Buy on sale, use coupons, hunt for bargains. It all adds to the being able to buy the things that are important. No cable TV, use antenna, no buying coffee out, brew it at home. No credit card debt. If you manage what you have, you can make it go much farther. Drives me crazier than normal when somebody talks about living from paycheck to paycheck, but they have Cable TV - plus all the extra channels, drink Starbucks specialty drinks, eat out 5 days a week and buy the latest greatest Smart Phone. If you ask them why they don't cut back on that stuff, they act like it is a life necessity.
Well put. We use a combination of antenna and streaming services to basically watch anything we want. Saved me almost $200 a month right there, and I can still see any shows I'm interested in.
For phones, we went with Boost, ditching Verizon, and now pay only $100 a month for 3 phones (we were able to get our daughter a phone for free basically, so she always has one). We used to pay over $200 with VZ. Saved nearly $100 a month there.
For gas, we often get $50 gas cards for $40 shopping at our local grocery store. We also use point reward programs.
Food, we shop at Winn Dixie and use coupons, and supplement it with BOGOs at Publix (our local grocery store), and other discount grocery stores. And sometimes produce stands. (though hoping to actually make the garden a reality this year). And we use coupons before our big monthly shopping trips. We also do menu planning (based on first scouting out the sale items). So if chicken is on sale, we'll plan more chicken meals, etc. Pork, beef, you get the drift.
We pretty much break even on chicken feed vs. buying eggs, but at least we know what we're getting with our own eggs.
We drive an old, but paid for truck.
Clothes, we often buy at second-hand stores or off clearance racks. Unless it's for an occasion or work attire, and then I'm OK spending money for nice clothes, but even then, there are plenty of second-hand sources for this too. I've gotten some very nice (and formerly expensive) suits this way, and coats, even fur coats for the wife. We even had a friend who owned an upscale second-hand boutique, where my wife got all kinds of designer, but second-hand stuff for the same cost as Walmart stuff. (like MK or Coach purses, designer shoes, etc.). They just don't LOOK like second-hand stuff.
Restaurants, there are lots of reward club ones, and AARP discount, and many have deals for 2 people where you get an appetizer, free dessert, etc. for a low price.
Hotels, we use the Choice chain and their rewards options, and often stay nights for free. As our friends are far and wide, and we like to go to conventions and ren fests, etc. we stay at hotels often enough.
Just lots of ways to save money. If you really want to. Gives you a higher standard of living, without the cost of it.
