There are many things that I could cut out so that I could have more money, and then be able to pay off my debt faster and save fast. I wish I had enough willpower, but I don’t, and I believe life is about having fun also and not all about saving and money.
Here’s my list of things that I could possibly cut (but most likely won’t) or things I could’ve done:
- Car. I’ve talked about this before (so I won’t go into too much detail since you can read more about it right here), but if I didn’t have my car, then I would have $400 extra every month.
- Internet. I have a home phone for internet, so altogether I’m spending about $52 a month on this. I honestly don’t know if I could go without internet, but if I had to then I definitely would.
- Cell phone (haha that will never happen, I do wish I wasn’t so dependent though!). I would save around $110 if I cancelled me and the BF’s cell phones.
- Cable. Our cable bill is around $80 a month, since we added HBO back on.
- Unlimited dog treats. We definitely splurge on our dogs, we act like they’re our kids. I buy them all kinds of things and I’m constantly stopping at the pet store to see if there are any treats or bones that they might like. Yes, I’m crazy. We probably spend around $30 a month just on treats for our dogs.
- Smaller house. Our house isn’t huge, but it’s definitely too big for us. Altogether, it’s around 2,500 square feet if you include our finished basement. There’s just the two of us and our 2 dogs, but we have 4 bedrooms. 2 of the bedrooms are completely empty. We are turning one of the extra bedrooms into a pretty closet for me though! If we had a smaller place, it would most likely be cheaper, and therefore cheaper utilities. We could possibly save around $300 or $400 a month on our mortgage/utilities by having something cheaper.
- Less clothes. Lately, I’ve been spending too much on clothes, it’s getting excessive. If I cut this out completely, then I could save a couple hundred.
What could you cut out?
Free!~ says
I called and cancelled my cable on Monday because Dexter is over for the year. I'll turn it back on next year right before it starts. I have netflix now and it only cost 16.99 a month. I have found that I'm not using the DVDs though so I'm going to cancel the DVD portion and save another $10 or so per month.I could save about $200-$300 a month on eating out. We eat out way too much. There is this Chinese buffet place that my kids love and it cost $40 every time we go. Going to the movies is another thing I could save on. I go to the movies way too much. Sometimes alone which is only $8 but if I take the kids it's closer to $50 after the tickets and crap from the concession stand. PG&E is another thing I could save more on. I keep the thermostat set at 70 when the kids are home and 60 at night. During the day when it's just me at home I keep it at 65. I could adjust it down lower I suppose but I don't like being cold. It's a price I don't mind paying.
Bethany says
I have triedddd to talk to Shawn about getting basic cable. We NEVER watch tv… only Netflix. So, basically we pay $90 a month for the 15 sports channels we have… but don't watch. LOL! HORRIBLE.
~Carla~ says
I "could" cut back on the Internet & cable but then hubby & son wouldn't be very impressed with me… lol! 😉 I'm not paying off any debt though, so I'm happy for that! Just gotta stay under budget!
saving for travel says
Not sure about that one!2012 is going to be tight if we'd going to achieve our dreams.The fun is important too!Sft x
Juhli says
Have you tried bundling your internet with you cable to see if you can drop your home phone? Or get phone through the cable too. It might all cost less.
shoppingtosaving says
I think you could definitely cut out the unlimited dog treats (though I totally understand, I love my dog too) and the clothes shopping (though I am guilty of this too haha!). Have you thought about renting out one of the rooms to offset the high mortgage? This way you can live in the big house while paying less! When I was young and it was just me and my mom at home, she rented out 3 rooms to people.
April says
Great question! We cut back to one car a few years back which saved us nearly $1000 a month ($600 car payment, full coverage insurance, gas, parking, maintenance, etc). Internet is included fee where we live now which saves us a bundle, for our two cell phones we spend $80 a month (could be $60 a month but I recently got a smartphone), we bought a digital antenna so we didnt have to get cable, dont have any pets, are living in a very tiny place now which saves a lot in utilities (except hot water–I love my long hot showers), and I havent bought clothes except from the Goodwill in over a year. Yikes! I think we may be too cheap!!!
The Happy Homeowner says
I bought my place in May of 2010, and I have yet to subscribe to cable! I cut back by always bringing breakfast & lunch to work, renting out the spare room in my condo, not shopping for clothing/shoes very much, and commuting to work via bicycle. I think the most important part is to actually cut back. It's going to be different for everyone but find what works for you!
Newlyweds on a Budge says
car– i completely understand. my car payment was 434. now that i paid it off, it feels SO good. internet–we tried it for a month, and used the internet from our phones and it SUCKED. we just found out though we can get internet from our landlord for FREE. you can definitely cut back on the clothes. start there.
Allison says
Enjoyed reading all the ways that you could/will cut back. We are going to be buying our first home soon and we definitely will have to cut back in some areas. This is a good list!
ND Chic says
I could cut cable and home internet. I could also cut our grocery costs. That would really help. Clothes would definitely be on the list, too.
Michelle P says
Thanks everyone! And Juhli, I do need to try bundling things, my phone, internet and cell phones are all through AT&T, but none are bundled.
Lisa says
Our eating out is still a problem. I don't see me giving up my cell phone. Too addicted. This is a great post!
Mommy Saves ALOT!!! says
For me, eating out, cable, cell phones, and 1 of our cars would be the 1st to go….
Fashion Meets Food says
I have been pricing out everything we spend money on to try to figure out how we can afford an insanely small house that is a ridiculous amount of money. So far I don't even know what to do. I`ll try some of your ideas and see what I come up with. xo
Sarah says
I can totally relate on the dog treats. I spent over $300 on the little guy this month. I'm pretty sure that's more than I've spend on myself. Ps- I left you a little somethin' somethin' on my blog today so make sure you check it out 🙂
Serendipity says
I could cut back on our cable since I pay for it and Rambo and I hardly watch it. ( I tend to stick to whatevers on demand and all of my shows besides True Blood and Dexter are on Basic cable). I could also cut back on my misc/fun money and my cell phone package, but after making my new budget, I think I already live pretty frugally, especially for a twenty something. ;0
Married...with a Pup says
Hmm, such a great question. My husband and I eat out WAYYYY too much so we could save hundreds of dollars each month if we try to cut that out.
Kristin says
great post. lots of us have the same thing going on, but its hard to cut back certain thing
Rafiki says
I could cut my cell and get rid of my car but I really don't want too.I may consider downgrading my cell plan late down in 2012