9 Ways I’m Spending Smarter to Save THOUSANDS

Let’s be honest, life is getting EXPENSIVE right now! I finally sat down to look at where my money was actually going, and yikes… we needed to make some changes. I’m sharing the 9 real adjustments I’m making to save thousands this year without being miserable or giving up the things I love. Let’s get our money right together!

Be honest with me for a second, but I know y’all always are. Does it feel like everything costs more, but nobody’s paycheck got the memo? Groceries are disrespectful. Scammers are on the scamming. Insurance is audacious. And every app that you so quietly open whispers, “Just one more purchase. Just one more subscription and then you’ll feel okay.” So, if you’ve quietly been thinking, “Why do I feel behind when I’m doing everything right?” It’s not you. The system is loud. The world is unstable. Can I get a amen? And spending without intention is how people quietly stay stressed.

Now, before we go any further, pause with me for a second. Could you hit like and leave me a six-word comment because YouTube has been a little stingy lately with serving y’all these full meals that I’ve been cooking up for you. Calm, control, and grown decisions only or whatever you would like to leave. And I’m serious because when you comment, it tells YouTube, “Hey, stop playing. Feed the people.” Later in this video, I’ll give you another one to drop, too. But now, let’s get into it.

Frugal Chic: What This Lifestyle Actually Means

So, the internet has been calling this lifestyle I’m talking about frugal chic. It’s by Mia McGrath. And when I heard it, I said, “Oh, that’s it. That’s it.” Because frugal chic is not cheap. It’s not sad and it’s not deprivation. Frugal chic is quiet luxury. It’s discernment. It’s saying my money works for me, not the other way around.

I’m a licensed psychologist, so I don’t just look at what we spend. I look at why stress spending, convenience spending. I deserve this and that spending when what we really deserve is rest, margin, and peace. And I saw your recent comments where you were talking about how you spend when you’re bored. Mhm. I see you, boo.

So, today I’m sharing nine ways I’m spending smarter to save thousands. Not to impress anybody, but my little baby Hanser, but to live well, smart, and sustainably in my very busy, and very real life.

Habit One: Stop Letting Money Leak Quietly

Habit one, I stop letting my money leak quietly like a leaky faucet, boo. Now, this one is foundational. I stopped letting all my money leave out of my account without my awareness. Not emergencies, not big purchases. I’m talking about the silent spending, the auto renewals you forgot about, the old crap emails that you get as they’re quietly deducting your account, small charges that don’t always trigger alarm bells, convenient spending that doesn’t always feel like a decision.

But here’s the psychology. When spending is invisible, your brain doesn’t register loss, but your nervous system is still feeling the pressure. That’s why people say stuff like, “I made decent money. Why do I still feel tight and broke?” Because your money is leaking in whispers, “Goodbye. Goodbye.”

Once I slowed things down and really saw where my money was going, I didn’t need willpower. Awareness did the work, and it was the accountability partner I needed. That’s frugal chic.

Habit Two: Fire Convenience as a Coping Skill

Habit two, I fire convenience as my coping skill. Let’s be honest, convenience and even boredom are expensive when you’re tired. Every time you say, “I don’t have the energy.” Your bank account says, “I’ll take care of it.”

Delivery food when the fridge is full. I’m talking to you, Linda. Last minute purchases because planning feels heavy. Yeah, that’s you, Tama. And same day shipping for something you could have waited on. Mhm. Sis, I see you.

I realized I wasn’t spending money. I was buying relief. M. Let that sit. Relief from decision fatigue. Relief from overwhelm. Relief from being touched out, tired, done.

So instead of asking what’s fastest, I started asking what makes my life easier tomorrow, meal systems, errands, batching, keeping the basics stocked so I’m not constantly reacting. Y’all, Frugal Chic isn’t doing more. It’s about thinking ahead so the future you can breathe.

Habit Three: Stop Throwing Away Food and Calling It Normal

Habit three, I stop throwing away food and calling it normal. This one humbled me and it does it every time, at least once a year, cuz this one will sneak up on you. Food waste is money in the trash. Let that sink in. Period.

I used to clean out the fridge like, “Well, that happens.” No, that’s 20. That’s 40. That’s a bill. Okay.

Now, I make it a point to check the fridge and the pantry before I shop. Leftovers getting repurposed. Produce gets used intentionally. I don’t buy aspirational groceries anymore because I’m scanning Tik Tok looking for recipes. I buy what I actually eat and know I will eat.

Do I mess up sometimes? Absolutely. But I didn’t change my diet per se. I changed my awareness. This is about stewardship and not scarcity.

Sponsored Segment: Rocket Money (Getting From Guessing to Knowing)

Now, let me pause here because none of this actually works if you can’t see what your money is doing. This part of the video is sponsored by Rocket Money. And this is one of the tools that have consistently helped me to get from guessing to knowing with my money.

When I connected with Rocket Money, I could see all my accounts in one place. Checking, savings, everything. That alone slowed my brain down. No hopping between apps, no mental gymnastics, and the subscriptions. Oo, baby.

I’ve told y’all this before. things I signed up for during my busy seasons, free trials I forgot to cancel, apps I used once but never touched again. Rocket Money pulls all of that into one clear list, and I was able to cancel subscriptions right in the app. And that’s with just a few tabs, no awkward emails, no runaround.

What helped me the most was the spending insights. I could see patterns like how convenient spending showed up during the stressful weeks. And that awareness helped me to make smarter decisions. And that was all without shaming myself.

As a licensed psychologist, I say this plainly. Clarity reduces anxiety. Rocket Money is free to download. You can try it at rocketmoney.com/denina. And that link is in the description. If your goal is calm, clarity, and grown decisions, this is the solid tool to support that.

Habit Four: Stop Buying Temporary

Habit four, I stopped buying temporary. Let me slow this one down. I realized I was buying things that weren’t meant to last. Bras that were fine and then lost shape. Shoes that were cute but then painful by hour or two. And some of those shoes were in the thousands. I ain’t going to say no names. [laughter] Kitchen tools that worked once or I worked them once and they quit or I quit.

So, I changed the question. I stopped asking the question, “Is this cute? Is this on sale?” And I started asking, “Will future me be annoyed by this?” If the answer was yes, I paused.

I bought one coat instead of three trendy jackets, which why was I buying any of it down in Texas? I don’t know. One pan extra that I actually enjoy cooking with. and my simple bags that I reach for every single day. Usually my cross body Lulu limit. Okay, I I I can’t live without it.

This is not about minimalism. It’s about ending the cycle of replacement. And I just love finding new joy in older things.

Habit Five: Make Your Home Cheaper to Live In (Not Just Prettier)

Habit five. I made our home cheaper to live in instead of prettier. This one required honesty with me and my hubby. I noticed that at one point I was trying to make my house look expensive and even if not looking expensive, have a certain aesthetic. And that was quietly costing more every single month for stuff that I was just going to misplace, move around, or get annoyed with.

Lights on in empty rooms, TVs on for background noise, dishwasher running on half full because I was impatient. So, I stopped fixing the look and started fixing the behavior. Lights off when I leave rooms. Appliances run intentionally. Heating and cooling stopped fighting the outside world.

No renovations, no fancy gadgets other than the ones that I love, like my tech. But the bills, they dropped anyway.

This isn’t about being Pinterest perfect. It’s about a house that doesn’t drain you just to exist. And I don’t know about y’all, and let me know down in the comments if you can relate to this. Try to go for aesthetics even when you can afford it. It’s not necessarily always the most comfortable.

Your home is meant to be peaceful. It’s meant to be your place of refuge. if it is disturbed or you’re disturbing yourself because you can’t have a coaster out of place or you can’t have this or that on the table or this needs to be under here. It’s just too much. Okay. So, I had to drop all of that.

Habit Six: Stop Using Your Car Like a Stress Button

Habit six and this one I learned from years ago. I stopped using my car like a stress button. Mhm.

Anytime I felt overwhelmed, my instinct was, let me just go get in a car. Forgot one thing? Drive. Stressed? Drive. Bored? Drive. And somehow spend money.

Short trips are literally the most expensive trips. And even if you live in a place where there’s easy tag, maybe you will run that thing up. Do you hear me? Thousands in a year.

Now, and for the past several years, I batch errands. Mhm. I plan my routes, keep my lists on me so I’m not zigzagging for vibes. Okay. Anything I need, I keep on my phone. That means that it’s related to all my devices so I can always keep up with what I need to purchase or get or where I need to stop.

And I tell my husband and I tell my family. If I ain’t get it, you gonna have to wait till the next time. [laughter]

And sometimes I just walk places or find other ways to get there. Not for fitness, but for efficiency. This is about respecting the cost of movement.

Habit Seven: Handle Small Health Issues Before They Become Big Bills

Habit seven. I stopped letting small health things turn into big bills. This is grown women business. I stopped years ago, 20 plus years ago, thinking it’s probably nothing. No ignoring anymore. We don’t do that because later ignoring becomes expensive.

Now, and in the past several years, whenever I have an issue, I handle it now. I ask questions. If I have to take medications because I have an infection or whatever it is, I ask about generic medications. I do not let small things turn dramatic. In fact, I’m the urgent care queen. And I know a good one. Okay. If I need to go, I’m going.

Avoiding health costs doesn’t make them cheaper or put off the cost because the cost today ain’t tomorrow’s cost. It makes them scarier. Mhm. This is about maintenance, not crisis mode.

Habit Eight: Pay Your Future Self Like She’s Real

Habit eight. I paid my future self like she’s real. I used to save like this and I quote, “If there’s extra, stop it. Stop. You know you will spend every dime. You not trying to have extra. There is never extra. You got to make it.”

So, I automated it. And I learned that from my mother. My mother is so good with money, y’all. I am going to brag on her right now. We just got her moved to Texas. And I tell you, she was able to pay for her third house in cash. Okay? In cash. I am motivated. Do you hear me? and she ain’t get there just playing around with if there’s extra.

So when I automate it, I don’t have to do heroic amounts, consistent amounts. In fact, when I get a brand deal or things like that, I don’t spend all my money. I I will not understand how people have these things to spend on. You can only have so many luxury items, luxury purses, luxury cars, luxury homes. Baby, live under your mans every single time.

I like to sleep comfortably. I don’t want to hear a repo man in my front yard. Okay, so future me deserves a lot. Less panic, more options, fewer how are we going to conversations. Savings stopped feeling restrictive and it started feeling like relief.

And look y’all, I’m going to be honest. Yes, I thank God for a nice home. I thank God for great vehicles. I thank God that my baby is able to go to a nice school. But let me say this. I don’t live well above my means. I don’t live for right now. I live for tomorrow.

This is so totally unscripted. I’m so passionate about this. And let me know if y’all want more from me in the financial department because I really have learned a lot about the dollar. I ain’t been I ain’t been perfect, okay? But I have found ways that have helped me to make better decisions with money. How to stay smart, how to stay frugal, how to stay, you know, comfortable with what you already have. And I think that’s the problem. We’re constantly seeing and inundated with things.

Yes, I love my Amazon hauls and my little stuff. But y’all, when I tell you I am one of the most frugal people, my friends even laugh because I take hand-me-downs. I I’m not even playing with y’all. I take hand-me-downs and I love it. I love when people think of me and say, “Hey, I think you would like this.” Or they’re scared to give it to me because they think I wouldn’t want something like that. Baby, I ain’t too proud, okay, at all?

And I urge you all, especially in times like these, you have to be careful. I was driving the other day caught a flat. I got run flat tires. 50 miles to the run, okay? [laughter] And thank God for it, but I had to buy all four tires cuz it was time for them to go $2700. Something like something crazy, okay?

Because run flats ain’t cheap. And not only that, getting all four changed at one time and balanced and all of that. And it wasn’t overpriced cuz I check with my people. Stuff happens. Make sure you prepare your pockets.

Even if you don’t make much, live below what you make. And I know in this world that’s not easy to say. I’m not sitting here saying that’s super easy and not everybody has it the same way. But if you’re blessed to not have to spend, don’t.

Habit Nine: Stop Trying to Impress People Who Don’t Pay Your Bills

Habit nine. And this was another one I learned in my 20s. I stopped trying to impress people who don’t pay my bills and probably don’t even pay their own. This is the real shift, but I could have said something else minus the f. Okay.

Impressing others is not where it’s at. I don’t need my life to look expensive. I need it to function well. I’m only one human being. My husband is another human being. Our baby is a little human being. Y’all can’t tell. I just adore her little self.

And yes, I told y’all I outsource some things. I do have someone that comes to clean the house once a month. I do have someone that comes in at least once to twice a week to keep up with organization and housekeeping and house management. That’s something I knew I was not going to sacrifice in my life. Okay? I’ve always had someone to clean my home, even when I first owned my first home when I was 28 years old.

So, those things are cleaning, organizing, editing. Hey, editors and planners. And that’s not because I’m wasteful, but because those things protect my energy. They also help me to be more resourceful, create more resources as well. My editors make it possible for me to sit here with you all. these sponsorships, things like that.

Even liking this video, what you do for free, baby, really helps me to be able to continue to be productive and take care of things.

And when I say protecting energy, I’m talking about energy to think, energy to earn, cuz that takes energy, and energy to work smart and efficiently. This is about knowing when to save money, and when to protect your bandwidth.

And don’t let nobody shame you if you’re a mother, if you’re a wife, or if you not. Even if you just single and on your own with your little dog, cuz that was me at one point, having someone clean my home.

I had a lot of people that had something to say, well, why you need somebody? Because I do. Because I am. Because I will. You ain’t mad as you. Okay. I need that in order for me to be able to do this. And that’s important.

That’s why I like to be frugal with my resources because you never know what could be protecting your peace, what could be protecting your mental clarity and your mental space. I think that’s why I’ve been able to last so long through ups and downs in my life because I’ve known when to hold them and when to fold them.

And if more of us started to understand what resources could be used for instead of the frivolous things sometimes we choose to use them on, we would see that a lot of times I don’t

Okay, so for instance, I didn’t have my first real luxury bag that I bought until my 30s. Till my mid30s, y’all. I’m I’m not even playing. Every other one before that had been given to me. Thank God. But the one that I bought wasn’t telling. And since I married my husband, I ain’t bought not a one. Okay. Thank you, Mr. Harness. Okay.

But I will say this. I know that instead of having a bag that I’ve paid thousands and thousands of dollars for, I’d rather have someone clean once a month. That’s just me. I’m just being real with y’all. Okay?

Click like if you can relate or if you would like to relate or if you growing up to relate, just let me know.

Closing: Peace Over Pressure Always

Let me say this. The people who look calm right now, they’re not lucky. They’re intentional.

If this fed you, go ahead and click like, subscribe, share this with someone who can use it, and drop this in the comments so YouTube can stop playing with us if you made it to the end. Peace over pressure always.

All right, y’all. I’ll see y’all in the next one. Dr. Nina signing out. Peace!

Take control of your finances today. Go to https://RocketMoney.com/drnina to get started for free.