I had such a great response to my Top 6 ways of cutting spending without cutting lifestyle blog that I have added 4 more of my personal ways I cut spending without cutting my lifestyle!

So many of you had savings that went straight to your bottom line – money that you now have without compromising on the things you love! Now that’s finance savvy!

And how much did your confidence in managing your money grow as you made your way through the list?

Here are the 4 additional ways you can also cut spending without cuts to your lifestyle, in no particular order:

4. Hair and beauty – this is just one area where being a woman is so costly. I looked at all the beauty treatments I wanted and realised that if I did them all, the balance of monies would have to come off other things I wanted more. So, I prioritise but without missing out. Here's how I do it...

If you have met me, you know I have balayage blonde foils – that’s no mistake – it allows me to stretch having my hair done at the hairdresser I love but I go less times per year than I would need to if I had full platinum blonde (like I did in my 20’s!). By doing this I only go 3 times per year rather than 8 times per year. That is a saving of $1400 per year.

I don’t wax my legs or underarms – mainly because I can’t bear the pain but when the savings started adding up, there was no going back! Rather than spending $60 per month, I spend about $3 on razors. That is a saving of $684 per year. Bikini waxing for summer is a must – so I make sure I prioritise that!

I absolutely LOVE to have my eyebrows and eyelashes dyed (any other blondies out there know how important this is?!) but the cost at the place I love is $85. So, I still go to the place I love but rather than go each month, I go 3 times per year and in between I do my own with a home dye kit. Rather than spending $1020 per year, I spend $274.95. That is a saving of $745.05 right in my pocket and I still have everything that I want!

I apply this same approach to skincare, manicures, pedicures and the long list of all the options we have as women, but it is simply this – I prioritise what I want and find ways to stretch out in between.

I use Chanel daily skincare and I don’t bat an eyelid at it – because I know it is in my budget and I would rather do that than go for a facial. That’s how I cut spending without cutting lifestyle. Instead of spending $720 per year on facials, I spend $450 on beautiful skincare. That is a saving of $270 per year and for me, I love it because I enjoy it everyday!

No doubt you will have different treatments you value – however the principle is the same. So, what is it that you can swap so you can have something more in the area you value most?

3. End of season sales – I don’t fall for them. I sometimes plan for them, but I never fall for them. I realised a long time ago that we are only ever a few weeks away from another sale.

I decide I will wait it out. 99% of the time, I don’t go back and have long forgotten what it is that I had my eye on anyway. So, this one is an easy win. I miss out on nothing because clearly it wasn’t priority anyway. I don’t get caught by marketing tactics and ploys.

Did you know that marketing firms use psychologists to better understand human behaviour and ensure they can get you to buy what they want? Keep that in mind next time you are battling with yourself - is this something I really want or is this something that I am being convinced to buy?

2. Tax Minimisation. It is perfectly acceptable to legally minimise tax and it is certainly one of the ways that the rich get richer. You too must plan your tax returns each year and start well ahead of the end of financial year. One of the best things you can do for yourself is to keep a log book of your work related expenses.

You will be surprised how quickly they add up. A new laptop, a laptop bag, a new mouse, stationery and what about fuel expenses for work travel (that doesn’t include travelling to and from work but it does include all the travel you do for your work that doesn't get reimbursed by your employer).

This year the home office claim rules have changed and the Australian Taxation Office is being a little more relaxed so be sure to check out what you can claim for working from home.

My best suggestion here is to understand tax and what you can claim. I hear people say ‘don’t worry I get it all back on tax’ and for work related expenses, that just isn’t true. You get a ‘portion’ of it back on tax, if you have paid tax.

So know how much you are actually getting back before you decide if you want to spend on that item or if you would prefer to push for your workplace to pay for that item for you. You could save yourself thousands of dollars.

The most recent example I have of this is someone telling me they didn't mind having to spend money on new work equipment as they were going to get it all back on tax. When I showed them the calculation of their particular scenario, they were only getting $400 back, not the full $2000.

Next time they are going to negotiate for their work to outlay for the item and keep the $1600 in their pocket.

1. Food Waste. This one is easy. This is that awful moment at the end of the week when we bin the beautiful produce we purchased last week and did not get around to eating.

According to food waste facts in Australia (https://www.foodbank.org.au/food-waste-facts-in-australia/?state=qld) the average household sends $2500 of waste to the tip each year. Of that, 70% is still edible!!

I know sometimes things come up during the week or we don’t feel like cooking and that happens – you can do something about that though. Freeze the items or pack them away for longer preservation before they start rotting – do it when you get it home from the shops.

There are so many great hints and tips on social media these days on how to package fruit and vegetables to last longer. Go check  them out and keep that $2500 in your pocket each year! Check out my $21 Challenge review.

Easier still though is the trick to learning the difference between ‘Use By’ and ‘Best Before’ dates. Often items are wasted simply because people mix the two up – a Best Before date is NOT a Use By date – according to Food Standards Australia, you can consume items after the Best Before date, read all about it here https://www.foodstandards.gov.au/consumer/labelling/dates/Pages/default.aspx.

 Conclusion

Again! It is absolutely possible to cut spending without missing out on the lifestyle you want! Once you get into the swing of it, it will get easier and easier.

So now you are making great savings, tell us in the comments section below what you have been doing with the money you have saved.

For those of you that have already worked your way down the list, tell us in the comments below what other ways you cut your spending without cutting your lifestyle.

How easy was that? 4 more ways to cut spending without cutting your lifestyle. Apply all 10 Ways to Cut Spending without Cutting your Lifestyle and you could have thousands extra in your bank account each year to spend on the life you really want.

Already doing each of the 10? Great Work!! 

Send me an email [email protected] and let me know how much you have saved.

Already made your way through this list and looking for more ways to save? Check out our Facebook group Finance for Mummies https://www.facebook.com/groups/financeformummies

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