5 Things I Stopped Spending Money On and Saved $2,000 a Year

I was thinking the other day about how much of my monthly spending goes toward things that don't really add much value to my life. So I sat down and made a list of the things I intentionally don't spend on. Here is the list, with the actual numbers behind each choice.

Transport to Work

I cycle to work four days a week (1 day work from home). If I took public transport instead, it would cost me $4 a day to and fro, about $16 a week, or roughly $70 a month. Cycling costs me practically nothing beyond a bit of effort and occasional bike maintenance. The exercise is a bonus on top of the savings.

Savings: about $70 a month.

No Subscriptions

I don't subscribe to Netflix, Spotify, or similar services. If I want to watch something, I wait until it's free somewhere. For music, I stick to YouTube or the radio. Netflix alone runs about $16 a month and Spotify about $11. Add a couple more subscriptions and you're easily at $40 to $50 a month, which works out to nearly $500 a year.

Savings: about $40 a month.

No Food Delivery

I don't order delivery. If I want food, I go down and get it myself. Yes, it's sometimes inconvenient, especially when it's hot or raining. But a typical delivery order comes with a $3 to $4 delivery fee, a 10 percent service charge, and the temptation to add extra items to the cart. Order even twice a month and that's an easy $20 to $30 in avoidable cost.

Savings: about $25 a month.

DIY Minor Repairs

I recently cleared my own blocked drain instead of calling a plumber. A call out here would easily run $80 to $150. I also replaced my own automatic door lock when it started acting up, which would have cost $150 to $300 if I got someone in. The tools I bought to do it myself cost about $30 to $50, and I'll reuse them again.

Doing just two or three of these a year instead of hiring someone can save $200 to $500 annually.

Savings: about $30 to $40 a month on average.

Second Hand Handphone

I buy used phones on Carousell instead of new. A new handphone costs $800 to $1,200 or more, and it loses value the moment it leaves the box. A used one that's a couple of years old still handles calls, messages, WhatsApp, and browsing perfectly fine, at a much lower price. I typically save $200 to $300 per phone, and I use each one for 3 to 4 years.

Savings: about $5 to $8 a month.

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Putting It All Together

Item	Monthly Savings (approx.)
Cycling to work	about $70
No subscriptions	about $40
No food delivery	about $25
DIY repairs	about $30 to $40
Second hand handphone	about $5 to $8
Total	about $170 to $180

That is roughly $2,000 to $2,200 a year I don't spend, without feeling like I'm living like a monk.

None of these are life changing on their own. But together they add up. And that is the point. It is not about depriving yourself of everything. It is about asking yourself what you are spending on, how much it actually costs you, and whether it is worth it.

Some things are worth every cent. Others are just habits we never questioned.

What would be on your list, and how much would you save?

Thanks for reading, and do check out my other posts on saving and investing.

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