What's something where saving money has actually made you happier?

[Britan]

I started cutting my own hair during the pandemic and was surprised to like the outcome more than many haircuts I’ve paid for. I’ve never been happier with my hair. Go figure! It also only takes me about 5 minutes instead of the hassle getting to a salon and sitting through the whole process.

I only know one way to do it so I will probably eventually pay someone for a different style. Or find another YouTube tutorial and see what I can do.

My DH would probably second this (though I cut his hair, he doesn’t do it himself). He hates hates HATES sitting through a haircut with a chatty stylist and not being able to escape. The time he got his hair cut by a lady who wouldn’t stop talking at him about “chemtrails” was the last time he paid for a haircut.

I’m a bit too cowardly to cut my own though. I did when it was short, but now it’s down past my belly button, and I’m not confident I could do layers well. It’s a lot of hair to manage. Thought I wear it in braids 90% or the time so maybe I should just take the leap… if it’s terrible, it won’t change my normal style.

[Arbitrage]

I'm sure that I could come up with other examples, but the biggest and most obvious one in my life is ditching my car for an e-bike.  Took a few years to fully divest myself from the car, but basically had stopped driving it. 

[Metalcat]

I'm sure that I could come up with other examples, but the biggest and most obvious one in my life is ditching my car for an e-bike.  Took a few years to fully divest myself from the car, but basically had stopped driving it.

Yes, I forgot to mention this in my list.

I still drive because I'm often too disabled to bike, even with my e-bike, but DH switched to biking everywhere, even in harsh winter, and he loves it. Especially being able to zip by downtown gridlock.

[Dicey]

I've been cutting DH's hair for years, now he cuts mine, too.

[Britan]

I started cutting my own hair during the pandemic and was surprised to like the outcome more than many haircuts I’ve paid for. I’ve never been happier with my hair. Go figure! It also only takes me about 5 minutes instead of the hassle getting to a salon and sitting through the whole process.

I only know one way to do it so I will probably eventually pay someone for a different style. Or find another YouTube tutorial and see what I can do.

My DH would probably second this (though I cut his hair, he doesn’t do it himself). He hates hates HATES sitting through a haircut with a chatty stylist and not being able to escape. The time he got his hair cut by a lady who wouldn’t stop talking at him about “chemtrails” was the last time he paid for a haircut.

I’m a bit too cowardly to cut my own though. I did when it was short, but now it’s down past my belly button, and I’m not confident I could do layers well. It’s a lot of hair to manage. Thought I wear it in braids 90% or the time so maybe I should just take the leap… if it’s terrible, it won’t change my normal style.

Check out the pony tail hair cut for DIY layered long hair cuts. Basicly pull all your hair over the front of your face in a pony tail and cut. I learned about it here (thanks to Mrs. MM) but there are tons of examples online.  I also have very long hair and cut it myself but prefer just a straight cut and long layer bangs rather then a bunch of layers the pony tail cut gives you.

I almost tried that once, but chickened out. It seemed like the layers that way would be too dramatic for what I’m used to.
But … then again my hair is so long now that even if I don’t like it, I’ll keep it in braids which is what I do now anyways. I think I’ll try it soon. If I do, I’ll report back. Right now I’m “saving money” by just not having gotten a haircut for two years. (Well COVID was a big factor in that decision too). Which has made me happy because I enjoy having super long hair.

[Trifle]

There are so many things where spending less (or nothing) has made me happier, but some of the bigger ones:

-- Got rid of TV 16 years ago and have never once missed it. 
-- Cheap vacations via camping, hiking, hosteling, AirBnBing, etc. 
-- We own cheap, reliable, older cars.  It takes away all the worry.
-- Just owning less stuff in general is very freeing.  And the stuff we do choose to own is mostly thrifted, used, etc. (Nice, but not 'precious' by any means.)  Except for a couple sentimental items (that I would struggle to get rid of) none of my stuff has any hold over me. 

[Miss Piggy]

Buying the one ply Scott toilet paper makes me and my bathroom happy because it does NOT produce the annoying dusty lint that would get on every metal surface like fluffier, pricier TP brands.  Also my plumbing seems to function better with Scott one ply.

Ditto here. It never, ever, ever clogs the toilet. I can't say the same for Charmin. I'm a convert to the Scott 1-ply as of about...oh, the beginning of the pandemic?

[Britan]

Buying the one ply Scott toilet paper makes me and my bathroom happy because it does NOT produce the annoying dusty lint that would get on every metal surface like fluffier, pricier TP brands.  Also my plumbing seems to function better with Scott one ply.

Ditto here. It never, ever, ever clogs the toilet. I can't say the same for Charmin. I'm a convert to the Scott 1-ply as of about...oh, the beginning of the pandemic?

To each their own, though TP and tissue paper are some of the things that I’ll definitely spend a little more on to get double ply/softer tissues. Life is too short to be wiping your nose and/or tush with scratchy paper IMO, haha. But I also have never gone out of my way to buy Charmin or other branded paper products. I find the Kirkland brand double ply TP and Kirkland tissues to be sufficient.

[cannotWAIT]

I’m still getting my hair cut in a salon (well, once since February 2020 due to Covid, but I’m about to go again the day after tomorrow) but I’ve been cutting my partner’s hair this whole time and I’ve gotten really good at it. After his second shot he went and got it done at SuperCuts and it was so inferior to my own cut that I went back to doing it myself. Takes longer but since I’m the main one looking at him, it’s a gift to myself. :)

[Dreamer40]

I started cutting my own hair during the pandemic and was surprised to like the outcome more than many haircuts I’ve paid for. I’ve never been happier with my hair. Go figure! It also only takes me about 5 minutes instead of the hassle getting to a salon and sitting through the whole process.

I only know one way to do it so I will probably eventually pay someone for a different style. Or find another YouTube tutorial and see what I can do.

My DH would probably second this (though I cut his hair, he doesn’t do it himself). He hates hates HATES sitting through a haircut with a chatty stylist and not being able to escape. The time he got his hair cut by a lady who wouldn’t stop talking at him about “chemtrails” was the last time he paid for a haircut.

I’m a bit too cowardly to cut my own though. I did when it was short, but now it’s down past my belly button, and I’m not confident I could do layers well. It’s a lot of hair to manage. Thought I wear it in braids 90% or the time so maybe I should just take the leap… if it’s terrible, it won’t change my normal style.

Check out the pony tail hair cut for DIY layered long hair cuts. Basicly pull all your hair over the front of your face in a pony tail and cut. I learned about it here (thanks to Mrs. MM) but there are tons of examples online.  I also have very long hair and cut it myself but prefer just a straight cut and long layer bangs rather then a bunch of layers the pony tail cut gives you.

Yup! That’s basically what I do. The tutorial I found was called the Unicorn Pony or something like that. Sometimes I’ll do that first, then have DH chop the ends off straight across if it’s too long. Works well for hair that’s a bit longer than shoulder length. Any shorter and you can’t make the high ponytail work.

[vand]

Happier because you saved money with the cheaper option that you value more than the marginal benefit gained from the more expensive option?
or
Genuinely happier because you got more out of the cheaper option than you would have from the more expensive option, and it just happened to also save you money?

Examples of choices that fit the first question are everywhere, because that is what exercising personal choice and optimizing our own expenditures is all about.

Examples of choices that fit the 2nd are more difficult because, in general, better stuff comes at a higher price.

An for people who say they prefer camping holiday to flying half way across the world, because they hate flying and airports.. and then proceed to list only the negatives of the long haul holiday.. well, if you only see negatives in that sort of holiday, then why would you ever go on one in the first place?

One example I can give that fits the 2nd cateogry is this: I personally have a prefererence for eating animal organs (ie liver and sometimes kidney) than the more common cuts of breast and thigh.  Not only are they far more nutrient dense, but I find prefer the taste and texture.  They are also much cheaper, only costing a fraction of the cost of common cuts because nobody else buys them as they've all been brainwashed into buying the expensive meaty cuts.

I like the normal cuts too, so it's not the case that I don't like thighs and ribs etc and will happily eat them, but at least some of my meat consumption is of the cheaper and (imo) superior organ meat.

[seemsright]

Our PNW weather has been AMAZING. We have gotten to go hiking two weekends in a row. Nothing better than a group of friends, a thermos of homemade soup and a thermos of tea at the top of some ridge with amazing views.

I am actively looking for experiences.  Even if that is 'just' walking a 10k on Thanksgiving morning, a long hot bath, a cup of tea.

Attempting to start to enjoy the simple joys of life.

[Kwill]

Happier because you saved money with the cheaper option that you value more than the marginal benefit gained from the more expensive option?
or
Genuinely happier because you got more out of the cheaper option than you would have from the more expensive option, and it just happened to also save you money?

Examples of choices that fit the first question are everywhere, because that is what exercising personal choice and optimizing our own expenditures is all about.

Examples of choices that fit the 2nd are more difficult because, in general, better stuff comes at a higher price. . . .

I think it'd be nice to hear more examples of the second, but both can be useful. Sometimes you may choose the cheaper thing because it's cheaper and then find to your surprise that it makes you happier.

I started stocking up my pantry/larder at home with grocery deliveries when I had big coupons for trying delivery a few years ago. I saved some money with the coupons and saved more money by doing enough planning ahead that I didn't need to eat out or buy convenience foods as much. What I didn't realise until I started doing it was how much easier it made my life. I always had a car before moving to the UK but have only had a bicycle here. After making frequent trips to the supermarket by bicycle and messing around with carrying the groceries on the bike and up the stairs, it was amazing to be able to pick out everything I wanted and have somebody else bring it up the stairs to my door. I also found it much less stressful to know that there was always something to eat at home if I didn't feel like going anywhere or doing anything after work. I can now just go straight home and eat while watching a show, even if I haven't particularly planned dinner. Just a bit of savings overall but a big increase in happiness.

[Zikoris]

Happier because you saved money with the cheaper option that you value more than the marginal benefit gained from the more expensive option?
or
Genuinely happier because you got more out of the cheaper option than you would have from the more expensive option, and it just happened to also save you money?

Examples of choices that fit the first question are everywhere, because that is what exercising personal choice and optimizing our own expenditures is all about.

Examples of choices that fit the 2nd are more difficult because, in general, better stuff comes at a higher price. . . .

I think it'd be nice to hear more examples of the second, but both can be useful. Sometimes you may choose the cheaper thing because it's cheaper and then find to your surprise that it makes you happier.

One thing that comes to mind is pumpkin. I bake a lot and have tried most of the available brands of canned pumpkin, from the cheapest to the fanciest. By far my favourite one is the cheap generic store brand one, it is just so freaking good.

[mathlete]

This is hard because saving money in and of itself almost always makes me happy!

I would say that engaging with my library's eBook checkouts has made me happier. I'm fortunate enough to where I can buy a book full price if I really want to read it. But there's less friction with checking out a library book. So I read more frequently now. And books often refer to other books which go on the list to borrow which means more reading.

eBook library = more reading for less money. Big win.

[Morning Glory]

This is hard because saving money in and of itself almost always makes me happy!

I would say that engaging with my library's eBook checkouts has made me happier. I'm fortunate enough to where I can buy a book full price if I really want to read it. But there's less friction with checking out a library book. So I read more frequently now. And books often refer to other books which go on the list to borrow which means more reading.

eBook library = more reading for less money. Big win.

I feel much less pressure to finish a book I don't like,  if it's an ebook checkout.

[iris lily]

I started cutting my own hair during the pandemic and was surprised to like the outcome more than many haircuts I’ve paid for. I’ve never been happier with my hair. Go figure! It also only takes me about 5 minutes instead of the hassle getting to a salon and sitting through the whole process.

I only know one way to do it so I will probably eventually pay someone for a different style. Or find another YouTube tutorial and see what I can do.

My DH would probably second this (though I cut his hair, he doesn’t do it himself). He hates hates HATES sitting through a haircut with a chatty stylist and not being able to escape. The time he got his hair cut by a lady who wouldn’t stop talking at him about “chemtrails” was the last time he paid for a haircut.

I’m a bit too cowardly to cut my own though. I did when it was short, but now it’s down past my belly button, and I’m not confident I could do layers well. It’s a lot of hair to manage. Thought I wear it in braids 90% or the time so maybe I should just take the leap… if it’s terrible, it won’t change my normal style.

Check out the pony tail hair cut for DIY layered long hair cuts. Basicly pull all your hair over the front of your face in a pony tail and cut. I learned about it here (thanks to Mrs. MM) but there are tons of examples online.  I also have very long hair and cut it myself but prefer just a straight cut and long layer bangs rather then a bunch of layers the pony tail cut gives you.

I pull my hair straight up over my head and do a straight cut that way.

My college roommate did that many decades ago and it always worked for her because she had naturally wavy hair. In my youth I don’t think it worked all that well for me because I have straight,  heavy hair. But now that I am old and have much thinner hair it kind of works more or less. No one would accuse me of having a professional haircut,but it looks ok. 

[iris lily]

While the goal here is not necessarily to save money, it does in the end save money:

I am renovating one property in a very careful, curated way. Everything is well thought out and everything is chosen with deliberation.Cost of anything is not a problem and I’ll spend what is necessary within reason, but I’m not buying high-end stuff necessarily for most products because I don’t see a difference between high end and things I choose very carefully. I shop for months for antique light fixtures, some of them from Europe, and DH rewire some. I am charmed by them.

I’m renovating another property in more of a “spend money just to get it done “mode. We go to Lowe’s and buy light fixtures, all in one purchase. Slam Bam done. None of them charm me.

[mathlete]

This is hard because saving money in and of itself almost always makes me happy!

I would say that engaging with my library's eBook checkouts has made me happier. I'm fortunate enough to where I can buy a book full price if I really want to read it. But there's less friction with checking out a library book. So I read more frequently now. And books often refer to other books which go on the list to borrow which means more reading.

eBook library = more reading for less money. Big win.

I feel much less pressure to finish a book I don't like,  if it's an ebook checkout.

Yes!!! This too. I've stopped measuring my reading by number of books and started measuring by daily chapters read. I got 70% through a memoire recently. I really liked it, but after that much time, I was just kind of done reading about this person's life. Finishing the book isn't important, but staying engaged in a healthy habit is.

[BookLoverL]

Happier because you saved money with the cheaper option that you value more than the marginal benefit gained from the more expensive option?
or
Genuinely happier because you got more out of the cheaper option than you would have from the more expensive option, and it just happened to also save you money?

...

Both are good things, but when I made the thread I was admittedly thinking of the second option - as in, the cheaper option providing more benefit / less downside even aside from the money.

[Just Joe]

Having money in excess of our needs has been a great stress reliever. Like many others, once upon a time we were young and dumb and poor and living check to check. We managed it the best we could and after a friend turned us on to the forum here, we've managed it even better with our forum education. It is not that we make superstar money but that we are applying what we've learned here.

DW and I don't generally like to tour stores for fun aka shop for entertainment. Like to get in, get out, and move on. We do that quality vs cost vs longevity calculus when we choose our things. There is SO much stuff already in the world that we often purchase nice used things. Why not buy that instead?

Kubuntu Linux. My 2011 desktop computer is plenty snappy. My 2012? Mint Linux laptop still runs like new. I can go mainstream with Chrome or Firefox or pure FOSS with Konqueror or Chromium. LibreOffice is very, very nice. Or I could use WPS. Or Calligra. Or Abiword... I like using software that isn't the primary profit center for corporations who uses me as a profit source. People not longer ask me which computer I recommend b/c my answer is always - the same computer you already have plus a SSD and Linux. I'll help you if you want.

We DIY as much as we can which is nearly everything though DW reminds me we can afford to watch someone else do home repairs for us occasionally. No need to put a shingle roof on the house ourselves. We have a nice garage shop pieced together from a wide variety of tools we've purchased new or used as we needed them. We can R&R the house or the car as we please. Bike repairs are dead simple at this point. We aren't fast but our reno costs hundreds where hiring it out might cost thousands. Also, we don't need fancy. Fancy is nice but not necessary for us. Certain styles are timeless to us. That is our goal.

Old cars. Our daily driver is 22+ years old and has 300K+ miles. Our "good" car is pushing a decade. We carpool daily in the old car. Save the bigger car for trips. Smaller car is a much better tool for in town use. Would love to buy an EV. Can't justify the cost yet. Frankly not certain I want to sacrifice a new car to the parking lot demons who scratch and ding cars without regret. 

Recently listened to someone talk about the recent shortage of used cars. Their little darling would soon be driving to HS and they figured their darling needed a car ~15 times nicer and newer than our daily driver over a distance similar to our commute. All low speeds. Queue complaints about the expenses for later.

Meanwhile next summer our new teen driver will be rocking a 21 year old car just like us, their parents. And our oldest is currently rocking a 21 year old car too. Perhaps if one of our offspring should go away to college we'll spring for something nicer for the 100+ mile drive back and forth. Or perhaps we'll just drop them off with their ebike and save the money.

We live in the country with a ten minute commute to a small town so no mass transit options for us. All sub-45 mph roads that do not demand a high standard of automobile to traverse. I do ebike a slower, quieter hillier route but not as much as I should have this season.

It took a while to arrange our life and employment so DW and I could have this carpooling commute together. Part of a grand plan to work to live and not the other way 'round. Less stress. Plenty of money to live like we dream of living.

I don't think the USA will ever offer urban or suburban places in our part of the country that we want to live in. #NotJustBikes.

TLDR: use free Linux, used cars, carpool, DIY, don't fall into consumer spending traps, ebikes, small towns, save don't spend, learn to do stuff, buy quality items used when possible. Eat at Joe's. Try not to ramble on like me. ;)

[WSUCoug1994]

As mentioned by others DIY - from the simple/quick to the multi-year projects - I will walk buy them multiple times in a day and admire the work and that brings me great pleasure.  It also brings me great pain as a perfectionist because I will always notice what I could have done better.

This weekend I spent 45 minutes trouble shooting why our 5 year old outdoor Snowman decoration only lit up half way (LED lights).  My wife suggested we replace it with a new one (~$150) and I was like oh hell no - got the right tool (LED troubleshooter) and got it worked out and now it is better than new (they don't make them this big anymore for some reason).  Our kids love this thing and they acted like it was a brand new Snowman.  Double win.

[snowball]

Cloth menstrual pads. More comfortable than the disposable ones, plus they’re washable and reusable. The proper Mustachian approach would be to sew your own, no doubt, but I confess to having ordered some off Etsy many years ago, heh. It has still saved me at least several hundred dollars over that time, and I get to use a product that works better. I know some people really like the cups, too.

Edited to add: Nah, I’m going to say I really did do that the Mustachian way, lol. I’ll rank it like this:

• ERE person: sews their own pads for $0 using materials someone was giving away plus their own badass skillz.
  
• Mustachian: buys them and comforts themselves with the thought that at least it supported a small business, and besides it is a good choice for the environment and a big savings in the long run regardless.
  
• Boglehead: that’s weird, why would you even? buys the most deluxe and expensive disposable solutions available and adds more to the landfills every month.
  

[middo]

Making coffee at home.  I have become fairly good at latte art too.  So much simple happiness.

[Metalcat]

We were just in Saint John, New Brunswick and fell so in love with the place that within a week of coming home, we were under contract for a property there.

It happens to be the cheapest place in the country. We didn't fall in love with it because it's cheap, we fell in love with it because it's stunning and the people are fantastic, and then shit ourselves when we found out how cheap it is.

I think for people who really love nature, frugality is often a lot more appealing.

SJ is our dream location because of the enormous access to nature trails, mountain bike trails, ocean, islands, camping, etc. A place where a bike, a kayak, and some legs can really set you up for years of overwhelmingly luxurious nature experiences.

DH's cousin lives there and is working class, and I found myself green with envy that she camps on the ocean every summer weekend at a spot with whales in the bay and she falls asleep hearing them breathe at night. *mind blown*

If you're not super into nature, then I can see looking at camper van vacations with a sneer and a turned up nose, but if nature is your luxury, then that's often the very best way to explore it.

I've been on plenty of very expensive trips with wealthy exes, and there's no way I would choose premium hotels, limos, high end restaurants, shopping, and tourism, over a hike along ocean cliffs and a tent by the sleeping whales.

[cupcakery]

My house is smaller than any of our friends' homes, but it works for us, and I feel like it gives us more freedom and happiness.  We thought we eventually upgrade and realized if we didn't, we could do so many other things.

I love cooking and baking.  It is my creative outlet, my love language, and is better than anything you can get out.  I don't enjoy eating out for many reasons.  So having better quality food at a lower price makes me happy.  Seeing how happy my family and friends are when I make them something makes my heart swell.  DH likes eating out, but says I've kind of ruined it for him because my cooking is so much better.  He still likes the ambiance of being in a restaurant though, which I hate.

I have a bunch of friends who have Pelotons.  I bought the cheaper Echelon.  They are appalled.  I love it and am happier spinning at home vs. the gym and am thrilled that my cost was a fraction of theirs. 

I'm really good at finding free/cheap entertainment.  I don't feel like I'm settling.  We enjoy ourselves immensely and have done some unique and interesting things.  I tend to post about our adventures on FB and get a lot of positive feedback.  I tend not to enjoy myself as much if I splurge.  I think it elevates my expectations too much.

[cupcakery]

We were just in Saint John, New Brunswick and fell so in love with the place that within a week of coming home, we were under contract for a property there.

It happens to be the cheapest place in the country. We didn't fall in love with it because it's cheap, we fell in love with it because it's stunning and the people are fantastic, and then shit ourselves when we found out how cheap it is.

I think for people who really love nature, frugality is often a lot more appealing.

SJ is our dream location because of the enormous access to nature trails, mountain bike trails, ocean, islands, camping, etc. A place where a bike, a kayak, and some legs can really set you up for years of overwhelmingly luxurious nature experiences.

DH's cousin lives there and is working class, and I found myself green with envy that she camps on the ocean every summer weekend at a spot with whales in the bay and she falls asleep hearing them breathe at night. *mind blown*

If you're not super into nature, then I can see looking at camper van vacations with a sneer and a turned up nose, but if nature is your luxury, then that's often the very best way to explore it.

I've been on plenty of very expensive trips with wealthy exes, and there's no way I would choose premium hotels, limos, high end restaurants, shopping, and tourism, over a hike along ocean cliffs and a tent by the sleeping whales.

We vacationed in Saint Johns a few years ago and  loved it.  Absolutely gorgeous area.

[Kwill]

One thing that I don't do consistently enough is planning ahead and committing early to things so as to get a lower price. Seems like you often get lower prices and more options if you book early for transportation, performances, conferences, hotels, social dances, workshops, etc. Then you also have more time to look forward to doing whatever it is and less stress at the last minute. Ordering gifts earlier can also mean lower shipping costs as well as, again, more options and less last-minute stress. Buying candy bars at the supermarket and taking them to work is cheaper than buying the same exact thing in the vending machine at work.

I started thinking about that because we've mostly been talking about scenarios where there are different options and you choose the cheaper or more expensive one. But sometimes it's the same option that you pay more or less for depending on how organised your life is.

[BookLoverL]

Cloth menstrual pads. More comfortable than the disposable ones, plus they’re washable and reusable. The proper Mustachian approach would be to sew your own, no doubt, but I confess to having ordered some off Etsy many years ago, heh. It has still saved me at least several hundred dollars over that time, and I get to use a product that works better. I know some people really like the cups, too.

Edited to add: Nah, I’m going to say I really did do that the Mustachian way, lol. I’ll rank it like this:

• ERE person: sews their own pads for $0 using materials someone was giving away plus their own badass skillz.
  
• Mustachian: buys them and comforts themselves with the thought that at least it supported a small business, and besides it is a good choice for the environment and a big savings in the long run regardless.
  
• Boglehead: that’s weird, why would you even? buys the most deluxe and expensive disposable solutions available and adds more to the landfills every month.
  

LOL. I made a joke here about car buying differences: If someone gave you $40k and you had to use it to buy a vehicle what would these people do?

Bogelheads - buy a $100k car and use the $40k as a down payment

ER.org - buy a sensible sedan for $40k cash

MMM - buy a $20k car and invest the rest in Vanguard toward FIRE

ERE - buy a used bicycle at the Goodwill for $10 and FIRE on the rest ;-)

Haha, these are too true!

[valsecito]

I remember walking along a field of potatoes that had just been harvested together with my wife. I noticed one forgotten potato sticking out. Ran onto the field to grab it. Saw another, then another, another, ... and before we knew. we had our hands and pockets fuil of them. We walked home and I made fries out of them. One of my best meals ever!

[jeninco]

Thrift stores here have fairly nice stuff. Cashmere and merino wool sweaters in cuts and colors I like are something I can generally pick up for $10 or less, and at that price point I treat them like a sweatshirts and wear them all the time (and toss them in the delicate cycle of the washing machine as necessary). It means I can wear super-soft, warm, fancy-pants materials without having to modify my, er, "lifestyle" to behave in a way that babies the sweaters -- when they shrink (unusual, but it does happen) or get holds past what I care to darn, I just send them back to the thrift store.

So, type 2 happier, I guess: I spent a small fraction of the official price on the cashmere sweater, plus I go out gardening in it (and come back covered with leaves and toss it in the laundry). Win-win!

[Metalcat]

Thrift stores here have fairly nice stuff. Cashmere and merino wool sweaters in cuts and colors I like are something I can generally pick up for $10 or less, and at that price point I treat them like a sweatshirts and wear them all the time (and toss them in the delicate cycle of the washing machine as necessary). It means I can wear super-soft, warm, fancy-pants materials without having to modify my, er, "lifestyle" to behave in a way that babies the sweaters -- when they shrink (unusual, but it does happen) or get holds past what I care to darn, I just send them back to the thrift store.

So, type 2 happier, I guess: I spent a small fraction of the official price on the cashmere sweater, plus I go out gardening in it (and come back covered with leaves and toss it in the laundry). Win-win!

I like shopping at used clothing stores because there's way more selection of styles and colours. For the past several years, every time I go shopping for clothes, it seems that all the stores have the same crap in the same colour palate.

I remember about 10 years ago shopping in Montreal, which is a shopping mecca in Canada, looking for a red dress for a Christmas party that December. Well, hot pink and dark electric blue were the only fucking colours on trend that year. It was ridiculous, everywhere I went everything was hot pink and electric blue.

I ended up finding a dress at a used clothing store instead.

I don't really have to worry about sizes because I'm pretty small and can tailor anything that even remotely fits.

So yeah, if I ever need grown up clothes, I tend to prefer used clothing stores, just so that I'm not stuck with whatever garbage is trendy that season.

[Zikoris]

I like shopping at used clothing stores because there's way more selection of styles and colours. For the past several years, every time I go shopping for clothes, it seems that all the stores have the same crap in the same colour palate.

I remember about 10 years ago shopping in Montreal, which is a shopping mecca in Canada, looking for a red dress for a Christmas party that December. Well, hot pink and dark electric blue were the only fucking colours on trend that year. It was ridiculous, everywhere I went everything was hot pink and electric blue.

I ended up finding a dress at a used clothing store instead.

I don't really have to worry about sizes because I'm pretty small and can tailor anything that even remotely fits.

So yeah, if I ever need grown up clothes, I tend to prefer used clothing stores, just so that I'm not stuck with whatever garbage is trendy that season.

A few years ago here the trend was for apparently for all the button-down/collared shirts to look normal in the front and have a big hole in the back. I was trying to find a shirt for work at the time, and it was like, WTF, there's not a single thing here I could wear in the office, and this was at clothing stores that normally have office-appropriate clothing. It died out pretty quickly, thank god.

[Metalcat]

I like shopping at used clothing stores because there's way more selection of styles and colours. For the past several years, every time I go shopping for clothes, it seems that all the stores have the same crap in the same colour palate.

I remember about 10 years ago shopping in Montreal, which is a shopping mecca in Canada, looking for a red dress for a Christmas party that December. Well, hot pink and dark electric blue were the only fucking colours on trend that year. It was ridiculous, everywhere I went everything was hot pink and electric blue.

I ended up finding a dress at a used clothing store instead.

I don't really have to worry about sizes because I'm pretty small and can tailor anything that even remotely fits.

So yeah, if I ever need grown up clothes, I tend to prefer used clothing stores, just so that I'm not stuck with whatever garbage is trendy that season.

A few years ago here the trend was for apparently for all the button-down/collared shirts to look normal in the front and have a big hole in the back. I was trying to find a shirt for work at the time, and it was like, WTF, there's not a single thing here I could wear in the office, and this was at clothing stores that normally have office-appropriate clothing. It died out pretty quickly, thank god.

Yeah, I remember that. What the fuck even was that?

Two years ago it was every stupid shirt had a "cold shoulder" that slit in the arm so your shoulder sticks out.

Seriously, there's a reason I just stopped wearing fashion clothes. I lost my patience for that nonsense. Back when I was younger I used to dream of being a high paid professional who could afford beautiful clothes. Now I can and it's all ugly crap.

That said, I do spend a fair amount on some of my merino wool clothes, but my cheap ones from Costco are actually the nicest, but they have very minimal selection and only carry them sometimes.

[K_in_the_kitchen]

I started cutting my own hair during the pandemic and was surprised to like the outcome more than many haircuts I’ve paid for. I’ve never been happier with my hair. Go figure! It also only takes me about 5 minutes instead of the hassle getting to a salon and sitting through the whole process.

I only know one way to do it so I will probably eventually pay someone for a different style. Or find another YouTube tutorial and see what I can do.

My DH would probably second this (though I cut his hair, he doesn’t do it himself). He hates hates HATES sitting through a haircut with a chatty stylist and not being able to escape. The time he got his hair cut by a lady who wouldn’t stop talking at him about “chemtrails” was the last time he paid for a haircut.

I’m a bit too cowardly to cut my own though. I did when it was short, but now it’s down past my belly button, and I’m not confident I could do layers well. It’s a lot of hair to manage. Thought I wear it in braids 90% or the time so maybe I should just take the leap… if it’s terrible, it won’t change my normal style.

Mine is to my waist and getting close to my tailbone.  I'll admit that trimming it isn't as easy as it was when it was shorter. but it's still doable.  I had a stylist teach me to do long texturizing layers decades ago, so once my hair is even on the bottom the layers are pretty easy.  It involves sweeping sections of hair completely over to the other side of my head (or from the back to the front) and then trimming off a small amount.  But I haven't bothered to layer it since pre-pandemic, and I'm not sure I'll bother anymore.  I don't have thick hair -- it's fine and thin -- so at this length the long layers don't really do much.

I hadn't thought to count this as something that makes me happier despite saving money, but I've been cutting my own hair for decades.  At first it was to stretch between the much hated salon appointments (introvert), and then eventually I stopped going at all.

[Cranky]

My dh much prefers that I cut his hair - he always hated taking the time to go get a hair cut, and when we bought clippers it not only saved money, he appreciated that he no longer had to waste time on something he didn’t enjoy.

I also have a ton of $5 cashmere sweaters to wear camping.

And what fancy restaurant dessert could taste better than chocolate chip cookies right from the oven??

[BikeFanatic]

@spartana F'in hilarious!

[K_in_the_kitchen]

Just trimmed an inch off my waist length hair and am very happy to not need a salon or hairdresser.

Also tonight I saved the liquid from caramelizing onions to use in soup tomorrow.  Not having to buy vegetable broth aka veggie scented water for my soup saves money and makes me quite happy.  I stopped making chicken broth because DH and I really don't love chicken enough to roast a chicken and eat it for several days.

Last night I used my Instant Pot to make skin-on mashed potatoes.  I've been looking for an easy alternative to baked potatoes now that I have an electric range and can see the effect of the electric usage on my hourly usage chart.  These were as easy as making baked potatoes, and as a bonus I use a make ahead recipe so I was able to freeze several batches for later meals.  So saving the money by finding a recipe that works so we won't need to use the electricity to bake potatoes each time we want potatoes makes me happier because it's less work for me over all, and I really love mashed potatoes but hate the bother of peeling and boiling.  I also realized that since my picky kids are now away at university I can go back to making skin on mashed potatoes, which one of them fussed about -- the other doesn't like mashed potatoes at all.

[KarefulKactus15]

I like shopping at used clothing stores because there's way more selection of styles and colours. For the past several years, every time I go shopping for clothes, it seems that all the stores have the same crap in the same colour palate.

I remember about 10 years ago shopping in Montreal, which is a shopping mecca in Canada, looking for a red dress for a Christmas party that December. Well, hot pink and dark electric blue were the only fucking colours on trend that year. It was ridiculous, everywhere I went everything was hot pink and electric blue.

I ended up finding a dress at a used clothing store instead.

I don't really have to worry about sizes because I'm pretty small and can tailor anything that even remotely fits.

So yeah, if I ever need grown up clothes, I tend to prefer used clothing stores, just so that I'm not stuck with whatever garbage is trendy that season.

A few years ago here the trend was for apparently for all the button-down/collared shirts to look normal in the front and have a big hole in the back. I was trying to find a shirt for work at the time, and it was like, WTF, there's not a single thing here I could wear in the office, and this was at clothing stores that normally have office-appropriate clothing. It died out pretty quickly, thank god.

Yeah, I remember that. What the fuck even was that?

Two years ago it was every stupid shirt had a "cold shoulder" that slit in the arm so your shoulder sticks out.

Seriously, there's a reason I just stopped wearing fashion clothes. I lost my patience for that nonsense. Back when I was younger I used to dream of being a high paid professional who could afford beautiful clothes. Now I can and it's all ugly crap.

That said, I do spend a fair amount on some of my merino wool clothes, but my cheap ones from Costco are actually the nicest, but they have very minimal selection and only carry them sometimes.

Non symmetrical clothes bug me.  But it seems to be the fashion thing lately.   "Fashion" in general blows my mind.  I swear people just do tacky shit and see who can get away with it.