Simplifying your life--what luxuries do you cut?

[CJ2008]

Wow you are all very disciplined.

My biggest way to save money is coupons - I'm very resourceful and I don't give up easily to find the best possible prices for one-off things, like a car rental (for example, recently nabbed a car rental for 2 weeks for $227 taxes included. Took me like an over an hour, but big difference from the the $356 best price I had found earlier.

Day to day I don't think we're that great at cutting out luxuries. I like my coffee every day, I like the routine of going to get it...and we like having cable...

But I do use coupons at the supermarket, try not to be too brand loyal (buying whatever's on sale) and I recently started making my own moisturizer (glycerin and water) and things like that. When I go shopping, even if it's a special occasion, I most of the time start out at Marshall's, TJ Maxx, Ross, etc., before going to the department store. I signed up for the PETCO Pals and I get a $5 coupon from them for every $100 I spend, which really helps. I also have decided that I don't care much about having the LATEST and best phone - I will wait until the Nexus One 2 comes out and then I will buy the Nexus One, when it goes on sale.

I do wait several weeks in between manicures, basically until I need my next pedicure (4-6 weeks) because they ARE expensive...but I feel like I "need" to have my nails done professionally - they don't look the same when I do them...they look sloppy...

iLander - I might just try Great Clips. I'm paying $75 for haircuts now and because it's expensive I wait way too long between haircuts. I'd rather pay less and go more often...

I'm also with you iLander that Walmart is NOT always cheaper. I actually created a spreadsheet comparing prices between the supermarket, Target, and Walmart, and often, Target is cheapest, especially when they have sales. Walmart never has sales.

ETA: we cut down on eating out too. And when we DO eat out, we pick wine bottles under $30 when possible (I cringe thinking at the money we used to spend on wine in our earlier days) and sometimes we'll skip the appetizers. We also try to go to more casual places rather than fancy places - I find that I am finding more fun from the togetherness and being out, doesn't necessarily have to be a trendy place to really enjoy it. We still love upscale trendy restaurants but really, it's starting to hurt to spend the money where I'm just not enjoying it as much - it's just not making as much sense to me any more.

 

[missy]

The biggest thing I do is make lunch at home to take to work for both me and my dh. I also don't buy coffee out because I have it at home and I like the way I make it and I don't like paying those crazy prices for coffee. Anyone here remember when good coffee at the deli used to be 50 cents?

We also don't eat out as much as we did in the 90's and 2000's.

Love Costco and do much of our grocery and paper goods shopping there.

I rarely get pedis or manis and do my toes at home.

What I would not consider is cutting my land lines (we have 2) or cable or internet service. I like those too much.

 

[CJ2008]

What I would not consider is cutting my land lines (we have 2) or cable or internet service. I like those too much.

Me too, Missy.

What are YOUR reasons for liking the landline?

One of my biggest reasons is that I like that I can send faxes from it - we need it like a few times a year but it's so nice to have it when you need it.

I ask because every few weeks DH questions why we have the landline and I never have "enough" reasons for him to get off my back about it. Maybe yours will sound better!

 

[missy]

What I would not consider is cutting my land lines (we have 2) or cable or internet service. I like those too much.

Me too, Missy.

What are YOUR reasons for liking the landline?

One of my biggest reasons is that I like that I can send faxes from it - we need it like a few times a year but it's so nice to have it when you need it.

I ask because every few weeks DH questions why we have the landline and I never have "enough" reasons for him to get off my back about it. Maybe yours will sound better!

My reasons:
I hate talking on mobile phones. I can never hear as clearly on them. No matter the phone. iPhone, androids, blackberries- all not as clear to my ears or my dh's. Second reason is I don't trust what potential harm using them longterm can bring and I don't care for bluetooth or earphones so back to the landlines. Love them though I admit the cost is getting higher and higher. Hope those reasons help you with your dh! Health should be a good one to get him onboard. There is a risk.

 

[LLJsmom]

Great suggestions everyone!!

Cut out mani/pedis. My poor toes need to breathe.
No starbucks or peets. Instant starbucks from costco.
No clothes shopping. In the past six months, I have only bought two pairs of workout pants for myself. When I feel the need to buy, I get something for the kids who have grown out of stuff.
No buying lunch. Bring from home.
Stop going to Costco when I don't need anything.
Stop going to Target when I don't need anything. Buying online from Amazon is cheaper. Saves gas and time.
Eating out less.

Things I don't skimp on.
Some organic foods.
Membership at nice gym.
Lessons for the kids.
Running shoes.

 

[Laila619]

Remember WALMART IS NOT CHEAPER!! It's seriously not. Target is cheaper. I've comparison shopped my items, and between Costco and Target I get the best prices. Walmart leaves their stores in bad shape because it furthers the perception that they're cheap. But they're not. I checked their plant department this weekend, and their plants (lousy selection) were all $2 more than Home Depot. I watched a woman spend $6.99 on the saddest bag of oranges I've ever seen. Then I thought of the big, luscious CRATE of oranges I just got at Costco for the same price. Even cat food at Walmart is $2 more expensive than the same thing at Target.

Years ago, a retail executive told me that Walmart is not cheap. It took me years to figure out that he was 100% right.

iLander, I've thought/said this for years, but none of my friends or family believes me!

Plus if you have a Target red card, you save an extra 5%. That adds up.

 

[monarch64]

I just rented a designer dress for a wedding/reception on a site called Rent The Runway instead of going out and buying something new. I shopped my closet first and my figure has changed since I last purchased a cocktail dress, so I had no options that were formal enough for this event.

I would say in order for this to be a money-saver, you have to know what you're doing. You have to be able to take accurate measurements of your body so you can get the correct size sent to you (they send you a free backup size as well just in case), and you need to be handy with temporary hem tape and understand a little about garment construction so that you can use safety pins or baste if you need to temporarily alter the dress.

Doing a quick mental rundown of the cocktail dresses in my closet, I'd say I averaged spending about $150 per wear on 6 dresses. They're hanging there and probably will never be worn again. My rental dress came to about $60 including 2-way shipping, insurance, taxes, and they take care of cleaning. I already own all the necessary accessories, so I'd say this was a definite money saver, and a space/clutter saver.

 

[Roxy]

I think it comes down to really knowing your spending. There was a great show called "Till Debt do Us Part" that I used to watch a lot. The host tells everyone to write down everything they spend down to a penny and then puts them on cash budget. Once the cash is gone, there is no more to spend. I'd say it's the best way to stick to a budget and pay off debt.

Oh, Baby Monster I loved that show!! You're right, budgeting w/ the envelopes really works because it forces you to actually SEE what the money looks like as you spend it down (especially if you use small bills OUCH!).

 

[Indylady]

Wow, thank you all for the responses!! This has been incredibly useful. I hadn't thought to buy at Costco, but I definitely will now. I also totally didn't know that Target was cheaper than Walmart--good to know, and didn't know about Petco rewards either. Excellent advice about dry cleaning too.

Monie--rent the runway is so cool. I haven't rented anything, but my friend's hubby is in the military and she uses rent the runway for his events.

 

[joyluck]

A couple things we do, though most have already been said:
-No TV at all, we just have a Smart TV and use the apps on it like Netflix
-No land line
-We keep our house a few degrees cooler in the winter than I'd personally like, but cuddling makes up for it!
-Starbucks / Dunkin' are rare treats
-Make large dinners so we can have leftovers. My husband and I don't always have matching schedules but I'm happy to know he still has a home cooked meal when I'm at work.
-CostCo. Even if all you do is get milk and eggs there for a year, you've already paid for the membership!
-If it's not on sale/has coupon % off/free shipping - we don't buy it.

My parents also like to order let's say two appetizers and one entree to share between the two of them when they go out to eat. The price is still lower than 1 app and 2 entree or even 2 entree plus one of them gets to keep the leftovers for their lunch tomorrow! They also cut down on newspaper delivery to just once a week instead of daily.

Have you tried using programs like Mint.com? I've found it really helps to see truly where all your money is going.

 

[monarch64]

Wow, thank you all for the responses!! This has been incredibly useful. I hadn't thought to buy at Costco, but I definitely will now. I also totally didn't know that Target was cheaper than Walmart--good to know, and didn't know about Petco rewards either. Excellent advice about dry cleaning too.

Monie--rent the runway is so cool. I haven't rented anything, but my friend's hubby is in the military and she uses rent the runway for his events.

Yup. This is my first time renting. I'll let you know how it goes. I wanted to start a thread on it, but didn't know if any PSr's would be interested. I think it's a wonderful concept. Fingers crossed it works out for me, or I'm shit up a creek wearing black tights and a sequinned tee shirt dress in a few weeks! At least I'll have a good lookin' guy on my arm!

Seriously, tho, the website asks people to post pics of themselves in their rented dresses at their events and give reviews. So every dress/gown you "like" you can see actual people wearing it in real life. Makes it a more foolproof way to try something rather than simply ordering a dress new online.

We also
1. do not subscribe to a television service.
2. no landline
3. watch our utilities carefully i.e. heat, cooling
4. bought a rain barrel last year and installed it, really cuts down on watering costs over the warm months/gardening
5. have a 2nd fridge in the garage to hold frozen stuff. I freeze stuff from our garden and we also use the overflow space for extra cheese, sauces, and make-ahead food.
6. do our own vehicle maintenance, like oil changes, car washes, detailing, blade changes, filter changes, etc.
7. I'm a huge DIY'r as far as artwork, decorating. Pinterest was a godsend.

There are lots more. Once you get the saving spirit in ya, you'll find it easier and easier to keep saving. Soon, you won't even WANT to spend money because you'll get into the saving/paying off mindset. Kind of like a diet.

 

[TooPatient]

Oh!

I also shop at Cash & Carry. It is the place restaurants buy from. I'm able to get onions (50 pounds for $10), sweet potatoes (40 pounds for $12), potatoes (50 pounds for $, etc. They have smaller sizes too so I buy what will keep fresh in the time it takes us to use. Some stuff I get in 10 pound sizes and others I go for the full size. The rest of my family does this too and splits bags (so 4 people split the onions and each get 12 pounds for about $3).
Some of their meats and cheeses are of great quality too -- I'm able to get beef tenderloin for $8/pound instead of $20+

No membership fees either!

 

[HopeDream]

Not exactly a "Luxury", but check out the MER (Management expense ratio) on your mutual funds/other investments (if you have any, and think about switching to something with a lower MER.

Don't keep money in a savings account if the interest rate doesn't keep pace with inflation, so your bling money doesn't erode. Speak to a financial advisor about how best to manage your money.

Eat more lentil soup http://thehairpin.com/2012/11/red-lentil-and-sriracha-soup

Think about joining a car-share, if you only use a car occasionally.

Coupons and points programs are a trap if they manipulate you into buying things you don't normally buy or purchasing tempting snacks and convenience items you don't actually need ( A $7 item that is half off, is still $3.50 more than you should spend on it if it's not something you needed before you saw the coupon.

Costco and bulk buying can also be a trap if you don't use everything you buy before it goes bad.

Eating out doesn't have to be expensive. My sweetie and I have found we definitely enjoy $12/plate Vietnamese food at a little mom and pop café far more than a $35/plate haute cuisine at an expensive restaurant. If you must frequent expensive restaurants, go for lunch instead of dinner - same/similar great food and service at a lower cost.

Intentionally stop consuming media that encourages you buy new things or spend beyond your means. Avoid things like fashion magazines and TV that exposes you to a lot of advertising.

Figure out what actually makes you happy and do more of it.

Have a weekly/monthly potluck or appy night with your friends

 

[missy]

One luxury I would never cut (unless I really had no choice) is my workout equipment. I use my Cybex arc trainer every single day. Well worth the investment in my physical and mental health.

 

[Kelinas]

I didn't read everyone's post so I don't know if this was posted so I'll just go ahead.
Its not something you can cut out but it is a way of saving.

In this day and age, people use credit cards for everything. If this is you, this won't work.
We used to take single bills we got in change and all the coins into a drawer. At the end of a month, it was easily 300 or so dollars.
Also, When my dh & I were in Korea, we quit smoking. We actually wanted to see how much we saved, so every 5 days, we would throw 45 bucks into a 5 gallon water jug. (4k if anyone was curious!)

Now that we're back in the states, we rarely use cash anymore. It could work though!

 

[iLander]

Wow, thank you all for the responses!! This has been incredibly useful. I hadn't thought to buy at Costco, but I definitely will now. I also totally didn't know that Target was cheaper than Walmart--good to know, and didn't know about Petco rewards either. Excellent advice about dry cleaning too.

Monie--rent the runway is so cool. I haven't rented anything, but my friend's hubby is in the military and she uses rent the runway for his events.

We buy all the mega packs there, and we make good use of our freezer to be sure it doesn't go bad before we eat it all.

You can freeze bread, bagels, rolls, etc. Put them in fresh, take them out the day before use, and they come out fresh. For bagels (love Costco bagels!!) I take them out as needed and microwave for 30 seconds. For quick sandwich, defrost 2 pieces of bread, it's perfect.

I divide all their bulk packs of meat before freezing, into meal sized packs. Then just defrost the pack by weight in the microwave. It's much more accurate, and I use a $10 kitchen scale to weigh the meat. I like their roasts, I roast one, then we have fabulous roast beef sandwiches for days of lunches. Again, chicken breast tenders for $2-$3 per pound. Unbeatable.

I love the Costco organic broccoli in the freezer section, as well as their frozen precooked shrimp. Their Kirkland Tilapia unbreaded loins are excellent, I follow bag directions with lemon and pepper. The butter is cheap, and I like their organic milk. They have a wonderful pure Mango nectar, too.

If you have dogs, Costco has the chicken breast jerky, freeze dried, for much cheaper than pet stores. And their brand never had any Chinese recall issues. Excellent prices on cat litter.

We've purchased appliances, furniture, even a car through Costco (saved $3000 with their auto buying program). Tires are a must there. We got a flat from a nail, took it back to Costco, and they refunded 100% of our money. Everything is guaranteed, for as long as you own it (electronics have a return limit), and you can return anything without a receipt. I love it. I only shop elsewhere for sauce mixes, Oreos, small things, and I buy them at Target.

 

[TooPatient]

Not exactly a "Luxury", but check out the MER (Management expense ratio) on your mutual funds/other investments (if you have any, and think about switching to something with a lower MER.

Don't keep money in a savings account if the interest rate doesn't keep pace with inflation, so your bling money doesn't erode. Speak to a financial advisor about how best to manage your money.

Eat more lentil soup http://thehairpin.com/2012/11/red-lentil-and-sriracha-soup

Think about joining a car-share, if you only use a car occasionally.

Coupons and points programs are a trap if they manipulate you into buying things you don't normally buy or purchasing tempting snacks and convenience items you don't actually need ( A $7 item that is half off, is still $3.50 more than you should spend on it if it's not something you needed before you saw the coupon.

Costco and bulk buying can also be a trap if you don't use everything you buy before it goes bad.

Eating out doesn't have to be expensive. My sweetie and I have found we definitely enjoy $12/plate Vietnamese food at a little mom and pop café far more than a $35/plate haute cuisine at an expensive restaurant. If you must frequent expensive restaurants, go for lunch instead of dinner - same/similar great food and service at a lower cost.

Intentionally stop consuming media that encourages you buy new things or spend beyond your means. Avoid things like fashion magazines and TV that exposes you to a lot of advertising.

Figure out what actually makes you happy and do more of it.

Have a weekly/monthly potluck or appy night with your friends

Great reminders on the bolded!
I never use the option to "print your coupons" or anything like that. Add to my cards but only buy what I was actually planning to anyway. The only thing I do is shift to the other brand if one is on sale and not the other (like Duracell vs. Energizer).

The thing with bulk is that you HAVE to plan carefully. You'll figure out what works for you (I've got sweet potatoes that are still fresh after 3 months!) to keep everything fresh until you use it. Get airtight food grade containers to store stuff like flour (or rice) in so it doesn't go bad. Whole Foods was changing theirs out so we got some for free!

Meats/cheeses are best divided up right away after you open. A lot are packed so you can leave them un-opened for some weeks safely and only have to deal with after opening. With meats, we either portion it up (dinner sized packages -- If I want to do for dinner & lunches, I just grab 2 packages) and freeze or use heavy duty ziplocs (Cash & Carry brand is super heavy duty and inexpensive) and marinate stuff. Marinating works great if you're going to use within the next week to two assuming you use something like a wine or vinegar to preserve.

 

[OreoRosies86]

Eating out, takeout, and coffee are usually the first to go. I spend an absolutely obscene amount of money on delivery and takeout dinner because I hate to cook and there is no excuse for it.

Edit: I enjoy cooking for others but not myself. By the time I'm done I am sick of looking at it and want something else

 

[Roxy]

Something else that I do (since I'm our bookkeeper/money manager) is once a year I'll set a timeframe where DH and I cut back drastically on everything for a short period of time to "sprint" towards one of our savings goals. We'll choose the savings area that we want to focus on and then I'll schedule a couple of months where we make "super sacrifices" (that's what hubby calls it ).

We're both naturally frugal so it's not like we're splurging throughout the rest of the year, but we've found that setting short timeframes for sacrificing extras makes it a lot easier (knowing it's for a short time).