Now that we have our new savings goals planned out, we are once again looking over our budgeting techniques. We’d like to trim the fat and tighten our belts. I thought this would be a great time to talk about expenses we have eliminated from our household over the years. We don’t even miss most of these items. Hopefully this will inspire you to kick some of your pricey habits too.
1. Eating Out – Before having children, budgeting for food was not a concept we were familiar with. John and I went out to eat several times per week. Then we had our first child, and we started eating out even MORE. We didn’t stop until our second child was born. Now, we eat out for birthdays and special occasions. It makes eating out a treat that we all look forward too. And it saves us tons of money.
2. Paper Towels – We decided to give up paper towels when we first started budgeting. At the time, we were trying to pay off our credit cards. We started using old rags instead. Honestly, it hasn’t been a big deal for our family, but it really seems to bother guests who visit our house.
3. Coffee/Bagels – We aren’t big coffee drinkers, but this is a morning habit that most people are not budgeting for. Similar to stopping for coffee, John used to stop for a bagel every day. I added up the cost and realized how expensive this habit was over the course of a year. So, I started baking muffins for him to take with him every morning instead.
4. Cable – Like everyone else in America, we used to have cable. We never watched it. Our internet and cable were bundled, but it still cost us about $100 per month. We eventually got rid of cable, and John built an antenna in our attic so we could still get the local channels. His budget antenna works great. We also have Hulu (with ads) for $5.99 per month.
5. Cellphone with Data – John’s employer provides him with a cell phone, so we don’t pay for his cell service. I have a cell phone through Republic Wireless. To save cash, I go with the cheapest plan. It’s $15 per month for unlimited talk and text. I have no data, but I honestly don’t need it. I can call for help if we’re stranded on the side of the road, and I can connect to WiFi and mess around on the internet when we’re home.
6. Lawn services – We don’t live in a wealthy neighborhood. It’s lower middle class at best. Yet oddly enough, most people here hire a lawn service to mow their yards. And once upon a time, we did too. At the time, it was about $100 per month (the prices have gone up since then). For many years now, John has mowed our lawn himself. It’s a sacrifice of time, but it definitely saves us cash to put other places in our budget.
7. Hiring contractors – I think there is a time and a place for everything. We have hired contractors to replace our hardwood floors and windows. But, we do try to do a lot of our projects by ourselves to save cash. John has used YouTube tutorials to repair our siding, fix plumbing issues, drywall our basement, etc. Don’t be afraid to get your hands dirty, before automatically calling in the pros.
8. Buying a new car – We have never owned a new car. At first, we couldn’t afford new, so it was a no-brainer. However, when we purchased our current minivan in 2013, our only debt was our mortgage. We certainly could have bought a brand new vehicle. Thankfully, we went with a used van, savings us thousands. Brand new, our van was about $30,000. We bought it used (and only a year old), and we paid $16,000.
9. Food delivery – In our youth, we wouldn’t think twice about having food delivered to our house. But somewhere along the way, we had a change of heart. Why pay a delivery charge and tip, when we can easily drive over and pick up our meal?
10. Memberships – We do not have any memberships. No gym membership, Amazon Prime membership, Costco, BJs, or Sam’s Club membership. Don’t get me wrong, I love 2-day shipping and buying crap in bulk too. But I like keeping my cash even more.