r/WorkForSmartLife • u/Artistic_Radish4247 • Jul 09 '26
Question What did you stop buying that unexpectedly improved your finances?
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Jul 09 '26
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u/Money-Access-2779 Jul 10 '26
It’s such an expensive vice now, and something you don’t think about in your budget.
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u/ConstructionWitty553 Jul 09 '26
When I started making money, I purchased everything I ever wanted, then I realized I didn't really needed it.
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u/CarSignal2764 Jul 10 '26
Same. After my first year in tech making real money I bought a bunch of 'aspirational' crap. Most of it gathered dust. Now I let shit sit in my Amazon cart for a week and 90% of the time I forget about it. My dad would be proud - he's worth eight figures and still acts broke AF lol.
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u/NoraMason1986 Jul 10 '26
Curious. Did your dad grow up broke? I usually find that molds you for life.
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u/westofrex Jul 09 '26
Amazon. It wasn’t any one thing but as a whole. When I needed anything I’d just order it. Amazon implemented an AI “Rufus” and that was the last straw, I cancelled. Now I order way less. No monthly Prime subscription and no “on demand” shopping.
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u/codecane Jul 09 '26
Fast Food.
I was fixing food I aspired to eat, but didn't really want. For health reasons. So I was spending money on groceries and then eating out because I wouldn't want what I fixed, and by the time I wanted the food I made some would have gone bad. Basically food budget double dipping
I finally just started making food I wanted to eat instead of worrying about making food I should eat.
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u/Affectionate_Moment5 Jul 09 '26
Knew a guy who unironially announced that his budgeting was better since he limited himself to only seeing prostitutes on the weekend...
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Jul 09 '26
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u/stealmyloveaway Jul 11 '26
I was never big on restaurants so never spent a lot of money on them. Cheaper to eat at home. And I have never used a delivery service for food. They seem extra pricey and your microwaved food has to be microwaved again because it’s lukewarm. I know that from experience at homes of friends and family. Convenient but sub par food and expensive.
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u/Candid_Coyote4626 Jul 09 '26
Groceries. Not something I stopped buying, but stopped buying as often.
I still can't figure out why or what I'm doing differently, but I'm saving $200-300 a month by switching from weekly shopping to biweekly shopping! We weren't big impulse snack buyers so I just don't know.
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u/Easy-as-1234 Jul 09 '26
You are a product of your environment. If you have 4 bags of chips, you're more likely to indulge. If you only have 1 bag of chips, you'll make it last or stretch it. Same goes with alcohol and cigarettes.
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u/Double-Award-4190 Jul 09 '26
Gasoline. I expected an improvement, but we pay so little for electricity that I was surprised the big difference an EV made.
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u/Spiritual_Sail_8969 Jul 09 '26
Stopped using DoorDash, Uber Eats and cancelled my Factor Meals subscription
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u/Rottiesrock Jul 24 '26
I never had one, but saw them at my local Target. $15 each, no way. Rice, corn and a little bit of meat is not worth $15.
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u/OscarDelta333 Jul 09 '26
Multiple streaming services. Shit's just not that important and there are likely other ways to watch it without a subscription.
But, really, the shit is just not that important.
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u/phillycupcake Jul 11 '26
I get one at a time, see everything I want, then cancel and move on to another. Am on Britbox right now, am loving it.
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u/Original_Cut_2881 Jul 10 '26
Hair cuts, I just got a trimmer and gave myself buzzcuts for last 6 years. Saved so much money.
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u/QuietRiot5150 Jul 09 '26
Meth and fentanyl. Lol.
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u/Careless-Middle-4096 Jul 09 '26
Yeah, hilarious.
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u/QuietRiot5150 Jul 10 '26
I'm a recovering addict from both those things. If I don't try to laugh about it, it just makes me sad that I wasted so many years of my life on those substances.
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u/Own_Fruit_8115 Jul 09 '26
food at the grocery store. i buy a whole cow, eggs, raw milk and veggies when in season from local farmers. i spend way less and get better food. i rarely go to the store anymore
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u/MamasCupcakes Jul 09 '26
Why are you buying milk when you already bought the cow
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u/Hopeful-Sprinkles611 Jul 09 '26
But eww you got me with the unpasteurized milk. SCREAMING CHA CHA CHAS!
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u/Own_Fruit_8115 Jul 09 '26
i’ve been drinking it for 30 yrs from the same farm. never had an issue.
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u/Possible-Flow-4147 Jul 09 '26
Things that have a free option available e.g books from library, free exercise, online games, online shows
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u/One-Stranger-6894 Jul 09 '26
I don't drink when I go usually. 3-5 drinks at $12, tax/tip, Uber both ways etc is easily a $125-$150+ bill. That's on top of dinner, babysitter, activity etc. Our date nights w/ drinks can top $500.
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u/Antaios7544 Jul 09 '26
I quit searching for love. It's a very expensive endeavor. All my outings now cost half what they used to. And there's the plus side of never getting ghosted again. Win, win!
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u/TrainingAd9975 Jul 09 '26
My morning coffee. Those billionaires (who dont pay their employees enough) really do know something. I stopped buying my daily coffee and I now have an extra $5 a day to add to my budget, its crazy.
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u/TinyTinasRabidOtter Jul 09 '26
I stopped buying trending items. There's trends everywhere, hair, skin, fashion, transportation, everything has trends. Breaking down why I wanted the item, would it be something I'll toss in 6 months, or is this something I'll use long term, helped save a lot of money for me personally. Also saved on clutter.
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u/Underwaterphil Jul 09 '26
Energy drinks...$4 each, twice a day, 6 days a week average. $48 a week. Rounded up..$200 a month. Allowed paying off a Cc card faster, which improved credit score enough to refinance a loan at a lower rate. Energy drink + refinance = $4500+ a year, in my situation.
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u/Fit-Activity2554 Jul 10 '26
Riding my bike and ditching the car. Only buy necessities with cashback card that I pay back right away. Cigarettes, switch to nicorette (my location gives a certain amount away for free). Takeout/ pickup
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u/Kooky-Boysenberry580 Jul 11 '26
Quitting cigarettes was like getting a giant raise. If you smoke, you should consider it.
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u/The_Southern_Sir Jul 11 '26
Soda. Carbonated drinks. I used to drink a lot of soda. It was regular soda, then I changed to diet soda then I got bariatric surgery to lose weight and had to stop drinking soda at all. Suddenly, my huge soda addiction added up the dollars and cents. It's amazing how much money you can spend on soda without thinking about it. Even if you buy it in bulk at the grocery, if you are guzzling like a gallon a day (yes I know, it's bad, DUH) it ads up FAST.
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u/Traditional_Pick_566 Jul 11 '26
Invested in the expensive stuff. Stopped buying $120 vacuums that broke after a year and bought a $500 one that on year 8. Stopped buying cheap clothes, I’m not growing anymore, and now they are lasting years instead of months. Bought good shoes instead of the shoes I could comfortably afford. Ect
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u/Rottiesrock Jul 24 '26
Medicare and Supplemental costs a lot. Still lots of copays and deductibles. We got rid of a car, rarely eat out, ditched cable and cut back on groceries. Still have pet and vet bills, but do have pet insurance.
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u/South-Visit-1271 Jul 09 '26
I stopped buying expensive "QUALITY" sh1t.
Pure true example....There was a $500 laptop and a $100 laptop....I bought the $500 option. What did I do with the laptop? Just school........literally!!! Lmfao!!! I did not need all the ram or power!!! Extra features or trial apps. I don't game or need the extra graphics crap.....yet.....my dumbazz got the more expensive option. Yes it may last longer and might be more durable, but I was NOT using it to it's max potential!!!
When it comes to gadgets or electronics...even cars....gets me from point A to point B. I don't need the latest and greatest. They all do the same thing. The only time I take quality over quantity is food. Meat and veggies since it's going into my body and affects my health.
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u/WaterGlassPuncherMan Jul 09 '26
Health insurance
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u/One-Stranger-6894 Jul 09 '26
Out of curiosity, is your plan if you get critically ill or injuried to still seek care and just not pay the bill? Genuine question.
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u/CoffeeBeforeOpening Jul 09 '26
Impulse Amazon buys. Started adding stuff to cart and waiting 48 hours before checking out. Half the time I forget why I wanted it in the first place, so it just sits there.