How I Reduced Expenses & You Can Too

Good morning friend! Last September when I was considering adding a pool, it spurred me to scrutinize my expenses. I’m happy to share what I did to save money with you today!

Simple Ways to Save Money

Some of these saving money tips are simple, like cancelling subscriptions or going to Starbuck’s less. Some involve more time and energy – like calling internet service providers to see if you can lower your monthly rate.

Be Mindful of Spending

First and foremost, in order to save money, you need to not spend it. Duh! So, my main tip is to be more mindful of what you’re spending. Do you know what your monthly bills are? Do you always think you have more money than you actually do? Is there more month at the end of your money?

At certain points in my life, I’ve been super strict with my money and then there are times I lose focus. Early in my life, while I was still in college, I got into credit card debt. I was going to school and working, and my credit card had gotten up to over $3,000 – which was a lot of money to me at the time. Heck, it’s still a lot of money now!

I decided to get laser focused on paying it off. Every extra dollar I had went to paying that debt. I wouldn’t even buy a pack of gum because I’d rather put that money toward that debt.

When I finally got it paid off, I decided I never wanted to be in credit card debt again and to this day, I still don’t. I use a credit card for business expenses, but I always pay it off in full each month.

I also don’t like paying interest on things, so I worked really hard to pay off student loans and my car ASAP. How awesome is it to not have a car payment?!

I’ve had my car, a very nice 2016 Jeep Grand Cherokee since Jordan was born (8 years). It only has 65,000 miles on it but recently needed an expensive repair job. Several people mentioned it might be time to buy a new car. Really? Even though the repair may be upwards of $5,000, a new car is what, $65,000? I’m not even sure, but I know it’s a heck of a lot more than $5,000. I’ll choose the repair that should keep my car going for another 65,000 miles. It’s a nice car!

How I Reduced Expenses & You Can Too

Along with being intentional about where your money is going, take a look at your fixed, monthly expenses. Could you reduce them? Maybe. Don’t just take it as a given that the price you’re paying is what you have to pay.

Here’s what I did to reduce my monthly bills:

Reduced Landscaping– It was September when I did reduced my landscaping to every other week. Something I used to take for granted was weekly grass cutting. I realized that my grass didn’t really need to be cut every week. Also, I pull weeds and cut my rose bushes myself. Elliott is very handy in the garden too. Maybe you decide to cut your own grass? I’m sure it’s a good workout!

Eliminate Cable or Other TV Services – I’ve done this before, and now I can’t even remember why I added it back in. I cut it out and now use Netflix, YouTube TV and Disney+. Honestly, I don’t watch that much TV, but those are the ones I use.

Reduce Internet Costs – This is one of those pains in the arses things. I started by trying to research on my own, which ended up feeling very complicated. Nothing is straight forward with these companies. I ended up calling my provider and was able to lower my internet speed to 800, which is still high and we have no lagging issues. The call took awhile and I think I got disconnected at one point, but overall, it was worth it.

Reduce Cell Phone Bill – I ended up going into a retail location for this one. I talked to a store associate that very helpfully walked me through the different plans and helped me lower my bill. This was surprisingly easy, didn’t take that long – maybe 20 minutes.

Turn Up/Down AC 1-2 Degrees – Yes! That can make a difference. I also don’t turn on the heat unless we’re really cold. I do turn on the fireplace though- really love that ambiance.

Shop Medical Insurance – Another major pain point here. I called and chose a new medical insurance plan. But, looking back, I don’t think I picked the right one. I’m getting so many medical bills since dealing with this new high blood pressure and I called again this week to discuss my plan. But now I have a pre-existing condition and my medical insurance doesn’t cover that. Such a racket! I get so irritated about this, but bottom line is – try to learn what you’re paying for, keep good track of bills, utilize the online dashboards and stay on top of your healthcare appointments.

Shop Auto Insurance – Call your insurance agent to find out if the coverage and price you’re paying is the best deal.

Pay in Full – If I can afford it, I pay insurance or other expenses for the entire term (usually 6 months or a year) in full if there’s a discount for doing so

Extend Hair Color and Haircuts – If you can wait few more weeks between color and cuts, you can save quite a bit of money.

Stop Getting Nails Done – Back in September, I was going au natural with my nails, so I was saving money by not going to the salon. I’m back to salon visits now though.

Reduce Pet Expenses – I was able to pause my dog’s auto-ship prescriptions because I realized that I somehow ended up with extras to use up before I needed more. Similarly, I took Luke to the much less expensive mobile clinic for his latest vaccines. With my cat, I use the Kitty Poo Club for her litter box, but since she’s an indoor/outdoor cat, I was able to go from ordering every month to every other month.

Delete Unwanted/Unused Subscriptions – You can go through your phone, email, and bank statements to see what you’re subscribed to that you never use. It’s crazy how those small expenses can add up.

Track Your Spending & Income – Tracking my money helped me SEE what was coming in and going out and that was very helpful for me. It’s almost like a game to see where you can cut expenses and if I didn’t want to have to log spending something, it helped me not buy. The money subscription I like is called “Spending” It’s free, unless you want it to be able to set recurring transactions. And that’s only $2 total, not $2 a month.

Review Receipts – Whenever you spend money, check your receipt to make sure you were charged the correct amount.

Don’t Miss a Return Date – If you’re planning on returning something, calendar the return date so you don’t miss it.

Quit Starbucks – I also quit going to Starbuck’s. I had started going everyday and man, that really adds up quick. Now, I’ll enjoy a Starbuck’s about once a week.

Eat at Home More – period

Use It Up

Another concept that has saved me a lot of money, is simply to use it before buying more.

Food – Before a grocery trip, you’ll notice my fridge looking quite bare. Take a look at the items in your fridge, freezer and pantry and try to use them before buying more food.

Beauty Products – This goes for skincare, hair care, body wash, and shower gel. I’m working on using the products I have until they run out before buying more. I haven’t had to buy any hair styling products in a long time, but I do use my skincare religiously and re-order when I’m out.

Makeup – The only makeup I’ve had to buy more of is mascara and Juicy Lip and that’s because I’ve gone through those. I know that makeup eventually expires, but I usually stick to the same makeup routine and I don’t need more eyeshadows or lipsticks.

Shop Around On Big Ticket Items

Home Renovations – I interviewed three pool companies before deciding on Trahan Pools. It was wild to realize the price differences between the three companies, all for the same scope of work! I was able to save thousands by taking the time to get multiple bids. Thank you to Elliott for encouraging me to do that! If it weren’t for him, I may have went with the first company I talked to!

Furniture – I looked around for months for patio furniture before deciding on couch and two chairs. It’s a big investment and I wanted to thoroughly research before making a decision. I considered lots of retailers, different styles and materials, and ultimately chose something that was expensive, but I’m hoping it’s a worthwhile investment.

Pay Yourself First

Suze Orman said something along the lines of, “if you have even a trickle of money coming in, you can save.” If you put $25 into a savings account every week, you’ll have $1,300 in a year. Save $100 a week and you’ll have $5,200 at the end of the year.

That really resonated with me as a waitress in my 20’s when I wasn’t making much money. Yet, I always saved a portion of my tips every week. That’s one of the ways I was able to pay my college tuition in cash without any help from my parents or loans. *I had to take out loans for law school, but I’ve paid them all off.

Now, every month, I take a portion of my income and invest it in my SEP IRA. I pay myself first, and that’s a non-negotiable. What helps keep me motivated to do this is thinking of my future. I don’t want to have to hustle when I’m old to pay the bills.

Our health and lifespans are not guaranteed. Financial freedom is true freedom and a life with way less stress. That’s how I want to live.

All of our financial situations are different and how we grew up influences our relationship with money.

I grew up in a very loving household, but we struggled financially and it was stressful. I know that fear and the desire for financial security drive a lot of my decisions. It’s a big reason why I wanted to become a lawyer in the first place.

Two books that I read in my 20s helped shape my financial future – Smart Women Finish Rich and The Courage To Be Rich. Now, there’s a book I haven’t read, but I watched the Netflix show and it was really good too.

And I have to mention Dave Ramsey. Listening to his show definitely encouraged me to be more smart with my money.

Let me know if this post resonates with you! I’d love to hear in the comments. You can also PIN this image and save this post for future reference.

Have a fantastic day friend!