15 Readers on How They’re Cutting Costs
This is an edition of Up for Debate, a newsletter by Conor Friedersdorf. On Wednesdays, he rounds up timely conversations and solicits reader responses to one thought-provoking question. Later, he publishes some thoughtful replies. Sign up for the newsletter here.
Last week I asked readers for their best tips on cutting costs in times of economic strain—and, looking back on their lives, what they might consider to have been their most wasteful spending.
Denise leads us off this week as an exemplar of having one’s priorities in order:
I don’t have a ton of suggestions, but I did four things this fall to combat rising prices and my overall expenses:
- I bought a heated throw hoping that it will help me keep the thermostat lower in my house; I’m frequently cold and used to not worry about the cost of heat, and I was determined to stay comfortable.
- I called DirectTV and reduced my plan. I lost about 30 channels and haven’t missed any of them. I am saving $95 per month.
- I removed the warranty plan on my cellphone. That was $30 per month for two phones that are over a year old.
- And the last item was a group decision: I meet regularly with a lovely group of retired friends. We switched to morning coffee instead of dinner. We just buy coffee, no big restaurant meal and drinks, but maybe we occasionally splurge on a muffin. :)
I did not even consider eliminating my subscription to The Atlantic.
Thrifty and discerning!
Timothy doesn’t see what more he could do to save:
I have always pursued a frugal lifestyle. I’ve eschewed brand names for decades. I’ve invested in freezers to be able to buy larger quantities of perishable food items and store them for longer than shelf-life allows.
