I Still Wear Shirts That Have Holes In Them

Over the last year, many people have asked how my life has changed with the increase in our business income. We’re still the same people, just with high incomes. I still wear shirts that have holes, and I am still conscious of spending money. Most people we meet have no idea what we make each…

Michelle Schroeder-Gardner

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Michelle Schroeder-Gardner

Last Updated: May 27, 2023

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I'm often asked why I am interested in being frugal even though I have a high income. To me, it's a no brainer. Frugal living tips save me money AND time.Over the last year, many people have asked how my life has changed with the increase in our business income.

We’re still the same people, just with high incomes.

I still wear shirts that have holes, and I am still conscious of spending money.

Most people we meet have no idea what we make each month, and most assume that we inherited a lot of money (since we RV full-time) or that we are hippies (funnily enough- also because we RV full-time, haha).

Recently, I had someone tell me that they’re surprised I don’t live on a plane (and own it), and another person thought it was funny that I still use coupons and look for discounts.

 

I like to be frugal.

For some reason, there’s a myth that people earning high incomes are not allowed to be frugal anymore. In fact, on an article of mine, 30+ Ways To Save Thousands Each Month, I had numerous people email or comment with questions like why would I cut cable or ever eat at home.

I have even had people tell me that I shouldn’t be allowed to use discounts, use coupons, shop second hand, or anything like that. That is just crazy! Why can’t I be frugal if I want to be?

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To me, it’s a no brainer- I still don’t want to be wasteful, and if I can find ways to save money, then I will.

You won’t become wealthy if you spend all your money. We still have financial goals, and we are still realistically trying to save as much as we can, while still living fun lives.

To me, finding ways to save money isn’t just about the money, it’s also about limiting waste, being more of a minimalist, and finding what truly makes me happy (which I realize more and more means that I don’t need to spend money on material things).

Here are some of the frugal (and possibly cheap) things I still do:

  1. I wear shirts that have holes in them. These are my favorite shirts, so I don’t care if there’s a hole or two!
  2. I have a very minimal wardrobe, and I hardly ever go shopping.
  3. I don’t have cable, satellite, Netflix, Hulu, or anything else. We have a nice digital antenna in our RV that can find several channels wherever we are.
  4. We live in an RV which allows us to travel affordably for around the same amount as the house we used to own.
  5. I use the Ibotta app to save money at the grocery store without having to clip coupons.
  6. Instead of driving, I ride my bike to the grocery store if it’s close by.
  7. I pretty much only drink water, and sometimes I make my own passion fruit tea at home.
  8. I think about small or big purchases for at least 24 hours before making them.
  9. We have free entertainment outdoors by hiking, rock climbing, cycling, and more.
  10. I still use Ebates for cash back when shopping online.
  11. I don’t grocery shop when I’m hungry.
  12. I do not pay ATM fees.
  13. My favorite shoes are a $10 pair of sandals from Forever21.
  14. I use a fuel app for my RV to make sure that I’m paying the lowest price for fuel. My tank holds 80 gallons so even just $.25 makes a huge difference in price!
  15. We don’t have memberships to anything, like a gym, etc.
  16. I still churn credit cards for their rewards bonuses. We recently had a month with a lot of expenses so I signed up for three credit cards with rewards bonuses. Those bonuses earned me around $1,500 in cash.
  17. I plan my meals and eat at home as much as I can.
  18. I use every last squeeze of toothpaste and drop of lotion or shampoo that I can.
  19. One of my favorite things to do at home is to rewatch my favorite TV series. I’ve watched LOST completely 3 or 4 times now, and we’re currently rewatching True Blood.
  20. Wes picks up every coin he finds (once when we were off-roading, he picked up a penny that was tails side up- that ended horribly so we don’t do that anymore!).
  21. We use coupons if we come across them.
  22. I’m always looking for deals on items that I normally buy.

What frugal living things do you do? Do you believe that people with a higher income can’t be frugal and take part in the many frugal living tips?

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Michelle Schroeder-Gardner

Author: Michelle Schroeder-Gardner

Hey! I’m Michelle Schroeder-Gardner and I am the founder of Making Sense of Cents. I’m passionate about all things personal finance, side hustles, making extra money, and online businesses. I have been featured in major publications such as Forbes, CNBC, Time, and Business Insider. Learn more here.

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  1. Holly

    I sew to get rid of the holes lol !! I do many of these things as well. If we go out to eat I try to only go to a place we have a coupon for. If gas is “expensive” to me I will only fill up a partial tank and then when it’s low I fill up the whole tank. I hardly ever rent or go to the movies, the library is my best friend!

    Reply
    1. Michelle Schroeder-Gardner

      Haha, I need to learn how to sew better!

      Reply
  2. Michelle Schroeder-Gardner

    Nice!

    Reply
  3. Michelle Schroeder-Gardner

    Yes!

    Reply
  4. Raj

    I have seen many people who throw their old clothes just because they’ve started earning good income. Even I don’t like such people who ditch things which helped them to grow big, i still wear old clothes no matter how ugly they look. Buying new clothes is just a waste of money according to me, why should one spend money unnecessarily on buying clothes when the old ones are still usable. Thanks for pointing out such a basic thing which people ignore.

    Reply
    1. Michelle Schroeder-Gardner

      Yes, if the old clothes are still usable then I’ll definitely still wear them 🙂

      Reply
  5. Kaitlynn Marie

    I use my sisters Hulu and Netflix accounts. If I don’t have to pay for them, why should I? We live together, so it’s not that big of a deal. I’m also currently wearing a shirt that has several holes that was a hand-me-down from my older brother that I’ve had for about 12-14 years or so? He moved out when he was 16 and I got several of the things he left behind, and he’s going to be 31 in January so I’ve had it for a very long time, and he had it for a while before that. I actually have a few shirts I got from him from that time still. I am a firm believer in keeping things until you physically cannot use them anymore. Got a pair of dress pants that I’ve had since I was 13 also, come to think of it.

    Reply
    1. Michelle Schroeder-Gardner

      Yes, same here! Plus, if you still enjoy it then why would you get rid of it?

      Reply
  6. Tyler DeBroux

    I love this post! I have the same outlook as you when it comes to spending money. I enjoy spending money on life experiences but get very little satisfaction from material things. I also primarily only drink water and also a couple of glasses of milk throughout the day. Other types of drinks such as soft drinks are generally overpriced, not to mention unhealthy. I’ve found that the best method to save money me is simply by putting a certain amount of my income into an account which I don’t allow myself to touch. With the remaining income I use it to pay any bills and any basic living necessities. Then i use whats left over to put towards a future trip, a class, or some other type of experience.

    Reply
    1. Michelle Schroeder-Gardner

      Yes, I pretty much only drink water as well. A lot of people think it’s just me being cheap, but I like water the most! 🙂

      Reply
  7. christine

    I’m a little late to the party but I’m just getting back into reading blogs again (and hopefully soon starting up my own again) BUT I LOVE this post. My dad (a very wealthy guy) is one of the most frugal people I know. He drives older cars until he HAS to replace them and rarely spends money on frivolous things and cooks almost every meal at home for his family of 5. He does this so that it frees up money for him to spend on things that matter to him, like travel and his family. It’s nice to hear that even though you’ve increased your income so much that you’re still able to live a simple lifestyle! 🙂 As always, I love reading your blog!

    Reply
    1. Michelle Schroeder-Gardner

      Thanks Christine! Your dad sounds like an interesting guy 🙂

      Reply
  8. Victoria | Lylia Rose

    Can’t wear used clothes – that’s ridiculous and a problem with the state of the world now! More people should be reusing and buying second hand instead of new things being manufactured and damaging the environment constantly. Plus I think it should be celebrated if high earners do this and promote it – then perhaps the low earners will copy and stop trying to keep up a lifestyle they can’t afford. It could help people avoid debt!

    Reply
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