You Don’t Have To Save Money on Everything

One of the easiest traps to fall into when you’re trying to save money is thinking you should save money on everything.

• Every grocery item needs to be the lowest price.
• Every purchase needs a coupon.
• Every household product needs a cheaper substitute.
• Every service needs to be renegotiated.
• Every scrap needs to be reused.
• Every possible savings opportunity needs to be pursued.

That’s exhausting.

And I’m not convinced it’s the best way to be frugal.

Most of us have limited time and mental energy to devote to managing our money. If we spend too much of it chasing tiny savings, we may have less available for the decisions that could actually make a significant difference.

Sometimes, “good enough” really is good enough.

Some Expenses Deserve More Attention Than Others

Suppose you spend an hour comparing prices and find a way to save $7 on something you buy twice a year.

You saved money.

But was that the best use of your money-saving energy?

Now consider spending that hour comparing auto insurance rates and discovering you can save $300 per year for comparable coverage. Or reviewing your grocery spending and finding three changes that save $25 every week. Or calling your internet provider and lowering your bill by $20 per month.

All savings count, especially when money is very tight. But not all savings provide the same return on your effort.

If you have limited time, start where the dollars are.

Identify Your Big Savings Categories

Look at where most of your household money goes.

For many households, that includes:

• Housing
• Food
• Transportation
• Insurance
• Utilities
• Debt
• Recurring services and subscriptions

You may not be able to reduce every one of these expenses, but even modest percentage savings on larger categories can add up.

Reducing a $700 monthly grocery bill by 10% saves $70. Reducing a $10 purchase by 10% saves $1.

Both are 10% savings. Only one is likely to noticeably change your budget.

Decide Where Frugality Comes Easily to You

There are also areas where saving money requires very little sacrifice or effort.

Take advantage of those.

• Maybe you genuinely enjoy meal planning and cooking from scratch.
• Perhaps buying secondhand comes naturally to you.
• Maybe you couldn’t care less about having the newest phone, expensive hair products or premium television packages.

Those are easy places to save because you don’t feel particularly deprived.

There’s no prize for choosing the hardest possible way to be frugal.

Save where saving comes easily, then use your energy on the areas where additional savings could make a meaningful difference.

Know Your “Not Worth It” Categories

Here’s something we don’t say often enough on a money-saving website: You are allowed to decide that some savings aren’t worth pursuing.

I don’t mean ignoring prices or spending carelessly.

I mean deliberately deciding that certain expenses don’t deserve much of your attention.

• Maybe you buy the same reasonably priced laundry detergent because it works and you don’t want to compare 14 brands every time
• Perhaps you shop at one grocery store even though you could save another $4 by driving to two others.
• Maybe you buy a convenience food every week because it keeps you from ordering takeout.

If it fits your budget and makes your life easier, you don’t necessarily need to optimize it.

Use a “Good Enough” Price

One way to reduce the mental work of frugality is to stop requiring the absolute lowest price.

Look for a good price instead.

Suppose you’ve compared prices and know that $3 or less is a good price for something your household buys regularly.

When it’s $2.79, buy it.

Could another store have it for $2.59? Maybe. But you’ve already established that $2.79 represents good value.

You can put it in the cart and get on with your day.