To ask you for your 'living well for less' tips

[meatbawls]

Maybe this philosophy has a name that I don't know, but I've been doing some thinking recently about how not to fall for all the tricks of the modern world and how to live a good, even luxury, even slightly flash(!) in certain ways life. I wfh in a good job, we have plenty of money so it's not about that, we have kids. It's not about austerity measures (not a boast, just clarifying so you don't ask to see my outgoings and help me budget).

What I'm trying to achieve is I guess a watered down version of FIRE (financial independence retire early) except I don't mind working for now, I just want to actually have something to show for it at the end and not just a load of crap I bought or conveniences I paid for.

My personal list is as follows, i'm interested to know what other people's look like! I am not looking for judgement particulary on the below, these are the things that for me represent value for money, or don't and any money that would have been spent on it should be put directly into savings instead.

IN:

healthy cheap food, lentils, beans, etc to promote health and long life
home workouts, mix of free and streamed
biking / cargo bike commute to school
second hand toys and clothes for all
antique jewellery which might hold value not decrease the minute I buy it.
proper coffee but not takeaway and no pods
very occasional facial for a treat.
highlights and haircuts, but only 2 times a year.
botox, because it actually works
effective cheap skin products (for me tret, sunscreen, moisturiser and not much else)
occasional file and polish pedicures
nice holidays
nice meals out on occasion
good wine, delicious cocktails!

OUT:

takeway coffee/lunch
pretty much any beauty products that are not listed above
eyebrow threading - they always take too much and I've bought a magnifying mirror for fraction of cost.
gel manicures/pedicures that require upkeep
pretty much any salon treatment that can't be seen on my face
clothes in general. certainly new clothes not on sale - i've been shopping my wardrobe and the rest on vinted
new furniture, as above
meat when eating alone
taxis unless strictly necessary
new phone or any other tech upgrade until current one is either broken or stolen
new glasses until frames actually break (I only use them for work and don't see people in person often)
new gym wear - see above re exercise mostly at home.

My OUT list feels too short. What can you add that are just a con of the modern world and don't need to be purchased either because they are completely unnecessary or because you can easily DIY it.

They can but you need a spare pair of glasses or you've got no specs for a week!!

@spoonbillstretford I completely agree, it is all personal! And that is why I wanted to emphasise in my OP that this is my list, and that I actually want a somewhat luxey life! If I were going out to a gym I'd feel differently about nice gym gear for sure. So I guess I was hoping to find what other people find really gives joy and what people find is actually just a trap / you don't miss.

I can reach my feet but I can't for the life of me make a polish look polished down there, so I go to the salon for summer, or bare nailed during sock season! Manicures are a difficult one, they look so nice but they ruin my nails absolutely and I am the sort of person that leaves a chipped manicure on a few more days out of laziness. Also I read an article in the Times saying manicures were not "chic" earlier in the summer and found I kind of agreed! (lighthearted!)

Re clothes, for instance I think the fact I can shop in my own wardrobe kind of shows that I've been a shopper, I do like nice clothes. I feel sick about the amount of money I wasted as a young person :-/ So I have no doubt I'll buy again, but for now I think it's a time to take a pause, acknowledge what I have, try to wear it out if possible (make up too, skincare is all gone). But when you do that you realise that things are overpriced, they don't get worn enough, you change your mind. So trying to limit yourself for a while, or delaying some gratification is definitely a positive thing.

Whilst this post has been up my new Vinted shoes have arrived, I paid £50 for them so not even that cheap. But they are brand new, and I lusted hard over them last year at nearly £200 in the shops. They didn't make the sale. I'm really pleased with them and was pleased to finally find them in the second hard market but I find myself glad that I didn't pay the full price. I think if I had I'd have been able to justify to myself how great they were, and so the cycle continues!

Also I read an article in the Times saying manicures were not "chic" earlier in the summer and found I kind of agreed! (lighthearted!)

They're a lot more chic than the broken/nibbled nails I'd have otherwise.

I flip flop on manicures being chic based on whether I can be arsed doing my nails. Currently: chic.

I never do my toenails because they’re oddly small and polish just draws attention to it. I scrub my feet and keep them nice though.

I think it's more of a mindset thing:

Quality over quantity, and lasting things over fast fashion - this goes for clothes, furniture etc. Buy quality timeless things that will still look good in 10 years. Second hand is fine.

Don't buy things you will only use once (like cheap plastic decorations or the latest faddy thing). Buy quality reusable stuff.

I am going a bit "old fashioned" haha - we have been foraging lots of fruit this past few weeks, mostly blackberries and plums, and making cakes and jam and compote etc!

I have also recently taken up sewing again and made myself a lovely dress. I'd been searching for the perfect black dress for a while and couldn't find it, so I made exactly what I want.

Shop at Aldi - good quality, a lot cheaper than Tesco
I'm just buying almost all my and my kids' clothes on Vinted now. If I see something I like on the high street I can often find the same item on Vinted within a month or two. And charity shops for generic stuff like jeans jackets, or event outfits because lots of people give those to shops barely worn.
Cheapest tickets in the house for dance/opera/theatre - Honestly you can see and hear it all just fine!

Was just about to add books for your out list, because you can order new releases into your library to be collected.

@TakefivedeepBreaths but I love having hundreds of books in my house, and coming back to them later. And I think for kids having books all around is important, plus they revisit the same ones time and again, and the younger ones move on to the older ones books.

Deals you can get via your bank.

For example, I'm with Lloyds and signed up to a Silver account and you get a nice benefit each year that you can choose. I get Disney+ for free. I think some of the other benefits are free cinema tickets / restaurant card discounts etc. It doesn't cost anything to have the fancier account if you're putting a certain amount in each month (which I think would be an average salary). And a lot of banks will allow you to meet with an advisor to discuss other account options completely for free.

Great list!

My philosophy is Cost Per Use reduction. If I'm going to use something a lot, I'll buy quality and enjoy using it. I don't want for many things though.

I saved for a year and spend around 3k on my bicycle. Less than 25p per km so far and she shifts gears beautifully still. Loads of life left in her. I maintain everything I can myself.

Getting books on kindle is often cheaper than second hand, and much more environmentally friendly. You could also use library services either in person or via BorrowBox.

That's such a good idea!🙏🏼

It's with Lebara, if you go to the MSE site they have link to to take you there.

Ours are £1 per month for 6 months then up to £5.99, that's for 10gb. Not sure what they have now but we'll worth checking out and so easy to do. It's a rolling contract so will look at moving again when the 6 months is up.

I've also switched my bank account which has been easy enough so far and should get me £200.

You can get glass frames repaired from online services, get prescription lenses made and fitted by other online services- the cost of getting glasses from a High Street shop is insane compared to maintaining and replacing them via online shops. And lovely frames from eBay as well, can you can order a load and send most of them back and just keep what works for you

I also have motion sensor fairy lights in my kitchen and bathroom, so at night the light comes on automatically and you don’t have to hit the switch, this is more convenient and nicer for navigating around the house in the dark and also cheaper than putting the main light on, I would imagine

@DelphiniumBlue I have a Kindle and use that mostly for myself. But childrens books I prefer to own and keep and then pass on (if not too tatty, they are quite hard on their books). Then on shelves I have reference books etc which are not good on Kindle, old books, some paperbacks. There's a best solution for everything but for me personally at the moment, the library is not it.

I have kindle and real books and use the library a lot - it’s saving me a fortune. Not least in bookshelf costs

If you have got decent strength nails and want a finished but not manicured look then I like this set. The buffers make your natural nail as shiny as polish would. WARNING they do actually take off a layer of nail so you can't use them frequently or if you don't have decent nails. Ince you have got a shine, I finf that you only have to really buff the bit that has newly grown and touch up the rest.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Glass-Nail-File-Shiner-Professional/dp/B092S5KDG5/ref=sr_1_14_sspa?crid=26X2IGR3BQKX0&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.f-gLxsm0lhwx0-5NQXpCyxv_-Rnr6fku53KXrXm-OODpcVQ7-4xQCCAIwcNjhTCS7mMykig9GCOrgR5wRlxVqEllMMrM5JcqB7snnDmdS3MnkSObB_ALITwo8m2GUlzynK-GpMTnxmYEqbqZvWj4WRe2z0L0qPW2QWKiWcQW0XqHScrOBd_z58qmQF9RT1p2O3qaE336gSjzNwgz_ej_19A_qNM2Dw6UraRhD0CG88EAA_ogQe47lXjHw0oK2AI-BjAzw55Ad-ve9-plLPZpmz9PQ_8mh8Qvwmjn0PTvzG0.iouLo8C31ScKF5JJmmxytmhYfQsV1tMWAxF-YKK7NT0&dib_tag=se&keywords=nail%2Bbuffer&qid=1754404163&sprefix=nail%2Bbuufer%2Caps%2C122&sr=8-14-spons&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9tdGY&th=1

This is such a good thread! I've really taken on board some of the ideas from PPs. If I may, can I add in a list I made for myself a couple of months ago - more to do with my behaviours.

Build the shopping list over a few days for the following week.
Leading to meal planning.
Batch cooking - I make up the full recipe then freeze. I know that's not new!
Don't buy ANYTHING that's not on the list.
Shop at Aldi. Their fruit and veg are lovely quality.
NO impulse buying, either in person or on line.
Mostly vegetarian now, following recipes until I get more confident. It works.
Find things to do with my spare time that aren't consumer-led, ie shopping!

Following the thread with interest.

I have nothing to add and I am probably preaching to the converted, but just wanted to say that my DH and I adopted most of these practices throughout our 50+ years together.

We never, ever felt deprived, but we are now reaping the benefits: living very comfortably indeed in our retirement, and hopefully enough left over when we pop our clogs to leave a very decent inheritance for our children/grandchildren, plus hopefully a sizeable charity endowment as well.

Too far. I’d rather have cava, cement, or English.
I don’t drink a lot but what I do drink is nice.

We do a lot of these. I love in person gym classes though and want my hair cut more often than you. I’m leaving the greys, mind you - I reckon they’re nature’s hair glitter!

I’d add house swaps for holidays. We’ve been to lovelier places than we would have wanted to rent.

Out: polyester.
In: natural fabrics.

Out: candy bars that have palm oil.
In: beautiful sit down pastry eaten with a friend with a tiny fork.

Out: phone in the bedroom.

In: spending ages to find the house decoration that is just right.

Out: AI.

Out: coffee on the go.
In: sit down.

@WashableVelvet I love in person gym classes too, if I still lived in London I would be going to them. I got a Peloton during lock down, coinciding with my first child being born and it's a reasonable substitute that does work out good value (if used!)

Sometimes I'll get a hair cut when what I really want is a blow dry. It's not much more expensive. So OUT: random blow drys!