Let's talk about money

While this post is slightly off-topic for this blog, it’s a broader reflection that I really wanted to share.
I was recently staring at a recent purchase and that sudden, sneaky wave of spender’s guilt hit me. Did I really need to spend that much on something purely recreational?
I took a step back, looked at my broader financial picture, and realized something important: I’m actually insanely frugal in areas where most people drop hundreds of dollars every single month. Is that a good excuse?

I don’t hoard money just to watch a number go up in a bank account. For me, money is about peace of mind. Having it available when life demands it, or using it to bring a little extra joy into my life when I feel like treating myself or my wife.

What I Simply Don’t Pay For

If you look at the average monthly subscription stack, it’s easy to see how fast small recurring costs stack up. I’ve opted out of a lot of “standard” modern expenses.

Gym Memberships

The great outdoors and my own floor do the job just fine. As far as coaching goes, I use my own motivation and did some scientific litterature research before starting any activities to learn how to treat my body.

Streaming Services

I’m not a cinema fan and my old eyes and ears can’t differentiate millions of pixels or close sound frequencies, so a mid-range TV and medium video content quality is all I need. I can’t justify a half-dozen monthly charges quietly draining my account for content I don’t care enough.

Online Game Passes

I’m an occasional gamer, but also an old-school gamer ^^ I miss this era where LAN and couch coop games were kings. I play games to relax with friends. I can’t adhere to competitive games with strangers. Bots are smart enough for me to enjoy a game with no social interaction.

The Latest And Greatest Upgrades

I don’t need the newest tech gadget or the top-tier version of an appliance just because it exists. I’m fine Living a generation or two behind the bleeding edge of tech if it has what I really need. I actually already pay for a phone that I have to have for work and regret it every day. It’s not that fancy, but it’s even more and more useless with how all hardware and software lean towards closed systems.
This is also what drove my decision to buy my Framework laptop and X4 for example.

Paying Half Or Less For What I Love

When I do need to buy things, I rarely pay full retail price. It’s all about finding the right channels.

The Runner’s Loophole

As any runner knows, buying proper running shoes gets expensive fast. However, by hunting through outlet stores, I consistently score my shoes at 50% off or more. My feet stay happy, my mileage stays high, and my wallet takes half the hit.

Local Used Stores And Refreshed Deals

I love books and video games, but paying $70 for a brand-new release or $30 for a hardcover feels unnecessary. Local second-hand shops are absolute goldmines for physical media. eBay isn’t the wild discount paradise it was a decade ago, but with a little patience, you can still catch great deals there too.
Of course, classified advertisement websites like Craigslist are also worth checking from time to time.

The Lost Treasures Bin

My absolute favorite hunting ground is a local liquidation store nearby that resells lost or unclaimed Amazon packages for a flat $6 per item. At that price point, almost anything decent is a steal, but sometimes you hit the absolute jackpot. When it comes to specialized domains, these stores don’t realize what they put on sell and that’s great for us. A few of my legendary $6 finds include a DELL dock (MSRP ~$200), a smart thermostat (MSRP ~$100), a Raspberry Pi 4 (MSRP ~$85), smart plugs or lights (MSRP ~$40), a circular saw blade (MSRP ~$60), a pipe clamp (MSRP ~$20). I regularly get some 3D filament (MSRP $20) and even spotted a filament dryer (MSRP ~$80).

Finding stuff like that feels like winning a micro-lottery, and it keeps my tech-tinkering budget near zero.

Where the Savings Actually Go

So, why bother cutting corners everywhere else? Because it gives me the freedom to put money where my heart actually is, completely free of guilt.

Giving Back to Creators

I use open-source software and tools every day. Because I’m not hemorrhaging cash on streaming apps, I can modestly support the open-source developers whose work makes my life easier.

Gifting Myself and My Wife

Buying a gift for my wife or picking up a cool recreational item just for myself isn’t an irresponsible impulse. It’s a deliberate, earned reward.

The Unexpected Expenses

Let’s be real, life seems to have an uncanny sense of humor when it comes to timing; the moment you feel on top of your budget, your car engine decides to start singing a sad song or your refrigerator decides to retre. Stacking small savings is also essentially buying yourself a VIP pass to sleep peacefully at night, free from the terrifying ghosts of surprise expenses.

The Takeaway

Financial health isn’t about denying yourself every simple pleasure in the name of extreme minimalism, nor is it about blindly spending on every convenience society sells you. It’s about value alignment.
By ruthlessly cutting costs on things I don’t care about (and getting creative with how I buy the things I do), I’ve built a system that lets me enjoy the money I earn. So the next time I hesitate over buying myself a little treat, I’ll take a look at my whole picture and might just find I’ve earned it twice over.