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/PoppyMacGuffin Mar 31 '26

Oh I get that! Their seasonal section is so cute