As I grew up, my lifestyle just naturally shifted and I became more true to myself. My spending reflected that transition. Here are 5 things I've stopped spending a lot of money on when I hit my 30's.
Remind me why I put my feet in torture chambers again?
I turned 35 this year and as I reflect on all those years of adulthood, I realized how much money I frivolously spent on things I didn’t care about. Maybe if I didn’t spend that, I would be a millionaire by now?
You know, if I had taken every penny I earned from my part-time job in high school and invested it into Google in 2004 (the year I turned 18 and when it IPO’ed), I would be laughing right now.
However, it doesn’t mean I regret spending that money because my 20’s were a time of discovery and experimentation; succumbing to social pressures and trying to prove myself for external validation were parts of being a young adult.
As I grew up, my lifestyle just naturally shifted and I became more true to myself. My spending reflected that transition. Here are 5 things I’ve stopped spending a lot of money on when I hit my 30’s.
Coffee and lunches out
Work and coffee go hand in hand. When I started working, coffee breaks were where it’s at. A co-worker walks by and says,
“Hey, I’m going down to Starbucks for a coffee. You wanna come?”
You’re like,
“Hell yeah! I haven’t had breakfast yet either.”
Then it’s lunchtime and another coworker says,
“Hey, you feel like sushi today?”
You’re like,
“Let’s go!”
Then it’s 3:00 pm and your manager says,
“Let’s grab an afternoon coffee and talk strategy for tomorrow’s meeting!”
You can’t resist even though you’re still jittery from the morning’s triple shot hazelnut latte that left your tongue fuzzy.
That cycle of buying coffee, pick me ups and lunch 5 days/week continues on and on until you realize you’re putting almost a quarter of your paycheck into this.
I remember one day when I was taking a look at my credit card statements and it showed a pie chart of what I was spending on; over three-quarters of that pie was from restaurants. I was shocked. I didn’t even eat any pie.
Anyway, as I got older, my priorities changed. I no longer felt the pressure to fit in and do what other people were doing. I gradually stopped buying coffee (from 5 days a week to 3, then to never), brewed my own at home and started bringing a thermos. I packed lunch and went for walks with coworkers instead. And all that money silently cropped back up in my bank account and then some.
Entertainment
I cut cable around the time I was pregnant with my first kid. And do I miss it? Not at all. The only thing that I sometimes wish I could watch are talk shows and maybe SNL.
Along with cutting cable, I stopped going to the theatres. The ticket prices were getting ridiculous and of course, with Netflix rolling out their own content, I didn’t feel the need to go watch movies anymore.
Clubbing and concerts? Loud noises really irritate me. I’m tired by 9:00 pm. I start my bedtime routine by 10:00 pm and I’m always in bed by 11:00. It’s not only staying out late that drains me but I need time before bed to wind down.
I can’t just crash when I come home anymore. It’s like my brain is on fire, completely wired from all that stimulation and it needs to cool down with quiet time and a warm beverage. This just makes the nights extra long; I’d rather be sleeping so I could wake up early to make a nice cup of coffee while looking out the window at my garden.
Purses and jewelry
I used to love going on outlet shopping trips. I would always hit up Coach and Kate Spade. It was like a scavenger hunt for the cutest purses I could get at a discount price. I collected purses and wallets for different outfits, occasions, and seasons.
As for jewelry, I used to chase all the trends. I’d buy obscene dreamcatcher earrings, tacky nautical-themed jewelry, outdated chokers, anklets, fake hipster glasses, and various sizes of hoop earrings at cheap stores so that I could keep up without breaking the bank.
Since moving into my house with my husband and kids, all those trinkets are stored in a massive jewelry box. I don’t want to open the thing because I have a feeling the metals have corroded and rusted just like my fashion sense.
Aside from my wedding ring and a couple of small gold hoop earrings I wear on a daily basis, I don’t wear anything else. I don’t even carry a purse because everything I need is on my phone.
Uncomfortable shoes
I bought my first pair of heels when I was barely a teenager. Those extra 3 inches made me feel like I was on top of the world even though they only put me at average height. That high carried on into University. I wore heels to class, work, restaurants, pubs, bars, malls, theatres, sightseeing…basically anywhere that required me to leave the house. I even packed at least a pair of stilettos every time I travelled. You know, I look so much better in pictures when I’m wearing heels.
And every time I came home, my feet would be blistered, swollen, cut, callused and bruised. They took a beating every time they were put into those torture chambers.
I started to get a nasty bunion when I decided to stop buying shoes that made me wince every time I wore them.
Was the pain worth it?
At the time, I think it was. I have boxes and boxes of shoes in my basement that I may pass down to my daughter one day.
Makeup
The feeling of buying makeup was similar to the cheap thrill of acquiring new accessories. I would never leave the house without makeup on. Even if it was just to go to the store, I had to do my eyebrows, put on eyeliner, mascara, concealer, tinted moisturizer and lipstick. That was my “natural” look.
I remember those days when I was dating and I would keep a bag of makeup in my car in case I stayed over and my date would see me without makeup in the morning. Don’t even get me started on taking photos and selfies. I had to have makeup on and if I didn’t, those got deleted.
But not anymore…I haven’t spent a dime on lipstick in over 5 years. I just don’t care anymore. I post selfies and pictures of myself makeup-free. I like feeling fresh-faced, embracing every aspect of how I look. Getting older didn’t just make me more comfortable in my skin but literally made my skin more comfortable (and my wallet a little thicker).
So readers, are you in your 30’s? How has your spending style changed?
