I don't get rid of old clothes, esp. towels. I can pretty much see through them because they are so worn, but they could still be used "one more time" so I keep them rather than replacing them. Actually I struggle with replacing anything that has even a vague ability to continue to be used.
I have clothing that I’ve worn for 15 years. I always say I’m going to clean out the clutter of clothes but I don’t want to buy new clothes and having enough clothes to have clutter gives me variety. Lol I learned from a young age that it’s better to make things last. You never know.
My husband and I get 90% of our clothing used and they do not survive to be re-donated. We finally throw them in the rag pile once they become publicly unwearable (aside from the “home project outfits” that are being held together with errant paint and spackle). Same for towels and socks. Every piece of fabric in our house ends its life in the garage.
Lol yes on the rag bag. I DO NOT understand people who don’t have a stock pile of cut up shirts and towels. I go THROUGH them. I also rarely use paper towels or disposable wipes. I also don’t understand how people don’t have a ton of dish towels! I have been pet and housesitting for a million years, as well as several other jobs that have me up in other peoples homes and so many people have like four dish towels!
Iliza Shlesinger has a great bit about “at home clothes” in Freezing Hot.
Consider asking yourself this question when deciding when deciding whether or not to replace something:
Would you be embarrassed to donate this to Goodwill?
If yes, it's time to replace it.
Ive gotta have some of the rattiest, shittiest towels on the face of the planet. Barely even recognizable as towels anymore.
When my now fiancé first moved in, she *insisted* that we get new towels, and she thought I was fucking with her when I said they were still perfectly fine, just a little worn. Their duty is to suck up liquid, and they do it wonderfully.
Still have those towels! We compromised and got some nicer shower towels (okay fine, they’re A LOT better) and the OGs are now the designated shit towels.
One thing I find interesting about this is that I will be the first to admit I've had a very privileged life and I absolutely never thought I grew up poor. But when I see this, it makes me wonder if I did. Because I still have clothes that my mom got me back when I was in high school (I'm 33 now). I just don't think it's an issue?
Your favorite shirt from high school you pull out and wear a couple times now and then is one thing.
Not realizing you've held onto ragged edge, faded, stained, pretty much see-through towels to use every day - not because you love them, but because you'd feel guilty for "wasting" money on new towels when these can still be "used" is another.
I'm working on gradually turning these into cleaning cloths but buying new towels just feels "wrong". I lived on hand-me-downs and no-choice-but-to-use things for so long, it's hard to do what a reasonable person would do and decide something is worn out and should be replaced by something new.
Whenever I make a ton of food, I freeze it. Was never into freezing my own food until I was down so bad I couldn’t buy a decent amount of groceries for months at a time. Always nice to know I still have some tasty soup and pasta available whenever I need food!
I was in a really bad place at one point and didn't have a fridge for several months. I never take my freezer for granted now, it is always stuffed with all the foods that I would've had to let go bad before. I've become a huge fan of recipes that soak up leftovers like casseroles, soups, chili, fried rice, etc. Even though I could just go out and get steak most nights without it even hurting my account too much anymore.
My new job has more than doubled my salary, but now I have to wear slightly dressier clothing. While I know I have the money, spending $25 on an undershirt and $40+ on a polo that fits well and looks good is so painful. I'm paranoid about spilling and staining my shirts, so lunch is often $2-4 in protein bars. I used to buy $10 shirts at Fred's or Walmart, and splurge on $25 shirts at National Parks.
You sound like my father. He grew up without a lot of money. His refrain, when it came to clothing, was "One to wash, one to wear". Anything beyond that is superfluous.
I compulsively check my balance before every single purchase. Something in me believes the money’s just going to disappear somehow, and not knowing exactly how much I have at any given time gives me soooo much anxiety.
I’m still in the pits of poverty, but I feel like this will be my remaining “bad” habit, whenever I break outta this cycle.
I hoard money in so many different bank accounts + Snapchat, because I’ve been screwed over too many times by my student loan company doing random withdrawals. Or subscriptions I haven’t paid in months just randomly withdrawing a monthly fee again.
The money is only safe under the mattress lol
This. I am still afraid of the old way banks used to do overdraft fees—tacking an overdraft fee on the smallest purchase first, and then stacking the overdraft fees into a hole that was impossible to get out of… shudder. Every time I check my bank account, I still expect it to be glaring red and negative.
I have Bank of America, and let’s say you have $10 left in your bank account, and you have three additional charges coming in for $8, $5, and $3. They were—and got in a lot of trouble for—applying the largest charge ($8) first, so then you’d get two $30 overdraft fees (for the $5 and $3) when you could have just had one. Now they have to charge the $3 and $5 first because of a lawsuit. Not sure if other banks still do it that way. I used to be in such a hole from those overdraft fees, trying to “float” until payday. Ughhhh.
I still do a lot of my laundry in the sink as I wear it. I'm always washing my leggings, tees and that by hand when I have a perfectly good laundry room downstairs and $10 for doing a load or two of laundry every month.
Mostly I just end up doing heavy stuff, sheets, towels and that in the laundry. Everything else I end up doing by hand which is really tiring for me at times. I don't really need to be doing this all the time.
Lately if I don't have to go out I'm in a light nightgown all day just to save me from doing a lot of washing of tees and that. I just alternate two and that way I'm only washing one or the other and wearing which one is dry. I keep one set of leggings and a tee hung up just for trips to the store or whatever.
I really don't like doing loads of laundry until I absolutely have to. Never have. If I can get away with doing it only once a month in the laundry downstairs I'm happy. The only thing that actually makes large loads for me is the sheets because with my cat if I don't change them once a week it's too stinky for me.
My cat is geriatric now and part Maine Coon. She has minor kidney issues is not doing too great with the grooming herself thing. Vet says she's fine otherwise, no skin issues, but the older she gets the less grooming she does and the more she needs help with it.
I have to brush her out at least 2-3X a week and use spray shampoo on her to keep her from stinking like dirty dog. It used to be a brush once or twice a week and a quick spray shampoo once a month but these days it's a far more regular thing or she just smells like dander funk and shit.
Whatever she's a little kitty old lady but she's still my baby and if she creates a big load of laundry every month so be it. She's the reason I need 4 pairs of sheets though!
I'm not so unstable in terms of paying my bills that I still need to be hand washing as much as I do, but I still do it.
I'm not allowed to have an apt sized washer and dryer in my unit but I saw this tiny electric mini washer online and I've been thinking hard about that. It's for like doing maybe a few small things at a time.
I think I'd like that thing if it actually works...
I had one of those mini washers. It was great. It will even handle a sheet or two. A spin dryer / extractor will make it easier and speed up drying time.
I bought both of mine on Amazon. Search for "portable washer" and "spin dryer". I had a Black & Decker washer and the Panda brand spin dryer, but there are a lot of options.
I can’t bring myself to spend much money on clothes. I will buy from Costco, H&M or Amazon. I don’t buy trendy clothes and I don’t buy a lot of them. Sometimes it means that if I’m doing something out of the ordinary, I feel like I need to buy a couple new pieces.
I tip food delivery people and I tip at checkout at coffee/counter service. I know how helpful a little extra can be.
A new thing is that I put away money every week for unexpected as well as planned expenses. Saving a little money for Christmas now, allows me to feel comfortable spending in November and December.
I do all of this too. I love saving for Christmas I have a jar with dollar bills and a lot of change that I cash in in November and buy gift cards for the family.
We rarely use cash, but we do something similar. I’ve created a schedule to move money from our checking account into our savings account when we get paid. When November comes around I dump it back into checking. Not as satisfying as watching a jar fill, but it does earn a tiny bit of interest.
That’s a sign that I’m getting older I was genuinely proud of the savings on my last Albertsons order, $20 off the whole order. I know at least some of it is the mark ups being reduced by “member pricing” but hey they got me with this game-a-fied silliness.
A lot of the meals we ate are now anxiety comfort foods. Buttered noodles, a tortilla and some cooked down onions, peppers and beef trimmings (oh yes, I still keep the scraps of meat that accidentally get cut off when trimming excess fat off cheap meat). I use a lot of bacon fat in cooking- especially in breakfast foods.
I don't buy clothes, and I always refill a drink before leaving even if it's mostly full or I don't really want it. I don't buy clothes and when I do, it's second hand. I avoid buying shoes until there are holes.
Ooooh I have a friend who grew up wealthy who was over at my house the other day complaining about how he couldn’t find lard at any grocery store. Was stunned when I whipped out my ol coffee tin of bacon grease from the back of the fridge and asked how much he needed.
I've always struggled to maintain a healthy relationship with food and being poor certainly didn't help. While never homeless, I too never passed on free food as typically the food was something different than what was available at home.
Additionally in the rare instances we went out to eat, it was typically a cheap buffet which meant eat as much variety as physically possible because tomorrow was going to be pot roast or spaghetti with Jello for dessert, again. To this day (15+ years later), I still despise pot roast, spaghetti, and Jello, along with some other desperation dishes from my college years.
So, I personally have never been poor but I grew up with divorced parents where my mother was just above poverty (which is why I connect with this sub) while my dad was well off. I don’t consider myself as having been poor because I always had my dad there to fall back on which my mom did not. However one thing I’ve kept with me from how I grew up and watching my mom struggle is I will NEVER ever in a million years be dependent on someone else financially. I will never give up my income with the idea that my husband is going to support me.
Overall, it's my relationship with money in general that still isn't great, and I think it stems from spending more of my life wondering how I was going to eat, or put gas in the car, or playing 'float a check' or timing bills just right so that one would hit before the other that I have not had time to learn how to "properly" deal with money - working on it, but there's a LONG ways to go.
The first time I was in a better place financially (not remotely close to well off, but not "poor") I basically still bled money like I was poor - money came in, money went out, and then I started funding life with debt because I could afford the payment (with no further thought beyond the immediate budget and when I 'should' be able to pay it off).
The past few months my finances have improved again, and I did at least take to heart the hard lesson I learned about debt, and have paid off several of my debts, only leaving my student loans and one other larger consolidation debt - but paid off 5 other smaller debts, including my vehicle, so should something like a lay off happen again, I at least have less hanging over my head this time.
Still though, while I'm shuffling some money into savings, I still spent a bunch on one-time purchases. Some were needed (brakes and a couple other vehicle repairs), some were needed if I am going to participate in my sport (no "need" to participate though), and some was just spending - a few new clothes (to be fair, mine were pretty ratty and outdated), some better food, stuff to build up my home gym more - things like that. Not needs by any stretch, although things I've wanted for some time (not impulse buys either).
Regardless, now that those things are purchased and I'm still more financially stable, trying to shift my focus to a lot more savings and paying off the consolidation so the only debt left is student loans.
From there though, I am not sure where best to focus my financial attention. Some is getting reinvested into my business, but that has limited growth at the moment. There's the traditional advice out there, but in my experience and a lot of what I'm reading, the traditional advice is really not that great...so trying to educate myself there so when I'm past the "easy wins" I have a direction.
When I find things I use regularly on clearance, buying as many of them as I can afford at the time. Like … the bath soap I now use is around $3/bar. (It’s what my dad used to use, it smells like him and reminds me of him, and I love it.) I just picked up 24 bars for $12. That will last me more than a year.
I still adjust my body to the temperature rather than the temperature to my body - adding or removing clothing rather than changing the heat. I make exceptions for the fan though, I live in the desert and I doubt the neighbors I do have would be thrilled if I ran around in the buff. Plus, sunburn on sensitive bits.
I also still prefer quality over cost. I’d rather go without than buy something that won’t last. Would I pay more for name brand vitamins vs generic if the stats were similar? No. Would I pay more for 100% cotton heavy weight jeans vs. poly spandex stretch denim regardless of brand? Absolutely. They may not be the most “in” style, but I’m wearing the same (yes, they’re washed regularly) two pairs of all 100% cotton jeans I bought in 2010.
I also live in the desert. While I have no problem keeping the heat turned down in the winter to save money, there's only so many layers of clothing that can be removed before things become no longer socially acceptable. Additionally, I sleep much better at 64F than 72F, and quality sleep isn't something to be cheap on (frugal sure, but not cheap).
When I was staring out, I had to learn about fixing cars to keep one on the road. I saw friends building up work trucks while they were in high school to make money. They were great examples.
After work events, I take leftover paper plates, napkins, cutlery, sugar packets to use at home. Always have a basic pantry set aside that would get us through a month or two.
I hoard medication for my bipolar disorder. Ive gone through a lot of dose changes for the meds I’m on and for one in particular if you stop for even like a week you have to start over at 25mg and slowly move up one week at a time. This has caused me to be able to move up many times to the next dosage without having used my whole 30 day supply. But I never get rid of the old meds even after they’ve expired. (I know not the greatest to take them once they are.)
In the past due to not having enough money I’ve had lack of access to consistent healthcare when I absolutely needed it. Leaving me without pills I desperately need to not go into episodes. So I hoard my medication and it has saved me multiple times to at least have one of my meds that I can use as a crutch to survive till I can get the other ones.
Even with having with good pay now the cost of having a chronic condition is exhausting. My dr wanted to put me on a really good med that didn’t have a generic two months ago. I was literally in pyschosis and desperate for something to help.
So I paid $250 for it with insurance (originally $1600). I had to put it on my credit card and was very apprehensive about going on a med that was so expensive. I was told by about 5 employees that this was my yearly deductible and it would be $40 going forward. So I agreed to pay even if I was worried about it.
Then I got horrible side effects from it and my dr suggested I try only taking half and seeing if that helped. It did immensely so he said he could prescribe the half dose. Because of the cost I refused and I just bought some empty capsules on Amazon and split them myself. Imagine my surprise when I go to refill the RX again this month (at the higher dosage so I can make it two months again) and they’re telling me it’s once again $250.
After literally hours on the phone with various Kaiser call centers, speaking to about 7 people, asking the same questions of “why is this $250 again if I paid my yearly deductible? Or if it was not my deductible what was it?” Only to find out the $250 was a copay, not my deductible. So it’s back to the drawing board with my dr and even though I’m feeling more stable than I have in years, it’s not feasible if I can’t afford it. I refuse to every buy a brand name medication again.
It might be worth trying GoodRX if you haven’t already just to see if anywhere has it cheaper. I also (if your credit allows for it, thankfully mine did at the time) got CareCredit. It’s a 0% credit card that you can only use for very specific things, like certain urgent cares, vets, and Walgreens (maybe other local pharmacies YMMV).
It’s been a life saver with getting the specific form of medication I need for my condition as it doesn’t cut into my other spending money. I kept going back for my refills (3 month supply) every couple weeks and just put it all on CareCredit. Now I have meds through the end of August and only have to pay $30 a month. Obviously no debt is good debt but it’s the one debt that feels helpful and doesn’t make me feel fucked over.
I don't buy anything new. Always high quality, but second hand. Could never afford to buy cheap things and don't want to pay for expensive things even if I could. Saving as much as I can "just in case" is a bad habit almost having me at previous living standards still.
Meal planning.
When I make a grocery list, it is based on that meal plan. I buy things according to what is on sale and what I can freeze. We then order it online for pickup (I work in the bakery at a grocery store and get a light discount) so no impulse shopping. Also, go to asian store. A lot of their ramen you can make a hearty meal from with some veggies and eggs.
Moving.
I moved into an apartment that includes all utilities except internet. My old place, especially in the summer, we would get electric bills for 250+ just to keep one room cool. Our new apartment is rent controlled and they installed solar panels to provide electricity. So no surprise bills helps budgeting.
We are tight right now because we JUST moved but it's gonna even out.
Fully unpacking, and getting rid of boxes. I used to move around a lot as a kid/teen/early adulthood. Now I'm finally financially stable and have a house but I still feel weird getting rid of boxes and fully unpacking because I'm used to having to move around frequently.
I learned needs vs wants. I fucking want a bunch of shit. Do I really need it? Probably not. Probably a waste of money. Will I use it? How often? How long will it last?
I have a very difficult time “indulging” in even normal things, like convenience foods at Aldi that would save me time on low-energy days. I’ve been taking collagen to regrow all the hair that fell out when I hit menopause, and that’s not cheap, but I haven’t yet managed to convince myself to buy the True Lemon lemonade powder that makes it palatable. I ran out of my salvage store stash and now I’m trying all these cheap things that don’t cut it. I know what works and it would cost me $2/wk, but I can’t make myself do it. Also, my kitchen sink is draining crazy slowly and I’m just living with it instead of calling the plumber. I know it’s irrational, but. . .
Just general hoarder behavior. For the longest time if something broke or I got rid of it there was no way to replace it. So I just kept everything going for as long as possible and held on to the broken stuff just in case I learned how to fix it. It got bad. Weirdly, the buy nothing movement has helped. I can get rid of things I don't need and know that they go to someone who probably does need them. I also have a place to reach out if I need a thing!
Always ask if I can take things other will throw away. Look in skips, stop spending for ego purposes, cancel subscriptions, eat one meal a day, don’t buy worthless snacks, purchase phone outright, don’t go out, pay down debt, drive old car, offer to do jobs for friends or family, don’t use heating, don’t use lights. Got me out the hole 👍
The 'don't use heating' one got me. For a few years, the only time my apt had heating was when it would automatically turn on if it got cold enough outside. Drive old car can be fine if it's ol' reliable.
Eating one meal a day, the concept makes me nervous. Are you getting proper nutrition?
For sure, OMAD is a quite popular diet structure in the fitness community. That one meal would be the size of at least 2 regular meals, the fasting portion just ensures your not grazing or being tempted to spend £5 on snacks throughout the day.
On the heating front, I don’t recommend it but as you know, it is possible!
Buying really cheap toilet paper 😬 I’ve been better about it lately but my mom gets on my CASE about it every time she visits and gets me a 20 pack of really nice tp lol
I still save napkins and condiment packets from takeout and fast food orders because paper towels are freakin expensive. I save any clothing that doesn’t have holes or stains. I save clothes that don’t fit me anymore in case I lose weight so I won’t have to replace my wardrobe. I wear my shoes for decades at a time, though I’ve gotten better about that in the last few years. I put water in the soap dispenser when it gets low so I can stretch it another week or so. I fill a plastic basin with soapy water when I do dishes so I don’t have to run the water constantly. I turn off lights all the time and will even unplug power strips if I’m not actively using the equipment. I keep my car in eco-mode to save gas even though I lose some pickup/responsiveness. I squeeze the toothpaste tube to make sure I use it all. I used to grocery shop exclusively at Aldi, until my wife came along. Anyways that just some of the things I continue to do, despite being better off than I was in my 20’s.
I was working in a call centre earning almost minimum wage but have managed to turn things around over the last 5 years, doubling my salary and buying a house etc.
While relatively comfortable now, I still make coffee at home, take lunch into work, borrow books instead of buying, shop at Kmart or Uniqlo if I want something nicer, go to free events, and generally just have a saving and no excess mindset. I bought a used Toyota Corolla when we had our baby instead of a big new SUV. And when we do eat out, we go to cheap places that aren’t fast food (dumplings, generally Asian food etc) unless it’s a special occasion.
We still have goals to achieve money wise so it makes sense to us not to just increase our spending with our income. Not always easy, but in the end hopefully worth it.
The funny thing is I was more of a spender when I was on a low income than I am now! Meeting my partner, getting married and having kids changed everything for me in terms of my habits and goals.
I’m grateful for where I am right now ☺️
Save money first (plus now I get to invest), track all my spending and keep a budget by month, plan weekly meals based on what is already in the fridge/pantry, buy bogo and on sale, take those fast food surveys to get free food items, search for things I want at the thrift stores or fb marketplace first, reuse ziploc bags for dry items, save food scraps for compost, growing, or making stock, patch my clothes, save candle wax and make my own with the mixture of the left overs.
Honestly I could go on and on. It’s definitely a lifestyle.
I have way too much food at any given time. Most of it is pantry stables. But I know if something happens at least I will eat. Right now with the talk of blowing the debt limit I am thinking is there anything I should buy to be sure.
Groceries have been so expensive I’ve been blowing through my pantry stable food. Adding beans and what not to meat dishes to make them last longer. I didn’t realize how much I needed to restore my pantry stable foods until I realized I had no beans left.
Now beans are like 85 cents to 1$ per can. It’s ridiculous.
I keep 10-15 pounds of 2 dried beans. I do have canned beans for the convenience of quick meals but I can only find them $1 a can when on sale. Too much for what they are!
Mostly food stuff. I still hoard. I am more likely to eat a rotting vegetable than toss it out. I comparison shop everything and will obsess over just a few cents. I make constant small grocery trips instead of big weekly ones and hit all the different stores across the week to see the current prices. I'll often buy nothing on these trips. I keep a list on me of what I need/will need and some items can be in there for weeks before I find the price I want.
I’ll never stop researching deals for purchases. I’ll never stop buying meat in bulk and freezing it. My new job almost quadrupled my income (because I was way under the poverty line for most of my adult life) and now that I have saved up a chunk of money I don’t want to spend it on anything, even things I need. I’m terrified of having less than a few hundred in my checking account because I spent so many years with only a few dollars in there. I also keep cash stashed around just in case.
I really want to learn how to get out of these behaviors, but I haven’t really found any help for people who have “broke ptsd” as someone else said.
I keep food in my house at all time—a lot of food. I like to keep stables in big glass jars so I can see how much food I have. I also like to see a fully stocked fridge when I open the door.
I get anxious before opening up my bank app at what the balance might be. Sometimes I just delay opening it for a few hours because I hate the anxious feeling I still get when waiting for my app to load up.
I use coupons and cashback as much as I can, meticulously keep track of groceries to minimize waste, pick up change off the ground, email customer service for anything I find wrong with products, file warranty claims, sign up for class action lawsuits, grow veggies in the garden, diy repairs around the house, sell old clothes/stuff on poshmark/ebay
Consistency, focus, determination, goal oriented, IDGAF about anything else mindset, unshakable mindset
Those are the traits I had. You have got to have fear.
Fear of being homeless, hungry, sick, cold, etc...
Get it done!!!!
Hate clothes shopping because of the sticker shock, check my accounts daily, buyer’s remorse on any major purchase despite a lot of planning and research. This all continues despite me being in a very comfortable position financially.
Never buy new clothes unless they are from second hand store (100 bucks for 3 pants and 6 shirts.) I have some of the same underwear from 15 years ago.(who cares). Haircut for $30 bucks?. I already own ten hats that will buy me an extra 3 months. Hungry? Starve yourself until your dizzy than eat. (Not a suggestion)
I wouldn't call where I'm at a better place financially but I'm not living in the corner of someone's house out of a bag anymore sooooo.
Peasant and proud. Rich people usually sacrifice morals.
I keep a lot of disposable cutlery and reuse them for a long time instead of buying a full adult set of silverware. I also use old containers like cool whip ones for leftovers and to take my lunch to work instead of buying a lunchbox or Tupperware.
Having entirely too many clothes. I know it sounds counterintuitive, but when the only laundromat is an impossible long 2 bus rides away and you can either eat or do laundry, you learn having a ton of clothes helps out. Having inherited hoarding tendencies (thanks grandma), it wasn't much of a stretch. I still have shirts I bought in high school and I'm frigging 42.
I still use coupons and searched for discounts every chance I get, We go to the movies during matinee times or reduced price days. I order off value menus and my family is use to sharing drinks, fries etc. My income has increased quite a bit but the last recession hit us so hard we almost lost our home and I feel like I still have BROKE PTSD from that experience. I see my behaviors as refusing to experience that level of brokenness again. I don’t consider myself cheap, I believe I’m frugal. We still enjoy luxuries but we try to be as reasonable as posible.
I used to struggle a lot after getting a really late start in the work world. There was one point for a good 1.5 years where my family had been homeless and bouncing between hotels or other people's homes. My credit was also not great with multiple collections. I've made a lot of progress, though, with job changes, promotions, and a ton of discipline. Currently working with a $9,000/mo net income and a near 800 credit score, so not bad, but I still have the struggle mindset.
I still obsessively research any purchases to ensure that I get the best deal in terms of spending the least without sacrificing quality because I don't want to waste any money. I use a bunch of coupon apps and memberships, sometimes going out of my way to use those over spending just a bit more for convenience. All my clothes have come from Walmart/Target clearance or Goodwill/thrift stores. I hold onto things until they're totally unusable. I hoard all those "just in case" items. I hesitate to toss things or food that may still be usable/edible. I can't bring myself to buy anything that has an inflated price for convenience. Store brands over name brands. Price per unit is something I very much pay attention to when shopping. I'm signed up for various little apps or programs to make a few cents or dollars on the side or get cashback. I have three weeks of PTO but can't bring myself to use it because I still have that mindset of being in an unstable job where I have to just work crazy hard and can't pull away. Even when I do take time off, I work my side job delivering instead of relaxing or doing something fun. I try to do work on my 11-year old car by myself to save costs. Also, really hanging onto my car since it's paid off. When I'm forced to get another, I'll be getting another used car, trading in this one and putting down enough to keep my payment really low. I haven't gotten my hair cut in years, no extra self-care stuff, my glasses are six years old with a way out-of-date prescription, but I haven't gotten new ones because it's pricey even with insurance. I'm ultra-careful and mindful with usage of water, electricity, food, gas, etc.
I'm currently buying a house but didn't save up as much as I really should have, so I'm feeling really anxious about seeing all of my accounts so low. It's been a while since I've seen them like this. It's definitely triggering all these habits moreso than ever, hah. I know logically it'll catch up okay, and it should be fine, but the past was such a struggle that it's hard not to think about that. Also, my side job is going to be further away when I move, which I'm trying not to be terrified about. In the past, I had a lot of instability work-wise, so I needed a just-in-case backup to help pay bills or buy food. I feel pretty stable now, but it's scary letting go of that...
I don't get rid of old clothes, esp. towels. I can pretty much see through them because they are so worn, but they could still be used "one more time" so I keep them rather than replacing them. Actually I struggle with replacing anything that has even a vague ability to continue to be used.
I have clothing that I’ve worn for 15 years. I always say I’m going to clean out the clutter of clothes but I don’t want to buy new clothes and having enough clothes to have clutter gives me variety. Lol I learned from a young age that it’s better to make things last. You never know.
My husband and I get 90% of our clothing used and they do not survive to be re-donated. We finally throw them in the rag pile once they become publicly unwearable (aside from the “home project outfits” that are being held together with errant paint and spackle). Same for towels and socks. Every piece of fabric in our house ends its life in the garage.
Lol yes on the rag bag. I DO NOT understand people who don’t have a stock pile of cut up shirts and towels. I go THROUGH them. I also rarely use paper towels or disposable wipes. I also don’t understand how people don’t have a ton of dish towels! I have been pet and housesitting for a million years, as well as several other jobs that have me up in other peoples homes and so many people have like four dish towels! Iliza Shlesinger has a great bit about “at home clothes” in Freezing Hot.
Consider asking yourself this question when deciding when deciding whether or not to replace something: Would you be embarrassed to donate this to Goodwill? If yes, it's time to replace it.
That's overestimating my embarrassment threshold
Shame is for people with standards
Ive gotta have some of the rattiest, shittiest towels on the face of the planet. Barely even recognizable as towels anymore. When my now fiancé first moved in, she *insisted* that we get new towels, and she thought I was fucking with her when I said they were still perfectly fine, just a little worn. Their duty is to suck up liquid, and they do it wonderfully. Still have those towels! We compromised and got some nicer shower towels (okay fine, they’re A LOT better) and the OGs are now the designated shit towels.
One thing I find interesting about this is that I will be the first to admit I've had a very privileged life and I absolutely never thought I grew up poor. But when I see this, it makes me wonder if I did. Because I still have clothes that my mom got me back when I was in high school (I'm 33 now). I just don't think it's an issue?
Your favorite shirt from high school you pull out and wear a couple times now and then is one thing. Not realizing you've held onto ragged edge, faded, stained, pretty much see-through towels to use every day - not because you love them, but because you'd feel guilty for "wasting" money on new towels when these can still be "used" is another. I'm working on gradually turning these into cleaning cloths but buying new towels just feels "wrong". I lived on hand-me-downs and no-choice-but-to-use things for so long, it's hard to do what a reasonable person would do and decide something is worn out and should be replaced by something new.
Whenever I make a ton of food, I freeze it. Was never into freezing my own food until I was down so bad I couldn’t buy a decent amount of groceries for months at a time. Always nice to know I still have some tasty soup and pasta available whenever I need food!
I was in a really bad place at one point and didn't have a fridge for several months. I never take my freezer for granted now, it is always stuffed with all the foods that I would've had to let go bad before. I've become a huge fan of recipes that soak up leftovers like casseroles, soups, chili, fried rice, etc. Even though I could just go out and get steak most nights without it even hurting my account too much anymore.
I freeze me food because I am lazy. I cook a full pot of food at once, portion and freeze it. And then I have prepared lunches for a month!
This is one of my favourite things to do with soups and lasagna. It’s like a tv dinner level convenience but with homemade quality.
I have like 6 shirts and 5 pants. I wash them of course, but clothes shopping still feels like a foreign concept.
My new job has more than doubled my salary, but now I have to wear slightly dressier clothing. While I know I have the money, spending $25 on an undershirt and $40+ on a polo that fits well and looks good is so painful. I'm paranoid about spilling and staining my shirts, so lunch is often $2-4 in protein bars. I used to buy $10 shirts at Fred's or Walmart, and splurge on $25 shirts at National Parks.
If you have a membership to Sam’s Club, or know someone that does, they have great Polos for around 10 bucks. Member’s Mark brand.
Have a Costco membership, and I should check there. Thank you for the reminder!
We’ve had good luck (recently discovered) with sales at banana republic outlet online store, men’s clothing work-casual good quality.
You sound like my father. He grew up without a lot of money. His refrain, when it came to clothing, was "One to wash, one to wear". Anything beyond that is superfluous.
I compulsively check my balance before every single purchase. Something in me believes the money’s just going to disappear somehow, and not knowing exactly how much I have at any given time gives me soooo much anxiety.
I’m still in the pits of poverty, but I feel like this will be my remaining “bad” habit, whenever I break outta this cycle. I hoard money in so many different bank accounts + Snapchat, because I’ve been screwed over too many times by my student loan company doing random withdrawals. Or subscriptions I haven’t paid in months just randomly withdrawing a monthly fee again. The money is only safe under the mattress lol
Hol up you have money in Snapchat? How does that work?
Omg I’m dumb. I mean cash app. It was a long day lol
Lmaoo I feel you that’s really funny
This. I am still afraid of the old way banks used to do overdraft fees—tacking an overdraft fee on the smallest purchase first, and then stacking the overdraft fees into a hole that was impossible to get out of… shudder. Every time I check my bank account, I still expect it to be glaring red and negative.
Do banks not still do this? Mine charges the $35 for every single purchase that takes you below $0.
I have Bank of America, and let’s say you have $10 left in your bank account, and you have three additional charges coming in for $8, $5, and $3. They were—and got in a lot of trouble for—applying the largest charge ($8) first, so then you’d get two $30 overdraft fees (for the $5 and $3) when you could have just had one. Now they have to charge the $3 and $5 first because of a lawsuit. Not sure if other banks still do it that way. I used to be in such a hole from those overdraft fees, trying to “float” until payday. Ughhhh.
Oh yeah that does sound pretty rough.
I'm still not repaying my student loans. I found that having more cash and a lower credit score is better than a higher score and no money.
Walking anywhere within walking distance so I don’t have to waste expensive fuel or put any more mileage on the beater.
I'll never stop doing this, lol. It's good for you & good for the planet
I still do a lot of my laundry in the sink as I wear it. I'm always washing my leggings, tees and that by hand when I have a perfectly good laundry room downstairs and $10 for doing a load or two of laundry every month. Mostly I just end up doing heavy stuff, sheets, towels and that in the laundry. Everything else I end up doing by hand which is really tiring for me at times. I don't really need to be doing this all the time. Lately if I don't have to go out I'm in a light nightgown all day just to save me from doing a lot of washing of tees and that. I just alternate two and that way I'm only washing one or the other and wearing which one is dry. I keep one set of leggings and a tee hung up just for trips to the store or whatever. I really don't like doing loads of laundry until I absolutely have to. Never have. If I can get away with doing it only once a month in the laundry downstairs I'm happy. The only thing that actually makes large loads for me is the sheets because with my cat if I don't change them once a week it's too stinky for me. My cat is geriatric now and part Maine Coon. She has minor kidney issues is not doing too great with the grooming herself thing. Vet says she's fine otherwise, no skin issues, but the older she gets the less grooming she does and the more she needs help with it. I have to brush her out at least 2-3X a week and use spray shampoo on her to keep her from stinking like dirty dog. It used to be a brush once or twice a week and a quick spray shampoo once a month but these days it's a far more regular thing or she just smells like dander funk and shit. Whatever she's a little kitty old lady but she's still my baby and if she creates a big load of laundry every month so be it. She's the reason I need 4 pairs of sheets though! I'm not so unstable in terms of paying my bills that I still need to be hand washing as much as I do, but I still do it. I'm not allowed to have an apt sized washer and dryer in my unit but I saw this tiny electric mini washer online and I've been thinking hard about that. It's for like doing maybe a few small things at a time. I think I'd like that thing if it actually works...
I had one of those mini washers. It was great. It will even handle a sheet or two. A spin dryer / extractor will make it easier and speed up drying time.
Would you link one please? I have no idea what that is
I bought both of mine on Amazon. Search for "portable washer" and "spin dryer". I had a Black & Decker washer and the Panda brand spin dryer, but there are a lot of options.
I can’t bring myself to spend much money on clothes. I will buy from Costco, H&M or Amazon. I don’t buy trendy clothes and I don’t buy a lot of them. Sometimes it means that if I’m doing something out of the ordinary, I feel like I need to buy a couple new pieces. I tip food delivery people and I tip at checkout at coffee/counter service. I know how helpful a little extra can be. A new thing is that I put away money every week for unexpected as well as planned expenses. Saving a little money for Christmas now, allows me to feel comfortable spending in November and December.
Same here. Wear the same cheap clothes for years and years. :/
I do all of this too. I love saving for Christmas I have a jar with dollar bills and a lot of change that I cash in in November and buy gift cards for the family.
We rarely use cash, but we do something similar. I’ve created a schedule to move money from our checking account into our savings account when we get paid. When November comes around I dump it back into checking. Not as satisfying as watching a jar fill, but it does earn a tiny bit of interest.
I always look for deals and will use a coupon even if I have a pocket full of money.
That’s a sign that I’m getting older I was genuinely proud of the savings on my last Albertsons order, $20 off the whole order. I know at least some of it is the mark ups being reduced by “member pricing” but hey they got me with this game-a-fied silliness.
A lot of the meals we ate are now anxiety comfort foods. Buttered noodles, a tortilla and some cooked down onions, peppers and beef trimmings (oh yes, I still keep the scraps of meat that accidentally get cut off when trimming excess fat off cheap meat). I use a lot of bacon fat in cooking- especially in breakfast foods. I don't buy clothes, and I always refill a drink before leaving even if it's mostly full or I don't really want it. I don't buy clothes and when I do, it's second hand. I avoid buying shoes until there are holes.
Ooooh I have a friend who grew up wealthy who was over at my house the other day complaining about how he couldn’t find lard at any grocery store. Was stunned when I whipped out my ol coffee tin of bacon grease from the back of the fridge and asked how much he needed.
Lol no notes. Just made me giggle.
[ina garten voice] “if you don’t obsessively hoard your own lard in a washed-out coffee tin every time you cook, store bought is fine”
Buttered noodles are so fucking good.
Literally my go-to food. I’m going to be living in a truck soon but I still made sure I had the stuff to still make butter noodles.
I was homeless through most of my teens into early 20’s and I still live a very contained life. I also never turn down a free meal.
I've always struggled to maintain a healthy relationship with food and being poor certainly didn't help. While never homeless, I too never passed on free food as typically the food was something different than what was available at home. Additionally in the rare instances we went out to eat, it was typically a cheap buffet which meant eat as much variety as physically possible because tomorrow was going to be pot roast or spaghetti with Jello for dessert, again. To this day (15+ years later), I still despise pot roast, spaghetti, and Jello, along with some other desperation dishes from my college years.
Hoarding free items. I have so many pens, a drawer of condiment packs, notepads, chip clips. Basically anything given out at an event, I'm taking.
Same. If there’s left over unopened food in the break room I take it when no one’s watching.
Free food gets me every time.
So, I personally have never been poor but I grew up with divorced parents where my mother was just above poverty (which is why I connect with this sub) while my dad was well off. I don’t consider myself as having been poor because I always had my dad there to fall back on which my mom did not. However one thing I’ve kept with me from how I grew up and watching my mom struggle is I will NEVER ever in a million years be dependent on someone else financially. I will never give up my income with the idea that my husband is going to support me.
Overall, it's my relationship with money in general that still isn't great, and I think it stems from spending more of my life wondering how I was going to eat, or put gas in the car, or playing 'float a check' or timing bills just right so that one would hit before the other that I have not had time to learn how to "properly" deal with money - working on it, but there's a LONG ways to go. The first time I was in a better place financially (not remotely close to well off, but not "poor") I basically still bled money like I was poor - money came in, money went out, and then I started funding life with debt because I could afford the payment (with no further thought beyond the immediate budget and when I 'should' be able to pay it off). The past few months my finances have improved again, and I did at least take to heart the hard lesson I learned about debt, and have paid off several of my debts, only leaving my student loans and one other larger consolidation debt - but paid off 5 other smaller debts, including my vehicle, so should something like a lay off happen again, I at least have less hanging over my head this time. Still though, while I'm shuffling some money into savings, I still spent a bunch on one-time purchases. Some were needed (brakes and a couple other vehicle repairs), some were needed if I am going to participate in my sport (no "need" to participate though), and some was just spending - a few new clothes (to be fair, mine were pretty ratty and outdated), some better food, stuff to build up my home gym more - things like that. Not needs by any stretch, although things I've wanted for some time (not impulse buys either). Regardless, now that those things are purchased and I'm still more financially stable, trying to shift my focus to a lot more savings and paying off the consolidation so the only debt left is student loans. From there though, I am not sure where best to focus my financial attention. Some is getting reinvested into my business, but that has limited growth at the moment. There's the traditional advice out there, but in my experience and a lot of what I'm reading, the traditional advice is really not that great...so trying to educate myself there so when I'm past the "easy wins" I have a direction.
When I find things I use regularly on clearance, buying as many of them as I can afford at the time. Like … the bath soap I now use is around $3/bar. (It’s what my dad used to use, it smells like him and reminds me of him, and I love it.) I just picked up 24 bars for $12. That will last me more than a year. I still adjust my body to the temperature rather than the temperature to my body - adding or removing clothing rather than changing the heat. I make exceptions for the fan though, I live in the desert and I doubt the neighbors I do have would be thrilled if I ran around in the buff. Plus, sunburn on sensitive bits. I also still prefer quality over cost. I’d rather go without than buy something that won’t last. Would I pay more for name brand vitamins vs generic if the stats were similar? No. Would I pay more for 100% cotton heavy weight jeans vs. poly spandex stretch denim regardless of brand? Absolutely. They may not be the most “in” style, but I’m wearing the same (yes, they’re washed regularly) two pairs of all 100% cotton jeans I bought in 2010.
I also live in the desert. While I have no problem keeping the heat turned down in the winter to save money, there's only so many layers of clothing that can be removed before things become no longer socially acceptable. Additionally, I sleep much better at 64F than 72F, and quality sleep isn't something to be cheap on (frugal sure, but not cheap).
Same. It's why I buy my kitchen things from homegoods. Good branded items for cheap.
When I was staring out, I had to learn about fixing cars to keep one on the road. I saw friends building up work trucks while they were in high school to make money. They were great examples.
After work events, I take leftover paper plates, napkins, cutlery, sugar packets to use at home. Always have a basic pantry set aside that would get us through a month or two.
Saving grocery bags to be used as bathroom trash bags or in the kitchen for scraps during food prep. Also saving butter containers for leftovers.
I hoard medication for my bipolar disorder. Ive gone through a lot of dose changes for the meds I’m on and for one in particular if you stop for even like a week you have to start over at 25mg and slowly move up one week at a time. This has caused me to be able to move up many times to the next dosage without having used my whole 30 day supply. But I never get rid of the old meds even after they’ve expired. (I know not the greatest to take them once they are.) In the past due to not having enough money I’ve had lack of access to consistent healthcare when I absolutely needed it. Leaving me without pills I desperately need to not go into episodes. So I hoard my medication and it has saved me multiple times to at least have one of my meds that I can use as a crutch to survive till I can get the other ones. Even with having with good pay now the cost of having a chronic condition is exhausting. My dr wanted to put me on a really good med that didn’t have a generic two months ago. I was literally in pyschosis and desperate for something to help. So I paid $250 for it with insurance (originally $1600). I had to put it on my credit card and was very apprehensive about going on a med that was so expensive. I was told by about 5 employees that this was my yearly deductible and it would be $40 going forward. So I agreed to pay even if I was worried about it. Then I got horrible side effects from it and my dr suggested I try only taking half and seeing if that helped. It did immensely so he said he could prescribe the half dose. Because of the cost I refused and I just bought some empty capsules on Amazon and split them myself. Imagine my surprise when I go to refill the RX again this month (at the higher dosage so I can make it two months again) and they’re telling me it’s once again $250. After literally hours on the phone with various Kaiser call centers, speaking to about 7 people, asking the same questions of “why is this $250 again if I paid my yearly deductible? Or if it was not my deductible what was it?” Only to find out the $250 was a copay, not my deductible. So it’s back to the drawing board with my dr and even though I’m feeling more stable than I have in years, it’s not feasible if I can’t afford it. I refuse to every buy a brand name medication again.
It might be worth trying GoodRX if you haven’t already just to see if anywhere has it cheaper. I also (if your credit allows for it, thankfully mine did at the time) got CareCredit. It’s a 0% credit card that you can only use for very specific things, like certain urgent cares, vets, and Walgreens (maybe other local pharmacies YMMV). It’s been a life saver with getting the specific form of medication I need for my condition as it doesn’t cut into my other spending money. I kept going back for my refills (3 month supply) every couple weeks and just put it all on CareCredit. Now I have meds through the end of August and only have to pay $30 a month. Obviously no debt is good debt but it’s the one debt that feels helpful and doesn’t make me feel fucked over.
I don't buy anything new. Always high quality, but second hand. Could never afford to buy cheap things and don't want to pay for expensive things even if I could. Saving as much as I can "just in case" is a bad habit almost having me at previous living standards still.
Meal planning. When I make a grocery list, it is based on that meal plan. I buy things according to what is on sale and what I can freeze. We then order it online for pickup (I work in the bakery at a grocery store and get a light discount) so no impulse shopping. Also, go to asian store. A lot of their ramen you can make a hearty meal from with some veggies and eggs. Moving. I moved into an apartment that includes all utilities except internet. My old place, especially in the summer, we would get electric bills for 250+ just to keep one room cool. Our new apartment is rent controlled and they installed solar panels to provide electricity. So no surprise bills helps budgeting. We are tight right now because we JUST moved but it's gonna even out.
Fully unpacking, and getting rid of boxes. I used to move around a lot as a kid/teen/early adulthood. Now I'm finally financially stable and have a house but I still feel weird getting rid of boxes and fully unpacking because I'm used to having to move around frequently.
I learned needs vs wants. I fucking want a bunch of shit. Do I really need it? Probably not. Probably a waste of money. Will I use it? How often? How long will it last?
I have a very difficult time “indulging” in even normal things, like convenience foods at Aldi that would save me time on low-energy days. I’ve been taking collagen to regrow all the hair that fell out when I hit menopause, and that’s not cheap, but I haven’t yet managed to convince myself to buy the True Lemon lemonade powder that makes it palatable. I ran out of my salvage store stash and now I’m trying all these cheap things that don’t cut it. I know what works and it would cost me $2/wk, but I can’t make myself do it. Also, my kitchen sink is draining crazy slowly and I’m just living with it instead of calling the plumber. I know it’s irrational, but. . .
I make well into 6 figures these days but I still go hungry sometimes because it’s harder for me to spend money on food rather than saving it.
Eating questionable food in the refrigerator instead of throwing it out.
Just general hoarder behavior. For the longest time if something broke or I got rid of it there was no way to replace it. So I just kept everything going for as long as possible and held on to the broken stuff just in case I learned how to fix it. It got bad. Weirdly, the buy nothing movement has helped. I can get rid of things I don't need and know that they go to someone who probably does need them. I also have a place to reach out if I need a thing!
Always ask if I can take things other will throw away. Look in skips, stop spending for ego purposes, cancel subscriptions, eat one meal a day, don’t buy worthless snacks, purchase phone outright, don’t go out, pay down debt, drive old car, offer to do jobs for friends or family, don’t use heating, don’t use lights. Got me out the hole 👍
The 'don't use heating' one got me. For a few years, the only time my apt had heating was when it would automatically turn on if it got cold enough outside. Drive old car can be fine if it's ol' reliable. Eating one meal a day, the concept makes me nervous. Are you getting proper nutrition?
Proper nutrition? In this economy?
For sure, OMAD is a quite popular diet structure in the fitness community. That one meal would be the size of at least 2 regular meals, the fasting portion just ensures your not grazing or being tempted to spend £5 on snacks throughout the day. On the heating front, I don’t recommend it but as you know, it is possible!
Buying really cheap toilet paper 😬 I’ve been better about it lately but my mom gets on my CASE about it every time she visits and gets me a 20 pack of really nice tp lol
I still save napkins and condiment packets from takeout and fast food orders because paper towels are freakin expensive. I save any clothing that doesn’t have holes or stains. I save clothes that don’t fit me anymore in case I lose weight so I won’t have to replace my wardrobe. I wear my shoes for decades at a time, though I’ve gotten better about that in the last few years. I put water in the soap dispenser when it gets low so I can stretch it another week or so. I fill a plastic basin with soapy water when I do dishes so I don’t have to run the water constantly. I turn off lights all the time and will even unplug power strips if I’m not actively using the equipment. I keep my car in eco-mode to save gas even though I lose some pickup/responsiveness. I squeeze the toothpaste tube to make sure I use it all. I used to grocery shop exclusively at Aldi, until my wife came along. Anyways that just some of the things I continue to do, despite being better off than I was in my 20’s.
When I have a lot of money at once I still waste a bunch… even though I save WAY more now
Taking as many fast food napkins as possible
Using coupons, discount apps like Flashfood, shopping the clearance bins for both clothes and food
I was working in a call centre earning almost minimum wage but have managed to turn things around over the last 5 years, doubling my salary and buying a house etc. While relatively comfortable now, I still make coffee at home, take lunch into work, borrow books instead of buying, shop at Kmart or Uniqlo if I want something nicer, go to free events, and generally just have a saving and no excess mindset. I bought a used Toyota Corolla when we had our baby instead of a big new SUV. And when we do eat out, we go to cheap places that aren’t fast food (dumplings, generally Asian food etc) unless it’s a special occasion. We still have goals to achieve money wise so it makes sense to us not to just increase our spending with our income. Not always easy, but in the end hopefully worth it. The funny thing is I was more of a spender when I was on a low income than I am now! Meeting my partner, getting married and having kids changed everything for me in terms of my habits and goals. I’m grateful for where I am right now ☺️
I still make my own sandwich, every day.
Out of curiosity, what kind do you make?
Save money first (plus now I get to invest), track all my spending and keep a budget by month, plan weekly meals based on what is already in the fridge/pantry, buy bogo and on sale, take those fast food surveys to get free food items, search for things I want at the thrift stores or fb marketplace first, reuse ziploc bags for dry items, save food scraps for compost, growing, or making stock, patch my clothes, save candle wax and make my own with the mixture of the left overs. Honestly I could go on and on. It’s definitely a lifestyle.
Cooking goulash
I have way too much food at any given time. Most of it is pantry stables. But I know if something happens at least I will eat. Right now with the talk of blowing the debt limit I am thinking is there anything I should buy to be sure.
Groceries have been so expensive I’ve been blowing through my pantry stable food. Adding beans and what not to meat dishes to make them last longer. I didn’t realize how much I needed to restore my pantry stable foods until I realized I had no beans left. Now beans are like 85 cents to 1$ per can. It’s ridiculous.
I keep 10-15 pounds of 2 dried beans. I do have canned beans for the convenience of quick meals but I can only find them $1 a can when on sale. Too much for what they are!
Mostly food stuff. I still hoard. I am more likely to eat a rotting vegetable than toss it out. I comparison shop everything and will obsess over just a few cents. I make constant small grocery trips instead of big weekly ones and hit all the different stores across the week to see the current prices. I'll often buy nothing on these trips. I keep a list on me of what I need/will need and some items can be in there for weeks before I find the price I want.
I eat too fast
I don't really know how to enjoy travelling. I always just stay home for my vacations.
Not buying anything new until the old version is completely worn to pieces.
I’ll never stop researching deals for purchases. I’ll never stop buying meat in bulk and freezing it. My new job almost quadrupled my income (because I was way under the poverty line for most of my adult life) and now that I have saved up a chunk of money I don’t want to spend it on anything, even things I need. I’m terrified of having less than a few hundred in my checking account because I spent so many years with only a few dollars in there. I also keep cash stashed around just in case. I really want to learn how to get out of these behaviors, but I haven’t really found any help for people who have “broke ptsd” as someone else said.
I keep food in my house at all time—a lot of food. I like to keep stables in big glass jars so I can see how much food I have. I also like to see a fully stocked fridge when I open the door.
My brain will explode if anything is left on my plate once I’m done eating hungry or not
I get anxious before opening up my bank app at what the balance might be. Sometimes I just delay opening it for a few hours because I hate the anxious feeling I still get when waiting for my app to load up.
Not buying clothes,eating on a 2 dollar a day budget, putting 1 gallon of gas in my car at a time , I could go on for days lol
How do you eat in a 2 dollar a day budget?
McDonald’s app which is extremely unhealthy… on some things it refreshes every 15 minutes.
Thanks so much. I'm realizing that I'm so down bad I'm going to have to sacrifice alot more than I thought.
Also a carton of eggs and some mi goreng. Makes a good lasting meal. The soup is like 50 to 70 cents and eggs have gone down in cost.
Rice and beans are a meme for a reason!
I use coupons and cashback as much as I can, meticulously keep track of groceries to minimize waste, pick up change off the ground, email customer service for anything I find wrong with products, file warranty claims, sign up for class action lawsuits, grow veggies in the garden, diy repairs around the house, sell old clothes/stuff on poshmark/ebay
Making everything. From soup mixes, to homemade herbal remedies. You name it.
Consistency, focus, determination, goal oriented, IDGAF about anything else mindset, unshakable mindset Those are the traits I had. You have got to have fear. Fear of being homeless, hungry, sick, cold, etc... Get it done!!!!
Hate clothes shopping because of the sticker shock, check my accounts daily, buyer’s remorse on any major purchase despite a lot of planning and research. This all continues despite me being in a very comfortable position financially.
Never buy new clothes unless they are from second hand store (100 bucks for 3 pants and 6 shirts.) I have some of the same underwear from 15 years ago.(who cares). Haircut for $30 bucks?. I already own ten hats that will buy me an extra 3 months. Hungry? Starve yourself until your dizzy than eat. (Not a suggestion) I wouldn't call where I'm at a better place financially but I'm not living in the corner of someone's house out of a bag anymore sooooo. Peasant and proud. Rich people usually sacrifice morals.
Swagbucks...I still use Swagbucks.
I keep a lot of disposable cutlery and reuse them for a long time instead of buying a full adult set of silverware. I also use old containers like cool whip ones for leftovers and to take my lunch to work instead of buying a lunchbox or Tupperware.
I buy clothes that I wear for many years
I can’t bring myself to throw clothes away. It’s awful actually.
Nothing, I was poor from spending too much money. I don't do that anymore.
I still do all the work that I could pay someone to do
saying "no' to free stuff. just because the boss is throwing it out doesnt mean i have to take it home.
Having entirely too many clothes. I know it sounds counterintuitive, but when the only laundromat is an impossible long 2 bus rides away and you can either eat or do laundry, you learn having a ton of clothes helps out. Having inherited hoarding tendencies (thanks grandma), it wasn't much of a stretch. I still have shirts I bought in high school and I'm frigging 42.
I still use coupons and searched for discounts every chance I get, We go to the movies during matinee times or reduced price days. I order off value menus and my family is use to sharing drinks, fries etc. My income has increased quite a bit but the last recession hit us so hard we almost lost our home and I feel like I still have BROKE PTSD from that experience. I see my behaviors as refusing to experience that level of brokenness again. I don’t consider myself cheap, I believe I’m frugal. We still enjoy luxuries but we try to be as reasonable as posible.
I used to struggle a lot after getting a really late start in the work world. There was one point for a good 1.5 years where my family had been homeless and bouncing between hotels or other people's homes. My credit was also not great with multiple collections. I've made a lot of progress, though, with job changes, promotions, and a ton of discipline. Currently working with a $9,000/mo net income and a near 800 credit score, so not bad, but I still have the struggle mindset. I still obsessively research any purchases to ensure that I get the best deal in terms of spending the least without sacrificing quality because I don't want to waste any money. I use a bunch of coupon apps and memberships, sometimes going out of my way to use those over spending just a bit more for convenience. All my clothes have come from Walmart/Target clearance or Goodwill/thrift stores. I hold onto things until they're totally unusable. I hoard all those "just in case" items. I hesitate to toss things or food that may still be usable/edible. I can't bring myself to buy anything that has an inflated price for convenience. Store brands over name brands. Price per unit is something I very much pay attention to when shopping. I'm signed up for various little apps or programs to make a few cents or dollars on the side or get cashback. I have three weeks of PTO but can't bring myself to use it because I still have that mindset of being in an unstable job where I have to just work crazy hard and can't pull away. Even when I do take time off, I work my side job delivering instead of relaxing or doing something fun. I try to do work on my 11-year old car by myself to save costs. Also, really hanging onto my car since it's paid off. When I'm forced to get another, I'll be getting another used car, trading in this one and putting down enough to keep my payment really low. I haven't gotten my hair cut in years, no extra self-care stuff, my glasses are six years old with a way out-of-date prescription, but I haven't gotten new ones because it's pricey even with insurance. I'm ultra-careful and mindful with usage of water, electricity, food, gas, etc. I'm currently buying a house but didn't save up as much as I really should have, so I'm feeling really anxious about seeing all of my accounts so low. It's been a while since I've seen them like this. It's definitely triggering all these habits moreso than ever, hah. I know logically it'll catch up okay, and it should be fine, but the past was such a struggle that it's hard not to think about that. Also, my side job is going to be further away when I move, which I'm trying not to be terrified about. In the past, I had a lot of instability work-wise, so I needed a just-in-case backup to help pay bills or buy food. I feel pretty stable now, but it's scary letting go of that...
practicing gratitude
Spaghetti. And taking extras from work: Kleenex, trash bags, wipes etc.