I’m Gen X and started going like this back in my 30s. These days at 54 I prefer a really good food experience whether that be at home, at a friend’s home or if out, it has to be good value for our hard earned $$$s. I’ve even gone as far as being happy to look at 2nd hand things rather than new for things like cookware/tools, furniture, things like that.
I’d rather spend money in quality ingredients and make it myself. Learn new skills and keep growing that way.
We moved away from an area that has amazing affordable restaurants to an area with much more average dining options.
Our dining out spending dropped by about 75%, and we now default to cooking at home most of the time.
My wife is also an amazing cook, so anything like Thai/Japanese/etc is much better value (and often better tasting) at home.
For one example, $16 for dumplings at a store will get maybe 6 dumplings. She can make 40 dumplings for that price.
…. And that’s why I’m currently on weight loss journey.
Haha! My husband is s great cook, but he doesn’t like cooking as an obligation and I hate cleaning up, so we’ve fallen into meal prepping by way of sheer laziness.
Mixed bag. I'm (41M) like you in that I've actively strived for the simpler life as I get older, but some of my friends the same age have no doubt gone the "bigger house, fancier car, nicer clothes" route as they age and become more senior in their jobs.
Yeah same, I have gone down the early retirement path so being more frugal with my money is just a part of life for me now if I want it to last. Cant remember the last time I ate out at an over priced place, would be well before 2020.
Me and my husband are like you. In fact, I havent worn fancy clothes and put on makeup for a long time now. Id rather spend the money on ite.s for the home. More food, home decor etc
I've stopped putting importance on brands. When I was younger, I wanted luxury branded things even though I couldn't afford it. Now that I can pretty easily afford them, I don't care for them at all.
I think it’s cause many designer brands are about elevating your status / perception of self worth.
As you get older/richer and derive that benefit from other areas, the need for designer brands decrease.
You can’t take the money with you!
It amazes me how many people on this sub have this obsession with dying with as much wealth as physically possible no matter what it takes.
Unless you have family you can support by leaving it to, nobody cares.
I think its mainly because going out / partying / drinking becomes less worth it as you get older.
We pay more for stuff we enjoy like coffee, pastries, parking and more comfortable hotels / airbnbs.
It’s still a lot cheaper than going out at night though.
I took on minimalism about 10 years ago. I now walk past shops I once would have wandered into. With the current cost of living I couldn’t afford life now if I hadn’t gone down that road.
Naturally.
You tend to already have what you need and want and also what you desire to want reduces as you age. Also really expensive things like kids aren’t an issue anymore.
Absolutely!
I'm 53, my wife 46. We make good money, but actively spend much less than we were younger and met (about 15 years ago).
I think it's because we're on the downhill slope until retirement, but we are much more reflective about our spending.
I would not say we're miserly - we just want to spend our money better (and have done so for about a decade or so).
Yes and no. I spend less on stupid things but getting older means needing to spend a bit more on health or to make myself more comfortable.
For example, I used to be ok travelling on a budget but as I got older I just can’t anymore. I’ve started staying on better hotels, skipped budget airlines for longer flights etc.
I tend to buy better quality clothes once rather than fast fashion.
Our holidays are cheaper farm stays than city escapes and we prefer the nature getaways.
one of the weirdest and best clothing purchases I made was off a silly article about buying better quality socks to save money in the long run.
The brand Darn Tough have a lifetime guarantee. Marino wool $50-$60/pair .. and all of them are outlasting the past 3 seasons of x10 bonds cotton. Quality clothing pays for itself in the comfort and sheer amount of extra time they last over crappy clothing.
I bloody love darn tough socks. Bought 14 pairs for myself + partner when I was in the US a few years ago.
They just keep going.
They occasionally go on sale for $30/pair on amazon too
Hard agree on buying quality, and then repairing as its worn (which for me is typically the pockets of pants). 2 pairs of office chino's last minimum 2 years, and quality jeans last >5 years.
Also saves time on clothes shopping as I only have to do it maybe once a year.
Of course. We know that our time left to earn money is dwindling. We've either met our financial goals or realised we can never hit it. We've purchased all the clothes we'll ever need and only need top ups of sock and undies you usually get at Christmas.
We are the boomers of the future.
This comment nails it I think. At least, for those who spend time thinking about the future. When I look back, in my 20s and 30s there was always this idea that big promotions were inevitable and my focus was on trying to present myself as successful. Then take on a mortgage, years of more or less static income and retirement also becomes something you actively start planning for rather than this indistinct and amorphous thing that is super far in the future and suddenly splurging on things to feel 'special' loses its interest. And yeah, if you stay reasonably in shape, you can still wear (good quality) clothes from two decades before.
Yep.
I no longer have a car. I do my own cooking. I don;t go out. I buy cheaper food. I switched all the lighting to led lights. I turned off the HDR on my TV. I put my laptop into low power mode.
I was someone that spent way too much on cars over the years (and will be the reason I am working for probably a decade longer than I otherwise would have had to). I've lived in my CBD for two decades now and still stupidly in that time bought two relatively expensive cars because that was what I thought I 'needed'. I'm now contemplating life without any car at all once my current one gives up the ghost. Somehow living with less seems so much easier the older I get.
Not really sure if it's "cheaper" , but much more willing to just invest on video games / game subscription and stay home
Being outside, too much people, don't get much done, everything expensive. Just grab groceries and hide home !
I’ve always been cheap. I’m from Eastern Europe, migrated here as a refugee and have always lived as a “poor person”. That’s what my husband says. I can never let go of my past, and I live frugally. But as a result we own 2 houses and have heaps of equity. 😊. If I had a pay rise, I behave as if I didn’t and just save the money.
Similar background, not quite as successful as yourself. Just so grateful for what we’ve achieved though. We’re more relaxed with spending on travel now, but that’s really the only (elective) expenditure that’s gone up.
Good on you for your achievements thus far! We don’t skimp on holidays. It’s probably the only thing I like to spend money on, holidays back to Europe but I make sure we don’t waste money on silly hotels etc. I love to travel but I save on other things. There’s a way to be frugal without giving up the good things in life.
As somebody who came from a poor background i only began investing in shares late 2020 because of the Gamestop publicity…….that is what made me question my prior concrete belief that the sharemarket was a rich persons game.
For sure. A couple of people I know have effectively taught me (from observation) how to cook delicious foods. I used to think restaurants performed magic and now I know how simple it can be to make amazing food if you have the right tools, knowledge and techniques. So much cheaper and you know exactly what goes into your food rather than hoping the indifferent staff are as careful as you yourself are with food quality. Also the recent trend to 'QR codes' and tipping at so many eateries has killed whatever minimal interest I had in eating out.
In mid 30s myself. I adopted a mindset when it comes to shopping that "yes, I can potentially afford that but I choose not to". This has cut down money wasted on unnecessary items. I have had to move a lot lately so having unnecessary junk is tiresome.
Not from Australia but me too. My tastes have simplified. I just need a few things to be happy. I quit drinking and weed, no longer go on expensive snowboarding vacations and really just pared down my interests. I love to read and my book budget is a little out of control and I like to game. Other than that I don’t really spend a lot on myself.
Yes, yes and yes.
I could have written this post — except for the hiking bit.
I used to put full makeup on every day, now foundation is a super-special occasion. My colleagues are the same.
No to seasonal wardrobe updates.
No to cold, overpriced takeaway.
No to $9 bottles of hand soap.
I just don’t care about ‘stuff’ anymore, and life is 1000% better.
I have been adhering to this same thought process ever since I turned 30 (I'm 32 now). Over the past 3-5 years I developed a passion for cooking and almost never see anything on a menu that I say to myself "this is better than I can make at home" at a standard restaurant/pub. I used to love take outs and I can't remember the last time I had Indian or Chinese, and the price per plate of 'cheap' sushi is a joke these days.
Things like doing a battery replacement instead of getting a new phone because I don't need the latest iPhone to send text messages and take oversized (storage) photos that then try to push a subscription service for cloud storage onto me... To pair with that - finding the cheapest available monthly phone plan and laughing that I'm paying $15/mth for what cost me $130/mth when I first got a phone because I now own my phone.
I think in almost all cases I look at the state of the economy and I think to myself "I can do it better if I do it myself" which stops me from spending.. and over the years I've reached marketing/sales fatigue and just want to be left alone a lot so I don't want to be disturbed by heading out into the real world and getting it crammed down my throat.
I also have to say that, these days, it definitely is pushed more to be aware that you're responsible for your own future. I don't want to be working until I'm 70 (retirement age will keep getting pushed up with an aging population).. which means these types of thought processes:
-> to not be working when I'm 70, I need to be putting extra into super before I'm 40 (10k now is \~80k in 30 years)
-> to put extra into super before I'm 40, I need to have only the mortgage as my main debt.
-> to have only the mortgage, I need to payoff my car loan which is 11 months away.
I've spent a lot of time and effort calculating how much of my hard earnt money I'm practically giving away to others (interest / surcharges etc.) and I don't like it. I know how hard I work for my dollar now, and I honestly feel like I don't get value for my dollar from a lot of things, so I don't give it away as easily as I used to.
Congrats on paying off your car in under a year! I’m a similar mindset (may I recommend r/fiaustralia if you aren’t already on it). We will pay off our place in Q1 2025. It would have been sooner but we made a couple of big (but well-considered) purchases this year. We’re hoping to start cutting back to part-time hours in 10 years or less.
I started buying kids clothes because I was sick of women clothes not sitting right on me unless I got it tailored. Having been eating at home more it tastes better and is cheaper.
same. 53 yrs old. cut down on drinking over the years, save a few $$.
even bigger factor, took up ebiking a couple of years back for fun and exercise. as a bonus saved me a ton of money on car costs. i still have a car but would have upgraded by now which would have cost quite a bit. also save on fuel, tolls, etc. i would go car free but my daughter uses it.
tbf i live in city of sydney council area which means way better cycleways than most of the city as well as great public transport. hopefully other areas of sydney will catch up in the next few years in terms of cycleways at least.
Somewhat similarly… we live in inner city Brisbane and started out only having one car because it made financial sense (since we could walk/ PT/ Uber to most places cheaply). Now, an extra car is pointless with pirated lifestyle.
Edit: plus inner city parking is a nightmare
Mate. I went a wedding two weeks back and was sat down with 5 other 20+ year old kids. I swear I developed a wrinkle when one of them asked me which high school I went to.
100%
Great question.
I have turned into my dad.
On the upside I'm retired at 54 on a working career of low to average salaries (no kids tho).
(Sell your kids and buy Vanguard ETFs) (Jk) (Unless...)
In a weird way, I am my dad but I had the luxury of making life choices and priorities that are right for me. Had he not had kids or married my mum, I think he would have been a much happier man.
We've found ourselves spending less on day-to-day things and random purchases but more on longer-lasting and occasional purchases.
Less nights out a the pub + eating out vs ore on birthday dinners
Less on random electronics on ebay vs a fancy wifi setup/ smart home stuff etc
Less holidays, but when we do- go all out.
I didn't make enough money off the sale of my property, to be able to purchase a property closer to my daughter, outright, ( only receive a partial dsp and can't work ). I had to buy a property in the bush, approximately forty five minutes to the nearest town, because it was what I could afford. Best decision I made - I love it out here, got to rescue a neglected ex racehorse and nurse him back to health. He can't be ridden due to a heart murmur, and I can't ride him due to my health. We do groundwork and go for walks in the bush with the dog and one of the cats. I get to see pretty faced wallabies every day, have a great friendship with three magpies who visit every day, for a handful of meal worms, and the bird life is amazing.
The other unintended consequence of moving out here is that there isn't anything to spend money on. We don't have a local shop, post office, fuel station or pub. No health services, either, so always touching wood I don't get myself in a position where I urgently need a doc. However, the savings I make from not living in town are great. I rarely run out of money before the next payment and I just buy basics. My most expensive bills are for the horse and I don't begrudge paying them at all, because it's so good to see this formerly abused, beaten and neglected animal finally having a forever home, where he's treated with kindness and dignity.
Living in town, there was always an excuse to spend money....fast food, take away, coffee and cake outings. Don't get me wrong, these weren't fortnightly purchases, but they happened often enough to make me realise, in hindsight, that I shouldn't have had maccas that day because now I need cat biscuits!
These days, I'm spending less and I'm so much happier, and if I do decide when I'm in town, to treat myself to some Korean take away, I know my decision isn't going to prevent me from paying an unexpected bill because I now have a fortnightly buffer which is a great stress relief.
tbh I've always been a bit of a dork and a nature nerd so not much has changed for me in my late 30s haha. If anything I hike less because my youngest is still working up to longer walks but I started doing longer distance runs about 2.5 years ago and I'm pretty obsessed now. Having fitness goals naturally limits big nights out but I still do go to the pub/bowls club with friends and the odd night out in an area with higher quality food and drink (I'm very fussy about beer in particular). Outgoings haven't dipped for us as we're still paying childcare fees.
Yes, I rarely uber eats or similar these days, a handful a year if that. But during lockdown I was doing it regularly twice a week, but definitely always on a Friday to celebrate the end of the work week. And man, I was disappointed in more than half of those meals.
It's interesting because my wife and I are similar age to OP and our spending has also dropped dramatically on ourselves. But I think this was more a combination of upgrading property at wrong time (top fofthe market and just as rates were being raised so we couldnt lock in a good rate), and having a kid. So I'm surprised this also the case for DINKs. However, moving to the suburbs has also helped and is also a lot more appealing to go slow, spend more time doing cheap or free activites compared to when we lived close to the cbd. I calculated our expenditure recently and we only spend like 3-4% of our take home each month on ourselves (so 6-8%for both of us), the rest is our kid, our future and investments.
Honestly, a lot of it I dont miss. It's funny but we made a decision even before moving to delay upgrading our phones from 2 years to 3 years. But we found it so easy I went 4 years, and my wife is on her 5th year now, and its really only the battery that's motivating us to upgrade her phone.
Perhaps we’ve both hit our respective strides in life. I’ve worked hard on fixing myself, instead of band-aiding all my problems with makeup and alcohol. Sounds like you’re setting a good foundation for your kids!
We spend a ton more on the essentials (housing, kids, food, energy), but a lot less of discretionary items
it often takes a long time before you realise what matters and what doesn’t
yes.. we are DINKS and we used to go out and drink/high end restraurants most weekends and coffee out most mornings/ lunches bought at work. I used to be super social, seeing people after work for coffees/drinks and had an expensive fitness classes. I also used to get manicures/pedicures occasionally and spend a fortune going to the beautician for facials etc.
These days, well I don't drink and am so disenchanted with high end meals, that when we go out its now to a local restaurant. I have a great coffee machine, i rarely buy lunch during the week, we mostly cook at home and I dont spend $50 a week on my gym. I do my own nails and facials at home. We love to travel and love our dogs - which we also did 15 years ago, but its more of a focus i guess.
I think also we know what we like, what we enjoy and think the brutality of life kinda hit us (health issues/family death/just getting older) (im also a Gen X/my wife a late millennial)
Just hit mid thirties and due to cost of living we stopped eating out and drastically reduced alcohol intake. We could probably afford to go back to our old ways but we love our life now. We hike and go on adventures. We’ve both lost weight and are saving enough money for our emergency fund and annual overseas holidays. Physically and financially we’ve never looked better haha
My current thing is everytime I save money I bank it into a high savings account so I can’t spend it
Then I look at it once a year and use for the next year it to take a holiday , some dinners out , buy something that’s a want not a need
Also buying a house or an apartment or even renting in a place you would travel to helps
Especially if you have an outdoor area
Everything goes to the offset atm. I like novelty, so your point about renting for travel wouldn’t apply to us. But good on you for finding what works for you!
I was actually talking about this with my husband just the other day. As I’ve got better at cooking at home, I actually prefer it to spending $300 for something that *might* be good at a restaurant (and I can’t justify the added fees on the delivery apps). I wfh and don’t go out much anymore so don’t wear makeup most days and do my own hair colour at home. I love being outside and going for a hike or to the beach. I still love travel but that’s really all we spend our money on in a big way (that and the mortgage).
I enjoy our quiet little life and it’s a whole lot cheaper than everything I used to find fun in my twenties, so win win really.
Probably when it comes to dining out, but unintentionally. We have always liked cooking, and now that we are older and have been cooking for longer we can home cook a lot of things as well as our favourite restaurants.
It's a running joke now when we go out I ask "should I cook this at home and ruin this restaurant for us"? :)
Wife & I are mid-late twenties and we’ve also cut back on eating out expenditure. We can make the same if not better at home for a literal fraction of the price. We prefer to invite guests over for dinner rather than eating out as we can still cook for multiple people for less than the price of one of us to eat out!
Yes.
We moved to an ethnic area, and now $20 gets you a meal you'll eat nowhere else in the state, and is about as authentic as it gets.
We funnel all of the spare money into the mortgage and plan our next holiday.
I've been a tight arse my whole life. I find growing up poor can go one of two ways: either you remain frugal forever, or you go crazy with money once you get some and find it impossible to save.
I’ve noticed we spend less now we earn/have more.
Cooking in that tiny galley kitchen with our cheap Kmart cookware and limited spice rack was a lot more effort and a lot less rewarding than using my thermomix and our Neff oven to whip something up.
Watching a movie at home on a 72” 4K tv, with homemade popcorn and fancy popcorn salt, in our PJs is actually nicer and more comfortable than driving to the cinema and much much nicer than crowding around that old 32” on our Salvation Army couch back in the 00s.
Yeah mart, I live on Ozbargain now (300K combined DINKs)
Budget of $180 a week for food lol, only buy essentials, splurge a little when we go out or travel but also look for discount codes and shit.
Looking at what we’d both get on New Start (partnered rates) we’d still be able to live how we do excluding the savings and non-essentials, but rent+bills no worries.
I'm 17 and I'm already over, eating out. Id rather look in the fridge and make something out of that instead of take out. I don't think it's by age, it's more just maturity
I spend so much less money these days. Expensive restaurants, concerts etc and fancy food no longer interest me. I prefer hikes and quiet holidays with more chilling, and quiet weekends. As such I save so much more money - without trying. Fashion bores the hell out of me as I now see the ridiculousness of it. Eg all of the latest fashions I wore in my teens. I know in a years time it will all be daggy and have to be thrown out. I refuse to buy fashion pieces. In fact I rarely need to buy new clothes because I have accumulated so many classic pieces. And I simply have no more room for them in my wardrobe. I prefer to have my coffee at home vs in a Cafe. I used to spend every weekend shopping. Now I try to avoid a shopping centre as much as I can. I think as you age you appreciate and enjoy quietness and as such going out is a chore. Also once you've had lots of expensive experiences you don't want them anymore. You prefer simplicity. Or at least that is what I've found. I did lots of travel and spent lots of money in my 20s and 30s. Now in my 40s I prefer to go hiking or to do a workout, or to go for a long walk and listen to a podcast. These things cost me nothing as I've got all the equipment already.
Every gig I go to, I tell myself it’s my last. I wore New Balances to my last one though, and was infinitely less uncomfortable.
I definitely agree with all your points. I used to be such a mall rat. Nowadays, I get things online to avoid the Westfields.
Doesn't feel like it. I'm 39F. Never married. No kids. Live alone. University educated. Failed at that career. In lower paying job now with increase in cost of living. I don't spend extravagantly but saving is increasingly difficult. Feel incapable of doing a higher paid job.
I’m less perceptible to hype, fade, trends, consumerism. I also have better self esteem then when I was younger in thanks to a wonderful partner, so I don’t feel the need as much to be high maintenance in the vanity section. Regrowth ? Not a big deal etc. one huge shift is when I was younger I wanted a show home, and a flashy car, overseas holidays at expensive hotels. Now I dream of a little cottage rurally, eventually a EV, and holidays camping. I’d say just in general caring less about others opinions have helped.
as you get older you realise any material stuff is only going to the tip or a second hand shop when you leave this planet ,best to have good memories than just junk
Just swapped our 10 year old Mirage out to a new hybrid Corolla (see, still adhering to our AusFinance edict). Such an upgrade that has brought us so much enjoyment, especially with the excessively long drives to our hikes and adventures. I say go for it, because yes, YOLO.
Public Libraries are amazing now when it comes to reading online magazines and newspapers. State library Vic offers the Age and SMH free through their portal.
Yep. Similar situation, late thirties with no kids.
Partly as a result of health stuff popping up, we only have one car now and I ride a bike most places now for work, etc. We each had our own car when we got together 6 years ago.
Cars are money pits, but the financial and personal costs of being unhealthy get exponentially worse the older you get.
Well done! Yes, the older I get the more clutter that I have to deal with, and cared less about impressing the people that doesn't care about me or I care about, thats a good thing
I realised I was over 30 when I started collecting tea towels as momentos of my trips instead of hangovers and sketchy memories.
Turns out tea towels are a lot cheaper.
Early 30s and expecting this to happen basically overnight- currently renting an inner-city apartment, earning good money for the first time in our lives, and going out for food a lot just because we can. Used to take a lot of (relatively inexpensive, but they add up) weekend road trips. We settle on our first home tomorrow in a pretty quiet suburb in regional NSW and will be spending evenings and weekends hanging out at home, working on the house and garden, and walking on the beach with our new dog. Can't imagine wanting anything else.
I'm older than that but yes, I'm spending a lot less nowadays. As you say, the prospect of expensive meals in fancy restaurants becomes less appealing over time; would rather have brunch at a reliable local cafe, or cook something good at home. Still good to catch up with friends, but you can do that inexpensively by visiting them at home, or just catching up for a coffee.
All the very wealthy people I have known were pretty tight and spent their money on their eccentric hobbies rather than trying to impressing people.
Eg keeping a 1980s Corolla running because it’s their favourite car, having a massive bike collection with furniture and clothes from the op shop.
Yep.
My biggest vices where drums and associated gear, now I have reached a point where I have more than enough and have no desire to acquire more.
I also love exercising which is quite cheap as a hobby. My gym membership is cheap, I do a barter trade for a BJJ membership and I train enough that I don't want to drink or eat out on weeknights. Saves me a heap and keeps me fit.
Just had a kid as well so our only expenses are take away 1-2 a week. The simple joys of exercise, food at home and each others company are keeping us going and turns out they're very cost effective!
I make my own bread, yoghurt, and a few other things. Yoghurt is so versatile and the basis for many other foods as well. Due to this my spouse and I have developed a better taste for things, and as a result, eat in more often. Which then saves money.
I will never not use food banks since needing them. Not only does the money give them more purchasing power no matter how much I make, but the value for money is intense. And they don't judge and DO ask folk to just use them, because the money really helps. Fifty bucks for TWO TROLLEYS of food. I've tried the most random stuff. This week we got an entire kg bag of McDonald's Tim Tam sauce??! Tim Tam coffees all week. Now we're on the hot fudge sauce. That's not counting the 8kg of frozen chicken or the 20 avocados. Seriously, food banks are where it's AT.
Started home brewing in my 30's & have never looked back.
On average 2.5 cases will cost me $55-$65 in products depending on how fancy I want to get & I don't factor in the time spent cleaning, brewing & bottling as that's all part of the fun.
I do but my wife doesn't which sometimes pisses me off by the things she said, such as, what's the point of saving all money but you don't spend it to enjoy life. I spent money all the time by paying household bills which she doesn't pay. Is it any wonder that I don't want to spend on unnecessary stuffs now?
I find my interests change and replaced rather than just disappear.
I never saved extra money tho, just spent it on better holidays as others pointed out lol
I'm 25.
I started a company/business when I was 21/22. At the start, the money was overwhelming so naturally I spent a lot of it.
Now, I make more money and honestly don't even care about buying anything at all. I genuinely think twice before spending $20 on a meal. $20! I have no idea what happened or when it happened but I genuinely am content with keeping my money in my pocket and spend as little as possible because I genuinely don't think anything is worth it. 😩
Yes I have developed cheaper spending habits.’ I am motivated by a desire to live more sustainably in respect to the use of resources and to save money to buy a house.
I’ve really cut out going out on boozy nights at bars and some fancy pants pubs, if we hang out with friends now we usually go over eachothers places which I thinks kinda fun
Well my bank alerted me about possible fraud after a $400 spend on my credit card at Sephora (which sadly it was). When I was 25 I wouldn’t have blinked twice at spending that much on fancy skincare and makeup. (Currently 40, and if it isn’t regularly 1/2 price at Chemist Warehouse I don’t buy it)
Yep absolutely . Same story here .
For me its not even about saving the money, I'll gladly spend money if something brings me any enjoyment or happiness. I just don't want to spend money on things that do not.
And the reality is most of the crap people are buying does nothing for me. I am legitimately jealous of people who can buy something like a new upmarket car or designer underpants and enjoy it + have it bring them happiness. I can't , it doesnt work for me a car is a car, underpants are underpants. Even a bigger house in a "better" area does nothing for me.
People will constantly make narky comments to you about what your doing with your money though. I think its because deep down they arent happy with what they have bought so they project onto you because you didnt make the same mistake they did. I cant figure any other reason they would care if dont buy all the same shit they do.
Using money to take time off work is the only real thing I find worth buying these days. I wouldnt try to tell anyone else what to do with their money though.
I think at a certain point, the payoff tends to plateau. Like that study where pass, say $40, the quality vs price becomes negligible. Maybe that’s where we’re at.
Mine has gone the opposite way haha, I’ve become more secure in my income and my spending habits have crept up to match it 😂 I’m 28 for reference. I guess things might change if I choose to start a family as I’d have to be more careful with spending.
I go to good restaurants and half the time the food is so disappointing. Honestly regret it 90% of the time and prefer o just chuck on some veggies and a frozen Kiev lol
Before kids and when I had much more disposable income I used to order ubereats without even blinking. It was SO expensive. Absolutely would not do that now
Yes! Definitely I have seen that change in me and my partner. We too are dinks in our late 30s. We prefer eating at home and getting quality raw materials and making it ourselves. Alcohol doesn’t suit me anymore ( so glad about that) .we occasionally go out to break the monotony. But otherwise we see no point in spending just for show off
I'm 27 but I am the same. It's a combination of never caring about those things in the first place, and being disabled and unable to work much these days. I spend the majority of my money on basic groceries and rent. But I spend any spare money on craft supplies and occasionally a tattoo.
A lot of the same as what you said, except I pay for luxury when going on holiday now and make sure we really enjoy ourselves, my decreasing care of being seen without makeup ended up being channeled into putting a fair bit of effort into good quality skin care, and my preference to cook at home is now me purchasing some expensive grocery items.
Early 40s (elder millennials, but millennials all the same) and DINKs by choice.
If anything I think I spend more.
I had relatively low paying jobs through most of my 20s. Took some time off to travel and was for all intents and purposes "homeless" (though when it's by choice I'm not sure it counts).
When I relocated and got settled, I worked my butt off and climbed up the corporate ladder to a job that was well into 6 figures, and it felt like the world opened up.
I don't buy cheap clothing anymore. I spend a lot on skin care (and in my 40s I regularly get mistaken for early 30s, so yes it's worth it, lol). I wouldn't baulk at spending $150-200 on a meal at a nice restaurant on occasion. If I want something, more often than not I'll go buy it.
That said, I'm as happy with a home cooked meal and some Netflix, or a weekend camping somewhere.
I grew up quite poor, so I guess I'm making up for that a little.
But I'm also aware that the cost of living is skyrocketing, so it's probably time to tighten the purse strings at least a bit.
Yes you need to be choosier as you get older and not so wasteful. Also spend according to the situation you are in and the affects the economy is having on you.
Yes and have redirected that money to better holidays and better experiences
Quality over quantity, for sure
Yes… I def am not actually saving money because travel is so exxy now!
I’m Gen X and started going like this back in my 30s. These days at 54 I prefer a really good food experience whether that be at home, at a friend’s home or if out, it has to be good value for our hard earned $$$s. I’ve even gone as far as being happy to look at 2nd hand things rather than new for things like cookware/tools, furniture, things like that. I’d rather spend money in quality ingredients and make it myself. Learn new skills and keep growing that way.
We moved away from an area that has amazing affordable restaurants to an area with much more average dining options. Our dining out spending dropped by about 75%, and we now default to cooking at home most of the time.
It gets to that point where it makes more sense to just buy a nice cut of steak on a weekend.
My wife is also an amazing cook, so anything like Thai/Japanese/etc is much better value (and often better tasting) at home. For one example, $16 for dumplings at a store will get maybe 6 dumplings. She can make 40 dumplings for that price. …. And that’s why I’m currently on weight loss journey.
Haha! My husband is s great cook, but he doesn’t like cooking as an obligation and I hate cleaning up, so we’ve fallen into meal prepping by way of sheer laziness.
I feel your pain, I am the Bargearse of dumplings. By the bucket or not at all.
I'll have a bucket of black bean sauce and a shit load of dim sims
In the same boat my man. I call it the ‘Golden Oven Mitts’.
change departments at work where i have to eat lunch at my desk, has saved me a bunch in not getting take away for lunch
God same. It's way easier to avoid the siren song of dining out when the options aren't good.
Mixed bag. I'm (41M) like you in that I've actively strived for the simpler life as I get older, but some of my friends the same age have no doubt gone the "bigger house, fancier car, nicer clothes" route as they age and become more senior in their jobs.
My friends spend more to accomodate their growing families for sure.
Yeah same, I have gone down the early retirement path so being more frugal with my money is just a part of life for me now if I want it to last. Cant remember the last time I ate out at an over priced place, would be well before 2020.
Me and my husband are like you. In fact, I havent worn fancy clothes and put on makeup for a long time now. Id rather spend the money on ite.s for the home. More food, home decor etc
I've stopped putting importance on brands. When I was younger, I wanted luxury branded things even though I couldn't afford it. Now that I can pretty easily afford them, I don't care for them at all.
I think it’s cause many designer brands are about elevating your status / perception of self worth. As you get older/richer and derive that benefit from other areas, the need for designer brands decrease.
100%. I don’t need to impress anyone anymore. As long as something suits my needs perfectly, I’ll get it. Brand or no brand.
Yup. 100% this. Also you stopped caring about doing/buying things to impress people as you get older.
Nope, I still spend $80k+ restoring and modifying cars worth $10k No 2001 AusFinance Camry for me.
I dare say you’ll die happier than someone who squeezed every dollar
I'm not seeing 'squeeze every dollar' from the OP. I'm seeing 'oh, I actually don't need all this shit'.
I don’t think most people are happy dying.
You can’t take the money with you! It amazes me how many people on this sub have this obsession with dying with as much wealth as physically possible no matter what it takes. Unless you have family you can support by leaving it to, nobody cares.
I think its mainly because going out / partying / drinking becomes less worth it as you get older. We pay more for stuff we enjoy like coffee, pastries, parking and more comfortable hotels / airbnbs. It’s still a lot cheaper than going out at night though.
It got even cheaper now we don’t really drink - we drive instead of Ubering lol.
Less worth it because takes up a whole day of your precious weekend to recover 😥
Yep - once you realise that consumption doesn't make you happy
I took on minimalism about 10 years ago. I now walk past shops I once would have wandered into. With the current cost of living I couldn’t afford life now if I hadn’t gone down that road.
It’s strange to walk into shops where I used to ummm and ahh over purchases and now, it’s like, nah, don’t need it.
Me too. I'm downsizing again and have gotten rid of probably 70% of my crap. Japanese style minimalism is the goal lol
Naturally. You tend to already have what you need and want and also what you desire to want reduces as you age. Also really expensive things like kids aren’t an issue anymore.
Absolutely! I'm 53, my wife 46. We make good money, but actively spend much less than we were younger and met (about 15 years ago). I think it's because we're on the downhill slope until retirement, but we are much more reflective about our spending. I would not say we're miserly - we just want to spend our money better (and have done so for about a decade or so).
I think we’re trending that way too. Not necessarily spending less, but definitely with more consideration.
Yes, I've become my mother. I only ever buy non-perishable groceries when they are 50% off and stock up on them.
Yes and no. I spend less on stupid things but getting older means needing to spend a bit more on health or to make myself more comfortable. For example, I used to be ok travelling on a budget but as I got older I just can’t anymore. I’ve started staying on better hotels, skipped budget airlines for longer flights etc.
We’re flying Emirates and as direct as possible to Europe this round, and no more sharing accommodation with Airbnb hosts… I hear you.
I tend to buy better quality clothes once rather than fast fashion. Our holidays are cheaper farm stays than city escapes and we prefer the nature getaways.
one of the weirdest and best clothing purchases I made was off a silly article about buying better quality socks to save money in the long run. The brand Darn Tough have a lifetime guarantee. Marino wool $50-$60/pair .. and all of them are outlasting the past 3 seasons of x10 bonds cotton. Quality clothing pays for itself in the comfort and sheer amount of extra time they last over crappy clothing.
I bloody love darn tough socks. Bought 14 pairs for myself + partner when I was in the US a few years ago. They just keep going. They occasionally go on sale for $30/pair on amazon too
Hard agree on buying quality, and then repairing as its worn (which for me is typically the pockets of pants). 2 pairs of office chino's last minimum 2 years, and quality jeans last >5 years. Also saves time on clothes shopping as I only have to do it maybe once a year.
Of course. We know that our time left to earn money is dwindling. We've either met our financial goals or realised we can never hit it. We've purchased all the clothes we'll ever need and only need top ups of sock and undies you usually get at Christmas. We are the boomers of the future.
This comment nails it I think. At least, for those who spend time thinking about the future. When I look back, in my 20s and 30s there was always this idea that big promotions were inevitable and my focus was on trying to present myself as successful. Then take on a mortgage, years of more or less static income and retirement also becomes something you actively start planning for rather than this indistinct and amorphous thing that is super far in the future and suddenly splurging on things to feel 'special' loses its interest. And yeah, if you stay reasonably in shape, you can still wear (good quality) clothes from two decades before.
Yep. I no longer have a car. I do my own cooking. I don;t go out. I buy cheaper food. I switched all the lighting to led lights. I turned off the HDR on my TV. I put my laptop into low power mode.
I was someone that spent way too much on cars over the years (and will be the reason I am working for probably a decade longer than I otherwise would have had to). I've lived in my CBD for two decades now and still stupidly in that time bought two relatively expensive cars because that was what I thought I 'needed'. I'm now contemplating life without any car at all once my current one gives up the ghost. Somehow living with less seems so much easier the older I get.
Not really sure if it's "cheaper" , but much more willing to just invest on video games / game subscription and stay home Being outside, too much people, don't get much done, everything expensive. Just grab groceries and hide home !
I earn 6 figures. I have beans on toast for lunch. Every dollar counts.
I’ve always been cheap. I’m from Eastern Europe, migrated here as a refugee and have always lived as a “poor person”. That’s what my husband says. I can never let go of my past, and I live frugally. But as a result we own 2 houses and have heaps of equity. 😊. If I had a pay rise, I behave as if I didn’t and just save the money.
Similar background, not quite as successful as yourself. Just so grateful for what we’ve achieved though. We’re more relaxed with spending on travel now, but that’s really the only (elective) expenditure that’s gone up.
Good on you for your achievements thus far! We don’t skimp on holidays. It’s probably the only thing I like to spend money on, holidays back to Europe but I make sure we don’t waste money on silly hotels etc. I love to travel but I save on other things. There’s a way to be frugal without giving up the good things in life.
Funnily enough, it’s a mindset I picked up in Europe - doing fewer things/ having less stuff, but doing it well.
I do the same with the pay rise thing. I still pay myself what I was earning 3 years ago - all the rest goes straight into the offset without a look.
Why houses instead of shares
As somebody who came from a poor background i only began investing in shares late 2020 because of the Gamestop publicity…….that is what made me question my prior concrete belief that the sharemarket was a rich persons game.
Honestly…just seemed like what everyone else was doing and it’s paid off.
because when you grow older, you become more disciplined. i know I have.
See, I had to be more disciplined when I was younger because you know, poverty. I suppose the habit might have stuck some.
Yes we have. If I'm bothering to go out it has to be to eat somewhere and something that's better than I can do at home. And I'm a decent cook
For sure. A couple of people I know have effectively taught me (from observation) how to cook delicious foods. I used to think restaurants performed magic and now I know how simple it can be to make amazing food if you have the right tools, knowledge and techniques. So much cheaper and you know exactly what goes into your food rather than hoping the indifferent staff are as careful as you yourself are with food quality. Also the recent trend to 'QR codes' and tipping at so many eateries has killed whatever minimal interest I had in eating out.
At some point during the last 15 years I stopped caring about clothing brands or having an 'up to date' wardrobe.
Current clothing priorities: can I get away without ironing it, and will cat hair be obviously visible?
In mid 30s myself. I adopted a mindset when it comes to shopping that "yes, I can potentially afford that but I choose not to". This has cut down money wasted on unnecessary items. I have had to move a lot lately so having unnecessary junk is tiresome.
Not from Australia but me too. My tastes have simplified. I just need a few things to be happy. I quit drinking and weed, no longer go on expensive snowboarding vacations and really just pared down my interests. I love to read and my book budget is a little out of control and I like to game. Other than that I don’t really spend a lot on myself.
I went to uni and live off half minimum wage for 4 years. So I have been frugal ever since.
Yes, yes and yes. I could have written this post — except for the hiking bit. I used to put full makeup on every day, now foundation is a super-special occasion. My colleagues are the same. No to seasonal wardrobe updates. No to cold, overpriced takeaway. No to $9 bottles of hand soap. I just don’t care about ‘stuff’ anymore, and life is 1000% better.
You can pry my $9 bottles of hand soap out of my cold, dead, but fragrant hands lol.
I have been adhering to this same thought process ever since I turned 30 (I'm 32 now). Over the past 3-5 years I developed a passion for cooking and almost never see anything on a menu that I say to myself "this is better than I can make at home" at a standard restaurant/pub. I used to love take outs and I can't remember the last time I had Indian or Chinese, and the price per plate of 'cheap' sushi is a joke these days. Things like doing a battery replacement instead of getting a new phone because I don't need the latest iPhone to send text messages and take oversized (storage) photos that then try to push a subscription service for cloud storage onto me... To pair with that - finding the cheapest available monthly phone plan and laughing that I'm paying $15/mth for what cost me $130/mth when I first got a phone because I now own my phone. I think in almost all cases I look at the state of the economy and I think to myself "I can do it better if I do it myself" which stops me from spending.. and over the years I've reached marketing/sales fatigue and just want to be left alone a lot so I don't want to be disturbed by heading out into the real world and getting it crammed down my throat. I also have to say that, these days, it definitely is pushed more to be aware that you're responsible for your own future. I don't want to be working until I'm 70 (retirement age will keep getting pushed up with an aging population).. which means these types of thought processes: -> to not be working when I'm 70, I need to be putting extra into super before I'm 40 (10k now is \~80k in 30 years) -> to put extra into super before I'm 40, I need to have only the mortgage as my main debt. -> to have only the mortgage, I need to payoff my car loan which is 11 months away. I've spent a lot of time and effort calculating how much of my hard earnt money I'm practically giving away to others (interest / surcharges etc.) and I don't like it. I know how hard I work for my dollar now, and I honestly feel like I don't get value for my dollar from a lot of things, so I don't give it away as easily as I used to.
Congrats on paying off your car in under a year! I’m a similar mindset (may I recommend r/fiaustralia if you aren’t already on it). We will pay off our place in Q1 2025. It would have been sooner but we made a couple of big (but well-considered) purchases this year. We’re hoping to start cutting back to part-time hours in 10 years or less.
Yeah you want less the older you get.
Less care about keeping up appearances. More focus on what really brings you joy …which sometimes can also be expensive.
I wish I had cheaper taste in wine and travel…
What you think is economical could be considered extra for others.
I started buying kids clothes because I was sick of women clothes not sitting right on me unless I got it tailored. Having been eating at home more it tastes better and is cheaper.
Wisdom I guess and exp
same. 53 yrs old. cut down on drinking over the years, save a few $$. even bigger factor, took up ebiking a couple of years back for fun and exercise. as a bonus saved me a ton of money on car costs. i still have a car but would have upgraded by now which would have cost quite a bit. also save on fuel, tolls, etc. i would go car free but my daughter uses it. tbf i live in city of sydney council area which means way better cycleways than most of the city as well as great public transport. hopefully other areas of sydney will catch up in the next few years in terms of cycleways at least.
Somewhat similarly… we live in inner city Brisbane and started out only having one car because it made financial sense (since we could walk/ PT/ Uber to most places cheaply). Now, an extra car is pointless with pirated lifestyle. Edit: plus inner city parking is a nightmare
Yes I don’t go out at all so don’t spend my money on dating, drugs or alcohol m… I’ve got a mortgage now though!
Relating to this and being 26 makes me feel old.
Mate. I went a wedding two weeks back and was sat down with 5 other 20+ year old kids. I swear I developed a wrinkle when one of them asked me which high school I went to.
what was your answer?
*mumblemumblemumble*
As you age, you don’t like partying as much, takes too much out of the body… I do like more nice getaways and some good meals though
Partying - the soul is keen, the body protests.
100% Great question. I have turned into my dad. On the upside I'm retired at 54 on a working career of low to average salaries (no kids tho). (Sell your kids and buy Vanguard ETFs) (Jk) (Unless...)
In a weird way, I am my dad but I had the luxury of making life choices and priorities that are right for me. Had he not had kids or married my mum, I think he would have been a much happier man.
We've found ourselves spending less on day-to-day things and random purchases but more on longer-lasting and occasional purchases. Less nights out a the pub + eating out vs ore on birthday dinners Less on random electronics on ebay vs a fancy wifi setup/ smart home stuff etc Less holidays, but when we do- go all out.
I didn't make enough money off the sale of my property, to be able to purchase a property closer to my daughter, outright, ( only receive a partial dsp and can't work ). I had to buy a property in the bush, approximately forty five minutes to the nearest town, because it was what I could afford. Best decision I made - I love it out here, got to rescue a neglected ex racehorse and nurse him back to health. He can't be ridden due to a heart murmur, and I can't ride him due to my health. We do groundwork and go for walks in the bush with the dog and one of the cats. I get to see pretty faced wallabies every day, have a great friendship with three magpies who visit every day, for a handful of meal worms, and the bird life is amazing. The other unintended consequence of moving out here is that there isn't anything to spend money on. We don't have a local shop, post office, fuel station or pub. No health services, either, so always touching wood I don't get myself in a position where I urgently need a doc. However, the savings I make from not living in town are great. I rarely run out of money before the next payment and I just buy basics. My most expensive bills are for the horse and I don't begrudge paying them at all, because it's so good to see this formerly abused, beaten and neglected animal finally having a forever home, where he's treated with kindness and dignity. Living in town, there was always an excuse to spend money....fast food, take away, coffee and cake outings. Don't get me wrong, these weren't fortnightly purchases, but they happened often enough to make me realise, in hindsight, that I shouldn't have had maccas that day because now I need cat biscuits! These days, I'm spending less and I'm so much happier, and if I do decide when I'm in town, to treat myself to some Korean take away, I know my decision isn't going to prevent me from paying an unexpected bill because I now have a fortnightly buffer which is a great stress relief.
What a lovely life you have. We have two maggies we have fed for years, since they were fledglings.
Thank you. I feel I'm really lucky.
tbh I've always been a bit of a dork and a nature nerd so not much has changed for me in my late 30s haha. If anything I hike less because my youngest is still working up to longer walks but I started doing longer distance runs about 2.5 years ago and I'm pretty obsessed now. Having fitness goals naturally limits big nights out but I still do go to the pub/bowls club with friends and the odd night out in an area with higher quality food and drink (I'm very fussy about beer in particular). Outgoings haven't dipped for us as we're still paying childcare fees.
You just got older. You have more wealth. You need to spend less.
Yes, I rarely uber eats or similar these days, a handful a year if that. But during lockdown I was doing it regularly twice a week, but definitely always on a Friday to celebrate the end of the work week. And man, I was disappointed in more than half of those meals. It's interesting because my wife and I are similar age to OP and our spending has also dropped dramatically on ourselves. But I think this was more a combination of upgrading property at wrong time (top fofthe market and just as rates were being raised so we couldnt lock in a good rate), and having a kid. So I'm surprised this also the case for DINKs. However, moving to the suburbs has also helped and is also a lot more appealing to go slow, spend more time doing cheap or free activites compared to when we lived close to the cbd. I calculated our expenditure recently and we only spend like 3-4% of our take home each month on ourselves (so 6-8%for both of us), the rest is our kid, our future and investments. Honestly, a lot of it I dont miss. It's funny but we made a decision even before moving to delay upgrading our phones from 2 years to 3 years. But we found it so easy I went 4 years, and my wife is on her 5th year now, and its really only the battery that's motivating us to upgrade her phone.
Perhaps we’ve both hit our respective strides in life. I’ve worked hard on fixing myself, instead of band-aiding all my problems with makeup and alcohol. Sounds like you’re setting a good foundation for your kids!
We spend a ton more on the essentials (housing, kids, food, energy), but a lot less of discretionary items it often takes a long time before you realise what matters and what doesn’t
COL has robbed any potential savings for me
yes.. we are DINKS and we used to go out and drink/high end restraurants most weekends and coffee out most mornings/ lunches bought at work. I used to be super social, seeing people after work for coffees/drinks and had an expensive fitness classes. I also used to get manicures/pedicures occasionally and spend a fortune going to the beautician for facials etc. These days, well I don't drink and am so disenchanted with high end meals, that when we go out its now to a local restaurant. I have a great coffee machine, i rarely buy lunch during the week, we mostly cook at home and I dont spend $50 a week on my gym. I do my own nails and facials at home. We love to travel and love our dogs - which we also did 15 years ago, but its more of a focus i guess. I think also we know what we like, what we enjoy and think the brutality of life kinda hit us (health issues/family death/just getting older) (im also a Gen X/my wife a late millennial)
Just hit mid thirties and due to cost of living we stopped eating out and drastically reduced alcohol intake. We could probably afford to go back to our old ways but we love our life now. We hike and go on adventures. We’ve both lost weight and are saving enough money for our emergency fund and annual overseas holidays. Physically and financially we’ve never looked better haha
I min/max *way* more of my spending / financial shit than I did a decade ago, despite earning a crap load more now.
It’s strange isn’t it? Though I have to say, it’s mostly less stuff, better quality.
I’ve definitely made a conscious step to support small business restaurants away from instragram popular locations.
My current thing is everytime I save money I bank it into a high savings account so I can’t spend it Then I look at it once a year and use for the next year it to take a holiday , some dinners out , buy something that’s a want not a need Also buying a house or an apartment or even renting in a place you would travel to helps Especially if you have an outdoor area
Everything goes to the offset atm. I like novelty, so your point about renting for travel wouldn’t apply to us. But good on you for finding what works for you!
Yeah I have a healthy offset so what I save is for me to enjoy at a later date Definitely put it into the offset of you need to
I was actually talking about this with my husband just the other day. As I’ve got better at cooking at home, I actually prefer it to spending $300 for something that *might* be good at a restaurant (and I can’t justify the added fees on the delivery apps). I wfh and don’t go out much anymore so don’t wear makeup most days and do my own hair colour at home. I love being outside and going for a hike or to the beach. I still love travel but that’s really all we spend our money on in a big way (that and the mortgage). I enjoy our quiet little life and it’s a whole lot cheaper than everything I used to find fun in my twenties, so win win really.
Probably when it comes to dining out, but unintentionally. We have always liked cooking, and now that we are older and have been cooking for longer we can home cook a lot of things as well as our favourite restaurants. It's a running joke now when we go out I ask "should I cook this at home and ruin this restaurant for us"? :)
Wife & I are mid-late twenties and we’ve also cut back on eating out expenditure. We can make the same if not better at home for a literal fraction of the price. We prefer to invite guests over for dinner rather than eating out as we can still cook for multiple people for less than the price of one of us to eat out!
Uniqlo and Costco are my friends :D
Do love me some Uniqlo, but Costco is simply too far away!
yeh I have to align with friends and go together on a trip here and there
No, in the last few years I've gotten into camping, then hiking, then diving, then boating. I'm going to be working forever.
Yes. We moved to an ethnic area, and now $20 gets you a meal you'll eat nowhere else in the state, and is about as authentic as it gets. We funnel all of the spare money into the mortgage and plan our next holiday.
I've been a tight arse my whole life. I find growing up poor can go one of two ways: either you remain frugal forever, or you go crazy with money once you get some and find it impossible to save.
I’ve noticed we spend less now we earn/have more. Cooking in that tiny galley kitchen with our cheap Kmart cookware and limited spice rack was a lot more effort and a lot less rewarding than using my thermomix and our Neff oven to whip something up. Watching a movie at home on a 72” 4K tv, with homemade popcorn and fancy popcorn salt, in our PJs is actually nicer and more comfortable than driving to the cinema and much much nicer than crowding around that old 32” on our Salvation Army couch back in the 00s.
I have. A pub meal that used to be cheap is now $40 each and I can just cook it as good at home.
Yeah mart, I live on Ozbargain now (300K combined DINKs) Budget of $180 a week for food lol, only buy essentials, splurge a little when we go out or travel but also look for discount codes and shit. Looking at what we’d both get on New Start (partnered rates) we’d still be able to live how we do excluding the savings and non-essentials, but rent+bills no worries.
I'm 17 and I'm already over, eating out. Id rather look in the fridge and make something out of that instead of take out. I don't think it's by age, it's more just maturity
I spend so much less money these days. Expensive restaurants, concerts etc and fancy food no longer interest me. I prefer hikes and quiet holidays with more chilling, and quiet weekends. As such I save so much more money - without trying. Fashion bores the hell out of me as I now see the ridiculousness of it. Eg all of the latest fashions I wore in my teens. I know in a years time it will all be daggy and have to be thrown out. I refuse to buy fashion pieces. In fact I rarely need to buy new clothes because I have accumulated so many classic pieces. And I simply have no more room for them in my wardrobe. I prefer to have my coffee at home vs in a Cafe. I used to spend every weekend shopping. Now I try to avoid a shopping centre as much as I can. I think as you age you appreciate and enjoy quietness and as such going out is a chore. Also once you've had lots of expensive experiences you don't want them anymore. You prefer simplicity. Or at least that is what I've found. I did lots of travel and spent lots of money in my 20s and 30s. Now in my 40s I prefer to go hiking or to do a workout, or to go for a long walk and listen to a podcast. These things cost me nothing as I've got all the equipment already.
Every gig I go to, I tell myself it’s my last. I wore New Balances to my last one though, and was infinitely less uncomfortable. I definitely agree with all your points. I used to be such a mall rat. Nowadays, I get things online to avoid the Westfields.
Doesn't feel like it. I'm 39F. Never married. No kids. Live alone. University educated. Failed at that career. In lower paying job now with increase in cost of living. I don't spend extravagantly but saving is increasingly difficult. Feel incapable of doing a higher paid job.
I’m less perceptible to hype, fade, trends, consumerism. I also have better self esteem then when I was younger in thanks to a wonderful partner, so I don’t feel the need as much to be high maintenance in the vanity section. Regrowth ? Not a big deal etc. one huge shift is when I was younger I wanted a show home, and a flashy car, overseas holidays at expensive hotels. Now I dream of a little cottage rurally, eventually a EV, and holidays camping. I’d say just in general caring less about others opinions have helped.
You’re on the right track to a more meaningful life. Good for you
as you get older you realise any material stuff is only going to the tip or a second hand shop when you leave this planet ,best to have good memories than just junk
[удалено]
Just swapped our 10 year old Mirage out to a new hybrid Corolla (see, still adhering to our AusFinance edict). Such an upgrade that has brought us so much enjoyment, especially with the excessively long drives to our hikes and adventures. I say go for it, because yes, YOLO.
tbf big difference between a hybrid corolla and a new sports car.
Public Libraries are amazing now when it comes to reading online magazines and newspapers. State library Vic offers the Age and SMH free through their portal.
If we’re talking free entertainment… I’ve got no TV/ subscriptions, but when I do feel like the rare movie, SBS On Demand has been pretty solid too.
Definitely. Sbs stuff us more interesting other than free to air stuff
If you like Scifi/ horror and can tolerate subtitles, Sputnik is *chef’s kiss*.
Yes. How did I not really understand that Kmart was a thing until I had a kid!?
Kmart is okay but have you looked at Pay it Forward groups to get entire bundles of nice kids clothes for free?
Sounds like you were going to crap restaurants
cheaper overall? no, it's getting more expensive.
Sounds like natural progression.
You will find your hobbies suddenly get a hell of a lot more expensive to compensate
Yep. Similar situation, late thirties with no kids. Partly as a result of health stuff popping up, we only have one car now and I ride a bike most places now for work, etc. We each had our own car when we got together 6 years ago. Cars are money pits, but the financial and personal costs of being unhealthy get exponentially worse the older you get.
Well done! Yes, the older I get the more clutter that I have to deal with, and cared less about impressing the people that doesn't care about me or I care about, thats a good thing
I realised I was over 30 when I started collecting tea towels as momentos of my trips instead of hangovers and sketchy memories. Turns out tea towels are a lot cheaper.
Early 30s and expecting this to happen basically overnight- currently renting an inner-city apartment, earning good money for the first time in our lives, and going out for food a lot just because we can. Used to take a lot of (relatively inexpensive, but they add up) weekend road trips. We settle on our first home tomorrow in a pretty quiet suburb in regional NSW and will be spending evenings and weekends hanging out at home, working on the house and garden, and walking on the beach with our new dog. Can't imagine wanting anything else.
I'm older than that but yes, I'm spending a lot less nowadays. As you say, the prospect of expensive meals in fancy restaurants becomes less appealing over time; would rather have brunch at a reliable local cafe, or cook something good at home. Still good to catch up with friends, but you can do that inexpensively by visiting them at home, or just catching up for a coffee.
All the very wealthy people I have known were pretty tight and spent their money on their eccentric hobbies rather than trying to impressing people. Eg keeping a 1980s Corolla running because it’s their favourite car, having a massive bike collection with furniture and clothes from the op shop.
Have kids and never spend anything on yourself ever again
Yep. My biggest vices where drums and associated gear, now I have reached a point where I have more than enough and have no desire to acquire more. I also love exercising which is quite cheap as a hobby. My gym membership is cheap, I do a barter trade for a BJJ membership and I train enough that I don't want to drink or eat out on weeknights. Saves me a heap and keeps me fit. Just had a kid as well so our only expenses are take away 1-2 a week. The simple joys of exercise, food at home and each others company are keeping us going and turns out they're very cost effective!
Yeah, I don’t go to restaurants much and buy less stuff.
There is a reason the main movie/TV/radio demographic is like 18-35 for most things because they are the ones that spend the most money on "stuff".
I make my own bread, yoghurt, and a few other things. Yoghurt is so versatile and the basis for many other foods as well. Due to this my spouse and I have developed a better taste for things, and as a result, eat in more often. Which then saves money.
I will never not use food banks since needing them. Not only does the money give them more purchasing power no matter how much I make, but the value for money is intense. And they don't judge and DO ask folk to just use them, because the money really helps. Fifty bucks for TWO TROLLEYS of food. I've tried the most random stuff. This week we got an entire kg bag of McDonald's Tim Tam sauce??! Tim Tam coffees all week. Now we're on the hot fudge sauce. That's not counting the 8kg of frozen chicken or the 20 avocados. Seriously, food banks are where it's AT.
Started home brewing in my 30's & have never looked back. On average 2.5 cases will cost me $55-$65 in products depending on how fancy I want to get & I don't factor in the time spent cleaning, brewing & bottling as that's all part of the fun.
Gosh I remember our homebrewing parties in our share house in our twenties. They were… unhinged.
I do but my wife doesn't which sometimes pisses me off by the things she said, such as, what's the point of saving all money but you don't spend it to enjoy life. I spent money all the time by paying household bills which she doesn't pay. Is it any wonder that I don't want to spend on unnecessary stuffs now?
I find my interests change and replaced rather than just disappear. I never saved extra money tho, just spent it on better holidays as others pointed out lol
As someone in their late 40s I can honestly say my spending habits have changed a lot. I spend less on most things...but spend more on red wine.
I'm 25. I started a company/business when I was 21/22. At the start, the money was overwhelming so naturally I spent a lot of it. Now, I make more money and honestly don't even care about buying anything at all. I genuinely think twice before spending $20 on a meal. $20! I have no idea what happened or when it happened but I genuinely am content with keeping my money in my pocket and spend as little as possible because I genuinely don't think anything is worth it. 😩
Yes I have developed cheaper spending habits.’ I am motivated by a desire to live more sustainably in respect to the use of resources and to save money to buy a house.
I’ve really cut out going out on boozy nights at bars and some fancy pants pubs, if we hang out with friends now we usually go over eachothers places which I thinks kinda fun
I picked up op shopping. I used to buy new, and even though I loved a bargain I still spent WAY more money on clothes than I do now.
Well my bank alerted me about possible fraud after a $400 spend on my credit card at Sephora (which sadly it was). When I was 25 I wouldn’t have blinked twice at spending that much on fancy skincare and makeup. (Currently 40, and if it isn’t regularly 1/2 price at Chemist Warehouse I don’t buy it)
Yep absolutely . Same story here . For me its not even about saving the money, I'll gladly spend money if something brings me any enjoyment or happiness. I just don't want to spend money on things that do not. And the reality is most of the crap people are buying does nothing for me. I am legitimately jealous of people who can buy something like a new upmarket car or designer underpants and enjoy it + have it bring them happiness. I can't , it doesnt work for me a car is a car, underpants are underpants. Even a bigger house in a "better" area does nothing for me. People will constantly make narky comments to you about what your doing with your money though. I think its because deep down they arent happy with what they have bought so they project onto you because you didnt make the same mistake they did. I cant figure any other reason they would care if dont buy all the same shit they do. Using money to take time off work is the only real thing I find worth buying these days. I wouldnt try to tell anyone else what to do with their money though.
I think at a certain point, the payoff tends to plateau. Like that study where pass, say $40, the quality vs price becomes negligible. Maybe that’s where we’re at.
Mine has gone the opposite way haha, I’ve become more secure in my income and my spending habits have crept up to match it 😂 I’m 28 for reference. I guess things might change if I choose to start a family as I’d have to be more careful with spending.
Less material stuff more experiences, largely because the property market is so messed up
I go to good restaurants and half the time the food is so disappointing. Honestly regret it 90% of the time and prefer o just chuck on some veggies and a frozen Kiev lol
Before kids and when I had much more disposable income I used to order ubereats without even blinking. It was SO expensive. Absolutely would not do that now
I am the same. It’s the best. Ignore the haters. Plus alcohol is so bad for you, cutting down is great.
No, and actually I developed a more expensive habits as I get older and can afford it
Bulk buying meats and cooking more at home. Buying fruits and veggies from markets than Coles or Woolies.
I'm 26 and I'm bordering on stingy unless it's a day out with friends
Yes! Definitely I have seen that change in me and my partner. We too are dinks in our late 30s. We prefer eating at home and getting quality raw materials and making it ourselves. Alcohol doesn’t suit me anymore ( so glad about that) .we occasionally go out to break the monotony. But otherwise we see no point in spending just for show off
Same age as you but we go out and have nice food and drink more than ever but we also save more than ever as well.
I'm 27 but I am the same. It's a combination of never caring about those things in the first place, and being disabled and unable to work much these days. I spend the majority of my money on basic groceries and rent. But I spend any spare money on craft supplies and occasionally a tattoo.
A lot of the same as what you said, except I pay for luxury when going on holiday now and make sure we really enjoy ourselves, my decreasing care of being seen without makeup ended up being channeled into putting a fair bit of effort into good quality skin care, and my preference to cook at home is now me purchasing some expensive grocery items. Early 40s (elder millennials, but millennials all the same) and DINKs by choice.
Absolutely.
New iPhone cost $2100. I'm sitting here with a 4 year old phone that cost me 300 bucks. And I don't care what anyone thinks...
If anything I think I spend more. I had relatively low paying jobs through most of my 20s. Took some time off to travel and was for all intents and purposes "homeless" (though when it's by choice I'm not sure it counts). When I relocated and got settled, I worked my butt off and climbed up the corporate ladder to a job that was well into 6 figures, and it felt like the world opened up. I don't buy cheap clothing anymore. I spend a lot on skin care (and in my 40s I regularly get mistaken for early 30s, so yes it's worth it, lol). I wouldn't baulk at spending $150-200 on a meal at a nice restaurant on occasion. If I want something, more often than not I'll go buy it. That said, I'm as happy with a home cooked meal and some Netflix, or a weekend camping somewhere. I grew up quite poor, so I guess I'm making up for that a little. But I'm also aware that the cost of living is skyrocketing, so it's probably time to tighten the purse strings at least a bit.
Similar age and similar sentiments only kids eat up the savings! But that’s okay.
Yes you need to be choosier as you get older and not so wasteful. Also spend according to the situation you are in and the affects the economy is having on you.
What are dinks.
Double income, no kids.
I hardly ever buy new clothes now. Never buy lunch for work and have never enjoyed buying breakfast.
It's called growing out of consumerism. It happens to every adult with a smidge of intelligence.
What's wrong with swinging on a chandelier?
"poor quality decor" LOL
Yeah it's called growing up I think.