Some things I deliberately live without to save money and some things I just can't afford, but the end results are the same. I have more disposable income and more money to save by cutting some things out. Like, I don't have cable TV, don't get manicures or pedicures, eat a lot of vegetarian meals, don't have a smart phone or the latest tech gadgets, don't buy household cleaners (make my own) and don't have a garbage bin (I use grocery store bags). What about you? Do you give up anything or live without stuff just so you can save money? Things that you might actually like to have?
Unlike most of my friends and classmates, I don't spend all my money to buy crap at school (like chewing gum, cookies, sodas, etc.). I want until I get home to grab a bite. That saves me and my dad some money.
I had originally turned off our satellite TV to save money but then it dawned on me that the $140 per month we spend on the absolutely everything package was truly the only 'entertainment and fun' that we did monthly, so I turned it back on. I was totally disappointed in myself for giving in, but in all honestly it's the only fun we have...lol. I make my own bread so that I don't have to spend so much on commercial bread. And mine tastes a TON better. LO
I do without chocolates, chips, colas and sweets. I found that by cutting those non-essential items out, I actually got healthier (and thinner (-:...). I cut out yoghurt for a while but really missed it, so discovered how to make it at home. So, I am happy that I have that back minus the preservatives and other additives. It so much yummier and creamier too. I would recommend it to everyone who loves yoghurt to make your own.
Lol I have just basic cable. Mainly for the kids. I usualy just download anything that interest me. I rarely watch tv anyway. I almost never buy Junk or prepared foods. We cook most everything from scratch. We garden to offset food budget. We limit meat to a small portion of our meal and use grains and vegetables and fruit. I don't uy Soda we make Tea and lemonade at home as well as drinking water. We rarely go out to eat except on special occasions. I don't get my nails or hair done at a salon. I also cut the kids hair at home. I buy clothes at second hand shops and shoes only when they are on sale. I buy end of season items when they hit about 70% off. I have even bought christmas stuff and gifts after christmas for the next year or for birthdays comming up.
I stay home more. We do not go out as often as we used to. I also cook at home more and get takeout less. We should cut back on cable, but we have not been able to chop that bill at all. I am sure we could if we gave some things up but it is hard to get everyone to agree.
I don't have cable tv either - we don't watch a lot of television anyway, and if I want to watch a big match live, I go to one of the local bars. It's cheaper to spend a few Euros an drinks once in a while than to pay out a regular fee for cable tv. I don't spend much at the hairdresser's either. I get my hair trimmed at the local market for 5 Euro (around $7) and colour it myself with a colourant that costs me around $2. I've cut right down on processed and convenience foods - I cook almost everything from scratch. The money I save this way allows us to eat out twice a month, which I really enjoy. If you cut back on something to allow yourself to enjoy something else, it doesn't feel like deprivation at all.
Sometimes I won't pay my phone bill because I can text for free. I rarely talk on the phone because I can chat with everyone I know through Facebook and Twitter. There's no point in having it on, if I can still contact people by using the Wi-Fi feature. On some occasions I will scale back on junk food to save a little money. I'll only buy food that I absolutely need, and I skip out on the sweets.
I am currently living without all the organic body care products that I like. I have to use inexpensive crap that contains chemicals. I also am not purchasing all the organic foods that I once did.
I've been trying to cut back on buying so much sweet crap at my school and bringing my own food and lunches from home (usually leftovers from last night's dinner which still taste fine). I've also been trying to eat out less when I go to my choir practices and art classes which require me to bus over there on my own, making me very susceptible to buying food on impulse.
I have been taking public transportation. I can usually get where I need to go for less than a gallon of gas. I haven't upgraded to a smartphone. I still using Virgin Mobile plan,but I really like it. I try to buy generic products whenever I can. I buy a lot of stuff from the Dollar Tree store.
Also take public transport more than drive - but I'm not against a long walk every now and then. With something decent to listen to it's pretty enjoyable, although I feel bad that it's about all I count as exercise. I do have a smartphone, but bought it outright and pay a very low tariff. Although it seems expensive, it means I have control over selling the handset, which doesn't lose value too quickly.
I live without : Cable, new clothes, brand name foods, junk foods of anykind, eating at restaurants, I drop all beauty treatments and do them at home from mani-pedi to waxing, car washes, home insurance, internet. I would take public transportation but it is actually more expensive due to my commute than just taking my own vehicle. I do however car pool, avoid tolls, bring packed lunch.
We are thrifty folks, aren't we? As others have pointed out, transportation is a good area to save money in. Depending on where you live and what kind of public transportation is available. I work a few days a week in the downtown area of my city and take the bus to save money. Parking is really expensive there, so even though my commute is twice as long it saves money and I can spend that bus time unwinding and reading a book. In fact, when my kids were little that reading time on the bus was about the only time I had to read. Several months ago I started walking to the grocery store instead of driving which increases my exercise, makes me make better food choices and saves money on gas. It's either a 1 mile or 2 mile round trip depending on the store I go to.
I've never been the type of person to go get my hair done, get manicures, and pedicures. I've always done that type of stuff at home. I've always colored my hair myself. I cut my husband and son's hair at home. I always shop at the dollar tree. I will try to find what I need there first before going to another store. When we do go to another store, I almost always buy the cheapest generic brand. We switched our phone service to another that cut our monthly bill by $100. I cannot live without cable or my DVR. Those are my only luxuries. We have basic cable. I don't need all those other channels such as HBO and Showtime. We live about a block away from my husband's job so he comes home for lunches. I make tuna and hamburger helpers that cost a dollar each to make. We've cut out eating out all the time. We only eat out now on payday or special occassions. I think we do good with our money. Even when we have the extra money to spend, I try to continue living this way.
I live without a lot of things. I live without buying new clothes because I don't need that, I have all I need. I don't go out much except to the store only for groceries and just stay home and read and entertain myself like that. I see it doesn't take much to be alright and save when I can. Stay on budget and not over spend on anything.
I live without cable because it costs too much. My budget is already pushed to the max. Instead, I use HULU and I subscribe to Netflix on their $7.99 plan and stream movies through my computer. They also now have some of the shows from cable that I like. So it's a win-win situation. I can avoid all those commercials and everything.
I love my TV shows and movies but we have disconnected our cable because it was a waste of money. We hardly watch TV in the last 5 to 6 months, so it was unnecessary to have cable TV. When the kids visit us every two weekends, we would rent movies to keep them occupied or we would take them out. We enjoy sports a lot, so when there's a big rugby and cricket match, we head over to the local tavern by taxi. That's how we roll, these days. I haven't watched a movie at a cinema for almost 2 years, I think! One reason for that is I just don't see any movie that is worth watching in the cinema theatre. Furthermore, tickets are expensive here (gee whizz, I'm beginning to realise that everything is expensive here in Cape Town )
I do without all the things that give me pleasure, such as beauty treatments and going to the shops (the temptation is just to big!) We eat out far less and if we do, we always choose the restaurants that have specials running. I visit the gym and library more often for free entertainment. In fact it can be quite challenging in an exciting way to see what one can live without or what can be replaced with something less expensive, but only if you know the situation is temporary.
Now, I live without cable, since I never watch TV anymore, and I was just paying for something I rarely ever used anymore.
