How I Simplified My Expenses

 It's a new year and a new start for all the things you wanted to do last year but haven't done. For me, one of the things I've been working on in the last year was simplifying all aspects of my life once and for all.  One of those aspects of course was my finances, specifically my expenses.  Sometimes it felt like I was wasting money on things I wasn't utilizing.  So I took a long hard look at all of my expenses and made some changes....

Books & Magazines

If you haven't seen my post about how to save money on books, you really should pay attention to this part. I absolutely love reading books and magazines and if that's a hobby you have, then you already know how expensive it can be.  This is why I utilize the library for not just books but also magazines. 

 

I actually cancelled all but one magazine subscription because one of the libraries I use digitally offers free subscriptions you can read right in the Libby app.  Look into the options for your own local library.  Of course with books, it may take a bit till a book is available if it's new but I always am on the wait list and honestly, I don't even go to the actual library physically.  I prefer getting everything delivered to my Kindle.  Maybe I only save $100 a year on magazines now but still it's better than nothing.  

 

Downgrading Subscriptions

I realized some of the subscription services I had, even for my blog, could be downgraded.  I regularly reduce my blog email subscribers by using the service Kit which lets me see cold subscribers, meaning people that haven't clicked on any links or even opened my newsletters in quite some time. It lets me send an email out asking everyone to click a button if they want to stay on the list. Anyone who doesn't do it after a few days, I can delete.  This actually allowed me to reduce the cost by 50% that I was paying every month for using Kit as my email newsletter since their pricing goes by how many subscribers you have.  

Store Brand Groceries

When it comes to grocery shopping I'm pretty much a pro at meal planning and grocery lists. One thing I did this past year however is I started seeking out store brand alternatives to almost everything. There are always a few exceptions and sometimes I just choose a cheaper brand than my usual, but it's honestly cut my grocery costs by 25% a month. 

Cable & Streaming Services

I only have one streaming service at a time and sometimes I have none. I keep a running list in my iPhone notes app of movies and series I want to watch and what services they're available on and then a couple times a year I'll sign up just for a month or two and binge watch them all. 

That being said, I still love cable.  I'm not sure why but I recently saw a Reddit post where someone said it takes away the intensity of the binge urge and also it's kind of fun to just pick a show or movie that's already on and watch it and feel like you were meant to see it at that moment. I think both those things are true for me. I love watching certain shows live and I have a DVR if it's past my bedtime.  But also, I really love just seeing what's randomly on TV especially when it's reruns of shows from the late 90s and early 2000s (Everybody Loves Raymond is a great one for me).  

Our cable package is reasonable and meets our needs. We get all the channels we love and watch regularly and our internet is bundled in with a package that meets our needs for me working from home and having devices connected to WiFi as well as my husband's gaming hobby.  If the price ends up increasing, I will hop on customer service chat and ask them what we can do to keep the things we use but get a better price.  Pro Tip: Be super friendly to these people and it will get you very far.  Also, sometimes websites only show you certain deals and packages but chatting with customer service has allowed me to get "exclusive" deals for the next 2 years. I just put a reminder for myself to chat with them again in 2 years if the price goes up afterwards.

Auto Insurance

Make sure you shop around for rates without selling yourself short. I would love to cheap out on car insurance but the fact of the matter is, when I need it, I want it to give me good coverage.  I do take advantage of discounts as often as I can. It helps that my insurance agent is actually my longtime best friend because I just reach out and say hey - any discounts available that we aren't already taking advantage of? Sometimes there is, sometimes there isn't. My husband has a work vehicle as his daily driver and that actually gave us a discount since he barely drives the car he has insured through our auto insurance plan.  There's also safe driving apps and rewards and I take advantage of those to earn extra discounts on my annual costs. 

Planning for Expenses

I make sure that if certain expenses happen regularly, they don't catch me off guard.  For certain things, I set money aside from every paycheck either into a cash envelope or a bank account share specifically for those types of expenses. I have a cash envelope for medical costs like appointment copays and prescription copays and it really helps to always have that on hand. 

For car maintenance costs I have a bank account share I transfer a set amount to every payday. By the time my oil change is needed or my car is due for inspection, I have money to cover it. This also makes me try to stay within budget for that category.  I am lucky to have a husband who is into cars and knows how to work on them so certain things I have him do like replacing a battery, changing filters, etc.  I get my oil changed when I get my car inspected just because I barely drive it so I only really need it done once a year and I figure I may as well let them do it.  

Hopefully these things I've done can inspire you to look at your own expenses and find places to simplify and save.  Remember - spending money you don't need to is wasteful in the long run so think twice before signing up for things before doing research. Happy simplifying!

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