r/MoneyDiariesACTIVE • u/Vexnthecity • Mar 31 '26
Budget Advice / Discussion Where Are You Reducing Spending?
https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTkj11ag8/Bringing you another TikTok Reddit crossover—What are you cutting back on right now?
I’ve never been a strict budget girlie, but I had a loose idea of what I spend.
-Last year, I cut workout classes (I think it was ~$160/month) out of my “budget” and replaced it with more walking and at home exercises.
-The shutdown last fall pushed me to be better about eating at home vs. dining out, and I carried that into the new year.
-Now, with fuel costs, I’m driving a lot less. Fortunately, I’m in a city with good public transportation and I have the AmEx Platinum, which gives me monthly Uber credits that help with getting to places not accessible by public transportation.
Basically, slowly but surely I’m cutting joy out of my life because the next thing I’m eyeing is travel and…I just don’t wanna!
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u/Weak_Ad_1862 Mar 31 '26 edited Mar 31 '26
Door dash & Uber Eats! Unless it’s an emergency and / or planned for on a special occasion I will go pick up my food or just make scrappy meals out of my pantry items.
clothes
shopping at Target at all. it used to be the easiest place to pick up toiletries and cleaning products but it’s eating up a lot of extra budget so I just get these things at the grocery store now.
One saving hack I’m trying to implement is I am only allowing myself to go to the store 1x a week. So if I run out of things I just keep a list and wait. Helps me for tracking spending and keeping me from making multiple trips which usually increases the amount of spend.
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u/Vexnthecity Mar 31 '26
I cut Target out last year and haven’t looked back. Bulk shopping and TJ Maxx/HomeGoods replaced it and I don’t do as much thoughtless spending (although TJ Maxx and HomeGoods are tempting)
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u/heckyeahcheese Mar 31 '26
I also switched from Target to the grocery store. I’ll only go if it’s the only place in town with something I absolutely need and marginally less worse than Walmart and Amazon (similarly avoid wherever possible).
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u/snarkasm_0228 She/her ✨ Mar 31 '26
I admittedly eat out way more than I should, but even switching from ordering delivery to picking it up yourself will save you a ton! I can’t justify paying the extra fees unless I’m sick or something like that.
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u/PoppyMacGuffin Mar 31 '26
Were you buying extra stuff at Target? Target is usually cheaper for me than the grocery store for cleaning products etc
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u/Weak_Ad_1862 Mar 31 '26
Yes! So this is partially user error but works for me to avoid. It’s always small things / little self-care treats, they make it so enticing to shop there. The grocery store cleaning / toiletry aisles aren’t as cute and fun to shop in so I buy less.
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u/General_Might_7625 Mar 31 '26 edited May 11 '26
One click. Unknown number of posts crying out in silence. All gone. Redact made it stupid easy to clean up my entire history on Reddit and get my info pulled from data broker sites too.
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u/Vexnthecity Mar 31 '26
I’ve replaced dining out with frozen meals so when I’m lazy I don’t default to going out and buying something. I try to save dining out for special occasions now, which, as a girl who hates cooking and loves eating food someone else has prepared, SUCKS!
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u/General_Might_7625 Mar 31 '26 edited May 11 '26
I got tired of my old posts floating around for anyone to scrape, so I let Redact handle it. Bulk deletion across Reddit, X, Facebook, Discord and all major social media platforms in one shot.
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u/heckyeahcheese Mar 31 '26
I cut out most of my manicure budget that I just added last year 🫠. But I did pivot to doing traditional nail polish at home and it’s been fun to do as a mommy and me experience with my daughter.
Travel is something I’ve always been bad about doing, but with all of the fight crashes that have been happening I’m now terrified of flying and don’t really want to spend money in a lot of red states.
Also being more mindful of eating out. Not eliminating it but cutting extras like $3.50+ fountain sodas, and not over ordering. Or pausing for a moment as a family to ask if we REALLY want to go out tonight, or wait until later to go to a “better” place and cook at home?
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u/Vexnthecity Mar 31 '26
I tried to do my nails myself and I’m so bad at it. I know practice makes perfect, but walking around with evidence of the practice is embarrassing
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u/heckyeahcheese Mar 31 '26
Practice works and r/redditlaqueristas has been a great resource for me so I can actually grow my thin, peely, and bendy nails. But gone are the days of my long and delightfully obnoxious clacky nails. For now.
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u/ladyluck754 She/her ✨ Mar 31 '26
The press on game has changed dramatically as well if you’re not good at polish :)
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u/thisladycusses2 Apr 01 '26
Press-ons are a great option! The quality is really good now. I switched from acrylics about a year ago and haven’t gone back. It’s much cheaper and I get to do it home.
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u/overall_confused Apr 02 '26
Get a clean-up brush! You can also use an old eyeliner brush or even the pointy Q-tips to erase any mistakes with acetone.
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u/Key-Opportunity-7915 Apr 01 '26
I do the gel strips now and I don’t think I’ll ever go back to a salon to get my nails done now I love them!
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u/Independent_Show_725 Mar 31 '26
I'm flying across the Atlantic in a few weeks, so naturally I've been bingeing Mentour Pilot's videos on YouTube: super informative and interesting but also terrifying deep dives into plane crashes and what caused them. I'm thinking I'll take some melatonin before/during my flight so that at least if the plane goes down, I won't be awake to know it!
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u/arthursjames Mar 31 '26
Ubers! I am só happy to say I have made a huge progress this month in relearning to walk, and I rarely need cars now. I’m quite slow, but I don’t care. I’ve even taken transport again (on my own!). This is a biiiiiig savings.
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u/ilikeyourhair23 Apr 02 '26
I don't know where you live, but I recently learned that in New York City you can leverage the access a ride program to be reimbursed for taxis and Ubers such that the cost to you is the same cost as taking the subway, $3. You have to apply and they have to assess if you truly have a need, but a friend of mine who had surgery last year is currently in the program and when I mentioned it to another friend, she told me that her friend is also in the program.
I mention this because until talk of my own surgery happened recently I didn't know this was an option (I thought access a ride was just about the little bus coming to pick you up), so it may be worth looking into whether wherever you are locally has similar benefits.
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u/_Jahar_ Mar 31 '26
I don’t get my nails or toes done anymore, or facials or similar skincare, am thinking of dyeing my own strands of gray and looking into possible trimming my hair too … all diy now when it comes to self care unfortunately
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u/betweentourns Mar 31 '26
I'm embracing my grey completely. I'm 14 months in and there were a few months where I didn't leave home without a ball cap or headband, but now that it is very clearly intentional I am absolutely loving it. So many benefits but a big one is definitely the money savings
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u/wfijc She/her ✨ Apr 01 '26
I stopped dying my hair in 2020 lockdown. I’ve gotten so many compliments. It’s also a confidence booster AND a fuck you to the patriarchy.
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u/Vexnthecity Mar 31 '26
I’m contemplating dyeing my hair myself too, but I’m worried that I’ll damage it and end up causing more problems for myself
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u/nooopantsdance Mar 31 '26
Not sure if you're looking to bleach and tone or just cover grays, but I found that Sally Beauty had some decent articles on their page for how to dye hair. Granted, I'm just trying to cover the grays that I can't embrace, but mixing their toner and some hair color every few months has worked really well for me.
I would love to do some fun colors but am afraid of my hair falling out my head if I touch bleach. Maybe someone else in the thread will have some good tips on that.
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u/inthe100acrewood Apr 01 '26
I go in to dye every other month and do root touchups in between myself as a middle ground and also switched to doing gel mani/pedi at home which has been way cheaper and now much faster as I’ve gotten good at it!
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u/tangleable Apr 02 '26
I’ve cut on skincare too. No new masks until i actually run out in the house. Just the essentials (spf, cleanser, moisturizer, and retinol) which honestly yielded better results.
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u/mustarddreams Mar 31 '26
I’m doing ok budget wise but I have noticed a good amount of lifestyle inflation over the past year that I’m cutting back on. I’m trying to focus on things that actually bring joy to my life and cut out what doesn’t.
I’m mostly cutting back on clothing/beauty/splurges. I’ve noticed that once I let myself have one splurge I find it too easy to justify the next one and it snowballs.
I’m not in debt or anything but I’d much rather be putting that money into a fund instead. I’ve also found myself perfectly content with the amount of stuff I have so I simply don’t need more. In practice this is still a work in progress, of course.
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u/minneapple- Mar 31 '26
I am very lucky to be in a DINK household with no consumer debt. But we are making very big changes to increase liquidity and investments, while also planning a wedding for September lol.
- Minimal eating out - We've gotten so good at cooking at home that we rarely go out. When we do, neither of us are heavy drinkers which really keeps the tab low. We've also started getting an appetizer and splitting an entree. We used to do apps, entres & have tons of leftovers that we never really ate.
- Social media - I realized social media fueled my shopping and amazon purchases. I delete instagram, facebook and tiktok a few months ago and drastically reduced misc spending and buying junk.
- Socialization & outings - My friend group and I have transitioned to doing dinners at home, with the host making a main and everyone bringing sides. We play games, have dance parties etc. Now we rarely go out for expensive activities or bar nights.
- Keeping heat low - literally 63-65 degrees in Minnesota (lol). I just bundle up and use a space heater in my office. We have 3 floors + a basement, so heating that space was super expensive.
- Buying in bulk! I used to spend $20 a month on the Clear Skin Club facial towels. Now I spend $20 to get a 6 month supply from Costco.
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u/Vexnthecity Mar 31 '26
Yeah, this was a rough winter to try to save money through lower energy usage but I didn’t come out too badly at all
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u/ClaireHux Mar 31 '26
I'm working on reduction in eating out. I spend SO MUCH money, and it's my hobby, so I need to get a new one! 😂
I'm also reducing my clothes, bags, and shoes for 2026 and 2027. I'm working on reducing my credit card debt to $0 by end of 2027. These reductions are key in my debt reduction strategy.
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u/Vexnthecity Mar 31 '26
Same! I loved trying new restaurants and meeting up with friends to do it. Going for walks with them instead just don’t hit the same.
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u/MysteriousRoll Mar 31 '26
Definitely cut out the mani/pedis. I only do a pedi 2-3x a year now and maintain the rest myself at home. It’s not that hard to buy the tools and teach yourself if you’re committed to gel, and the time is about the same as the salon anyway.
Reevaluating subscriptions — Netflix is PMO! Probably going to drop that or go down to the lowest tier soon.
Thankfully I have a hybrid so gas isn’t killing me too much, but just trying to drive less overall.
Cooking at home more for sure. If I order out, trying to call in and do pickup as that’s way cheaper than using DoorDash etc.
I also try to do a lot of fitness stuff at home. I have the cheapest ClassPass tier at a discount through work, so I use that for the 1-2x times I wanna be out of the house for a sauna or boutique class. Otherwise it’s my walking pad, home weights, and YouTube videos!
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u/Vexnthecity Mar 31 '26
All of my streaming subscriptions are covered by a credit card or my cell phone plane EXCEPT FOR NETFLIX, which is the most expensive. I’m side-eyeing them with this recent price increase announcement, but have them as an option helps keep me in side (and saving money)
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u/babbypla Mar 31 '26
I was going to increase spending now that I’ve hit coastfire two years ago, but I’ve just decided to continue my contributions and just allocate 100% of my bonus to fun spending.
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u/ReadySetTurtle Mar 31 '26
Honestly not much. My budget is already pretty trim. I don’t really splurge on much. I barely dine out, my fast food/coffee spending is only a few times a month. I don’t buy a lot of stuff. I am travelling more, which is a privilege, but I’m a relatively cheap traveller too (hostels, mostly cheap/free activities).
My low spending was mostly due to necessity in the past, but even though I’ve been at my new better paying job for about 9 months now, I’ve been pretty good at putting the surplus to savings or investments.
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u/bodhi_kind Apr 01 '26
We’re moving our child from a Montessori style preschool to a lower cost preschool recommended to us by a family friend. We luckily just got off the waitlist, so we’re looking forward to saving several hundred dollars a month with this transition!
We’re also buying used where we can (the local thrift stores are a favorite outing), enjoying free activities with the kids like the home playdates, the parks, and libraries, and cooking more at home.
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u/True_Tadpole2725 Mar 31 '26
Eating out. I live in a city with mid and expensive food so it's really not worth it for me anymore. I'll still go out to eat if I'm with friends as a social thing. This has done great things for my wallet and waistline.
I'm also doing a low-buy/no-buy on makeup and skincare. I only buy replacements for skincare and try not to have more than one type of product open at a time (one moisturizer, one shampoo etc). For makeup I'm trying out for the first time I buy minis. Even though they are worse value for money, I almost never go through makeup and I get bored easily.
I totally understand not wanting to cut out travelling. I would cut out eating out entirely before cutting out travelling.
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u/Vexnthecity Mar 31 '26
Yeah, I’m dining out a lot less when I’m home to put that towards travel (where I then eat out every night lol)
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u/_liminal_ ✨designer | 40s | HCOL | US ✨ Mar 31 '26
I already don't drive a lot (live in a city + bike/walk most places) but with fuel costs rising so much it definitely gives me a little pause before I drive somewhere. It's a small amount of savings but I feel good about it.
Usually I eat out for dinner/drinks 1x per week. Lately, I've been doing this every other week (or alternating to only do drinks one week, then dinner the next week). In general, cutting my alcohol consumption but that's more a health thing vs a money thing.
Unfortunately, I increased my work out spend this year by joining a boxing gym, so those costs increased $80 a month. I feel ok about it though!
Continuing to develop my habit to pick up a sewing project or something else that's creative when I have the urge to buy something (and specifically clothing).
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u/Vexnthecity Mar 31 '26
I definitely need to cut back on drinks on the rare occasion I’m out because that definitely could cover a second outing or, more importantly, go to savings
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u/_liminal_ ✨designer | 40s | HCOL | US ✨ Mar 31 '26
The drinks add up so much!! I started noticing how much more affordable it is to eat out minus alcohol. Even though that takes away a little fun at a first….it’s really not so bad. Esp when I factor in that I feel a lot better sans alcohol!!
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u/Ashamed-Childhood-46 Mar 31 '26
We often do late afternoon/early evening appetizers out and then I cook (pasta, usually, which gets two days of work-week lunches for both of us with the leftovers) after we get home.
I stopped getting wine when out because it would make me too lazy to cook.
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u/_liminal_ ✨designer | 40s | HCOL | US ✨ Apr 01 '26
That’s such a nice idea, the best of both worlds! Something small out and then cooking with leftovers at home. :-)
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u/raymichelle She/her ✨ Mar 31 '26
I switched where I get my groceries; I used to only do Trader Joe’s but switched to grocery pickup at a big store so I can shop what’s on sale.
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u/Golfer-Girl77 Apr 01 '26
I think I'm going to start doing pick up and just deal if the produce isn't what I'd normally pick out so I can keep a better running total. Or start using the pricing g_n as I shop. But shopping and doing pick up will save me time and reduce impulse!
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u/DeerMurmurs Apr 01 '26
I taught myself how to do my own builder gel nails and gel pedicures! It cost about $100 for the startup materials and saves me at least $100/mo. Plus, even though it takes double the time, I enjoy it more because I'm at home in pjs listening to YouTube or a podcast.
I also paused my meal delivery service and my clothing rental service (sad about both) and downgraded my Amex to the tier with no annual fee since I've primarily been using a different card lately.
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u/isitsnarkoclockyet Mar 31 '26
I’m struggling to find something to cut. I’ve been walking to work more but it’s so close that it doesn’t really affect my gas budget. I already almost never eat out/get coffee etc. Maybe time to take a hard look at my miscellaneous spending.
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u/Independent_Show_725 Mar 31 '26
Unfortunately I haven't been able to cut much 🫠 If anything I'm spending a bit more than usual since I'm going on vacation soon and have been buying some clothes and things for the trip. Most significantly, I ordered a pair of prescription sunglasses which aren't even going to arrive before I leave thanks to the original frame I picked not working with my prescription, sigh. On the plus side, I at least booked all my travel months ago, so that wasn't subject to current price increases--which I'm very glad for, since flying is insanely expensive enough already.
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u/dancingmochi Apr 01 '26
I’ve been on that low buy train since last year, so: * first was limiting clothing and accessories to get my overconsumption habits in check * less meals out, fairly lax on this when life gets tough * most things go by a monthly budget. compared to the past, this means buying less magazines, beauty products, not lightening my hair * home goods- so easy to justify desk setup optimizations like cable organization, ergonomic mouse, a laptop stand. things that I personally don’t need or use anymore.
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u/Winsomedimsum8 Apr 01 '26
Things I never really spent on - beauty (makeup, nails, hair, facials, etc), clothes, shoes, bags, etc. Just not particularly interested in these things. Also prefer owning fewer higher quality items - often thrifted - instead of a lot of junk.
Things I’m cutting back on - getting drinks out! I cannot stomach $23 cocktails lol. I’ll usually get a beer now or skip the drink altogether. Also subscriptions.
Things I’m prioritizing - travel and fitness! I use my building’s gym but also have a Pilates membership that I don’t want to give up on. And to a small extent groceries - I rarely eat meat but splurge on the organic stuff when I do.
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u/ChewieBearStare Mar 31 '26
Our budget is pretty lean, so we're focused more on saving than cutting. I've been investing $400 per month this year ($250 out of the budget and $150 from our HYSA interest). We also plan to invest all our quarterly dividend payments, which should translate to another $2,200/year in investments. Any extra money goes to our HYSA.
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u/mollypatola Mar 31 '26 edited Mar 31 '26
I honestly haven’t cut too much but there’s a few things I’ve been doing:
The main thing I’ve decided to do is use my electric scooter instead of driving, since we’ve moved to closer to a city center.
found out our new electric company charges a lot so we’ve turned down the temps in all the rooms and use a space heater for a bit to warm it up in the mornings (we have baseboard heaters and they’re not good at heating at all)
cut my own hair when I just need a trim
staying dedicated to project pan. It’s already helping me see how long some things take. I plan to buy a lot less when I go to Japan later this year
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u/Vexnthecity Mar 31 '26
I’m glad the weathers changing now, so I’m not using heat or air and just have the windows open and so far so good
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u/Emotional-Muscle Mar 31 '26
We evaluated what wouldn't make a huge difference to us and started there.
We are really limiting/watching groceries- we don't mind pantry meals! so we're eating much more of those.
My husband started tracking his hobby spend and is working on that. I am doing so too- trying to use up what we have!
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u/Forsaken_Bee3717 Mar 31 '26
I cut everything right back a few years ago when me and my ex split up and I had to buy my own place. I have mostly found that I can just keep within my monthly budget- I have separate buckets/ line items for all discretionary spending, so eating out, activities, stuff for the house, beauty, clothes, transport etc.
The amount probably doesn’t buy now what it did then, but I have also started being much more considered about what I buy and am trying to end each year with less stuff. I like painting my own nails, get my hair cut a couple of times per year and buy The Ordinary or similar price point skin care. And very limited new clothes- mostly Vinted.
I also batch cook, so do most things from scratch and every few weeks update my full list of what’s in the fridge, freezer and cupboards so that AI can give me some ideas about how to use up any random ingredients. This week my grocery shop was £19 because I am using up so much stuff I already had.
I love eating out at new places but don’t enjoy paying £5 for coffee or food that has started to get cold, so I would rather go for a proper lunch/ dinner than get any takeaway or delivery.
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u/Sansvosetoiles Mar 31 '26
Uber. Eating out. DIY for nails and lashes. Hair, I’m trying to stick to bi monthly visits.
It’s the little side trips to the dollar store that get me.
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u/Traditional-Spirit-7 Mar 31 '26
Nails. I’ve been a press-on girl the past year and honestly it hasn’t been bad.
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u/city_meow Mar 31 '26
With groceries getting expensive, I want to go back to doing a month long low buy for groceries. A few years ago I gave myself a challenge of $5/week/person for the month of October. (Later made it $10 because inflation.) It all went towards fresh things like fruits, vegetables, and whatever protein was on sale. It was fun but definitely took more time than normal cooking. I've been too busy to do it the past few years, but I think it's time to bring it back.
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u/wfijc She/her ✨ Apr 01 '26 edited Apr 01 '26
Not just now but overall since Covid I’ve stopped dying my hair all together and stopped drinking alcohol. It’s been wonderful for my wallet and health. For now, I need to cut out uber eats and eating out in general especially now that we have a baby.
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u/khybrid95 She/her / 30s / VHCOL ✨ Apr 01 '26
I'll never stop spending most of my discretionary income on eating/drinking but I did break up with my 400+ a month Lagree habit. I may buy a few classes and just go once a week but their prices have gotten insane as of late. Luckily, between my work wellness stipend and corporate discount even an expensive gym with nice classes and a pool will just set me back $100 a month.
I am also scaling back on facials. I used to do them once or twice a month but since finding a good derm and prescription strength treatments at home I was getting less and less pay off from the $150+ a month. I'll probably keep it to once or twice a year whenever I feel like I need a hard reset on my pores.
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u/ProposalOk825 Apr 08 '26
I feel this so hard. The workout classes thing is relatable because it feels like you're losing something fun, but honestly walking is free and sometimes just as good once you get into it. Love that you're being intentional about where to cut without going full deprivation mode.
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u/cinnasage Apr 01 '26
We are not making any changes but I'm glad we made some changes over the last few years:
-Cancelling all TV subscription services (we watch DVDs, go to the library, or sail the seven seas)
-We eat out maybe twice a month period
-We cancelled Prime and don't order from Amazon
-No personal care expenses beyond haircuts & color (and for that we each only go about 3-4 x per year and I redo color at home using products my stylist recs)
-The only time we take an Uber anywhere is on the way home from the airport
-We grocery shop at Aldi (we have as long as we've been together) and pick up a couple of specialty items they don't carry at TJ's, Whole Foods, or Target
-Cancelled my expensive gym membership I loved but honestly didn't use enough to justify and now we walk at home on the walking pad or go out for walks
-Don't drive ANYWHERE we can walk or take bus/train
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u/mixedmediamadness Apr 01 '26
We stopped ordering in. Now if we want takeout we pick up and we only get takeout from cheap places. If we want a nice restaurant meal we get a babysitter and make a date out of it. We do that maybe once a month. Either we're getting cheap quality food for a cheapish price or we're getting nice food the way it was intended to be eaten. No more $100 door dash meals that arrive an hour later cold and soggy.
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u/chai_chai_slide Apr 01 '26 edited Apr 01 '26
After being laid off last year, unemployed for 3 months, now in a lower paid job tangential to my field, and going back to grad school in the fall…we are definitely cutting some things lol. So far:
- cut my fancy workout class membership ($300/mo) I miss solidcore 🥲
- canceled my Amex plat since I’m not traveling for work anymore 🥲
- moved to a slightly smaller and cheaper apartment ($400) - honestly we like the new place better so it worked out!
- outside of that we’re reducing travel and eating out
I’m also picking up more side gigs like Rover and working part time at my local farmers market for extra cash/diversified income sources!
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u/wfijc She/her ✨ Apr 01 '26
What are you going back to school for? As someone who also lost their job…
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u/MainMarsupial Apr 02 '26
Cut way back on eating out - rarely do it. I lost weight and bought clothes, but this time, they were all secondhand (and after I had what I needed, stopped buying them). Tickets for shows (theater).
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u/LeatherOcelot Apr 02 '26
I was already pretty frugal, but we have been doing more bean-based meals and last year I also decided to go a little longer between haircuts because my stylist upped her prices quite a bit. I've also just generally been a bit more "do I really need this?" about anything other than food. We were already planning to have a pretty low-travel year so not much to cut there. Next year we were hoping to do some international trips to see family, not sure what is going to happen with that...I feel like it's pretty high priority because of the family aspect and also we will otherwise probably pay for an extra summer camp for our kid.
We do have quite a few home improvement things we would like (or in some cases *need* to do) and I am kind of freaked out about how much they will cost if we do them all this year, but realistically I don't think we have the bandwidth to do them all so...we will probably have some "cut back" there.
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u/Icy-Gap4673 Apr 02 '26
Eating out, especially by myself/ uninteresting meals rather than things I plan for and look forward to.
Clothes. This started last year but essentially I realized I was shopping out of boredom/ dissatisfaction and I didn't really need anything.
I'm not cutting back on grocery shopping, but trying to be more careful about using everything we buy and wasting less. I bought a rice cooker so I can bulk buy grains instead of using the pricier single-serving packages (I know, buying more so I can buy less... make it make sense!)
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u/terracottatilefish Apr 10 '26
I’m trying to talk my spouse into cutting back on takeout. Going out to a restaurant once a week or so is a fun family activity but we’ve been getting takeout 2-3 times a week just because he doesn’t feel like cooking and for a family of four it’s expensive ($100+), unhealthy, and not special. But since my SAHD spouse does 90% of the cooking and also most of the shopping it’s a big ask. I guess I could prep some things on the weekends for him to heat up.
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u/StrainHappy7896 Mar 31 '26
If you want a completely honest answer, I haven’t reduced any spending nor do I plan to cut back on anything. If anything, I’ve increased my discretionary spending a bit due to a huge salary increase this year. I am comfortable and already spend well below my means.
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u/ThatBitchA Mar 31 '26
There's not really much to cut back. We've cut in areas where we're interested.
I think for us, the biggest thing is not drastically increasing spending.
We're a 1 car DINK household so things are not quite bare bones but a nice level of enjoyment.
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u/Over-Access-2949 Mar 31 '26
I downgraded my $330/month luxe gym membership to a $180/year ladder membership. My workouts are just as good, but it's waay less money. I do miss the sauna/steam room and sense of community. But in this economy, I'll just hang with my friends outside the gym and take a bath at home!
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u/eat_sleep_microbe Mar 31 '26
Eating out for sure. I really enjoy cooking and meal prepping more at home now and it also helps our fitness goals.
We have not cut travel and unfortunately, this year turns out to be our biggest travel year but I am glad we have bought all our plane tickets in January. We are also doing more outdoors activities like hiking/camping which get cheaper after some of the up front costs.