wear your running clothes more than once before you wash them- saves them from wearing out as quickly and saves water & detergent. i run alone so it doesn't really matter if i don't smell the greatest, i'm just going out there to sweat all over again and shower & change as soon as i get back.
Yes living below your means is the answer. The problem is, it's indeed an ego thing and a plethora of people live above their means, pretending to flex and living a lie. That's easy when you can run a line of credit on everything acting as if you own it already.
All it takes is one. People win it every week. but people also win the lottery every week too. Most people don't hear of them because they don't live in LA or California or Texas or Florida where most of them move.
This is so, so bad. To the point that I’m starting to believe you’re actually a satirical account.
If not, surely you’ve studied some statistics or logic in your life? Look up the gamblers fallacy. Confirmation bias. Ratio bias. On these boards you talk exactly like every poor addict I've ever met, and If this isn’t a joke, I worry for both your and and your family’s future.
Run for a puiblic office and loose horribly, Lie until you're blue in the face that you were cheated and get a bunch of stupid chumps to contribute to get it a lot to get it reversed,
It's good for a lot. Like to the tune of a $250 mill 'a lot'.
Medium-grade: pay cash for everything. You'll spend less.
High grade: buy a cheap car with cash. No trucks, no SUVs, no financing.
Amen on the no trucks. Ridiculous how much a truck costs. And how often do you really need a truck? I bought a used 6x10 lightweight trailer that my mazda cx-5 can easily tow.
Buy to go at buffets. They charge you by the pound. Here, I get charged $7/lb for seafood. Shrimp already costs the same raw.
Also, do some realistic calculations for cooking at home. Yes, most things are cheaper at home. However, nobody seems smart enough to factor in both opportunity cost as well as non food costs. There is the cost of electricity when cooking as well as increased A/C costs if you're cooking in the summer due to all the heat generated by the stove/oven. You will also spend money on electricity for hot water while washing dishes or using the dishwasher as well as detergent and water costs.
Obviously, there is also all the time spent grocery shopping, prep and cook, washing dishes, cleaning up your kitchen after..... could most people just work an extra hour instead and cover the difference between a baked chicken sandwich and one made at home?
You just really need to look at the cost savings for the foods you're getting. Subway footlong, with the amount and variety of ingredients you could load on there, is not that bad of a deal compared to buying and chopping 10 different vegetables. Pasta is obviously overpriced, same as burgers, that's less than 10 mins with zero prep time and minimal cleaning.
Shop at Aldi. Brew your own coffee in the AM and have some eggs n toast. Eat lunch at home - leftovers from the night before or something simple like pb n j and some fruit. For dinners, some sort of rice, potato, pasta and meat with veges.
Walk / ride bike / take public transit.
Buy most of your clothes at Goodwill / Salvation Army. New stuff get at Target.
Buy the oldest smart phone you can get new on apple and keep it for 3/4 years.
take up a sport like running, or hiking, rather than one like skiing, cycling, golf.
And don't be tempted by the fact that it appears they are actually enjoying themselves rather than reeling in pain.
You can still bike or ski on a budget. Most of cycling equipment is either second hand or bought over the years and well cared for. I ski tour in moderate terrain, saving money of lift tickets. I got of my equipment at close out prices, though it still wasn’t cheap.
While the initial costs are high, bikes or skis can last for more than 10 years.
One car household, drive a fuel efficient sedan, grow your own food, I wear clothes until they literally begin to fray and disintegrate off my body. Work from home if you can. I don’t spend money on frivolous vacations, tvs. Haven’t had cable in years..
Medium-grade: pay cash for everything. You'll spend less.
I think this psychology works differently with different people. I'm the exact opposite of this^.
A credit card gives an automatic digital accounting of everything I've spent money on, so if I blow money on something stupid or unnecessary, I'm going to be reminded about the indiscretion every time I log into my account. With cash, though, I can just spend and never think about it again, which makes it easy for me to blow through a wallet full of $20s without reflecting too much on what I'm buying.
Me using Apple Pay or a credit card: "Man, I've spent $10 every day this week grabbing a coffee and pastry at the coffee shop on my way to work. I need to get back to making my coffee and breakfast at home starting today."
Me using only cash: *Checks wallet* "Yep, I still have cash left...off to the coffee shop!"
Wear your clothes in the shower, that way you clean yourself and your clothes for the same price
Don't pay to ride the bus, wear roller skates and hold on to the back
Don't heat a large room with a large fire if you're alone. Keep warm by starting a small fire an inch from your face
Ask homeless people for space change. Some of them carry around piles of cash and they're often high on drugs which prevents them making good financial decisions
If you like drinking on the weekends then go to catholic mass, the wine is free there
Invest in a DNA testing kit, child support is expensive and they might not even be yours
To save money over the long haul, spend more upfront to buy high quality goods that last. Cars, furniture, clothing, etc. are almost always cheaper when you can get many years of utility from them. Most Americans get into debt issues always trying to chase trends and buying and replacing cheap disposable things to look more successful than they truly are.
1. When you shower after a run, plug the tub and throw in your running clothes. Swish them around in the water and hang them up. They'll get nearly as clean as a washing machine for less water and less wear and tear on the clothes.
2. Use the backside of post-it notes.
3. Ease from one traffic light to the next. It saves on gas and wear on brake pads.
4. Borrow books from the library rather than buying them.
5. Dollar Tree has many items at lower price than Wal-Mart or Dollar General, like name brand toothpaste, toothbrushes, and deodorant.
Dont own a truck. I get 25-30 mpg in my hybrid that I payed a little over 5000 for which is so nice given the circumstances.
Depending on your age, shopping on Depop and similar apps/sites is a good way to get quality clothes for cheap. I shop for the streetwear look that is only really considered fashionable for 16-30 year olds though.
Pasta is cheap, little caesars/dominos is cheap. If you want to run 70 mpw on a budget this is the way.
Little caesars hot n readys are such a good bang for your buck