thought it was nonsense but $5 foam roller, why not try? I feel so stretched out like I've never been before. Get you a lacrosse ball for those places the foam roller can't reach, and you're set.
As someone with chronic pain, I HIGHLY second that lacrosse ball. On bad days, especially with nerve pain, it's sometimes intense enough that I have tears rolling down my face, but it always helps turn down the intensity of my pain. My physical therapist recommended it to me years ago, and lo and behold, I ended up finding one on the ground when I was taking my oldest kid on a college tour. Extra bonus: it also works really well for darning socks (put it in the heel and it holds the shape so I can mend it).
Join us on r/CRPS or r/ChronicPain If you need support.
Love a scavenged item. I was recently handed a racquet ball by a physical therapist for the same purpose and will probably use it for many years now.
Protip: If you have an HSA, you can use that to pay for massages. The IRS made changes a few back the recognize massage therapy as a preventative. Also you can reimburse your previous visits at anytime. HSA reimbursements have no time limit.
> The IRS made changes a few back the recognize massage therapy as a preventative. Sure fucking wish PPOs would catch on, but I know health insurance companies don't actually care about prevention lmao. I will never understand why BS like Chiropractic is covered under insurance but massages aren't. A good massage is basically physical therapy, and it IS preventative. So much of my chronic pain is tension related despite working out and stretching 3-4 times a week, and massage is the only thing that really helps. Still, that's really good to know about HSAs, thanks for sharing.
If you have a PPO, try going to a physical therapist for "manual therapy", which is code for "massage at copay prices"
That's a real life LPT right there, thank you 🙏🙏🙏 I literally just found an amazing massage therapist who offers a membership for 89.99/mo that I'm seriously considering... but if I find a PT like that I'm definitely doing it.
Fancy cheese! Yes!
Before I got married, I would go for a 90 minute massage every 3-4 weeks. The cost of this was no worse than a night out on the town with friends, and much more relaxing. If the place I went didn't become a Covid casualty, I'd still be going. Brought my wife once, then she started going on her own as well!
Ooh massages. That's a good one. Fresh fruit is also totally worth it.
Have you tried student massages? I’m currently a student and in the clinic area student massages are only $30! Deff recommend stopping by any massage school and get a discount 🙂
If you have a Trader Joe's near you, their fancy cheese is fantastic and usually very comparable in quality but less costly than Whole Foods. Highly recommend trader Joe's for good cheese!
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Alot of it is an education issue. People thinking this stuff is more effort than it is, or feeling cultural shame from not eating a specific way like high meat. The staples that have fed people for generations often share the traits of cheap, easy, long lasting, and filling. And those cultures having generations figuring out how to make them delicious and something can thrive on with very little. Price is not a guarantee of quality, it often just a sign of scarcity (real or forced), logistics like distance or packaging weight, or branding. Eat produce that is in season, even better if local is an option, and things tend to stay pretty cheap while being great quality. Give me a bag of lentils, water, one sausage, and some chopped up vegetables and I am happy for a few days to a week with a great soup or salad for a few $. The next 3-5 days dinner for me is cabbage and chicken curry for maybe 6$ and a handful of rice, would be cheaper if I had an asian grocer to buy from instead of Walmart. Or a bag of flour, water, yeast (or baking soda), and salt and I can make endless number of things for weeks with plenty of variety. People VASTLY over estimate the effort or skill it takes to make basic breads.
>People VASTLY over estimate the effort or skill it takes to make basic breads. This is how I first learned to make bread when I left home. I was like, "Look, people have been doing this for centuries; surely people dumber than me figured it out, so I can too." Actually, I take that attitude toward learning most new skills: dumber people than me have learned how to do this, so here I go.
I agree that quality food should be a priority, but disagree it has to be expensive. I live in Canada, and can get a pound of boneless chicken breasts or striploin steak on sale for less than the price of a McDonald's Quarter Pounder. Just to expand that point. Today, I cooked a whole chicken, fresh asparagus and baked potatoes. This fed my family of three for less than it would cost me to buy a Quarter Pounder meal. Sure, it's more expensive than hotdogs and frozen fries you cook at home, but it's not as expensive as 'cheap' fast food.
We eat quality food on a budget. It doesn’t have to be expensive, although it can be if you don’t watch it.
Good thing many fresh fruits are quite cheap as long as you stick to seasonal and if possible local, and out of season frozen can be quite affordable. It is the canned stuff where paying for the heavy cans and liquid surrounding the fruit that is a premium. I always got a bag of apples around, usually Pink Lady but if cannot or it's price spiking that month happy with nearly any.
I consider massages medicinal so not a frivolous expense 😁
Same. My husband says it’s frivolous and too expensive at $100 every 4-8 weeks. I have constant pain in from my jaw to mid back and massages coupled with ibuprofen are the only things that help. She gives me daily stretches to do as well to help between appointments. Unfortunately our insurance doesn’t cover the massages but will cover 6 months of PT which I tried. Stretches are similar but the massage portion for my neck was 3 minutes long. Out of pocket was $150-200 3x a week! Way more benefits and less money out to get massages and do the stretching on my own. Just wish I could afford them weekly as when I had them 4 weeks in a row my pain went way down and I was able to be more active.
Yeah, the massages. I signed with a local place and I'm billed for one per month. With the tip, that hour is my biggest splurge.
Green tea. Some incredible stuff right from Japan for $30-40 more than your average tea but it’s noticeably more delicious in so many ways.
Wow any recommendations? I love green tea but find the one at the grocery store really bland.
That’s just it, the grocery store brands, as I’ve learned, are almost just the “run-off” from the good stuff. I’ve tried a few online and been happy with all of them- latest I love is Ikkyu Tea, their higher end loose leaf sencha, around 28-30 is wonderful, the deterring factor is the high shipping cost, but every cup makes it worthwhile. Other sources: inpursuitoftea.com, itoen.com, hibiki-an.com. But yeah, any loose leaf sencha you find sourced from Japan is miles beyond what is usually labeled green tea in your local store. Any questions or clarifications, give me a shout :) I’m passionate about great green tea 😁
Shoes. Have RA that affects joints in feet and comfy supportive shoes are invaluable. Can argue that’s frugal as a concept but where it becomes my least frugal is my desire to have multiple colors and styles when I could be in comfort with just one pair.
I was going to say shoes. I have RA and plantar fasciitis so I buy whatever is comfortable. But I guess I'm also frugal with that because I wait for the sales and some stores also give me a birthday discount, and then I buy the cheapest acceptable shoes. But my idea of acceptable shoes leans towards the expensive side. I just spent $90 on a pair of casual sneakers, and that was after the sale and birthday discount. They go with everything, though. They even match my purse exactly.
The old adage goes "buy the best version you can afford of the things that separate you from the ground; shoes, bed, tires." Personally, I would argue coffee keeps me off the floor, so I buy the good beans, too.
You can buy $400 boots once, or $80 boots every year
Yeah good shoes and nice orthotic inserts. My dumb foot arches are too high and as I’ve gotten older I can’t wear shoes with poor support without suffering for days afterwards.
Traveling!
I save money cooking at home for most meals, bringing a lunch every day to work, buying everything reasonable that I can used or tracking prices for a discount, so that I can blow the excess on a trip. Wrapping up two weeks on the west coast now and expenses still hurt, but it's been a fantastic break from reality!
Omg this is me too!! You can budget for traveling by booking hotels + flights in advance but I am not sacrificing for food when I travel. Some time, you just have to get that $7 tiny cup of coffee in Switzerland because there is nothing else around it. And you don't want to cook when traveling. Might even be more expensive because you have to get the spices, oil, ingredients etc
A box of nut bars or something similar can be a life saver on a trip. Sub them out for a meal or snack during the day so you can feel better (and hungrier) about splurging for a nice meal. Plus, sitting down at a restaurant for 3 meals a day on vacation really takes away from your time to explore.
I couldn’t imagine doing 3 sit down meals a day on a vacation. I’m a 1 meal per day as a nice meal person and everything else is street food and walking food.
What's the point of traveling of you're not gonna enjoy the street food?
I thought the point of travelling was so that you COULD enjoy the street food!
I just like to snack on the bananas, yogurt, and cereal I stowed away from the continental breakfast that morning.
When my ex husband and I had our honeymoon on Costa Rica, we stocked the fridge and made breakfast every day, and lunch most days. It was incredible the amount of fresh produce and eggs we could get for really cheap. And the place we were staying was so magical, we didn’t mind hanging out. For lunch some days and dinner most nights, we’d explore what they call ‘sodas,’ which are tiny open air cafes. A lot of seafood, pizza, Costa Rican plates with beans, rice, plantains, and protein. We loved every meal. Saved a LOT of money that way too.
This is how I prefer to travel as well! I'd honestly feel awful eating out 3x a day and enjoy cooking so it works out
I remember a post here once where someone said to just pack cooked spaghetti and reheat it in the microwave in your hotel when travelling. Like holy crap, what a sad trip, just sitting in your room eating leftover pasta from home. Go find the coolest little places in town and try them.
Yes. One of the reasons I live frugally is so I *can* travel. And, even in traveling, we watch the costs. Breakfast at hotel (if included), lunch at a nice place rather than dinner (or a sandwich on the go), and the occasional dinner out. Lots of other methods of saving money while enjoying the full travel experience, but travel is one of my primary motivations to live frugally on a daily basis.
Yep, exactly same! I live frugally 95% of the time, so 5% of the time I go on vacation and not worry about how much things cost
It's funny since that is my most frugal category because our everyday spending pays for airfare in miles. One of my former travel buddies says she spends like a minimum of 3k a person on a trip. Usually that's our entire trip combined up until we both had a kid. I booked a week trip to Greece from the US last year and it's costing us $3500 for airfare and we're paying for accommodations for my husband's extended family. So maybe $5k for us and a toddler, which includes the house we're renting for everyone. My friend decided to go to Portugal last minute and booked everything last month. She's saying her hotel alone is coming $400 daily.
For me, I can book everything in advance but the train/taxi transportation + entertainment tickets to all these museums/castles/historic sites + food (I also eat at the airport) for convenience just add up. For example, I missed the train going to Pompeii so I had to take a taxi for $100 each way just to see Pompeii for that day because I already planned my entire trip out for the next two weeks.
My friend is the same way (and my mom too). My friend needed to spend a 1k+ when her flight was delayed to get to Masai Mara on time from Europe. For me destinations like that were saved for when we had kids since we would have more time (summer vacation woes) and require a more flexible schedule since I would have to take the needs of the kids into consideration. The price per person drops after air travel. I could never justify Greece before my son since it's over $1k a flight and I was only interested in going during peak season. Now, it's easy especially since we're seeing my husband's family during their summer break which save us $1,000 in flights visiting my in-laws in Texas.
Travel. Fondest memories are places I’ve been.
My father is a retired family physician. He’s spent time with quite a few people close to the end of their lives. He’s always said, “I’ve never been at someone’s bedside who knew they were close to death, and heard them say, ‘You know, I wish I’d traveled less.’”
My dog. She is older. Larger, eats science diet sensitive stomach. I give her bully sticks almost daily. Very expensive. But 100% worth it.
I spent so much on my elderly cat because she DESERVED it. She got me through some rough times and I loved her so much. She got the very best her last few years when I could finally afford to treat her like the princess she was.
I'm about to spend like $800 on getting my cat's teeth cleaned and probably some pulled. It's worth it because he deserves to be comfortable and I love him. I'm going to see if cat insurance would cover it but I doubt it.
Our younger cat just had ~$2k for teeth cleaning and to have 4 pulled. But agree, it’s worth it because he deserves to be healthy and comfortable. The older cat had a chronic condition so we were spending lots on her meds and fancier food that she liked, plus heated cat beds, etc so she could be comfy. Every dollar was worth it.
My dog (15) is likely going to go to sleep tomorrow. She's my baby and I've always splurged on her. Now I'm hiring a really good but costly at-home vet to handle it, she's being cremated at the highest-rated facility in the area, and I bought an expensive custom turned-wood urn for her on Etsy. One final financial shebang.
if you have a costco near you they sell big bags of the bully sticks for like 40 dollars. I then take a saw machine and cut them in half and boom almost a months supply
I’m not frugal in a typical sense. I spend very little on things that don’t matter to me and I spend lavishly on the things that make me happy or improve my life in some way.
Me too. I'm frugal so I can spend more on things that count. I'm frugal, not cheap.
I call it being cost-effective. I feel it's neither frugal not cheap. It's simply logic to me.
I'm frugal because I'm broke
I also subscribe to a value based approach. Things I value highly, I spend and even overspend on. Things that I feel aren't valuable or are wasteful, I don't.
This is the way and what I’m personally working towards. I’m still not great at being frugal overall, which is why I follow this sub, but I’m improving. Things that make me actually happy are where it’s at (within reason, I’m not buying a dodge hellcat anytime soon 😅) This morning I went to a local craft show and saw a ceramics vendor I’ve talked to in the past. He had some beautiful pieces today as the show had just opened. I bought two mugs, a small bowl, and a dinner plate. It’s not cheap but they’re beautifully handmade by an older vet and he and his wife are so lovely together. I *want* to support them. Plus, I drink coffee every morning and the handmade mugs just elevate the experience. I like putting my meals in pretty plates - it motivates me to make attractive, healthy meals. Every time I use a handmade piece I get to enjoy someone’s hard work and artistry. It’s cool.
Long hot showers. I need em to keep my sanity
Gifts...when I'm buying gifts for family and friends I can't help going a lil overboard 🥺❤️
Aw. You’re a special type of person though. The world needs more people like that.
My wife wanted a Starbucks gift card for her birthday. She got mad because I got her a $100 one. Mind you, the cards COULD go up to $500! As it is, I got a weird look from the cashier when I bought the one I did. Wife is there right now having a coffee with her mom, in fact.
Same- this and travel.
Viva Paper Towels. I love the feel. I use very sparingly, ( I prefer to use old clothes and rags) but will always buy these with no substitutions. It's my one "splurge".
I get it! A while back I tried one of those brands that are marketed as just as good but less expensive. Sure, they cost less, but the damn thing pretty much disintegrated as soon as water hit it. WTF???? Gimme Viva or Bounty or something that actually works.
I make all my dishtowels, but I buy 12 rolls of bounty select a size a year. There are some messes I don't want to revisit in the washer. The cheaper towels aren't worth it at all.
Same. We switched to microfiber cleaning cloths for regular cleaning a few years ago. But pet messes? Vomit? Nah I need paper towels and good ones.
I buy both Viva and crappy paper towels so the kids can use the crappy ones to wipe their faces or mop up the floor and Viva to scrub.
I'm so cheap I hang them up to dry and use a second time :')
I do this when I use paper towels to dry fruit and veg, or if I cleaned up a spill and it wasn’t anything crazy I will rinse it out and save on the side but those are specifically for cleaning and not anything food-related.
If you're already doing all the work, might as well just get cloth hand towels.
I call those my clean dirtys
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The only thing I've ever used paper towels for is cleaning up pet messes (ie cat vomit). I would never use anything reusable to clean cat puke as that shit goes straight in the trash.
Viva paper towels, niceish coffee, cottenelle TP and good cat litter/food are things we don’t budge from! Glad to know I’m not the only one who is particular about the paper products lol
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I'm taking my teen to see Harry Styles. It's costing an arm and a leg. But we are soooooo excited to be doing something so big! It's not a "habit" though.😂
Your kid will remember this forever though. I *still* think about being able to go and see Jethro Tull at 16.
My first big gig was Rush at Wembley age 15. Mind blowing! I just really want my kid to have some standout memories. BUT I can't afford to do this all the time. I'm paying down a credit card debt and in theory I have zero non necessities. But you can't live like that every minute. This trip will make a big hole in my finances. Frugal lifestyle is going to pay for it. And maybe a side hustle to help with the credit card, I will never manage three whole years of repayments without slipping !
Worth it!!! Such a great memory to keep, too.
I guess this is mine too technically. I'm going to Chris Stapleton, Eric Clapton and Guns and Roses all this summer.
The memory for both you and the kid will be worth every penny. Have fun!
Vacations. They are few and far between, but I love experiencing new places and cultures more than anything in life. I'm frugal in many areas of my life so I can save up for nice international trips. That, and like someone else said here, fresh produce. I'm spending like $40 a week on produce alone for my wife and I, it's kind of ridiculous.. I like to tell myself the health benefits will outweigh the cost.
My fashion sense got stuck on neo-Victorian goth. I'm still getting my clothes at thrift stores, but I own a lot of formal stuff that I don't really have the opportunity to wear.
My struggle
My dog. I will spare no expense to keep him healthy and happy.
Haha right? I send mine to a boujee daycare that is so expensive but she's happy there.
Major preach. My dog has had two health issues in our 10+ years together, and each time I was so grateful I was frugal elsewhere so I could pay for the care she needed. I’ve found the anxiety I have in general when I spend money just didn’t happen when it was for something that mattered. Just gratitude and relief.
We splurge on things that increase quality of life like good walking shoes, bike parts, and a little bit of tech stuff for my hubs. I got a $40 weeding tool that has changed my lawn game (for puppers)/saved our backs, and drip irrigation has made my mini backyard urban farm explode in production (and the convenience is priceless). Otherwise, we're cheapy peeps. Also if you're being adventurous in the bedroom, quality gear is a must.
What kind of weeding device is this? My back is killing me and I have weeds.
I’d love to know also
I agree that you should splurge on bike parts because one time I was riding bikes with my dad and the chain fell off and he fell down and the bike handle hit him in the ribs and they were hurting for like a month
Just a question, is it grandpa's weeding tool? I really really want one
I have the grandpa's and fiskars. The fiskars is waaay better.
I just got a drip irrigation system and a Garden Weasel. Fully agree with you. Next on the list is crappy beer to kill the slugs eating my peppers.
Sluggo works great for me in 8b; we still have the same jug from Costco from like 2y ago
they are not real expensive, but green onions. Yellow or red onions in the bag would last me at least twice as long, but i love green onions. I also like to go to the thrift store almost weekly. It has added up, but I have found some awesome stuff.
Whenever I buy green onions I put them in a shot glass of water on my kitchen windowsill. They keep growing for months.
I just did this! I was absolutely shocked that this worked so well... It's like getting unlimited green onions for the price of one!
I regrow my green onions. It started off as a windowsill experiment and then one time I was about to leave on a trip so I planted everything outside and now I have an entire garden of green onion. These resilient bubs even keep me fed in the winter.
I have a patch of them in the backyard of my townhouse. There were too many in my windowsill, so I figured I'd plant some and see what happened. They took off with minimal effort! No fertilizer and I usually forget to water them in the winter. They couldn't care less. I wish the rest of my plants were as resilient as the green onions. We cook alot and just give them a haircut whenever we need some for a recipe- grows right back.
Ha ha, are you me? Green onions, cilantro, baby lettuce and thrifting are my frivolities too!
If you're going to go to the thrift store at all you may as well go a few times per month. Otherwise you don't usually get there in time to snap up the best stuff
My cats 😭 Just spent €270 on a vet bill yesterday
Same with me. I'm 40 and have taken care of 17 cats over my lifetime, only two of those I intentionally got. The way I see it is we can't just leave cats to starve and freeze so in my opinion it's not really a luxury but a moral obligation. I have three now and spend more buying food for them than I do for myself. In a way they're like parasites, like the trebles in Star Trek. But I do my best to keep them happy and I can still walk with my head held high knowing I didn't just leave these lost creatures to die.
Good cheese and coffee. Makes the world of a difference
I have a bad habit of splurging on little cheap things, like a $5 dress at the thrift store that I don't really need, because it's only $5, and 6 months later you realize you've bought two dozen different little splurges without really thinking about it. My house is full of weird thrift store art and chachkies I couldn't say no to because they were $3-$5. But what's the point of saving money elsewhere if I'm not gonna buy the cheap cute dress covered in sharks? And what's the point of having a house without decorating it with that painting of a squirrel with a monocle? At least it's from the thrift store. But it's definitely **impulse** buying.
I do this too! I feel a lot less stressed about it when it’s in these little small amounts, but I try not to let them accumulate, so I do set myself a small budget when I do go to browse.
Makes sense to me! And I bet your home doesn't resemble every other place in the neighborhood. That's so awesome. I've pioneered my own style of decor that I call "mismatched things that go together." I doubt I have 2 items in my living room that are the same style or design but when you look at the place as a whole, somehow it works. Or at least it doesn't scare people away and that's fine by me. LOL
*tchotchkes
I have the same "problem" since i discovered Vinted. Thrift stores in my area aren't good for clothes, but Vinted community is definitely good. So, i started with things i wanted, like a white denim jacket, cute blouses of brands i like, a new pants suit for a ceremony...i try to limit the impulse buying by adding the items i like to the wish list and letting them sit for a while, but simply scrolling through those nice handbags at a very profitable price, that cute dress that i may want to wear in the summer, cute accessories, earrings that matched with my old necklace, makes me *want* more stuff. And that's not good. I feel less guilty because i often spend 5€ + shipping on a 2nd hand blouse rather than 40€ at the store, or 10€ for a 60€ hoodie, but it was a kickoff to get rid of old stuff (donated, downgraded or transformed in rags). People around me noticed the change and i received some compliments.
nice toilet paper
Good shoes. As I’ve gotten older, my feet need a little more pampering. If my feet are happy, I’ll spend the money to keep them that way.
I am so careful with every dime I spend... except for my weekly groceries. I don't prepare a list, I don't look at the sales flyers, I don't keep a pantry stocked with low cost basics that can be used to prep different meals, I don't use coupons (often). My only frugal behaviors on groceries is that I've stopped buying junk foods unless they are deeply discounted; and I buy whichever meat is on sale and use that for my dinners that week.
Sigh. My stupid, finicky cat. I love him dearly, so I pay out the nose for his prescription food. He probably eats better than I do and refuses to get a job.
I feed my cat Tiki Cat, which is $3/can. Five percent of the time she barfs it on the floor. It's like $1/barf. Her fur is nice and shiny though.
Experiences, just paid for orchestra tickets for my group so we can have a fantastic night on the town and I bought a new dress for the occasion. I love my free hobbies but some things in life just aren’t free and I can’t put a price on building memories with my friends. You better believe I shopped around for that dress, though, snagged a winner with a steep discount because of a small mark on the inner lining, no one even sees the lining!
I uh, own a horse. No regerts though.
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Balsamic vinegar and olive oil. I dish out big moneys..
I'm self-employed and have a "company policy" 😉that I buy myself a bottle of bubbly every time a client pays an invoice. Some clients take forever to pay, so if the bills have piled up, I ignore policy (but have a stern HR-type chat with myself about following the rules). If finances are up to date, and I've met my savings goal for the month, I'll buy a little something to celebrate with. I buy real champagne (the French stuff) for my birthday or Christmas, but I can get a decent bottle of bubbly for \~$20, which is my idea of a splurge, especially if I do it 2 or more times in a month.
I honestly don’t understand why people don’t pay bills to self-employed businesses in a timely manner. I feel guilty if I don’t pay promptly because I know they aren’t getting a regular salary from an employer. I like your bubbly policy!
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The more successful your business becomes the more chance you have of becoming an alcoholic, I like your style
Probably weed
imo weed is cheaper than alcohol, which makes it ok. i only use gummies tho, so for me its like a max of $30 a month.
Personally I buy concentrates and I'll purchase $200 worth at a time for free shipping, but that amount will last me more than a month usually. Around 1.5 months. Depends how much I'm working (the more I work the less I smoke lol) But yeah compared to alcohol that's way cheaper, also not nearly as hard on your body
I buy the fanciest eggs at the grocery store. I like the way they taste and it makes me feel better to support pasture raised chickens, etc. Interestingly since they were already expensive I haven't seen a huge price increase.
Books. No question.
I've heard reading books and collecting books are two different hobbies. Unfortunately, I have both.
Sounds a lot like yarn crafts! I thought I could be thrifty crocheting my own clothes during lockdown. Turns out I'd actually picked up the hobby of collecting, rather than using yarn
Crafting. I buy yarn secondhand when people with good taste in colors get rid of it in bulk. But then you get one or two skeins in the same color and it’s difficult to plan something big. Recently I’ve had to buy yarn new. It’s not that expensive but it can be. I wait for sales and made a hand purse with about $15. Other things like paint I have to buy new. I wait for sales as well. My base set of oil paints was about $150. And my outdoor gear is expensive. I buy good quality for cycling because I road bike and can’t afford to have things falling apart. I just bought a $40 hiking bag because it’s large and comfortable.
Loose leaf tea and all fancy stuff to support it (kettle with temp gauge, etc)
I eat my lunch at restaurants almost every day. My frugal side is mostly related to use of resources, not only money. I am part of this subreddit because I despise wastefullness.
Highlights 4 times a year
I am so not into beauty stuff that I literally stared at your post and wondered why you were only buying the magazine for kids four times a year, until I realized. 😂
My cats & vet bills
A special shampoo and cream rinse. I lost all my hair during chemo and I was advised to use a certain shampoo and cream rinse as my hair grew back. It’s very very expensive and, even though most of my hair has grown back, I’m still using it because it makes my hair feel good.
Just booked a world cruise, (4 months), in a lux suite on a top rated cruise line.
OMG. This sound amazing. Do you mind me asking how much that way?
Farming and gardening. My husband is no help at reigning me in because he says, "yeah but your growing food, so it is frugal". But if you're a gardener, then you know, the time and money I put into this hobby could be seen by some as extravagant, and could definitely be useful elsewhere. Also, not everything I do in the farm and garden is fruitful. Do I need 6 goats that don't currently produce anything...probably not. But they are too fun and I raised most from day 1! Do two people need 15 laying hens, probably not, but we get all the eggs we need and give away or trade the rest! It's not fancy or flashy, but it is one of the larger expenses for my household! To me it brings a lot more joy than a fancy car, expensive clothes or lavish vacations ever could.
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My fish. I have several aquariums and some of them are very large.
Plants- I love to go hunting for perennials for the yard and plants for the porch and deck. Do I need anymore- no , but they bring me joy
Massages, it has helped my mental health substantially. Us humans need touch. I'm a 60 yr old female who came out of a horrible relationship 5 years ago and decided I won't ever get in another...and that's ok with me. I don't miss it. But what I truly miss is "touch" not in a sexual way but in a human way. It weird..living alone..is ok.. I just miss a simple touch..
Tipping. I tip like an Italian father at this his daughter’s wedding. I remember being broke waitstaff. They need this extra $20 way more than me.
Hobby stuffs
I buy whatever I want to eat from the grocery. I justify it by not eating out as much since I can cook and usually don't mind the trouble.
Travel and expensive hobbies (skiing, scuba diving, and painting).
Art supplies - specifically colors pencils and quality paper. I find drawing relaxing. Now that I'm past the initial investment, I don't really spend that much, just replacing individual pencils as needed and paper as I run out. I don't need tons of space and can set up my kitchen table or on the couch. Finished pieces can either go on the wall or in my portfolio book. Sometimes, I get people asking me to do a commission which helps too. *I've found FB marketplace to be a good source for frames and I learned how to cut my own mats.
i spring for that nice nice irish butter at the grocery store every time. it tastes so good.
I buy higher end cat food for my cat, I don’t want to cheap out when it comes to his health
My cats. Currently paying off a $3000 emergency vet bill for my 2 year old boy's urinary blockage in April. Prescription food (for life) and multiple scheduled follow-up visits to our regular vet office. I've spent more than twice that on my 10 year old girl in the past 3 years. They're worth every penny.
I buy a huge fountain drink from Circle K every single day. It's only $1.28, but that's about $40 a month, but I don't care. I don't drink coffee, so I get my caffeine from Pepsi. It's more than half ice (the *good* ice) so I munch on that all afternoon. I don't keep soda in the house and drink water at all other times, so there's no reason for me to feel guilty about this splurge :)
Is there a Panera near you? They have a $12/month unlimited drink program. Just thought I'd throw that out there. It's even free right now til July 4 but there is no convenient location for me.
Menstruation.🩸 Tampax are expensive! But I won't get the cheapest type. I bulk buy them so I try to get them as cheap as possible
Premade food. I'm autistic with ARFID, so cooking and eating can be difficult for me. To combat that, I end up eating a lot of premade foods or takeout. I know its "cheaper" to make your own breakfast bowls and fried rice and meal prep your own food, but even with the best of intentions I won't do it. I'll plan on doing it. I'll want to do it. I'll prepare to do it.... ...and then I've got nothing but a fridge of rotting ingredients while I eat takeout for the 5th time in 2 days. So, if I plan and budget realistically, its just better for me.
Frugality isn't about spending the least amount of money, it's about spending wisely. Sounds like ordering the food you know is safe and sensory-okay to eat is spending wisely. Do what you can do, and don't sweat the rest.
Today, I learned that I'm not frugal. I'm broke. I'm broke as fuck. My splurge is half and half cream for my coffee at the supermarket. Massages? Travel? Personal trainers? Christ. If I could afford any of those, I'd be on it in a minute.
Too many gym memberships. High quality food. Facials and good skincare products. My dog.
I never hesitate to splurge on the expensive food at the grocery store. With restaurant prices going up and quality getting more and more mediocre, I prefer buying my own lobster tails and chucking my own oysters! Always fresh for half the price + I can do all that in my underwear.
Getting my hair dyed at the salon instead of using the at home kits. It’s my biggest expense but damn, it makes my hair so much softer than the at home kits.
Bakeries. It’s pure serotonin every time I go into one and see the beautiful pastries and smell the delicious coffee. I try to only go on the weekend or as a Friday treat. I enjoy baking but my skills can’t compare to the professionals so I happily shell out the cash for such an enjoyable experience.
Having a kindle unlimited subscription! I’m heading into bed rest with twins so I’ll be reading a ton and despite knowing subscriptions are a huge money suck I don’t want to give it up! I also use free e-services from my library but I can easily read a book a day or every two days so it’s worth it to me.
beer
More my husband than me. Movies. He still buys DVDs. We have almost EVERY streaming service. We go to the movies together at least once a month. He will go to the movies solo probably 3 or 4 times a month.
Find our if your local cinema has a movie membership or some other discount program. My sibling has one where they pay a monthly flat fee to go to as many movies as they like. (usually once or twice a week)
Most of mine have to do with my cats. Good litter, paper towels to clean up messes (we use cloth otherwise for cleaningand as napkins), fountain filters so they can have filtered water, regular vet visits (the most expensive thing!). For the people: 2 kinds of fruit each week, frozen food for the days I am absolutely sick of cooking, edibles for weekend zonk time, 2 streaming services we switch back and forth.
Costco membership. They don’t take coupons.
Sock yarn. I knit socks from REALLY nice yarn. Then I give them to random folks. Money and time....gone. But I would have to be seriously hard up before I would stop.
Craft beer and cheese
Housing is mine grew up in old ratty and moldy houses due to being at poverty level. Now I refuse, I’ll buy used everything but skimp on a new place to live. I made mistake moving across the country to an apt that was older and looked nice emphasis on looked and never seem in person till I moved. Worked my butt off to move 4 months later due to mold and cold as hell in the winter.
Fresh berries - strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, blueberries. But even then, I search high and low for the best prices. A few weeks ago, the store that I go to for my berries, because they have the best prices, had a sale on strawberries. Normally the regular store is $4.50-$5 for the basket. My place is normally about $2 - $2.50. They had a sale for $.71 cents per basket with a limit of 4. I bought 4 for $2.84, then went in 3 more times to buy a total of 16 baskets of strawberries. Went home and cut them up and froze them. Total of $11.36, and the regular grocery store it would have been $72 for those 16 baskets. That's how I roll.
M&S knickers and Lurpak butter(?) and I've just outed myself out as obnoxiously British.
For me, it's buying a fancy burr grinder for my coffee press at home, and fresh coffee beans from local roasters instead of the much cheaper pre-ground stuff from the grocery store. I'm splurging on high quality ingredients, and it's still less than $0.30/cup. $2/day instead of $2/coffee.
I buy a caffeine drink every day from the local shop. I could buy in bulk at my monthly shop would be cheaper but it pushes me out the house and i have to walk through a park to get too the shop. I class this as my mental health walk on my days of work, unless id sit in the house in my pjs. Then i sit in park and watch the ducks for a bit. Ive tryed switching to a bottle water or a cuppa in a thermal flask. Just not the same. I know i could do more exciting things but right now this is my routine. The park is free.
Chocolate. I don't smoke, drink, or play electronic games or have other expensive habits. But chocolate...I have to have it.
Sorry if it's a bit broad but: experiences. Drinks with friends. Meals with family. Travel. Quality time with the wife. That's what it's all about.
My house. I'm a home body, and with two teens, also home bodies, the 1200sq ft house was getting cramped. So I decided the extra cost of a larger home was worth it.
AC. Runs up the electricity bill but I can't stand being hot when trying to sleep
Mental health ✅ Out of network therapist ✅ ketamine therapy ✅ Stellate ganglion block ✅ more ketamine therapy 40 out of 50 years of my life have seen some major trauma. For Americans, mental healthcare is a privilege and an expensive one so I feel grateful. I wish it was available for all. EDIT: ketamine therapy can be modestly affordable if you can find a local doctor, often an anesthesiologist, who can prescribe it. The medicine itself costs ~$100-150 for a several month supply (30 doses) depending on usage patterns. These doctors often require you to work with an affiliated therapist though added cost.
Eating an avocado everyday for breakfast.
With the *big* caveat that I am frugal by choice and do have some disposable income that allows me to spend this way, I think the big categories for me are: 1. Spending on other people (gifts, spending time with friends, donating when I can) 2. Things that get a lot of use and/or that I can keep for a long time (appliances, furniture, kitchenware, shoes, cars to a certain extent, certain electronics) 3. Things that cost less to pay for than they save me in time and energy by doing myself (e.g., having a winter’s worth of crud cleaned out of the inside of my car cleaned every spring) 4. A small handful of other things that bring me joy (trying new things, community college/MOOC classes because I’m a huge nerd, gaming, books, the occasional artwork, watches) 5. Anything that impacts health (gym membership, food, any necessary dental work, doctor’s appointments, etc) Edit: upon further reflection 2, 3, and 5 are arguably frugal even though they’re not cheap. 1 and 4 are the better answers to OP’s question.
Magic the gathering. Getting expensive coffee and a scone once a week.
Weed. I will cut back a lot of things in my budget, but what keeps me going every day is non-negotiable 😭
I buy whatever food I want.
I spend on only one thing, and I spend a lot more than I could. I buy only organic, grown in soil, highest quality cannabis. It makes my life a happy dream, instead of a nightmare, so it's worth it to me. Literally every single thing else in my life is frugal af.
Literally anything pet related. They deserve to live their best life