7 Things I Rarely Spend Money On

I love learning how other people save money.  I personally find it fascinating to hear stories of couples paying off all of their debt or saving to pay cash for a new car.  Most of these people have one thing in common:  they sacrificed for a season of their lives.  They chose not to spend money on something now so that they could meet their financial goals.  They knew, as Dave Ramsey famously says, that they wanted to “live like no one else now so they could live like no one else later.”

That got me thinking:  What do I sacrifice?  What things do I refrain from buying now because they are just not in our budget?

This led me to a list of —

7 Things I Rarely Spend Money On

1. Gym Membership

I’m all about the free exercise!  I am currently preparing for a 5K, which is a pretty big deal for me.  I have never run that far before in my life, so I am taking my time building up to it.  Now that the weather is turning cooler, I love getting out and breathing in the fresh fall air.  I also enjoy doing Pilates or Yoga DVDs.

A quick sidenote:  After the birth of each of my three children, I got a gym membership for a few months.  I absolutely love taking classes.  Zumba, Pilates, Yoga, spin, and more–I’ve tried them all!  I find that the hour flies by and leaves me wanting more.  However, when I am not in such a focused time of losing weight, I stop the classes for the sake of our budget.  So, not having a gym membership is a true sacrifice for me.  It is certainly a luxury I’m looking forward to when our budget allows!

2. Haircuts

I married a pretty amazing guy.  My husband has cut his own hair for the past ten years.  He found that he was never satisfied with the haircuts he got from professionals and that he was tired of going to the barber’s shop every couple of months.  So, he taught himself how to cut his hair.  Now he also cuts all three of our children’s hair!  I’m pretty low maintenance myself, so I only get my hair cut once a year.  So, we spend less than $30 all year on haircuts!

3. Movies

Movie night is one of our favorite date nights.  However, we almost never go out to the movies.  I mean, seriously, how crazy expensive is it now!  Instead we check out movies from the library.  Our local library has a great selection of kids’ movies and classic movies.  My husband also has access to the university library where he is a PhD candidate, and they have even more movies.  To spice things up a bit, we are watching all of the AFI Top 100 films as part of our Date Night Challenge.  A fun, simple, free date night!

4. Books

I absolutely devour books.  This year I have challenged myself to read 100 books (you can read more about my Read 100 Challenge), and I frequently blog about books.  However, I haven’t spent a dime on books this year.  How?

I am a regular at our library. You know, the person who knows every librarian by name and specialty?  That’s me.  Hey, if you’re going to be a regular someplace, you couldn’t find a better spot!  I also raid our school library where I work as a 7th grade English teacher.  Finally, I am given free copies of some books in exchange for my honest review on the blog.  (If you love to read and write reviews, you can always consider starting a blog.  The free books alone are worth it!)

5. Smart phones

I may be the last person in America to have a dumb phone.  My phone can make calls, texts, take pictures, and do a couple of other things, but it’s no iPhone.  And, I’m ok with that.  Technology really isn’t my thing.  (Ironic isn’t it, seeing as I have a blog…)

6. Kids’ clothes

We pay very little over the course of the year for kids’ clothes.  We are extremely fortunate to receive hand-me-downs from families in our church.  We also have mothers who love to shop at thrift stores and garage sales and then give us their finds as gifts.  Recently my mother-in-law scored an entire box filled with clothes for $20.  They will last my daughter for the next year!  If you’d like more ideas, I have written in greater detail about How We Get Children’s Clothing for Free.

7. Babysitting

My oldest son will turn seven this year, and we have never paid for a babysitter.   Instead we trade date nights with another couple.  Once a month we watch their three kids one evening while they enjoy an night out, and then we switch.  This is huge for us!  We wouldn’t be able to go out EVER if it weren’t for our date night swaps.  It is just too expensive to pay for a babysitter.   Now we get to go to free concerts, out for dinner, or to plays–all while knowing our children are being well cared for by friends.

Now, please understand, I do not think that you are wrong if you DO spend money on any of these things.  We all have different priorities and are in different seasons of life.  

-Someone may work in a very professional environment and need to have high-quality haircuts and highlights to portray an appropriate image.

-Another woman may use her time at the gym as some much needed self-care time.

-Perhaps a couple is in a new town and does not know anyone to ask for babysitting favors.

I completely understand.  In fact, next week I will be writing a related post called Things I Splurge On.  These are items that I prioritize and am willing to spend extra money to have.  Look for it soon!

What things do you rarely spend money on?

(Linked to Thrifty Thursday.)