There are some things I never spend money on. And, honestly, none of them feel like deprivation or sacrifice at all. It’s all about distinguishing what’s a priority in your life and what isn’t. (And it’s different for everyone!)
Things I never spend money on
Housekeeper – I try to clean up “stuff” daily. We don’t have clutter sitting around, so it’s just clothes and dishes on a daily basis. We spend an hour or two once a week on actual cleaning (bathrooms, vacuuming, dusting, etc.)
Hair products – Most of the time, I just don’t take the time to use them. I do have some spray gel purchased (for my daughter) two or three years ago that is still (mostly) full. It should last another 5 years. Does that stuff expire?!
Hair Cuts/Color – My daughter occasionally goes to the salon (she pays for it), but otherwise the guys get trimmed with our Wahl clippers
Lottery tickets – The odds are not in my favor.
Clothing at retail prices – I buy at consignment stores, thrift stores or on clearance.
Lawn Care – I like to mow. I listen to podcasts while I mow, so it feels like me time. Alan does the trimming and we share other lawn care chores. We both love being outside, so it doesn’t feel like work (most of the time).
Charmin – I know this is a very individual preference. I don’t buy one ply (oh my!), but am satisfied with Kirkland brand from Costco.
Newspapers – There’s this thing called the internet.
Dog Groomer – This is one I don’t enjoy. But I also don’t feel like it’s worth $50/$60 every two months to take Sammy to the groomer, so I still do it.
Cleaning supplies – I make my own. Dawn/vinegar works great in the showers, otherwise, I use alcohol and/or vinegar based solutions (mostly from Everyday Cheapskate). They work great.
Jewelry – I’ve never been into jewelry. Even my wedding “ring” is a tattoo (a very tasteful one, if I do say so myself).
Soda – Much to my son’s displeasure. Too much sugar, in my opinion. He’s on his own when he wants soda (unless we’re out to eat).
Oil changes – If we could find a place to change our oil (with full synthetic) for $25 or less, we may consider it. But it does save time to do it at home – no driving to the oil change shop, waiting, and driving back.
Brand names – Unless there is some compelling reason, such as a significant quality difference, I stick with off brands. (My Shark vacuum
Gas station food – Pay at the pump! And always have a drink from home in the car.
Cable – I’m not a huge fan of TV. But, I do like some shows on Netflix, so we subscribe to that instead.
ATM fees – I just don’t use much cash. I have a cash envelope I keep on hand and add to it whenever cash comes my way (mostly from my kids paying me back), so that’s usually all I need.
Wrinkle cream – Bring ‘em on. Actually, I’ve found drinking more water makes them much less visible.
Dryer sheets – I use reusable dryer balls
Pre-cut/pre-made/pre-baked grocery items – I can usually do it myself in a fairly short amount of time. If not from scratch, boxed mixes are a budget friendly substitute that take little time.
Magazines – Why subscribe to magazines when there is Pinterest?
Fast food – If I need a super quick meal, a frozen pizza works just fine. At a fraction of the price.
Candles – These are a fire hazard and some of them are smelly – in a not so good way. That said, I was gifted battery operated, flameless candles
Mani/pedi – I own nail clippers and a file. Good enough for me!
Bank fees – Free checking, free savings!
Extended warranties – I would probably never need to use them.
Car payments – Stopped paying for those several years ago and haven’t looked back!
Gifts for partner – We don’t buy each other gifts (and, only occasionally buy cards). We go out for breakfast instead.
Dry cleaning – I buy clothes that don’t require dry cleaning. Those wrinkle free dress pants are a life-saver.
1 hour photo – I can wait.
Cut flowers – They die. I can enjoy them in my backyard and in nature during the warmer months.
Credit card interest – We use them for rewards, but pay the balance in full each and every month.
School pictures – Honestly, they are never that good. We go to a local Portrait Innovations every year or two to get individual and family photos.
Socks – I think my grandma has a sock fetish. She supplies the socks!? Don’t ask me. Maybe when she sees my son’s toes sticking out she feels sorry for him (even when he has other, non-holey socks to wear).
Bottled water – I keep reusable Thermos water bottles
The latest electronics – If it ain’t broke, don’t replace it. Fingers crossed that old TV keeps going a few more years!
Belts – My pants naturally stay up! Why do I need a belt?
Shipping – I really can’t say I never spend on this. In a way I do pay for shipping. We pay for Amazon Prime
Add to it! What don’t you spend on?
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wow it would be hard to be this list! I don’t like paying for exercise classes or gyms. I will try to find a way to work around it and still get exercise in.
Did you notice the gym didn’t make my list? I pay for the gym membership (family membership to the Y is $80/month). For years, I relied on my own exercise program at home, along with taekwondo, but once I tried the gym membership I haven’t looked back. It has actually helped me get into a good routine – plus I love the equipment (particularly the weight machines). That said, I know many people can stick to their own exercise program (without the gym) and do very well. I’ve considered taking a break from the gym for the summer and see what happens.
Good for you and your family. My husband and I did the same thing.
We sold our house in Miami and moved to Cape Coral, fl and paid off our little house. Now we,r so proud and doing the same you do.
Thanks,
Balduvina.
I also like to use active transportation (walking or biking) as much as possible, which helped me to eventually get rid of my car. So now I no longer spend money on gas either!
I would also add pet toys to the list. My cat loves the random broken shoe string, paper bag, and hand-me-down toys or scratching posts that other people periodically seem to be getting rid of.
Ah, yes! Pet toys! That’s a great one. I don’t spend on those for my cats, but the dog does get a Kong to keep her busy while we’re gone. Thanks for the comment! 🙂
I refuse to pay for apps. There are so many free ones and I only use a few anyway. You’re ahead of me on so many levels. I still go for haircuts (but cut down on frequency) and buy cleaners (but cut out cleaner for tile flooring since I now make my own).
I’ve never paid for an app either, Mrs. Groovy. I still buy dishwasher detergent because the homemade version didn’t work well for me. It’s been an ongoing experiment for years – and I only stick to the homemade versions of the cleaners if I find they work better than the store cleaners.
Love this! My list is very similar. Another thing I never spend money on is pens. There are always a jar full of free ones at the credit union! 🙂
Thanks, Laurie! Oh – pens is a great one! 🙂 I don’t buy pens either! But, my son loses so many pencils, I do buy mechanical pencils regularly!
nice list! School photos get me every year. Maybe we should just to the family picture every fall instead like you.
Thanks, Ty! When we go, we get family pictures and individuals, so it’s one time and done. The cost is usually around $150 or so, as long as we’re careful not to buy too many.
Awesome list. I don’t have kids so I’ll add that to the list 😉 I dumped cable a few years back, great decision.
It’s great you and your husband like to go out to eat vs. gifts. Speaks to your relationship and it’s good you are on the same page for money!
Thanks, Erik! 🙂 No kids definitely cuts back on spending!
Thankfully, yes, Alan and I are on the same page – on most everything, but particularly money. I’m grateful for that – it makes setting and reaching shared goals so much easier.
Extensive list! I’m on the fence about house cleaning. Although we have yet to spend any money on it, it would be a big time saver.
Thanks, Brian! I can see how outsourcing the housecleaning would save a ton of time for many families. Right now, we have the time, but if we get to the point where it’s a problem to get it done, I would consider having someone come in every couple of weeks.
Quite a list! I’m with you on the majority of them. I do dry clean and buy belts because both are necessities of my job. I also recently commented on another blog about how I keep considering cutting my own hair, but always come to the conclusion that I don’t spend enough each year (in money or time) on haircuts for it to make sense to DIY.
Thanks, Matt! I can see how belts and dry cleaning are necessary for your job. Alan’s company went to casual dress, so we don’t have to worry about it too much. On the hair – it doesn’t sound like it would be worth it to DIY your hair. If it works, why change it! 🙂 I honestly think it’s a laziness factor at our house – we have to drive to get a hair cut, so it’s generally faster to do it at home.
I’m glad it was cable on this list and not Netflix or I would have had to stop reading, lol.
True to the season, I don’t pay for tax return preparation. I think most people have simple enough situations that they can do themselves too!
I’m glad you didn’t have to stop reading, Kathryn! 🙂 We like Netflix! We used to DIY our taxes. In fact we did so for years – but we have paid for it for the past couple of years since it’s been slightly more complex. Honestly, though, we should probably do it again next year and see how long it takes us. It may not be as bad as we think.
That’s a big list! I can’t say we follow all of them (the same lady at the Hair Cuttery has cut my hair for at least the last 15 years) but we can join you on some of the others. I like mowing the grass, no more car payments, no lottery tickets (poor man’s tax), etc. And Mrs. Need2Save is pretty frugal too – not obsessed with jewelry, bags, shoes, mani/pedicures… The true way to her heart is a good brunch 🙂
Thanks, Mr. Need2save! I think Mrs. Need2save and I would get along very well. I love a great brunch. 🙂
Super frugal list. I get my hair cut and colored (i’m allergic to home dye and got irritated at people thinking I was my kid’s grandma due to my copious gray), buy belts (my pants don’t stay up otherwise), and get our car oil changed (Jon can do it, but with coupons and recycling costs, it’s usually cheaper to outsource.) And I just got an online subscription to the Washington Post, because I was exhausting my free articles pretty quickly and I’m trying to stay informed.
Where I get more frugal is with the makeup I don’t buy, the generic products I use, and the fact that we rarely go out to eat and limit the impulse buys.
Thanks, Emily! We spend in areas many others don’t (the gym comes to mind). It’s just a matter of where it’s easiest and most valuable to cut. And it sounds like you know exactly where you are willing to cut the most – and where you aren’t. 🙂
Hi my gym is 10$ a month free trainers. Planet fitness
Thanks for sharing, Deborah! I will see if there are any Planet Fitness near me. Great price! 🙂
I’ve had a buzzcut since early high school when I “voluntarily” shaved my head as a”team-building activity” for varsity football. I’m grateful now, but only because as it grew back I realized it looked pretty good and I haven’t paid for a haircut in well over a decade!
What an interesting way to learn you like to get buzzed. 🙂 If my two guys wanted anything more than a buzzcut, they’d have to go somewhere to get it done. I can do clippers, but I don’t think they’d like the results with scissors.
Haha, hilarious that you included Charmin! Great list. Said an amen to everything on the list except oil changes. I still pay for mine. Oh, and socks, cuz apparently I don’t have a Grandma like yours.
Yeah, gotta love grandma and her thing for socks! 🙂 Thanks for stopping by, Daniel!
I work in the food safety industry and I recently attended a conference where a lead food inspector said she will NEVER purchase sliced deli meat or pre-cut veggies and fruits.
We never spend money on vehicle maintenance. The perks of being in a family (and marrying into a family) full of mechanically inclined people. My dad owns a trucking business, so our only costs are parts (at wholesale!) and time. It’s wonderful 🙂
I cut my husband’s hair, but not my own. We also groom our Australian Shepherd ourselves!
This post has intrigued me. I’m going to take some time over the next few days to consciously take note of what I don’t spend money on!
Thanks for stopping by, Mrs. Daisy! 🙂
I do buy deli meat sometimes – but now I’ll think twice…
It’s great you are able to get your vehicle parts at a discount and maintenance is taken care of! Thankfully, my husband and dad are both mechanically inclined, so we rarely spend on the maintenance either. But, we do pay full price for parts – but we shop around for the best price.
I’m so glad you liked the post! I’ve thought of a dozen things to add since I wrote it.
Let’s see, if we go to the movies it is always a matinee (unless we get free tickets) and we always bring our own snacks…sometimes even wine! I don’t dare pay 5+ for popcorn when it costs less than 50 cents to make. I haven’t colored my hair yet but the day is coming… NOT looking forward to that!! My mom has always colored her hair at home so I imagine I’ll be doing the same. 🙂
Yes! Movie matinees…and byob. But I’ve never taken wine – you’re brilliant Miss Mazuma. 🙂 I’m in the same boat with hair color. I used to get highlights, but went natural several years ago. As the gray gets worse, I may actually color it too. And, it will be in the form of a box from the store – not a salon. As long as I don’t look ridiculous, that is.
I spend on quite a few items that are on this list e.g. we use a house cleaning service once every two weeks. I’m super proud (because normally you’ve got me beat at saving money) that I could think of just a couple that aren’t on your list:
1. Books. We use the library almost exclusively.
2. Yogurt. We make that at home.
I love that you thought of things not on my list, Mrs. BITA! 🙂 That’s the fun part – learning about what others don’t spend on. I do use the library most of the time, but have actually purchased at least 4 books in the last 3 months. And the yogurt! I was actually just thinking about trying to make my own a couple of weeks ago, but I’m clueless on how to go about it. I think the crockpot method would work well for me, but I need to research exactly how to do it.
This is a great list! I think I might take some ideas from you 🙂 I love that we all have different frugal/money saving ways that work for us and our lifestyles.
I had to chuckle at not spending money onschool photos, because we always we say we won’t buy our son’s daycare photo (because it is so overpriced!). But their photographer is so good, and the photo is always great! We have caved both years and bought it My guess is when he goes to public school the photos might be easier to say “no” to.
Thanks so much, Katy! 🙂 I love learning about what others do and don’t spend on.
I say if the daycare photo is good, by all means buy it! Saves you a trip to the photographer – and you love it. Win-win! My kids always despise their pictures, and since there is only one pose to choose from, we like having the options and their input at Portrait innovations.
I love the premise for this post and I’m with you on many of these! I have never had a manicure, pedicure, never dyed my hair, never go to a salon, or buy jewelry. Same for spending on housecleaning, yardwork, car maintenance, etc. It just keeps things so much simpler in my opinion.
What would I add? Hmm…I use my dryer very little. We don’t have any subscriptions except Amazon Prime Student. We also spend very little on books for two people who read a lot. Our state has a great inter-library loan system that has almost every book we want.
Thanks, Kalie! I admit, I wasn’t sure whether I should write it or not. It was purely for fun – so hopefully that’s how it’s interpreted!
It sounds like we are the same on many items. I go back and forth on the dryer usage. Mostly I use it, but I love drying the clothes outside on a nice day. I love Amazon because I don’t like shopping and most of the items I buy are cheaper on Amazon. It’s great you have a good inter-library loan system. We have one, but the waiting sometimes gets me. I need to work on patience here!
Something I learned from my year of riding the bus to work is that people who read e-books can subscribe to http://www.nypl.org. By subscribing to the New York Public Library, one gets e-reading of newly published books quickly.
Thanks for the tip, MaryMac! That would save a ton over buying them.
I’m with you on most of these too! The haircut thing made me smile, as I haven’t gotten a paid one in almost a year and last week gave myself a cut. It’s super uneven and I’m just waiting for Mr. COD to have time one evening to try and even it out ?.
Oooh, you cut your own hair! Brave soul. 🙂 I don’t know if I trust myself of Alan to cut mine. Thank goodness for mom!
You DIY? I am not good with the shears or clippers forvthat matter. I tried a few years back, I got nervous and hubby finished my boy’s haircuts. Thankfully he is good with the shears and clippers. Always a great job on the boys every month. Saves me hundreds a year. He trims mine every couple months and when the grays became too numerous, he became my colorist, part of the job description I told him. Saves me well over a grand a year versus the salon, and no tears ?.Henna only as the box and salon color not only destroy your hair but contain toxic industrial chemicals that cause cancer. I get compliments on my hair color and my mother started using henna as well (I apply it, not hubby) as she is allergic to the harsh chemicals as well. We did our henna together last time and after hubby trimmed my locks, she actually asked him to trim hers as well. So she is saving but going salon free. I haven’t been to one in years, and now my mother gets hers done at my home.
We do a garden each year, most home repairs are DIY, no cable television and cut out the eating out of junk food. Insourcing saves big bucks.
Thanks so much for sharing this, Carolyn! 🙂 I use the clippers and have gotten better as the years go by. I still occasionally try the scissors, but it never works out well. I’m so glad to learn you have good experience with the henna color. Though I’m not ready to color yet, the day is coming when the grays will need covered and the henna sounds like a great solution. I love that your husband trims your hair too. I’ve mentioned it to my husband, but he’s hesitant. Someday I’ll convince him to try it!
It sounds like you and I have many of the same money saving strategies! Thanks for stopping by!
Yes, I am very lucky that my husband trims my hair for me. I always hated going to the salon, the gossip, the waiting 30 minutes before they get to you, having your hair ripped out as they try to comb it, head jerked around and then the stylist didn’t do as I asked, and then be hit with the bill. I hated going to the salon more than the dentist. As you mentioned, most guys would be terrified to even try, or feel it is somehow not a manly thing to do. My guy is very secure about doing it and he has trimmed my hair while friends were visiting and wasn’t a bit phased. Of course it is not like he was going to stop halfway through trimming my hair when half is still pinned up. My hair is long, it reaches my elbows and he loves it that way, he will braid it for me as well. He has actually gotten quite good at it. I get surprised reactions when I get compliments on them, I tell them I don’t know how to braid my own hair, that my husband does it for me. Comments are usually positive to the fact I am lucky that he learned how. I propped up the I-pad, watching youtube videos while he attempted them on my hair. The first few attempts weren’t exactly perfect, too many loops and uneven. But he got much better with practice.
He was the one that suggested the henna when we were doing the research. He mixes it up, adds the apple cider vinegar, coconut oil and even adds mint oil so it doesn’t smell to earthy on my head. He even got a coloring cape from Sally’s for me. He puts down a painting drop cloth is the dining room, I put on an old shirt, and get a towel around my shoulders before he capes me. Not exactly a glamorous scene. He uses nitrile gloves, he bought a box at the auto parts store to change oil in the vehicles and he said they are better than the ones in the kits. He had a coloring brush break halfway through an application last year and he returned from the basement with a regular paint brush! He assured me it was new, never used as he took it of of the cardboard packaging, and he finished with it. He said he liked using it better as it held the henna better. Go figure, leave it to a guy. I do enjoy the bonding time, having him comb my hair is very relaxing and I prefer him touching me rather than a stranger. At first he thought I should just let it go gray rather than do the color, but when he saw the results, he agreed that the color looked great and that he would continue to do it for me. We work together on home projects of the garden, painting, cleaning, yard work and I even mow the lawn. So we work together. I do hope your husband gives it a try. Have him watch a few youtube videos first. Get the right tools, sharp hair shears, not kitchen/craft shears, a cape, hair clips, a rat tail comb and then have him do a small trim. Just 1/4 to 1/2 an inch, remind him how much money you both will be saving. My guy has given hundreds of haircuts, between cutting my hair, my children’s, my mom’s, a couple friends of mine and friends of his. And he did admit he was really nervous the first time a woman asked him to cut her hair, but he got through it, did a good job and gained the confidence to do it again. I’m sure your husband will do a great job for you.
Thanks for the information, Carolyn! I actually need a trim now, so I’ll see if I can convince him this weekend. Bring on the youtube videos! We do have a decent set of hair shears that came with the clippers – and we have a cape. Sounds like your husband has gotten really good at cutting and coloring (and I love that he braids it too!). I don’t like going to the salon either. When I used to go, it felt like a chore.
Like you, we work on almost all the home chores and projects together! Thanks for sharing! I appreciate all the information you’ve given. 🙂
While I wish I could say I never spend money on rent, I guess I’m addicted to it or something.
Hi Terry! I think rent is probably one of those necessary evils. 🙂 Thanks for stopping by.
Towels. Like your grandmother is with socks, mine was with towels. Every Christmas we would be gifted multiple hand towels and bath towels. She passed away two years ago and I still have enough unused towels to last until my kids are grown.
Oh, Liz that’s a great one! I don’t remember the last time I bought towels (we get them each year at Christmas too). Thank goodness for grandmas! 🙂
Great list, Amanda! I share a lot of the same no-spends. One exception is cable, which we keep for the sole purpose of watching sports. I’m with you on the lottery tickets and extended warranties, we steer clear in our house!
Thanks, MMM! 🙂 We would love to have cable in the fall and winter for football and basketball – I understand! We try to find ways to see the games, but we still miss some.
Amanda, this is a very impressive (and for me, humbling) list! I still cut my husband’s hair, but I don’t let him cut mine anymore. I’ve been back at the salon for a few years now, and I don’t regret the change. As you say, “It’s different for everyone.” It’s also different for yourself at different times.
So, you clean for an hour or two every week. Is that everyone in the family? Or does it tend to be you on your own?
Great point, Ruth! “It’s also different for yourself at different times.” If you would have asked me a few years ago if I would pay for a gym membership, I would have said an emphatic “no way”, but we now have and love our gym membership.
On the cleaning – the kids are responsible for their clutter around the house and for cleaning up their areas (and any messes they make in the kitchen). But, it’s usually Alan and I doing the bathrooms, sweeping and dusting – when we both do it, it typically takes about an hour on Friday night. And I admit, some weeks we skimp and just do a quick 20-30 minutes.
Great list! I also never pay for anti-virus software…my computer friends use Avast (the free version) and think it’s sufficient so I’m good with that too. I also don’t pay for Microsoft Office…instead I use Open Office which is compatible and free.
Thanks for sharing, Andrew! We do pay for Norton (but maybe we don’t need to?). And I’ve never tried Open Office, but I think I’ll give it a shot.
Hmmm… I’m feeling like a frugal failure. There are lots of things I infrequently spend money on, but I can’t say never.
I reckon your hair stuff will be good for 5 years. I’ve got some that I bought when I lived at home 8 years ago. It says its only good for 2 years from opening but it was still good when I used it last week 🙂
Make up is a rarity for me. I even went make up free on my wedding day! I did consider make up but I figured he proposed to the bare faced girl and that’s who he’d marry!
Thinking of weddings, I never buy things with the intention of wearing once. My dress was a cream, knee length lace dress and I team it with navy accessories and wear it when we’re go for nice meals on holiday 🙂
I have only once bought a precooked chicken. I swore I never would but after 6 hours in an accident and emergency unit in hospital, frugal rules go out of the window!
Spending infrequently counts too, Sarah! 🙂 I know you are super frugal!!!
I plan to keep using the spray gel until it doesn’t seem functional. 8 years is a long time. 🙂 With how often I use it, I’ll still have some 8 years from now.
I do spend on make-up, though I spend very little. My daughter says she can’t even tell when I have makeup on and when I don’t, but I like to at least cover the dark circles under my eyes. Good for you for going make up free on your wedding day! That’s awesome.
Totally agree with the precooked chicken! When Life happens, those frugal habits get tossed aside for me too. Sometimes you have to go the easy route. 🙂
You rock, Amanda. Very tough to add to your list. The one thing I never buy, and haven’t had since I was in high school, is a wrist watch. And your no spending on belts cracked me up. I don’t need a belt either to hold up my pants, but it feels weird without one. I only have two, a brown one and a black one, and I use them until they disintegrate.
Thanks, Mr. Groovy! Same here on the watch! I didn’t think about that one. My son wears a belt – to keep his pants up, but my dad has a ton of belts and gifted him 3, so he’s good to go until they disintegrate. 🙂
Great list Amanda, you brought up many great points. Like magazine and newspaper are actually pretty much replaced by the internet right now. Cutting down on them can save a few buck here and there. I like that you don’t buy lottery tickets, that was really funny!
Thanks, T! I know some people still really like the newspaper and that’s cool. I keep myself on a news diet of sorts, so I try to stick with reliable internet sources when I want to consume. I’ve also tried gambling at the slot machines and can’t stand it – after i lose $5, I quit. I mean, that $5 could have bought me a drink, which would have been much more entertaining than watching a machine eat my money. 🙂
Oh how I get suckered with those school photos every year! All I want is like 5 wallet size bu the minimum package is still always like $50! I am with you on almost all of these. Except we do take are car to get the oil changed and I do burn candles. Though usually I got them free from work or as a gift.
And THIS: “Belts – My pants naturally stay up! Why do I need a belt?”
This will have me laughing until I fall asleep tonight.
The belts! Who needs ’em!? That’s the thing with the photo packages – you get soooo many photos, and then the extras just sit in the envelope and gather dust. Even when we go to the portrait studio and I try not to order too many, we always end up with more than we actually need. I like candles, but with my memory, I’d probably burn the house down – which is why the LEDs work well for me.
Dryer balls are the best. Dryer sheets are full of chemicals (gross!), so dryer balls FTW.
We stopped paying for Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Prime because we were watching way too much TV. It’s a bonus that we save money the money. 🙂
Yep! That’s the main reason I use the dryer balls! And they work well.
I am thinking about cutting out the Netflix subscription during the warmer months since we’ll have plenty of outdoor activities in the evenings! 🙂
I installed an antenna on my roof. Very old school, but I get 26 channels to include the local channels, and some old tv show channels. Way more than we need and the initial cost of the antenna was $45. Beats cable tv and clearer picture.
Gotta love the antennas! We have an antenna in our attic and we get around 20 channels with it – I think ours cost around the same as yours. 🙂
Hahaha, I swear to God – I have the SAME can of hairspray that I’ve had since 2004. I remember the year exactly because I bought it for doing a friend’s hair for a play in drama club. It literally never ends. Best $.99 I’ve ever spent, I think.
Also, that makes so much sense about school pictures. Friggin’ *why* pay hundreds of dollars for them? I’ve never understood (but then again, I don’t have children, so maybe that’s why).
I’m so glad I’m not the only one on the hair products! But you have me beat, for sure. 🙂 It’s good to know it will likely last – I won’t have to buy hair products for 15 years at the rate I’m going. Thanks for the comment, Sylvia! 🙂
I never spend money on online content. There’s so much great information to be had for free, I have no need for any subscription services.
Cheers!
-PoF
That’s a good one, PoF! I need to eliminate this one. I’ve purchased my fair share on online courses…
To avoid ATM fees I will go to a store that offers cash back and get myself a treat that cost less then the ATM fee. That way you at least get something and so many places offer cash back now anyway. I was with a friend and she went to get cash from the ATM in a Walmart and then I mentioned how she could get cash back by buying a pack of gum and still save money on the fee.
That’s a great idea…with ATM fees on the rise, this is a much better (cheaper) way to go!!! Thanks for the great tip, Ruth! 🙂
Great list!
Some additional things my husband and I don’t spend money on:
Water – we get ours for free from a natural spring
Fast food – Not a big fan and not worth the money
Alcohol – neither of us are big alcohol drinkers so it’s not difficult to stay away from the bars where they can easily charge $10 per cocktail. I do have a couple friends that can easily blow $200 a month on drinks.
Vegetables during the summer – I grow my own and try to upick as much fruit as I can get
We do, however, love our racquetball court membership. $60 a month for both of us but we consider it our entertainment and it keeps us healthy and in shape. I also do get my car serviced since my husband is not good at that stuff but I try to use gift cards earned online for doing surveys. I pay for one good haircut a year and get my husband a Supercuts gift card for Christmas that lasts him the whole year. Everything else is completely in line with you!
Love it, Jen! Thanks for sharing! I am with you on the fast food. It doesn’t even taste good to me. And those cocktails add up quickly, no doubt. My garden is large enough this year that we have a nice supply of produce coming in every single day – and the grocery bill is reflecting that.
I hear you on the racquetball court – we pay for martial arts and a (cheap) gym membership to stay healthy and active as well. Also, though the rest of us get our hair cut for free, my daughter has started going to Great Clips recently, as she cut her hair short – into a style mom (I) cannot replicate. 🙂 But, as long as we bank those coupons, it only costs about $10 each time.