[AmyBoz]

I posed this question at Frugal SOS, recently, and am interested in hearing more things that people would consider cutting as I move into high frugality mode, over here, due to a mortgage refinance.

You could probably cut from your budget right now, but haven’t really taken the plunge on?

Could be something big like a cell phone or a cable bill, or something small, like getting coffee on the way to work or on shopping trips.

I toy with cutting cable, but with 6 of us, I feel like keeping it is almost a necessity. However, when I think about it, the two teens watch Netflix almost exclusively. DH and I watch shows on HBO and Starz and I record movies from the movie channels for the little boys who also watch a lot on demand.

So, I could probably cut it, but it just feels like I’d be missing out because I watch a lot of primetime tv and I really enjoy it.

I could also probably cut out going to the movies and just getting them from the library when they are released on DVD. It’s an expense, for sure, because even though I usually bring water for those of us who drink water, and candy for those of us who eat candy, we do like our popcorn and drinks. Now, we have started going, almost exclusively, on Tuesdays were we only pay $5 for the tickets, each, and I use our points to pay for part of the snacks, and get gift cards as rewards for our rewards programs, but still, if we didn’t go at all, we wouldn’t be spending anything on the movies and I could be using the rewards points for other things.

As for a third thing to cut, probably once school starts, I could cut out stopping for tea and/or a breakfast sandwich before school, which I only do about once a week, but let’s be honest, it adds up and it’s not good for me. I have a mug at school and I can make my tea with the Keurig there and it’s way better for my waistline. This is one that I just need to cut out. Immediately.

What about you? What are three things you could probably cut out of the budget right now, but just haven’t done it yet?

 

[Livin Large]

We did cut cable when we moved almost 2 months ago and don't miss it!! We are getting a lot accomplished around the house because we are not sitting in front of the "idiot" box.

Cell phone! Currently looking into changing companies and getting rid of our Apple phones. I want something cheaper, a lot cheaper.

Smoking and drinking. We already roll our own for far less than buying them. $0.75/pack vs $7.00. Yes, I know, quitting is the healthiest option. We drink 1-2 nights per weekend....$10-20/week.

We typically don't eat out, don't stop for coffee, already buy generics, don't go to movies, don't buy CDs..... OH, need to drop Hulu as we haven't used it since we moved.

 

[RABBIT]

I have been thinking about this question a lot since you started this thread and I really can't think of anything to cut. We live pretty frugal I guess. We cut out cable 15 years ago when we moved to the country. We have limited data on my phone (DH gets a phone through work) and limited data on internet service. We use the library and Redbox for books and movies. We don't eat out much and for me it's about not having to cook, I don't care that it's just a pizza or $1 menu at Taco Bell, I just don't want to have to cook that night so it's always cheap. I seriously have no idea what Taco Bell serves other than the $1 menu. Never looked! We do eat out with friends a few times a year but that also is at cheap bar type places. More emphases is on the company than the food, although DH says that the all you can eat fish is very good.

I don't have kids though so I imagine it's much tougher for you to cut out certain things.

 

[Contrary Housewife]

I think we're about ready to cut Netflix. DH records more off cable than I can keep up with, and watches a lot of free programming on youtube. We have a dvd that has been sitting here for weeks that we haven't had time to watch.

Online game subscriptions, ditto.

Books, at least for a few months. I'm looking at a stack of 15 or more hardbacks waiting to be read, not to mention free ebooks on my kindle.

I have already cut back on the coffee drinks and snacks while I'm out. Not good for me or my wallet. And chicken. I got mildly obsessed with stocking up on chicken every time it went on sale and now we have enough to last into next year.

 

[sunshine]

I could completely give up my dryer -- and line dry exclusively. . . I could quit buying items for the grandkids (usually at yard sales, and usually clothes and books. . . but still adds up). . . . I could make my dh give up his soda, but he'd think it was grounds for divorce. . . so we could go to 2 or 3 meatless days/week instead of the 1 we do now.

 

[RABBIT]

Well, when I was filling the finch socks yesterday I thought I would probably save money not buying food for them. They are eating 2 socks worth of thistle in 2 days! I so enjoy watching them but what pigs!

 

[AmyBoz]

These are great answers! Thank you! Definitely food for thought and helps me expand my thinking about where we could cut!

 

[ScrapStitching]

Satellite radio just got paid for the last time. I am not in the car as much as I used to be. My husband, though, listens in his truck and on his computer, so we need to figure this out.

I can get most of the books I read on my e-reader from the library, but I don't. That's something I could do almost immediately. As for movies, I rarely go and enjoy what I can see on Netflix. The library has a ton of DVDs. I'm not ready to cut cable yet, but we're thinking about it. We live in the boonies and reception via antenna is fairly nonexistent.

I didn't have a dryer for three years and line dried only, but I got a new dryer a couple years ago and I'm okay with it.

Reading all your suggestions does definitely provide food for thought.

 

[Alaska]

Probably TMI but one of the biggies is switching over to Thinx and cloth pads and a diva cup. That would be an initial investment of course but I already was gifted two pairs of thinx and I bought a diva cup a few years ago. I just need to take the leap, buy the pads on etsy and maybe three or four more pairs of thinx and it'll save us $30 a month. My daughter is three so we don't have to think about the expense again for about ten years.

We have two large SUV's and we could sell one and bank the money because, being frugal we bought them both with cash and did not finance. SO drives a company vehicle during the work week so just one car is enough for our family. And the insurance and gas would be a savings of about $100 a month.

Alcohol: I could quit drinking, it would probably be good for my health and the SO's and we do get through lots of wine and beer a month. Bad for our waistline and bad for our budget but I really enjoy my wine a few nights a week, particularly after my most stressful days. Wine in Alaska is NOT CHEAP!! I even drink the budget boxed wine and the bota box is $30 here. I'd say we probably spend over $100 easily on wine and beer a month. We buy two bottles of tequila a year also, at about $80 a bottle, on my SO's birthday and on Fathers day, because if he drinks hard liquor its always a shot of tequila on a special occasion. That $1360 a year! Thats a plane ticket for one of us to Hungary to see the family. Wow, we need to be teetotalers!