I’ve had to stop buying tofu, it’s too expensive. I also used to buy myself a cake from the local fancy bakery once or twice a month but had to jib that
I used to be able to afford a simple apartment in an inner suburb. Now I cannot and I’m living in the outer suburbs which is soul destroying. Driving anywhere sucks. There’s no where decent to take a walk. Crime seems to be way up. If I was more settled with a family then maybe I’d have something to focus on, but it’s up 1.5 hours to my old BJJ gym if traffic is shit, fuel costs a fortune now, cycling around here is suicidal, most of the food is shithouse due to lack of competition. The people I meet on dog walks seem to be specialists at rorting the welfare system - eg, one guy is on a pension for drug abuse and still abusing drugs, there’s a bunch of government houses in the area that they’ve given to miscreants who trash the property they’re given and invite a bunch of shifty criminal friends to hang out at who proceed to commit more crime in the area.
Anything made in the USA (though that is not primarily because of cost of living, only partially). I used to stop off at various street food vendors for a snack on the way home every second day or so, but now I maybe do that once a month. And that is cost of living related entirely.
This is a good point, a lot of the small items people are cutting down on are from small businesses. They must really be suffering
Yeah, small businesses were already suffering at the hands of big box stores, stagnant wages, and online purchasing.
And now there’s a downturn.
I used to be a big marvel action figure collector but I’ve been massively cutting back especially with the tariffs.
Work parking is 3 mins walk for $10 per day. Some parts of residential is 10 mins walk but free. Now I leave about 15 min early to park free and walk to work.
My house.
I don’t buy any videogames new anymore, and pretty much never buy any unless it’s on a very good sale. I’ve got a big enough backlog anyways I guess. I used to go out to some cheaper dine in restaurants but that had to be cut.
I live in the worst apartment so I don’t have to cut back on anything. I save $500/mo living across from a halfway house which is enough to have wine and fancy cheese whenever the mood takes me
I live in a halfway house. Rent is cheap. My roommates are mostly decent. It’s not ideal but good for right now.
Especially because I literally couldn’t afford a place on my own.
Good luck and good vibes to you ❤️ Hope your roommates continue to be decent
I fucking love fancy cheese I literally love it
You and me both ❤️
I keep trying to cut back on eating out but I work so much and when I’m home I fall asleep without meaning to. I don’t understand how working people manage to cook for themselves consistently. I just keep buying gas station food and putting off laundry for another week.
I batch cook and freeze it it’s the only way I can keep on top of it. I just can’t cook every day, it’s too much.
I try to cook in batches on my day off, but I never make as much as I need. Given up on freezing because no matter how many how-to guides I read, everything has fuzz on it the next day. :(
Bread. I started making my own and it’s way better and cheaper than the cheapest stuff from the store. And it’s easier to make than I expected.
Laundry. It costs $6 Canadian (maybe more now) per load, so I do it by hand in a plastic bin in the bathtub and dry it on a rack with a fan for now, since it’s winter. It works surprisingly well.
Eating out. My grocery budget is small but I make it work. It’s easy to spend a week’s worth of the budget on one meal at a restaurant, so I just don’t.
Going out in general, to things like movies and concerts. Not just the cost of entry, but also the wear and tear on my car and potential repair costs, and price of gas, make it not worth it. I have enough fun enjoying my hobbies at home anyway.
Bread. I miss fresh bread.
I can’t have good bread in the house cos I’d eat the whole thing
There’s a lot of things I don’t buy because they’re too expensive but its never been about not being able to afford it - it simply just isn’t worth that to me so I refuse to buy it.
Chocolate. Too expensive, or tastes like Styrofoam
Have to wait until it’s on special then stock up :)
Not really any lifestyle changes. Bills have gone up and rent but just means I save a bit less. I don’t eat out or drink at bars anyway, prefer being boring on my own.
Boring is definitely subjective. I was just telling my husband last night as we were watching a live stream from some bar in Florida, and there was a bachelorette party in the crowd, how imagining myself in that group, I’m already bored just 5 minutes in. Would much rather be home with my own comforts and entertainment.
It is. I think because I’ve had so many people tell me I’m boring for enjoying solitude and more peaceful activities that I feel the need to accept it as boring. For me it’s very enjoyable.
Amen to that. Here’s to quiet evenings.
Btw, totally random but your username is tripping me out because I knew someone with the last name of Steele and he was quite…gifted in that department.
I’m not. It’s just a name I randomly thought of because I was reading a detective novel at the time haha
Dining out. Takeout.
Bit of an odd one but barely nothing because; I barely bought things.
Had studies, no job and the money from internship were saved up to either help parents, medical stuff, pets or “just in case”.
Currently working and most money is also being saved up. Gave myself a budget to spent each month (which is quite a lot) but I barely spent anything, most I’d spent is €50. I can do this because still living with parents and they allow it (encourage it). So I can save up for an apartment.
Only big spending this month will be for a new monitor.
