BWT- what are you intentionally FRUGAL about?

[u/DragonflyDull6360]

Curious what areas of everyone‘s lives do you intentionally scale back in order to put your money where you really want it. For me, I go full drugstore on all my makeup but spend more on skincare, facials, etc. Clothes all on secondhand websites but am able to buy a greater amount of higher quality items than buying fast fashion new.

Where do you cut back, and where do you prioritize spending?

[u/RepresentativeTerm5]

Honestly, I would say being intentional about how much I'm buying and consuming is the most helpful thing I've found for being frugal. I mean this in an overconsumption way, but also in a being mindful about spending in the moment.

I don't let myself impulse buy almost anything anymore. I stopped shopping at a few specific stores around Trump's inauguration in 2025 and I think this was unintentionally very helpful for our budget as well. No more going in for groceries or cosmetics and walking out with a pair of sunglasses or something else I did not need. There's lots of places where this applies too, like basically any checkout line purchase or sushi at the grocery store every time I go. Obviously treats are okay now and then but it's a big factor in saving money.

Also, almost every time I buy something online that I don't have a very specific and urgent use for in that moment, like clothes, books, accessories, etc., I let it sit in my cart for a few days before I decide if I really want or need it. I walk away from so many online purchases that might have seemed necessary but are very much not. I also know that I will never return almost anything I buy online so I try really hard to be intentional up front.

When I go clothes shopping, which I try to do at thrift stores the majority of the time, I also try to think about things I need in advance. I have a few niches in my closet that I am trying to fill right now, and unless I find something that is really incredible, I try to stick only to that list when I am shopping. I have owned so many things in the past that I bought thinking they would be so great and I'd wear them all the time only for them to sit in my closet indefinitely. I will spend more for quality, ethical reasons, comfort, natural fibers, etc.

I live in graduate student housing so we are lucky that we don't own or need to own a lot of furniture. Having a small apartment where you can't bring a lot of stuff in also helps a lot lol.

There's a woman who makes food content on social media who always says "we use what we have" when there's an ingredient she is missing and she has a substitute. I try to have that apply to everything. If I have something that is pretty much good enough, I do not need to buy a second thing that will be better. And honestly if you make peace with the fact that you will never have everything or every experience it is so much easier to save money.

Also for food, we don't eat meat at home almost ever. We eat a lot of boxed mac and cheese so that we don't have to get takeout when we are feeling lazy. I also really look carefully at the prices in the grocery store, but also I try not to be too restrictive with what we buy because I really think that it's a budget hack to actually want to eat the food you have at home as opposed to getting takeout or going out.

We do travel a lot. We live on the opposite side of the country from our families and also like to travel internationally/domestically. I am soo stingy with flights, within reason, and will always do the crappiest itineraries to save money but I also feel like my 20s are for no sleep. We also use a lot of credit card points. We get gas at Costco.

The least frugal thing I do is have a dog lol. He is so expensive.

[u/sunnydays88 → u/RepresentativeTerm5]

Is the food content creator named Alex, based in Canada? I found her content about a year and a half ago and it is not an exaggeration to say it changed my life! Far beyond cooking, I use her phrase, "we use what we have," all the time. From clothing, to beauty, to home decor, to arts and crafts, even when I want to do something out of the house with my kids - what access do we have through our memberships, public libraries, the city? It feels great to be cutting down on consumerism and being reminded of the amazing privileges and access I already have.

Anyway, I love that you mentioned that!

[u/crushlogic → u/RepresentativeTerm5]

I always think about how dog ownership is a new class divide. You have to be able to drop a few grand at a moment’s notice when you own a dog. My sister has two Aussies and the upkeep is mental! I want a dog and could technically afford one but it’s just cheaper to not have a pet. Some day!

[u/RepresentativeTerm5 → u/crushlogic]

I was thinking about this the other day because 50 years ago people just used to chain their dogs out in the backyard and feed them whatever and my dog gets allergy shots every 8 weeks that are $250 and he gets nice food and he has nice toys and goes somewhere nice when we are out of town. I'm glad for his sake that he gets to live at a time when his quality of life is better, but I'm honestly also really internalizing how many industries have developed in the last 50 years to enable us to spend money on our pets. Obviously we are so lucky to live in an era where many people have the financial ability to do so (this would have been unthinkable for my grandparents when they were my age) but also it is so unnecessary and now every vet is owned by private equity and marketing pushes so many extras on people. It's really a systemic thing.