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

[HonestTealPoster]

For me, it’s not budgeting. I’ve tried it before and found it quite stressful, I ended up overthinking every purchase. These days I don’t follow a strict budget. I just spend fairly naturally and because I’m quite frugal anyway, I still tend to save more than I spend.

Is there anything you do that might go against the usual advice but works for you?

It's still more expensive than sharing with another earning adult!

Not for me.

I didn't put extra money into a pension just saved it and kept it so I could invest as I chose, worked out for me.

I lived much more cheaply when I lived alone.

I only bought a minimum of food for me. Was happy with a pretty basic diet, no, "ooh let's have this one day, that another". With a takeaway we might get three sides to share, whilst I would only get one for myself.

Decorating - might only have to get 2-3 paint samples instead of 6-8 because I had to include colours that my husband might like (in fact, samples 1-3 were my top preference, 6-8 my husband's preference - but we went with 4 and 5 because we disagreed on those the least).

DIY - I thought something should be fixed one way, husband another. Husband had the first go for £20. Big fucking surprise he was wrong and I paid another £30 to do what I wanted to do in the first place.

Selling our house - I think ABC jobs needs sorting first, he thinks ADE.

There's loads of small examples like that where another person's decision input creeps up the price, plus the fact that although maybe you spent £5 instead of £6, it would have been £6 entirely of your choosing.

Mate you haven’t met my XDH 🤣

Lol really, i have lived on my own for nearly 14 and half years, and its cheaper than what it was living with my ex husband.

My bills are cheaper, food bill is cheaper travel is cheaper and i travel a lot.
I live modest and frugal.

Barclays/woolwich will always let you remortgage to 80, at least. I'll let you know if they let me remortgage to 90.

Me and my husband don’t have a joint account for everyday expenses.

I spend only cash now on groceries : take out the weekly food shop cash and spend only that. When it's gone, it's gone. Saved me thousands.
I also always buy stocks and shares during bad news times : always get the etfs cheaper than peace time.

Plenty of pedigrees in rescues. Did you mean get a cross breed?

My unpopular hack is being single.

Hear me out.

I feel in a relationship or marriage there's always so much pressure to do 'activities' - meals out, nights out, weekends away, presents... You basically push each other to spend. My friends' grocery budget is 1K a month for a couple!

Being single, my grocery budget is negligible, I eat very simply, no treats. I don't eat out or do weekends away as I actually don't enjoy this.

Occasionally I date and it always makes a huge dent in my budget, endless outings, drinks, Sunday roasts and pub lunches I actually don't want.

Being single, I do the things I don't really care about on a shoestring without having to justify myself, and spend money where I genuinely want to.

I feel that in a relationship you do the things you want to do for yourself, and then also spend money on things required to compromise with the other person.

Dated a guy recently that had no money and very little interest in it, so our dates would be just sunbathing in the park and chatting, walking around the city and chatting, or cooking normal food at home. Gave me a totally different view on finances in dating and relationships.

My single finances are so much stronger than what they used to be in a relationship, and so are my XDP's.

Funny thing is I was looking at my finance tool over the years. The years I lived alone I always ended spending less than when I shared - which makes no sense but it is what it is!

Oooh. What’s the diary? Looking for a good one but never managed to find one!

I would like to know the diary too!

Can’t speak for @4yearstogo , but I can highly recommend the Papertess Designs diary I have used for the last few years. What I really like is plenty of space for notes and planning alongside the weekly and monthly layouts.

I decided to spend an absolute king’s ransom on dp’s 60th birthday because I’m an HCP previously in hospital and now in a stroke team, and I see far too many people struck down by the time they are 70. I’m soppily in love with him and want him to be happy all the time anyway, but the boat got pushed out way beyond the shore for this birthday and I don’t regret a penny of it. The only slight issue will be when I revert to a book and a trip to the pub for his 61st birthday…

@PermanentTemporary What a good idea, sometimes it's not worth putting things off. We were 'saving' a stay in a particular hotel for a significant wedding anniversary and DH basically said stuff it, let's go this year. And I'm so glad we did.

But those are all extras. I was talking about the basics - bills and basic food.

But that's just an example.

How often to have the heating on.
What to cook.
What snacks to have in the house.

As @ElleintheWoods described, there's loads of everyday "occasions" that mean a couple spend more on their regular bills than they would by themselves, let alone before the extras.

Not mine & more of a tip; I read about a person who, at same point each year reports their main account card as lost and then as the subscription requests get denied, decides if the want to keep them or not.
Not with some risk, but an interesting approach

Yes this. We got a puppy last year and I opened an account for pet insurance and pay in the equivalent to the premium every month.
We're lucky that if she (god forbid) needed unexpected vet care we could afford it.
And this way when she's old and more likely to incur regular vet costs we'll have a bit saved without just throwing money down the toilet making the insurers rich .

Still cheaper for me.
I dont need loads in a food shop and my bills cheaper than what it would be living with someone.

We never do a big weekly shop or meal plan. We shop as and when we needed (usually every other day) and buy small bits. I swear we spend so much less on food and hardly ever have food waste as we shop for 1 or 2 meals at a time.

Be careful of doing this too often ,it red flags your account plus any paid in fails.Better not to sign up for so many subscriptions.

No way! My Meal Deal is my Meal Deal. Probably because DH always chooses a cheese sandwich and a sausage roll😆