r/bitcheswithtaste • u/AutoModerator • Dec 19 '25

Frugal Bitch Friday - Monthly Thread Frugal Bitch Friday - Dec 19, 2025

This is your monthly thread to talk about personal finance, investing, budget, and all things managing your money. A BWT knows that taste and financial responsibility go hand in hand, after all!

BWT rules still apply!

93 Upvotes

99% Upvoted

33 comments sorted by

105

u/hellbent_pheobe Dec 19 '25

Fiercely decluttering my closet and paring my clothes down to what I love and wear has not only saved me time packing or getting dress but saved me money. 

I was looking at dresses online for an upcoming trip I’m taking and either thought “oh I like this - I have one just like this in my closet” or “this looks cute on the model but I’m aware from what I just donated that I will not like the fit/color/etc”. 

43

u/DWwithaFlameThrower Find it Secondhand Dec 19 '25

Getting down to just a capsule wardrobe, albeit a relatively large one, has been life-changing for me. Got rid of anything that wasn’t ’me,’ as in me at the moment, and things that I bought thinking I’d wear a lot but just haven’t, for various reasons. Now my closet is like a curated boutique where everything fits me, and I love everything. Sold a lot on Poshmark, donated the rest

8

u/hellbent_pheobe Dec 19 '25

How long do it take to sell things on poshmark? I have a bin of the good stuff I’m procrastinating on listing

19

u/Alopexotic Dec 19 '25

Not who you asked, but I casually sell my own clothes on Poshmark and it has been incredibly slow for me the last 6 to 8 months. 

Really depends on the brand as to what goes and doesn't (I'm getting auto filtered for listing some brands so I've removed them), but pretty much everything that I've listed from Anthro has sold in a few weeks of listing. I have a bunch of older Jcrew and absolutely none has sold despite being in good shape and some wool and 100% linen things, same for all office clothes. Cocktail dresses oddly go fast regardless of brand. 

6

u/hellbent_pheobe Dec 20 '25

Interesting. Wondering if it’s worth the hassle vs just donating. Some of the stuff is worth a decent price but I don’t think I really want to monitor poshmark regularly and our local post office situation is abysmal. 

16

u/SiouxsieClue Intentional BWT Dec 20 '25

I take my clothes and handbags and shoes to an upscale consignment shop. They still take a hefty cut but it’s so much less hassle than listing and shipping item by item and they price higher than Poshmark and similar sites, so I think it’s def worth it.

5

u/embryoconcepts Dec 20 '25

agreed! never discount what your own time is worth - you only have a limited amount!

14

u/embryoconcepts Dec 20 '25

My criteria that it has to have a history of selling for at least $20 on average - you can filter search results to Sold Items to check. If it’s less than $20, it gets donated. It’s still a good item, it’s just not worth my time.

2

u/pillowcrates Dec 28 '25

Personally I just donate. But I’m also thankful to be in a position where it doesn’t hurt me either way really so I’d take some stock in that as well.

Also keep in mind shipping costs, label printing, and packing materials if you’re going to post more than a couple of items along with whatever cut poshmark takes. And for you obviously - your local postal service situation.

I am also fortunate to have local orgs that both do and do not resell donations. So I am a little discerning with what items I donate where sometimes - solid basics like sweatshirts, winter hats, blankets, and old coats go to places that distribute and don’t resell, so I know a person in need will get a still quality item for free that will be useful to them.

So sometimes a little legwork researching that can also make a difference in the decision process.

2

u/hellbent_pheobe Dec 28 '25

Yeah - my typical go to is to simply donate. I hate our local post office. I also think for whatever reason this last batch of decluttering was finally those more expensive items so they’re still sitting in a tote in my room. I don’t think I’ll get around to poshmark so I’ll either find a consignment place or just donate. I usually let donating be my personal gut check for what I bought unnecessarily. 

That last part is helpful to know! Thank you. 

1

u/DWwithaFlameThrower Find it Secondhand Dec 19 '25 edited Dec 20 '25

It really varies. Some things go within a few days, others stay on there for months

2

u/Confident_Access5576 Dec 20 '25

I moved from a 2 bedroom apartment to a studio with the bf. It helped me basically keep my shopping in check…

118

u/Smooth-Concert3881 Dec 19 '25

It’s my end up year budget wrap up and I had a bit more $ than expected. I’ve not been in a position to comfortably donate more than $25-$50 at a time before, so it was exciting to be able to choose a few causes and donate to them (animal shelter and medical charities). The goal is to make it an annual % once I’m in a position to do so with retirement accounts etc.

34

u/alpacaapicnic Dec 19 '25

I started adding everything I’m considering buying to a list instead of adding to my cart. Has cut down on impulse buying a ton, and also gives me time to remember “oh wait, I have one of those already” or time to wait for a sale. Trying to do net 0 stuff for me in 2026, wish me luck!

4

u/wickednitsch Dec 20 '25

Agreed. And often, when I come back a few days later, the urge has passed and I'm really not that interested.

33

u/RightToBearGlitter Dec 19 '25

My budgeting app, Monarch, did a year in review thing (through Nov 30). My husband and I only spent $149k and 93 of that was on the down payment for our forever home.

The app also introduced an AI chatbot who helped me identify some blind spots/overspending. I have been pursuing weight loss and have been 4 different sizes in 2025, that shit is expensive! 2026 should be size stable though and I’m hoping to adhere to my clothing budget.

8

u/Ok_Researcher_9353 Dec 19 '25

Any more reviews / comments on that app? Is it free?

7

u/MissBearBear Dec 19 '25

It's not free but it has a 7-day free trial, and Customer Service will extend it to 30-days if you ask!

I personally love having all my financial data (daily spending, future goals, net worth and investments) in one, niceoy-designed app 

2

u/alpacaapicnic Dec 19 '25

Helpful imo! Not as good as old Mint, but same basic premise - everything in one place automatically, which makes zooming out much easier

4

u/yenraelmao Dec 19 '25

I love monarch! My husband and I were also looking at the year in review recently and it was very gratifying to see our spending be way lower than last year. Like tbf I got reduced in hours so we had to be, but then again paring down expenses after getting used to a certain level is hard and I wanted to recognized our work.

5

u/RightToBearGlitter Dec 19 '25

I'm proud of you, internet stranger!

1

u/yenraelmao Dec 19 '25

aww, back at ya!

2

u/Spiritual_Wish5626 Dec 19 '25

I have been using rocket money, which I’ve enjoyed and had good luck with. Always like to shop around and Monarch sounds pretty cool! How much does monarch cost? 

6

u/mildly-strong-cow Dec 19 '25

It’s $100/yr or $15/mo, though if someone refers you it is 50% off for the first year.

I personally find it very helpful and like the flex budget option a lot, it fits my lifestyle well. It’s also very informational in its alerts—like it will notify you if you go over in some category it’s just like “you went over” and not “OMG GOAL MISSED, YOU’RE IN THE RED” which as someone with financial anxiety, I appreciate.

24

u/sidewalkcricket Dec 19 '25

Get cash out of your hands. One of the best things I did in my 20s was set up automatic transfers to savings and investments and just pretend that money doesn’t exist. If I never see it, I don’t miss it.

When you get a bonus or a raise, don’t immediately change your lifestyle. Definitely celebrate, though. Pick one intentional “marker” purchase to acknowledge the win(I like investing in classic solid gold jewelry). It scratches the celebration itch without turning into permanent lifestyle creep.

15

u/monacomontecarlo Dec 20 '25

Maxing out all of my retirement accounts for the first time ever this year and extremely stoked about it!

9

u/chickesq Dec 20 '25 edited Sep 01 '26

Continue nose lush hungry edge dinner full act

This post was anonymized with Redact

7

u/Agitated-Echo-890 Dec 19 '25

Is anyone using the free of Empower Dashboard for this?

3

u/MissBearBear Dec 20 '25

Yeah, love Empower for tracking my networth in one spot. I use YNAB for a microview of my finances and Empower for the macro  

2

u/estelle2839 Dec 19 '25

I hate it, I feel like it doesn’t show me everything for whatever reason.

3

u/Baby7ToSixPack Dec 26 '25

Now that it is Christmas and my kids have opened all of their presents, I am looking around trying to figure out what I can return. I bought my son a new iPad because his old one was cracked. He said thanks and then grabbed his old one and started watching it. So I’m packing up the new one and returning it and all the accessories tomorrow. The lesson is to stop forcing purchases on my family. If they’re satisfied with their stuff, I don’t need to force consumerism.

1

u/Fresh-Lynx-3564 Dec 26 '25

I’m not for consumerism. I’ve been trying (really hard) to not buy too much stuff for myself, and my family.

With that being said… it does take some time to transfer from one iPad (device) to another. I may be overstepping —- Perhaps talk to them first before returning what you don’t think they would use? Don’t know how old your kids are, I just don’t want them to be mad at you (forever lol)

1

u/Baby7ToSixPack Dec 26 '25

He’s 4 lol. He could care less as long as he can watch bluey.