What’s an “unpopular” spending or money decision that actually works well for you?

The main one was not having joint accounts when I was married. We tried it after our daughter was born but it just didn't work for us, two financially Independent people in our 30s and 40s. We just reverted to our own account and split the bills proportionately. We never once fought about money. He supported me without question in the lower pay months of mat leave and I supported him through periods of unemployment. We didn't need a joint bank account for this. I will never understand why people get so het up about it.

Other than that, I actively choose to live in a disadvantaged area (which has somehow become quite a nice section of it over the years). When my daughter is up and gone I hope to stay here because I consider it home now. I've had many snide comments and side eyes about where I stay and I just let them wire in. It's been a good choice for raising our daughter.

Not sure if they are unpopular choices but:

I have never leased a car, always bought newish (2-3 years old) outright and then replaced once it starts to fall apart.

And like a pp we live in a smaller house than we can afford, now without a mortgage, rather than a bigger one with a still outstanding mortgage.

And I've started borrowing books from my library and paying for reservation fees rather than downloading them cheap on kindle.

Edited: DH and I have separate finances except for a joint current account for bills.

I buy takeaway coffees almost every day

my husband and I share a mortgage, pets and a nursery aged child and have separate finances (albeit with two joint accounts for day to day spending and set bills). It works for us.

I bought a house to rent out. People say “there’s no money in it these days” and it costs a fortune, tenants will trash it etc. It did cost a lot in the first year or two while I did the renovation but since then it’s given me enough income to allow me to work part time while my child is small. And the “nightmare tenants” haven’t been my experience. Just one settled family who I’ve rented to for 8 years.

Expensive cars and jewellery. Love them. Cannot be doing with old bangers and cheap jewellery. Big house too - all frowned on by MN frugal brigade.

What do you count as attractions? Theme parks? Merlin type places like London Dungeon? Historical sites of interest? I would feel a bit bad for the DC if we had never been to an aquarium or a castle or a an indoor wave pool or anything. That said, my DH would rather die than do to Disney, so the kids have missed out on that experience.

Not ‘buying’ brand new cars on PCP finance or leasing them. I buy used cars, generally around 3 years old, for 50% or less of the new price & pay for them in cash. Drive for 4 or 5 years, then rinse & repeat. This saves me a lot of money in two main ways:
1, I let someone else (usually the person who ‘bought’ the car new on PCP) pay for the biggest initial depreciation hit. A big thank you to everyone who does this.

2, I pay no interest or finance charges.

The main trade offs are:
1, I never have a brand new car.

2, I pay servicing, repair & maintenance costs myself. To mitigate this I buy extended warranties. Most modern cars are actually very reliable, the main exceptions being Jaguar Land Rover & Italian brands. So I don’t buy those.

I bought a very small house because it's just for me. I'm retired and I have to heat, maintain, decorate and furnish it, so I didn't want to overstretch myself. At least one of my friends thought it was a bad decision to buy somewhere small and not at all fancy, but I saved enough money to do it out nicely and buy some lovely new furniture so I'm perfectly happy with it.

Same. We thought we'd have 'upgraded' to a bigger house by now, but we realised we would rather spend money on holidays and experiences with the kids that would ultimately have gone on the cost of moving and mortgage payment, tax and utilities increases. Plus, the additional time and expense of cleaning and maintenance. No thanks.

In addition, we bought a year old car 13 years ago. We will run it into the ground and do the same again.

No judgement to others who make different decisions. We've all got different priorities.

We both retired early. I have no private pension, DH has a small one. We lived off that and topped it up with some savings for 2 years, now we live off my DH state pension and his small private pension. I have another 4 years until I get my state pension. We have some savings which we use for holidays. We have a lovely peaceful life, and don't regret it for 1 minute. Most people would despair of our decision, but it suits us, we have a great life, and I got to spend those 2 years seeing more of my lovely mum, who died after a short illness.

Agree with this. I like takeout coffee, and all coffee in fact.

NEVER get takeout/ delivery. It’s all lukewarm (whether it started hot or cold!), sweaty plastic boxes. I’d genuinely prefer egg on toast.

I started buying my cocaine from my prostitute, that way I only pay 1 delivery charge. Saves me a fortune.

Not having all our funds in a joint account. We have one and the bills come out of it, but we also have separate ones so what we spend our 'fun money' on isn't subject to comment from the other person. 😄

Edited to add another: I don't beat myself up for buying the odd ready meal or things like pre-prepped veg, or placing the occasional Deliveroo or Whoosh order. I am time-poor (work nearly full time plus caring for elderly mum who lives with us) and have chronic health issues, so while I'm not cash-rich as such, doing these things helps me keep going. (My MIL would be absolutely horrified if she knew any of this, though. 😄) I do of course realise I am lucky to have the wherewithal for this and am thankful for it.

Same. Lost count of the number of people who’ve asked us why we haven’t moved. One friend years ago actually said “I’m surprised you don’t live in a better house, you could afford it” 😂

It was good to get the mortgage paid off by 40 and DH retired at 55 so it was a good decision.

Bought a house in London rather than moving out to the home counties. I think for us the combination of not needing to run a car, let alone two, plus tfl fares rather than national rail, makes it a lot cheaper overall. Plus we then own a house in London which we could sell and downsize in retirement

A smaller house costs less to run in so many ways. A friend of mine, who lives in a huge rambling, money guzzling house once questioned how I could afford my lifestyle. I laughed and said that my residual income after the usual expenses was probably 3 times hers because of our meagre outgoings. I think she was truly shocked that I had so much money to spend on myself.

I did this and also ignored Location Location Location so that I could buy a detached house.

I don't own a car.
I walk to and from work.
I cancelled my credit cards - I find it peculiar that those on benefits are critised, while having debt is not that dissimilar as the money gets rewashed in the system.
I buy most everything secondhand/get free.
I stopped drinking - has helped my MH too.
Even if I wanted to, I no longer do girlie nights nor take part in fundraisers and workplace collections.
Eggs on toast is an acceptable dinner for me, oats for breakfast. A sandwich or jacket for lunch.
I sleep a lot and read or watch movies in bed. Potter around the house, sit in the garden.
I have a few home DIY projects on the go. All free or low cost.

I watch videos of the sea and valleys, forests and mountain ranges, etc so that I don't feel like I'm missing out on the sights and sounds at least through not affording to travel there anymore.

I don’t budget either but I’m tight and not materialistic in the slightest.

My luxury is going out for coffee - not takeaway but I go out for coffee often, probably about 3-4 times a week. At least once with a friend for breakfast, once with my teen daughter, and another 1-2 times on my own. Most of my social life is coffee shops - I don't go out in the evening much, just because my friends don't so much any more, and there are a few good independent coffee shops near me. When I go on my own I walk there, have one large coffee and work for about an hour, just for a change of scene when I'm wfh. It does feel v frivolous but I just really enjoy it.

If I book a holiday I tend to pay it all up front. I know people say it makes more sense to pay in instalments as you earn interest on your money in the meantime but I like the mental freedom of knowing that is sorted.

Paid off mortgage even though financial adviser said it would make more sense to put surplus funds into pension. Didn't listen. Love not having mortgage.

Paying off son's student debt. Financial adviser kept squeaking on about saving it for a house deposit and letting him just pay "a graduate tax" but I started post uni life with no debt hanging over me and I am lucky enough to put him in the same position so that is what I am going to do.

I dont tell anyone this stuff in real life except the FA who seems to think I'm a loon.

Another one here who has no budget (household or personal) - I just have an idea if we can afford something or not on an annual basis.

and no meal plan for family of 4 (2 adults 2 teens). At most I might plan a meal 24 hrs ahead .

I don't know if it counts but I've never meal planned and bought a set menu for the week.

I look in the fridge/cupboards and have what I feel like that day. Because I buy food I like, I always find something.

(I accept it may be different if you have multiple people to cater for though)

Same. I’d never get a take-out coffee.

I’d have one in a cafe, with cake maybe.

But only if I was meeting my boss or friend.

I don't add things up to ensure I spend equally on my kids. At Xmas for example I buy them what I think they'd like rather than spending the exact amount on each of them, two go to state school one goes to private, one has a very expensive hobby, I paid for one to to go on a mates holiday etc etc. I'm of the view I get them what they need when they need it and it all pretty much all balances itself out over a lifetime. They will all get the same inheritance though, if there is any.