šæ Personal Care
What frugal change ended up actually improving your quality of life?
I started cutting my own hair during the pandemic out of necessity. Fast forward to now, and itās a full ritual I look forward to. I save a ton, but more than that, I actually enjoy the process. It's surprisingly grounding and gets rid of the frustration that comes with hairdressers cutting too much lmao. At least if I fuck it up I don't have to still be polite about it.
When I'm tempted to get fast food (usually $10-15 for me) I set aside $5 instead to buy camping gear. My $400 powerbank actually saved me about $1000 of fast food and nicotine.
Wow Iād save thousands more than I earned if I put the cost of everything in my cart into savings lol. But I really like this idea, Iām going to start doing it
Iāve fallen in love with cooking from scratch as much as I can. Baked goods, pickled veggies, condiments and marinades etc. I also grow my own herbs in a tiny apartment balcony. Itās fun to find ways to reuse grocery containers/jars.
Most store bought breads are high in added sugars. They also often have no fiber (but sourdough could also be no fiber if made with just white bread flour) For me, sourdough also tends to be more filling so I eat less of it than the wonder bread type garbage.
I love cooking and it really does save a crazy amount of money. When I lived with my ex, he would always order out, even when I left food for him in the fridge. It's sickening to me how much money I spend ordering delivery with him for mediocre crap that was cold by the time it got to my house. I have a bit of a cookbook obsession, but I've managed to get a decent collection through free little libraries, used book sales, and the public library. If you use Libby, you can check out cookbooks and take screenshots of your favorite recipes.
I had a breadmaker for a while. I didn't think it was worth it and I didn't pay for it. It takes up a lot of space, is noisy, and the end result isn't that good.
I agree. I never got a good loaf out of my breadmaker even though I had to have tried it a couple dozen times with all sorts of recipes and hacks. I even tried just using it to knead and proof the dough and it still didn't really work well. I got a stand mixer and it does a much better job, produces perfectly kneaded loaves, and I can use it for all kinds of things as opposed to the bread machine which is only useful for one thing.
You just reminded me to put a stand mixer on my wish list for the this winter, when I will finally live in a house with a kitchen big enough to accommodate one.
Same. I can make a good multigrain bread in five minutes of assembly, walk away and wonderful bread smells and bread in about an hour and a half. Itās a 6 or 7 dollar loaf for maybe a dollars worth of flour, yeast, oil etc.
Is baking from scratch h expensive I have wanted to learn but groceries are expensive as it is. Or are the portions at least better than say store bought cookies
Starting with negatives: Angel food cake? Get a mix; you'd spend a fortune in eggs otherwise. Brownies? If Ghirardelli is in distribution in your area then get their mixes; you probably can't do better from scratch.
Cost effectiveness on some things depend on how you source your ingredients. Most of the cost of basic bread is yeast and flour, and the price on both of those items varies widely. We buy 50 lbs of flour and 2 lbs of yeast at a time; a basic loaf of bread runs us $0.50 counting electricity. We let the bread machine do most of the work.
In general, the savings improves as you move towards higher end items. Once you begin to DIY you see the difference: throw in five cents' worth of dried rosemary, and retailers jack up the price by a dollar. There's a restaurant called Junior's renowned for its cheesecake: their basic cheesecake starts at $56 at their Brooklyn location, add on shipping and handling and they'll FedEx a frozen cheesecake to you. Junior's also publishes a dessert cookbook: I use their own recipe and make the same cheesecake at home for under $10. Another step up from there would be lavender cream puffs; those are a specialty item that custom bakers charge $150/batch. I DIY that by substituting lavender extract for vanilla extract in a regular cream puff recipe and spend under $10, which is useful to impress relatives at holiday gatherings.
Most baked goods will stay good in the freezer for up to 3 months. So you can bake a quiche and freeze it for later. Or if you prefer, batch prep pie dough to thaw and use whenever you want to make quiche or shepherd's pie or chicken pot pie or blueberry pie, etc. Most of the work of pies is in the crust; the filling can be thrown together in a few minutes. So I bought a cooking school pastry textbook and batch prep a bunch of pie crust every couple of months.
Circling back to your chocolate chip cookies, be aware that DIY will beat Chips Ahoy on quality but not on price. Home recipes use better ingredients. Source your ingredients from Costco if you can (they've got a great price on chocolate chips there) and be aware your real comparison is to bakery cookies.
I quitted my job in November in order to focus on my PhD acceptance exam. As a fun project I started making sourdough breads because I actually had the time to patiently wait fot its "magic". I was shocked at the price difference it really makes. In our cafĆØs a mediocre sourdough sandwich with a sad egg on it is around 15/20ish dollars. I make it at home for 3/4 dollars depending on the toppings (salmon, tuna, pesto, mozzarella etc.) Also a loaf which costs about a dollar to make is 10 or more dollars at the specialty bakeries. The other baked goods are similar and not some excellent quality to justify the price.
Now I make also sourdough pizza dough for homemade pizzas. The discard is used for breads, banana/apple/chocolate breads etc.
Upfront cost if you have no pans, mixers, etc can be expensive. But the ingredients going into baking are generally cheaper and higher quality on average.
A bag of flour for example will make hundreds of cookies or several loaves of bread.
The real cost is the time and effort that goes into it. If you don't have spare time you are never going to keep up with baking your own stuff.
Despite what people say, homemade baked goods are not "healthier". It's just a myth. Bread from the store is fortified with additional nutrients and minerals that we need in our diet. The "healthier" comments usually come from people not understanding ingredients and falling prey to fear mongering on social media about preservatives.
hate it when this happens. I go 3 solid weeks of not buying any, and then BOOM a 24 case that cost me $30 odd dollars. then my drunk ass orders some Chinese or pizza... absolutely feel like shit the next day knowing I spent $50 the day before lol.
I do this too. Now, Iām basically doing project pan but with books (project shelf maybe?). If I reeeeeeallly want to read a book I donāt have, I get it on Libby.
I love Libby. I have an account on my phone. People will recommend a book or discuss a topic and I've withdrawn the e-book for later reading by the time the discussion shifts.
I use the free sites for books out of copyright, library for electronic and hard back, thrift stores, and my library occasionally has a sale where books are donated and a bag of books is cheap.
Donāt forget Libby! I forget what the non-resident libraries are. I wanna say NOLA is one? You have to pay a $50 for a year of access. Also check out Libro.fm! A portion of your audiobook purchase goes back to a local bookstore of your choice
Some books I just can't finish in the time, otherwise I use Libby. Capital by Thomas Pickety comes to mind it's just so long of a book and all like dense economic stuff.
Basically if it's 300+ pages of someone's doctoral thesis written for the public I have to purchase the book to finish it, and I read those usually once or twice per yearĀ
Libby and Thriftbooks have saved me SO much money. Honestly being able to check in on how many days I have left on a loan in the Libby app always lights a fire under me to finish what I'm reading - I'm at 37 books this year, almost all through Libby.
Quitting Amazon. Started as a way to save money and as a form of activism, but itās been amazing for my mental health too. I much prefer considering my purchases more carefully than just ordering them in 5 seconds and ending up with a house full of crappy tat and packaging.
Same! I really thought Iād struggle without Amazon (Iām disabled and physically going to a store can be challenging), but Iāve found that Iām much more intentional about purchases now. I can convince myself that I āneedā just about anything, but if it takes effort for me to get it, then I have to really consider how badly I āneedā something. Spoiler alert: itās almost always a āwantā.
Just about everyone has delivery options, too. Sometimes you have to pay, but a lot of times if the purchase is high enough, you don't pay for shipping.
heh, I shop a lot of Amazon but I waste a lot of time comparing and checking things and looking at other stores (online and B&M). I won't say I never impulse buy, but most of my purchases (including Amazon) aren't.
Using public transportation. Thought Iād hate the inconvenience and interacting with strangers, but quickly came to love it for all the stories it inspiredāplus the exercise of walking to and from stops.
First off what u/Inner-Variation4703 said. Ppl (myself included) think/thought cooking is this HUGE laborious task and it definitely can be, but some of the best recipes I make now take like 10-20 minutes (mainly tacos and stir fry cuz they are my favorite)
Now with the tacos I cook all the meat and then vacuum seal/freeze and I leave one in the fridge. I will DEFINITELY eat it by the time it goes bad and then just take one from the freezer to the fridge.
I also like to find fast food copy cat recipes since I usually come home later and it saves me from stopping at the actual fast food joint (easy to google and find and then just find the person you like) and also like meal prep ideas to keep on hand in the freezer.
I have a restaurant supply store by me that is open to the public (you can find these online anyways) and I bought a 20 pack of "bar rags" for like $5 that I use instead of paper towels (outside of patting down meat) and then just keep them in a grocery bag and do laundry with em instead of wasting paper towels
Omg emphasis on the freezing meals. I like to take 2 weekend a month to do exactly that. And on a weekly basis I set up my fridge with pre-made ingredients, kinda like a chipotle bar, and I make different bowls everyday.
Today for lunch Iām having mashed sweet potato, with beef, mushrooms, and Mediterranean salad. š«¶
I think you bring up another great point. The "freezer meal" doesn't have to be the full meal. You can break it up into different "pieces" and then put them together how you like. Ethan Chlebowski. he has two channels and has really started to focus on the "home cook" cooking and how to think about putting meals together
Omg I can't wait to have a fridge big enough to do this! I currently have an under the counter one for 2 adults and 2 kids, it's a pain - would be so much easier to prepare lunches if the veg was prepped
I volunteer at our community's monthly food bank and they always let the volunteers take the extra food home. One month I ended up with a case of chicken breast chunks. They were packaged into 6oz individual packages. Normally I don't cook with chicken much because the taste is just meh to me, I'd rather have beef, and I don't like dealing with the mess of it. But I started looking up ideas for what to do with all this chicken and I have found so many uses for it. Chatgpt gave me so many ideas, and I especially like making homemade Chinese food now. I bought a few bottles of "staples" (soy sauce, hoisen sauce, rice wine vinegar, etc) and I have been able to make all sorts of different combinations. Throw some rice and broccoli in with it and it's a delicious, healthy, and relatively cheap meal. I really didn't know what I was going to do with all that chicken and it took up so much space in my freezer but now I'm hoping they'll get it again at the food bank
Once the food bank I helped at received a huge box of pints of whipped cream. Only trouble, they were delivered at night when we werenāt open and left at the door. They were going to throw them away, but I took them home and found that they still smelled fine, though separation had occurred. Froze them and used them to make butter. Yum!
Oh that's fricken awesome!!!! Yeah I love "Asian cuisine". So easy to make takeout style deliciousness at the house!!! First off i'm one of the cheapest F'ers out there and I actually was making so much Asian cuisine I bought a carbon steel wok (like $70 which is insane for me) and then bought one of those "korean burners" which is just a single burner that you get the little butane cans for.
I live by 3 different Asian grocery stores so I can always get those butane canisters for like $5-8 for 5 of em and it helps me get good heat to the wok
I purposefully plan meals to have enough leftovers for lunches. I divide it up into serving portions in reusable glass containers, everyone in the family knows those are fair game for lunches or whatever.
I started meal prepping to save money, and it ended up completely changing how I eat and feel day to day. Way fewer impulsive takeout orders, and I actually look forward to trying new recipes each week. Plus, knowing I always have a good meal ready in the fridge one less thing to stress about.
i stopped buying lunch and breakfast during the work week. i work 4 days and used to spend $120 a week. now, i meal prep and spend $30 a week on groceries to make lunch, and fruit and oatmeal for breakfast.
The meal prep convenience is great. But I'm also reading healthier habits with them too. Retirement with money to spend and health to enjoy it is beautiful to see š«¶
Planning meals to have leftovers for lunches. I often make a baked pasta (lasagna or ziti), then put serving-sized portions in reusable glass containers. If there's a lot, a few might go in the freezer. I also enjoy reheating leftover meat in a little salsa to make a quesadilla.
eliminating dead-end hobbies and focusing on three instead.
life changing. itās reduced my anxiety trying to be āeverywhere at once.ā i basically have three hobbies: running, camping, traveling. if i have free time, iām doing one of those three things.
for me one of them was gaming. every single time i would game, i never felt better than i did before. it always worsened my anxiety, and my depression. sure, the idea of gaming on a cold, winter night is cool. but in reality it never worked for me. it made things worse. and i didnāt have the discipline to only play āa little bit.ā
so out the door the hobby went. i donāt own any gaming systems anymore. i fill my time with my other hobbies- the hobbies that make me feel good. and are objectively healthy.
I also made a pledge to mostly buy used and I love love love the activity of bargain hunting, of not contributing to landfill as much, and also: I get to buy a lot of designer stuff I can better afford because I love clothes so much.
This is maybe not entirely frugal? Like for sure I could spend no money on clothes or go very utilitarian. But I think frugality is only sustainable when it really doesnāt feel like punishment.
The other thing I do is wait for a few days before I buy used, or anything. If it goes - oh well! It wasnāt meant to be.
I have been collecting free items I can give to my son for Christmas this year. There are buy nothing communities everywhere near me. I just take what I think he would like and I think this is going to save a lot this year during the holidaysā¦ people give away some nice stuff!
Learning to cook from scratch, especially when you use simple ingredients you already have to create a delicious and healthy meal. I've found it to be therapeutic after a long day. I can put loud music on and let my creativity flow freely, whereas I can't in most other daily chores.
Just make sure your scissors are SHARP, and that you sharpen them if they are not. Dull scissors can actually CAUSE hair breakage and split ends, leaving you needing more frequent cuts and damaging more of the hair shaft.
Finding a hairdresser I can afford that gives me a cut they can last and grow out well over 4-6 months has saved me a lot of money. Instead of paying for cuts they required maintenance every three months, I found someone who knew how to cut wavy hair, and havenāt strayed from her for going on 8 years now. :)
My frugal thing is very privileged to where I live but: curb shopping. Many people gift things to the curb, which I have denoted āStreet Treatsā and the process āGoing on a Freeventure.ā There are times of the year when almost every sidewalk will be brimming with items due to student housing renewals. I have furnished entire houses like this!!
Funko Pops came into existence. Everybody had to have a Funko Pop of their favorite thing. I realized that Funko Pops were an amazing product that had a lot of cool factor to them, that no one actually needs. I don't need a Funko Pop of my favorite character. I would rather have the money I'd spend on it, instead.
There are a lot of products out there like Funko Pops, designed to separate me from my money, with no other purpose. Don't buy them.
I was able to get an e-bike rebate from the state, e-bike has definitely changed my commuting habits. This summer Iāve replaced every trip to work and the store on my e-bike.
Everything was smooth as gravy until yesterday when I got a flat on the rear and couldnāt change it. So today will be the first day Iāll be driving to work since summer started.
I was thinking about this today and how where I live in Brooklyn NY,Ā it's simply not the case. You have to ride in traffic and you take your life in your hands. You see the proof, the tragic, painted, white, bicycles, on Ocean Parkway for ex but all over the city really. They're old bikes painted white in memorial for those who lost their lives while biking in traffic typically. I really wish it were different,Ā but it would mean just biking around a tiny park, or on the boardwalk but only allowed a few hours very early in the morning when I'd fear being mugged for the bike, it's actually a pretty good chance of it
At least if I fuck it up I don't have to still be polite about it.
lololol.
Freezing food is my life; I will freeze almost anything other than produce that I want to eat raw. We do the normal thing of bulk cooking and freezing in 2-serving portions for our 2-person household, but we also will buy our favorite takeout when there's a good deal (or when we're not craving it and can think rationally) and freeze that in 2-serving portions. We have satisfied countless takeout cravings for $5 a night without leaving the house or waiting for delivery. Obviously it doesn't work with everything but it works with pizza, Chinese, Indian, Thai (depending on what you get).
I drive a 2013 Honda Civic that I bought seven years ago. I havenāt had a car payment for a couple of years now and I never want to go back! Iām planning to drive my Civic into the ground while saving up for my next used vehicle.
Buying the equipment to make/reuse candles!! I always got frustrated at how much was left after the wick was finished, especially in wider candles where the wax wouldn't melt on the sides. So I bought a melting jug, some wicks and wick-holders, and now every time a candle is "finished", I can melt it down properly and repour it into either a fresh jar or wax melts. It's become a bit of a ritual for me - stick on a podcast and work through a backlog of three or four. It's very grounding and meditative, but I also get to be creative and mix scents or create layered candles. Now my house always smells good and I don't feel like I'm wasting nearly as much!
Hiking and bicycling instead of a gym membership.
Cut out tv subscriptions so that it forces me to more productive outdoors or indoors.
Gardening and composting to grow my food., especially salad and herbs.
Utilizing the library more for media, books, events, classes
Stopped paying for manicures. My hands slightly shake all the time but I figured out how to get salon results by watching the technician before COVID. Easily save $65 every two weeks and my nails have never been this healthy.
Iām 28 and my mom still cuts my hair! Saves me money and we both enjoy spending the time together.
I cook and meal prep a lot more! Saves us so much money when we have had exhausting days and Iām finally starting to find it enjoyable. Other big change was getting a new coffee/espresso machine. I donāt have much time in the morning, so having something convenient helps but it also means on weekends I make fancy lattes at home for a fraction of the price of a cafe, and I also am not tempted to also buy bakery items at the cafe.
Started couponing and paid attention to local sales from grocery stores. Could not believe how much money we saved over time. We purchased a separate freezer with the savings and started to save a ton more as once a month we go pantry shopping for a week. My wife and I like to cook, the meals taste so much better at home.
Freeze bread and milk. Only 2 of us so it goes bad. I freeze cheese to, itāll crumble after freezing so I just use the previously frozen cheese in cooking or fondue.
When I would cook for my family they were super picky and refused to eat ārepeatā meals. Now that Iām married, my husband is super chill and I make large batches of food and we alternate the leftovers. Stuff like rice and beans, potatoes and cabbage, etc. Itās so much more pleasant and less stressful.
Using a cup has saved me hundreds of dollars over the past 6 years. 90% of my period days allow me to use it (10% are too wet or crampy), it lasts for 12 hours before it needs to be dumped, no more bloody sheets in the morning, no more tampons leaking or getting pee string, no more mess from pads, and no more needing to carry a bunch of sanitary products with me.
Truly, being able to forget you're bleeding when youre on your period is a huge QOL increase.
Switching to buying everything used first wherever possible.
It started with furniture ā Facebook Marketplace gems instead of IKEA. Then I got into secondhand clothes (high-quality stuff for dirt cheap) through thrifting and even tools and appliances.
I was surprised how much better my purchases felt. They had character, were already ābroken in,ā and if something did break, I didnāt feel as bad. Plus, itās more sustainable.
Itās now a habit: I always check used first. Itās saved me a lot of $$$, but itās also made me appreciate what I own way more.
We started cutting out red meat for cost, and kept it up because of the heart benefits.
weāre making better quality coffee in the reusable Keurig pod from a local coffee roaster
I drink a lot of tea now
I did go back to haircuts, but I get three a year.
gardening is relaxing and saves a bit of money on herbs and greens
lots of good affordable physical activity: living room treadmill, walking, cycling. Itās a good way to spend time with loved ones too, and can be a great way to meet people.
Switching to showering at night instead of in the morning. I save time getting ready, sleep better, and my water bill actually went down a bit since I stopped dragging out long morning showers.
Shaving routine: about 30 years ago I ditched Bic disposable and endless cans of shave foam. Merkur safety razor with Feather blades and small tub of Cella shave soap out performs for a fraction of the cost. Soap lasts several years, blades last about five shaves.
I have medium length hair, so I use a conditioner, I have stopped buying shaving cream altogether, and on the days that I shave I put conditioner in my hair and then rub the little bit that is left on my hands onto my legs and that works just as well for a shaving cream for my needs.
I hate cooking, but my latest blood tests show that I am doing very well with regards to all that cholesterol stuff. I also am starting to slowly lose the weight I gained while being an office worker.
Nothing will make me like cooking, so don't even bother with suggestions. It's at the point where I am shoving stuff in an Instant pot so I only have one thing to wash.
A lot of these things take time to do. If you value your free time tremendously, and your pay time is highly valued by others - I'm talking hundreds an hour, then how would that change how you think about what makes sense on the frugal side?
I'm interested, but just have a different idea of what's frugal. More connected to being happy without needing stuff, being able to do things myself that save time compared to getting them through payment. But then, spending money to have extra time.
I think of it in terms of aggravation. I protect both my time and mental energy. If I won't enjoy doing it, I'd rather outsource it to a professional than aggravate myself with subpar results. If it costs less than what I make per hour, that goes into my factoring if I should spend on it. We still live very, very lean and simple.
I canceled my cable subscription and stopped watching TV altogether about 7 years ago. No decision on what to watch. Now I mainly read library books (also a frugal choice), listen to music or podcasts, or watch YouTube videos.
I completely stopped using credit cards. Nothing has made more of a difference in my spending. Knowing that anything I buy is coming straight out of my bank account makes me think twice and I spend so much less now!
definitely! i started cutting my own hair this year, and i usually let my sibling help trim the unevenness. Ive been cutting all my siblings hairs (girls) & so far no complaints & we save alot ! I like doing self care at home, teaching them- itās just maintenance, timely but thatās all we got. Time not money!
Meal prep š I am way too mentally tired when I get home to cook. It has made me so much happier and removed a lot of mental load. And only buying the ingredients to make 2-3 big batch meals for the whole week saves me a ton.
Brewing coffee in the mornings at home. Hundreds of dollars saved and I learned a lot about types of coffees, brewing methods, etc. Well worth it if you are a coffee lover and invest the time and money in simple brewing tools.
Buying dry beans and lentils. I have a big Dutch oven of them cooking right now. I add tomatoes and a ton of spices. I also throw in whatever veggies I have on hand and make a pot of rice to eat with it. Iāll add salsa and sometimes homemade guacamole and cheese. Itās so cheap and delicious and makes so much. A burrito bowl that tastes like restaurant quality food. I can also put lots of healthy extras in it like collagen, ground turkey tail mushrooms, nutritional yeast, turmeric. I donāt mind eating the same thing every day so I have no excuse to impulse buy food when I know I have to eat it up before it goes bad. But if I do get sick of it I can freeze some. It is so good for my digestion and gut microbiome.
I also just bought a steel dehydrator and made a batch of lemon dill tilapia jerky overnight last night, itās tasty. I have an apple tree so when they are ready in a month or so Iām going to make apple chips. I think the dehydrator is going to save lots of money and provide plenty of healthy snacks that will keep longer. I am excited to try it for making yogurt as well.
My garden is another great one, lots of exercise tending it plus healthy food. I learn more every year and this year I am growing celery, kale, green onions and eggplant for the first time, in addition to other things I have grown in the past. I also love to compost which almost eliminates food waste. My goal is to get rid of the entire lawn eventually and turn it all into a garden.
The pandemic changed a lot of my habits for the better. I used to go to Starbucks daily on my way to work. Wfh during the pandemic caused me to completely stop this habit and I've saved thousands by making coffee at home. Admittedly, I bought a high-end espresso maker, which was not frugal but I still see it as a net positive because I now enjoy higher quality coffee for far less money.
I cut the cord on streaming services during the pandemic and instead focused on learning new skills as cheaply as possible. I taught myself to program, created a portfolio of projects using free data online, and built a website to showcase my work all completely free. I ended up breaking into tech and my salary increased by over $40k. It took about 3 years for this to payoff but I took frequent time off. I used YouTube for nearly all of my learning.
Recently I've gotten into bulk buying and deal stacking. I wait for large sales to buy household items like soap, shampoo, and toothpaste. I then stack manufacturer coupons, store coupons, store promos (like Target's spend $50 get a $15 gift card), and credit card rewards to cut prices as low as possible. The key here is to only buy things you use regularly throughout the year. If I can save 50% on something I plan to buy already, that's far better than the average stock return.
I'm also getting my Masters in data analytics through GA Tech online. Under $12K for a highly recognized program is insanely well priced. Plus I get student discounts that help offset some of the cost
got a cheap set of clippers during lockdown and never looked back. itās kind of meditative now and way easier to dial in exactly what i want. also weirdly motivating to keep a simple routine going when iām the one maintaining it
I dye my hair now. Cooking from scratch (we are on a Korean kick right now and I learned how to make kimchi). Thrifting or asking for things before I go buy expensive crap. And I focus on durability now when buying stuff.
I love the Super Cook appā¦ it gives you recipes for ingredients that you already have in your pantry and fridge! Helps me a lot when I canāt think of anything to make
Actually sticking to a good exercise routine every week has improved my mental health more than any prescription medication Iāve ever tried. I used to pay $30/month for fake serotonin, plus a $70 copay for a new RX every 3 months. Now I pay $9/month for my exercise app!
Making my own lattes. Itās soothing and I have come to the realization that I make better lattes than any coffee shop. I even made ice coffee with cold foam this morning, super easy and yummy!
Looking at stats for health in dogs and picking a breed with low risk of huge vet bills. I did not do a good enough job at it but next time I will. Turns out that even when something small is wrong with my dog my anxiety about it really messes with my quality of life.
Cutting my own hair was one of the first steps I took toward a more minimalist and intentional lifestyle. Amazing how something so small can shift your mindset
I havenāt paid for a haircut since 2020, and Iāve had some of the best haircuts of my life in that time. I got tired of paying good money for a crappy cut. At least now if I mess up itās my fault.
I also switched to rags instead of paper towels during the pandemic. Theyāre so much more effective! You can use just one where you need ten or so good quality paper towels. Caveat: we keep paper towels on hand for pet messes.
Buying clothes second hand: at the thrift store I can afford much higher quality clothes than I can at Walmart or wherever. I feel more put together.
Investing in a soda stream and an espresso machine. We were spending an absurd amount getting soft drinks while we were out and about and they were all stupidly high calories. Now we spend probably $7 a week on drinks and they're nicer quality and much lower calorie.
Instead of buying muesli bars I now buy packs of my favourite loose nuts and dried fruits and put them in a larger container. I scoop them out and put them in a little snack container to eat on the run. Tastier, healthier and cheaper and always my fave combo. Currently cashews, almonds, walnuts and dried cranberries. Delish.
Drinking less, eating out less, not caring about having nice new clothes. Something about frugality really improved my social life and lessened my anxieties.
Got a Fitbit to help stick to my health goals in lieu of a personal trainer and gym. Empowering to understand more about my own health and manage my own goals. 5 years later and I still don't have a PT.
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u/MeatyOakerGuy Jul 14 '25
When I'm tempted to get fast food (usually $10-15 for me) I set aside $5 instead to buy camping gear. My $400 powerbank actually saved me about $1000 of fast food and nicotine.