What have you cut down on/cut out in terms of spending due to cost of living?

I bought some of those Cadburys breakfast cereal bars a month or so back and I actually burst out laughing when I opened them. They were comically small compared to what I remember.

Fortunately I've basically given up chocolate so I don't feel like I'm missing anything any more.

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Pen_dragons_pizza@reddit

So true, the bottoms are not even flat anymore, they have hollowed out the bars which is nuts

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keeponkeepingup@reddit

Bourbon biscuits, hot chocolate, or chocolate mousse scratch the itch when you crave it as well. All are sooo much cheaper.

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Vequihellin@reddit

Yes! This! I buy the more expensive M&S bars or Hotel Chocolat, but because they're so expensive, I buy it less often and eat less of it.

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PolarLocalCallingSvc@reddit

Not recently.

But a few years ago we started the process of re-evaluating our spending. We do takeaway once a month, after our paydays.

We invested in solar panels etc to reduce bills.

I repair clothes as much as practically possible unless they end up looking awful. So socks, which I wear holes in a lot, I save up and then every few months I'll have a night in front of the TV or campfire darning them. I'll repairs most clothes but if my jeans wear at the crotch I'm afraid I'm probably getting rid of them.

We heat the person, then the room, then the house in that order. If it's just a tad nippy, blanket and slipper socks. If it's very cold, heating is on for the rooms we're in. If we've got guests, heating is on for the whole house. That sort of thing.

We switch things off when not using them. I don't mean obsessing over the cooker having a standby clock, but if we're leaving a room then lights and TV will go off etc.

Other than that we don't fret things. If we want to go out for a meal, we go out for a meal. If I want to drive 300mi to bag a Munro and it'll cost me £60 in diesel, I'll do it.

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lindyhoppette@reddit

How much difference have you noticed with the solar panels?

[-]

PolarLocalCallingSvc@reddit

Our electricity bill most month's is zero.

Bearing in mind half our panels are on north facing roof.

For some context though, I work from home maybe 3bdays a week, my partner only occasionally works from home, no children, and we spend a lot of our weekends out in the hills so not actually at home.

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lindyhoppette@reddit

Thank you so much for your reply and for the context for how you live, it really helps! We’ve been thinking about panels for a while, just need to get round to actually doing to research into what would best suit us!

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PolarLocalCallingSvc@reddit

It's a bit of a tricky landscape because there's so many unknowns.

How much will electricity prices rise over the course of the panel lifespan?
The panel lifespan may state say 30 years but what that means is usually along the lines of after 30 years they will only be 80% operational efficiency, so they do last longer but deteriorate further after this point.
Panels becoming more efficient and retaining their efficiency for longer than some older estimates
How much money could you make by taking the money you'd invest in solar panels by putting it into a reasonable investment in a S&S ISA
Etc

We try to live a lower carbon lifestyle. Sometimes it's more feasible than other times, but going months on end without paying for electricity at least feels like a good step forwards.

What I would say is - a lot of the cost of installing solar panels is actually the scaffolding etc, while the panels themselves are actually very cheap. If you need roofing repairs, try and coordinate someone to both do the roofing repairs and install the solar panels, or at least share the scaffolding.

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lindyhoppette@reddit

Thank you, this is a lot to think about!

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Beautiful_Spread7866@reddit

I used to have a weekly steak. You used to be able to get a rump for £3.50. Last time I went Tesco it was 7.50 per steak so goodbye weekly steak night

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shitthrower@reddit

Have you switched to a fortnightly steak?

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Beautiful_Spread7866@reddit

I’ve been buying the ranch steaks. You know the 4 shitty ones in 1 packet and cutting them up for steak fajitas

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SmugDruggler95@reddit

We do the same lol

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ccinosauce@reddit

You can get meat tenderiser powder for a more succulent steak

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LoyalWatcher@reddit

Sainsbury's do 2-pack steaks with a blob of garlic butter for like £5.50. They usually come out really well and are amazing for the price.

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redrioja@reddit

Go to Aldi or Lidl. Tesco is a rip-off.

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walkthelands@reddit

must be the nicer rump steaks?

i get mine for around 4.75 at tesco (price matched with Aldi).

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Beautiful_Spread7866@reddit

They must not stock those at my Tesco but we have just had a new Aldi built nearby so think I’ll start shopping there instead

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phatboi23@reddit

aldi steaks are pretty decent and fairly priced i've found. :)

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walkthelands@reddit

Aldi steaks are solid - i would get mine form there but its a little further away.

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majkkali@reddit

Yeah, steaks and generally beef has gotten so much more expensive, seriously like wtf

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granicarious@reddit

£7.50 apposed to £18-25 if you eat out - is how I justify a steak night. Wish I had a bbq to cook it on though.

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Beautiful_Spread7866@reddit

True but for me it’s more of a principal thing. I’ll go to the butchers and buy a steak for the same price rather than support Tesco who have raised the price by 100%

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JonnotheMackem@reddit

This for us too. It's a monthly/6 weekly thing now.

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Beautiful_Spread7866@reddit

I had a Costa the other day - £5.05 for a large??!! Glad I bought a coffee machine instead

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K1ng_Canary@reddit

Takeaways definitly the big one.

Previously we might think 'can't be bothered to cook tonight, lets get a takeaway.' Now it's very much a planned special occasion type thing.

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Colloidal_entropy@reddit

Supermarkets generally have prepared meals/pizza which require you to put them in the oven and wait 30 minutes, but are significantly cheaper than takeaway for a quick meal. And not really much more effort.

I don't really understand the amount of fast food delivery which goes on, unless they are really about side orders.

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xxx654@reddit

Even a good supermarket pizza isn’t a patch on a decent Italian takeaway one so I get it as an occasional treat.

I wouldn’t thank you for a Domino’s/Papa John’s though.

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Colloidal_entropy@reddit

Decent Italian pizza doesn't travel well, I ordered some from a place which can't have taken more than 5 mins to deliver during lockdown and was really disappointed. I've eaten in there before and since and it was excellent.

Thicker pizza is usually what the chains deliver and isn't really distinguishable from what you get in supermarkets.

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fergie_89@reddit

I personally love Sambuca takeaway. Dominoes is always good but so expensive.

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Result_Necessary@reddit

out of interest which ones are you having? the meals that take 30 mins in the oven. I just had my first Charlie Bingham 2 person ready meal yesterday and while it was £5 each for the meal, that is a lot cheaper than min £10 each for local chippy. Always open to finding more of these options for those nights when you would have gone for a take away, but not its just too much money.

After having that Charlie Bingham sweet and sour pork ready meal, I have now found a recipe to make these myself so will be adding that to the meal prep list, so should be cheaper!

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Colloidal_entropy@reddit

Cook is my preferred option at the nicer end, M&S generally good though selection in store is a bit variable these days.

But even Tesco/Sainsbury have some reasonable options as most takeaways aren't offering Michelin Star quality.

[-]

adreddit298@reddit

Cheaper and quicker. Can be 45 minutes from deciding to order to receiving a takeaway. Other than having to go get it, which is negated if you think ahead and pick it up when shopping anyway, pre-prepared meals are usually quicker.

[-]

Wishmaster891@reddit

supermarket pizzas are ok but no where near as good as Dominos

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K1ng_Canary@reddit

I've never had a supermarket pizza or curry that scratches the itch in quite the same way.

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Top-Significance8791@reddit

I’d rather buy steak and have that than a takeaway. Nicer, still a treat and cheaper.

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Competitive_Pen7192@reddit

I think as a family we last had fish and chips in 2020 or sometime thereabouts.

I can't be paying £15 for deep fried food. It goes against what I've grown up as when it was a cheap comfort food.

Still get an Indian once a month around pay day however but that's it.

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Eastern_Idea_1621@reddit

Meals out same. Only for bdays etc now

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eddilefty699@reddit

Biscuits and crisps. I mean fancy crisps, the really fancy ones.

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Respond_Sometimes@reddit

I’ve always been a fan of cheap bourbon biscuits.

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eddilefty699@reddit

Have you ever tried fried egg crisps? Or cheese and red wine flavoured crisps.

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sharps2020@reddit

Torres?

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eddilefty699@reddit

Ye

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sharps2020@reddit

Nice aren't they? 😋 Although ridiculously expensive 😥

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eddilefty699@reddit

I wonder if the HENRY sub ever debates them

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sharps2020@reddit

HENRY? Never heard of that one.

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PsychologicalDish430@reddit

The best kind!

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TomLondra@reddit

I make my clothes and shoes last for as long as possible by wearing old stuff when I'm at home and only "dressing up" when I go out.

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CyclingBrit@reddit

isnt this what people do anyway? Its what Ive done for most of my life

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Result_Necessary@reddit

just seems to make sense right? i have trainers from 20 years ago that don't look great but very functional to house work etc. only buy new stuff for when i need to like a holiday or something.

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TomLondra@reddit

Working from home means you save a lot of money on clothes.

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Shuu_EHNR@reddit

For me, definitely fast food. In the past I would have something like McDonalds or KFC probably once a week, be it on a work lunchbreak, or when out and about somewhere. I was also a real sucker for a Domino's.

I think this is in part financial, in part changing tastes. I lost a ton of weight when I turned 30 and have been really committed to keeping it off, and nine times out of ten if I do indulge in fast food it doesn't satisfy me.

That's probably a combo of price and flavour - I don't know if it's necessarily worse now, or has always been bad and the cheap price offset that. Going somewhere nicer but more expensive once, or cooking things I know I like myself, tend to satisfy more. £12+ for mediocre food just doesn't hit.

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theroch_@reddit

Fuel. I’ve stopped going to work to save money.

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CaveJohnson82@reddit

You joke but I realised yesterday the price of fuel going up so much means a £20 twice a week train ticket is actually cheaper than driving.

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decisiontoohard@reddit

I didn't think it was a joke, I assumed they were talking about working from home

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Confident_Ice_5180@reddit

Honestly I think it's a huge problem that getting public transport (particularly trains) almost always works out more expensive than driving. Me and my partner recently got a long distance train journey and calculated that even taking into account increased fuel costs, it still cost us about twice as much as if we'd driven.

Not that I think pricing people of being able to travel at all is the solution to this, but the cost of train travel is insane. And you have to be supremely organised to get anything like a reasonable deal, with little flexibility especially given as some train operators have removed open return tickets.

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CaveJohnson82@reddit

Absolutely. I'd rather get the train - less driving so I can doze during my journey or read a book - station is right by my office - not to mention the 120 miles a week driving instead in a solo-occupied diesel car and the environmental factor.

But of course, the train is expensive, I still have to drive to the station (although it's only 2 miles and free parking) - and although I'm going Liverpool to Manchester, there doesn't appear to be a fast train and the one I get is always delayed, with the return journey mostly being cancelled or severely delayed as well.

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KoorbB@reddit

How far we’ve fallen as a nation when this isn’t a joke.

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keeponkeepingup@reddit

Ooh same. I work from home.

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sharps2020@reddit

Pffft 😂

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Raqonteur@reddit

Cut down on takeaways, one every month or two now.

Cut down on new clothes. Buy a lot from Vinted instead. Tried selling too but even selling at rock bottom prices people still want you to take 50p off, was it even worth the time it took to type?

Cut out frozen battered fish. £7.50 for 4 pieces, I work in a supermarket and remember being shocked when it jumped to £5. Haven't bought any in at least 3 years now.

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ResponsibilityNo3245@reddit

Nights out.

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WigglesFT@reddit

The biggest difference for me was quitting smoking.

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sharps2020@reddit

At £20 (at a guess) a packet, I'm not surprised.

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nomotivationgf@reddit

A big factor in us being able to buy a house was quitting smoking (and mostly quitting drinking) to save the money. I would kill for a crushball and a dark fruits when the weather is this good though🤷‍♀️

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sharps2020@reddit

I vape every now and then (have done for years since I gave up) on 0% nicotine though, so it's basically just a habit, really should stop but it costs about £1p/m

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phatboi23@reddit

I would kill for a crushball and a dark fruits when the weather is this good though🤷‍♀️

the berry crushballs were decent, basically a cig and dark fruits in 1 haha

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nah_nah222@reddit

Weed, and recently cigarettes.

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butcherboi91@reddit

Me and the wife got rid of gym memberships and built a garage home gym.

We're the same in regards to takeaways but especially pizza. I now make them from scratch and while it took a bit of practice, they are now far nicer and lots more cheese and better quality (and quanitity) toppings. All in, I can make two pizzas that fill the pizza baking trays for about £8-£10.

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sharps2020@reddit

I tend to just keep wearing the clothes I already own. Some of my t-shirts are older than my adult children.

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butcherboi91@reddit

I have a few of those too but my wife told me I needed to update my wardrobe as a lot of it was tatty.

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sharps2020@reddit

Fair enough, I do have smart stuff as well, but that's old too 😂. I'm 51 now, so not really bothered anymore.

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SmugDruggler95@reddit

How many months to break even on home built gym vs gym membership?

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butcherboi91@reddit

Quite long! I shopped around and waited for the big sales so managed to save 2k compared to MSRP and got what I think is a good setup that you can see on my profile (it now has mirrors and some additional decor but otherwise the same). All in was a bit under £4k and our local gym does a joint membership for £58 per month making it just under 6 years to break even. But then there are no fuel costs to go to the gym, no other people's funk all over equipment, the stuff I want to use is always free, my music is on the speakers rather than the rubbish they usually play at gyms, and its open 24/7.

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phatboi23@reddit

home gym is so useful.

when i lived at my parents they had a rower, treadmill, stationary bikes and weights in the conservatory.

can't sleep at 3am?

i'd go do a few miles on the bike and lift some weights.

(thankfully it was on the opposite side of the house completely from my parents bedroom so never woke them up)

since i moved out i've missed it as an option as my flat is WAY too small for even half that stuff haha

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shanep1991@reddit

Cut out almost all fast food in general & most snacks. I have the occasional treat with a cup of tea probably one or two days a week only. I only buy foods that feed my body with nutrients and minerals.

Dropped Amazon Prime, I was too reliant on it.

Went back to a PAYG sim so I only top up when needed, I'm home a lot so I rely on wifi. I was essentially wasting £18 a month on EE.

Start buying more produce from world food sections in supermarkets and online, you could get the same produce but cheaper there a lot of the time.

Something I'd like to add to this even though it's not available in my area yet is switching to Giffgaff Broadband. It's £28 a month for 500mb where I'm currently paying £48 with EE.

All in all I probably save about £50 a month but as Tesco would say, every little helps.

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No_Ring_3348@reddit

Largely cut beef from my diet as it's simply not worth the price premium over pork and chicken.

[-]

AskUK-ModTeam@reddit

This topic has been discussed either too often over time or recently.

Please search the sub or Google instead.

[-]

JMPappjam@reddit

Disposable razors, now use double edged razor
Expensive shaving foam now use hand wash soap, IMO does the same job 😅
All this now costing me near on £1 a year, not even looked at the costs of premium disposables since and don’t want to.

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abhisiiingh@reddit

Cigg

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GroupCurious5679@reddit

Reading the comments, I'm wondering how many takeaways and restaurants will still be open in 5 years time. It's such a shame that so many people can't afford to enjoy a treat anymore. Me included. Although I'm lucky as my partner replicates most takeaways at home.

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Result_Necessary@reddit

would love to see the list of the take aways they make at home for inspo!

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GroupCurious5679@reddit

https://youtu.be/BsSyhP-OYbM?is=HlSBfbxHhQdpaQx0 This is the base gravy I mentioned.

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GroupCurious5679@reddit

He makes cracking curries from scratch with a base gravy,recipe for that is on YouTube, the channel is called Latif's inspired. He makes a big batch which we freeze, and he then makes rogan josh, vindaloo,korma etc from that. It's quite labour intensive but once the base gravy is done, curries are easy to make and so worth it. He also makes Chinese food from scratch, with crispy beef being one of my favourites. We usually buy a whole duck,it's not that expensive and lasts 3 of us for a couple of days. We do buy Iceland frozen kebab meat though, it's 3 bags for a tenner and it's really nice.

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Agreeable_Falcon1044@reddit

the "mid" level restaurants are largely all gone. There was a period where they were thriving (the main courses around 18 quid, sit down type chains)...but you look at everything from Cafe Rouge to Frankie and Benny's and TGI Fridays - they're all closing.

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CicadaSlight7603@reddit

Was wondering the same

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foreverrfernweh@reddit

Having canned chickpeas for 50p to last several meals instead of beef mince for £7.50 to last only a few meals more than that

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Dry_Yogurt2458@reddit

I haven't used mince in a long time. Everything is chick peas and kidney beans and any other pulses that can bulk out a meal. it saves a lot and is a lot more healthy. The new vacuum packed mince is just stodge anyway, so I don't really miss it.

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No-Objective9145@reddit

Eating out/takeaway. That’s the easiest and quickest way to save money as eating out in the UK is expensive. Also cooking at home means I can have healthier meals for less money. Win-win.

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Sandy_Bananas@reddit

I’m trying to cut down my tobacco intake. I smoke heavily and even buying import baccy it still adds up.

I’ve bought a couple of decent vapes and it seems to be helping so far.

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redlady1991@reddit

Until October when new vape taxes come in 😞 don't forget to stock up a bit or learn to DIY your own juice!

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Sandy_Bananas@reddit

I had no idea. Thanks for the heads up.

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cbawiththismalarky@reddit

I've not yet painted the bottom of my yacht this year, the iran war is going to be costly for yacht owners...

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No-Echo-8927@reddit

If you're paying over 10£ per month for your mobile contract you're getting screwed

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AutoModerator@reddit

It looks like you've written the pound sign (£) after the number 10, but it should be written before the number like this: £10.

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[-]

muchreally@reddit

Takeaways, and general eating out. We still go out, just without the "let's eat when we are out" vibe - more a "let's eat before we go" or take stuff with us.

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RaspberryJammm@reddit

Alcohol-free beer and soft drinks

Takeaways

Organic food

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skylark9999@reddit

Fast casual chain restaurants. Stuff like las iguanas, chiquitos, nandos, Wagamamas etc. Worse quality and more expensive than it ever was. Not worth it anymore, we save up for fewer, but higher quality, meals out the house now.

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JedsBike@reddit

Meat. Try to only eat meat twice a week now.

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_a_m_s_m@reddit

Fr, with current prices, more lentils & beans it is!

I will say, a pressure cooker is an excellent investment, soaked dry beans/lentils will cook much faster & use less energy.

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Ancient_phallus_@reddit

Heading back to the days of a turkey just for Christmas 😂

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amiiwu@reddit

I've cut down on everything. Everything. I have enough to survive and that's it. No fun, no improvements. I just have to hope nothing goes wrong.

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longbottomleaf29@reddit

its easier to list all I can afford at present rather than all I’ve had to cut down on

reduced price food
discounted food at work
bills (barely)
rent (barely)

living the dream, i am

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NrthnLd75@reddit

Coke.

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Icecream-hater@reddit

No more cheese. Sadly that's now a luxury item

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Result_Necessary@reddit

got a cheese board from asda the other day, was a fiver and had 6 different types of cheeses. worth a look as it was really nice and a decent amount of food for a bbq

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sharps2020@reddit

I deleted temu, klarna and clearpay. Cleared most of my credit card (down to £500 now) and lowered the limit to £1k, that'll be cleared at the end of May, the just kept for big purchases that need the backing of a credit card, then paid off.

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Rude_Chemist_3090@reddit

Things shouldn't be like this in 2026 it's a disgrace. People getting richer whilst everyone else is cutting down. Just like COVID. Disgraceful

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Past_Grass_@reddit

Pizza 100%

Aldis range are brilliant, then i spend a bit extra for the toppings i like. Total around 10(inc garlic bread) and its way better than any of the pizza places.

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Beginning-Annual-860@reddit

I used to tan lightly, have my nails done monthly, get my hair done, go out. I no longer do any of this. I used to heat my house in winter to 23. Now I don’t put the heating on unless it’s before freezing. I wear a lot of jumpers.

[-]

kone29@reddit

I used to try new make up or other cosmetics (hair stuff, skin care), now I only repurchase what I need

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snot_in_a_jar@reddit

I've cut down on takeaways. On the he rare occasion me & the wife do actually get something now, it'll be a fish and chips for about £15 as opposed £40 for a curry.

Had an huge purge of subscriptions, with only netflix and Disney plus remaining. We moved onto the cheapest options for both, but I have a PC in my front room for media and as blockers thankfully work on both platforms.

Id say the biggest saver has not necessarily been cutting things down/out though, but actually looking for better deals on the things we need.

Below is all courtesy of uSwitch.

I changed our broadband which cut down from £48pm to £29pm and kept the same speed (plus a £160 Amazon gift card).

Taken a punt on lesser know but cheaper mobile phone carriers (iD mobile costs us both £8pm each for unlimited texts/calls with rolling 50gb data).

Now getting cheaper home insurance which saves about £7pm.

Switched our energy provider to Fuse which is saving about £12pm.

[-]

Which_Lychee6422@reddit

Clothes. Holidays. Meals out. Alcohol. Hairdressers.

I only really miss the holidays.

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CurvePuzzleheaded361@reddit

Nothing thankfully but obviously we see that things we enjoy now cost more. The only thing we can see giving up eventually is my husbands personal trainer. £50 a week isnt cheap but he is in his 50s and wants to rebuild muscle lost with age and be stronger. Doesnt have a clue about weights so relies on the trainer.

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Imaginary_Finger7844@reddit

I've made the ultimate sacrifice by cutting down on Kebabs.

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tylerthe-theatre@reddit (OP)

The British Isles thank you for your sacrifice

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Imaginary_Finger7844@reddit

I appreciate your acknowledgement of the painful sacrifice I've had to make. Unclogged arteries are also a bonus.

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-aLonelyImpulse@reddit

Food, mainly. We used to try a lot more impulsively at the shops, and make new recipes often. Now we stick to our staples and only do new recipes occasionally. We also don't go out to eat as often because the selection/quality is overall poorer, and no longer worth the price. I'm also vegetarian, and a lot of places around here have reduced their veggie menu to one single item, which gets dull. There's a place around here where my only option is a cheese and tomato toastie... for £9. Husband says the meat is lower quality and there's less options for him, too -- lots of takes on chicken and not much more.

We also don't drive out and explore places as much because of fuel prices, and we have genuinely cut down on takeaway coffee lol. We used to get a couple while out, but that's now coming to almost £30 sometimes.

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Eyesengard@reddit

Almost £30 for two coffees!? Where?

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-aLonelyImpulse@reddit

Four coffees! The medium with syrup runs to about £7 each and we used to get one each on the way in and one each during a break in the day 😬 So, 7x4.

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2c0@reddit

Well I haven't bought a yacht this week.

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knityourownlentils@reddit

Peasant!

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fernofry@reddit

Takeaways. Used to have 1 a week. Now it's 1 per month if that

[-]

MoosesHuman@reddit

I cancelled my good gym and went for the community gym - it's crappy though and I don't go, so I'll cancel that when it expires. I just run now because it's free.

I buy clothes rarely now, I'm trying to just save up and get good, long-lasting quality clothes instead now.

Don't get takeaway, like, ever. It used to be about once a month, then special occasions, now never.

I don't go to pubs, or cinemas, or days out.

I've started eating more vegetarian because meat is so expensive.

I drive slow because fuel is more expensive.

So pretty much, anything that sparks a small amount of joy, I don't do.

[-]

everlights121@reddit

Going to Aldi/Lidl more often. Much more home bands, almost everything is home brands now, except snacks.

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jonathing@reddit

Happiness

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essdotemm1@reddit

Takeaway too - I can’t enjoy them knowing they cost so much now

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DragonWolf5589@reddit

No shoes. No clothes. No eating out. Definitely no holidays (since before covid), cut down on haircuts, no Disney, no Netflix, no hobbies, no snacks (just essential foods)

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keeponkeepingup@reddit

Everything you've mentioned. I put my netflix on the lowest subscription cost one with ads (and actually there is barely any), and then realised i havent even watched netflix for a while so I have paused it altogether. I'm tight with my subscriptions nowadays as they can add up without you realising and without you really using them.

Also, I dont use the big supermarkets anymore, just aldi, lidl and b&m food. The savings from this are actually insane.

I always plant flowers every year, this year i am making it all just evergreens - i now won't have to spend money on new flowers every spring, I will have colour all winter, and the maintenence will be drastically reduced as well.

And finally I bought myself a rice cooker, and i think its the best thing I've ever bought!!! I no longer buy the microwave packs so thats cheaper, and its also made me not buy Chinese or Indian takeaways because my rice is now better than theirs. The rice it produces is superb, and cheap!!

[-]

PsychologicalDish430@reddit

Takeaways, not so much the cost but the quality alsonhas gone down massively. I did an Indian cooking course, now save a fortune in making curry better than takeaway for less than half the price.

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Ok_Analyst_5640@reddit

I cut back on my avocado toast, I should be able to afford a house any day now.

/s

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ramblinginmyhead@reddit

don't forget to cut back on coffee as well

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Key_Produce2617@reddit

Rubbish. I’m always conscious when I’m buying food what I can make with the leftovers and I always freeze or batch cook.

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Intruder313@reddit

I now won’t travel unless I have to because fuel is beyond a joke

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CyclingBrit@reddit

I used to go to the local pub every Friday and have a few pints and some street food. Now I go down and have a cpl of pints.

I used to go shopping every cpl of days. Now I do a big shop and bulk buy meat from the butchers every few weeks. Cuts down on those impulse purchases every time Im in a supermarket. I just nip to the greengrocers once a week for fresh fruit n veg.

Cut out take aways. They were mediocre anyway, and now they cost a mortgage and are even more mediocre.

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MisterD90x@reddit

I grew up buying own brand or off brands of pretty much everything, so even now it's not too bad, I was never super flush or anything

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BrainThat4047@reddit

Gym, clothes shopping, renewed my VM and it comes with free Netflix so that’s a win too, more Aldi shopping, less weekend getaways..

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broadarrow39@reddit

Eating out, very rarely go out to eat anymore. Everything is just far too expensive.

Taxis, wouldn't think twice about getting a cab home from the train station or going into town to meet friends. I'll walk everywhere now.

Pub, still go occasionally at the weekend to meet friends but just dropping in for a pint when I felt like it is too pricey. £6-7 for a beer is ridiculous.

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maksigm@reddit

Tattoos & drugs

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Mobile-Access-9693@reddit

Definitely takeaway food for me. £30 a meal is too much, I can get a weeks worth of food for that (I live alone)

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NecroVelcro@reddit

Tesco breakfasts. I used to get one at least once a week for dinner (the midday meal: I will not be swayed on this determination) after going to the gym but I often go weeks between them now.

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Sc4rl3ttD@reddit

Social life 😅 barely leave the house now

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Roofless_@reddit

Skipping daily coffees, avocado on toast, and Netflix subscription.

/s

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CyclingBrit@reddit

you jest, but if you have a regular costa coffee every day, a full fat Netflix subscription and avo every other day, thats quite an expenditure.

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Kami-Yeldo@reddit

avocado on toast is sick

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TheLittleSquire@reddit

New clothes, not that I bought loads anyway, but they all come from vinted now

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JATAA-@reddit

Avocado on toast and take away coffee

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FarroFarro@reddit

Just need to unsubscribe from Netflix and you'll be a millionaire

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-aLonelyImpulse@reddit

Congratulations on the house!

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Roseoman@reddit

You must be rich now

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presterjohn7171@reddit

Eating and drinking outside the house. Every day I time I buy a pint in a pub it seems to have gone up another 50p so unless it's an event I just don't bother. As for basics like a fish and chip supper or Chinese takeaway. Yikes.

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FJRabbit@reddit

Deliveroo meals, fresh berries, takeaway craft coffees as the usual spends. Having to be more careful with buying things like clothes or stuff for hobbies, and really limiting orders on Amazon to stuff I really need and can’t get elsewhere.

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FJRabbit@reddit

Oh, and sadly also having to be a bit stingey with heating in the winter.

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Frosty_Exit374@reddit

Cancelled the gym and now I cycle everywhere to save on fuel…. I do still shop at Ocado because the fruit and veg lasts a lot longer and have always cooked from scratch. Also bought a house and now can’t afford ANYTHING.

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Eastern_Idea_1621@reddit

Gen buying lunch, always make it now and def any small bottles of drink. Unless its part of a meal deal its eye wateringly expensive. And a 250ml bottle from a garage costs the same as a 2 litre bottle at lidl

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Sad_Refrigerator_787@reddit

I shop at vinted now and a nice meal is at spoons.

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jaimelannister95@reddit

Gym and personal trainer

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covertjules@reddit

Takeaways. Going to the hairdresser (going to start cutting it myself!) because £50 for essentially a trim is scandalous.

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Loud_Narwhal7721@reddit

Takeaways and snacks.

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Affectionate_Run_346@reddit

Making everything last more, filling out meals with cheap veg and fillers. Repairing clothes instead of replacing. Not eating out.

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Und3adShr3d@reddit

Going out to the pub and meals on the whole but KFC is the main thing I used to treat myself to often. I used to love a KFC on a Friday with the workmates but fuck paying those prices now.

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megthebat49@reddit

Quite a long list of various subscriptions, only have YT premium now

Also Sainsbury's, I've switched to an Aldi & Morrisons combo (they're next to eachother where I live)

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lavender_cookie_@reddit

Stopping getting waxed was the main one 😭 I don't get the joy of making loud noises with my bum 😭🤣

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Tomathee87@reddit

Eating out at restaurants. The cost has gone up so it reduced with use of takeaways but it's all the extra bits on top that have made a visit so rare. If it's somewhere in a town centre there's parking to pay for, which has gone up or been introduced where previously free all the time/in the evening. We don't usually drink alcohol but even soft drink prices feel like they have gotten out of hand, I'm sure £4 for a glass of mostly ice isn't uncommon. Price of food itself has crept up but there also feels like more corners cut on quality and/or quantity, not sure how this balances between necessity and greed. Places I used to rate highly now just float with the pack, hardly any stand out options when people ask for recommendations. Once you start adding in any kind of starter/side/dessert the total price for our group of three really starts to ramp up. Then once this massive bill arrives you have the can of worms around tips, where previously leaving a few £ coins or a fiver felt appropriate, suggesting up to 20% leaves a sour taste. All in all I find myself quite reluctant when the idea gets brought up nowadays and would rather phone a takeaway or walk 10 mins to the chippy.

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jessHale011x@reddit

I buy food every day....instead of buying a load of shopping, batch cooking and taking some to work for me tea, or whatever I buy as I go. £10 a day, sometimes more, it doesn't sound like much, but it adds up.

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CowRepresentative210@reddit

Takeaways and meals out. Just don’t do it that often anymore. I went to a pub earlier this week for a quiz, thought I’d eat there. £20 for stew and fries plus a drink and quiz. Cheapest meal on the menu was £18. In a pub.

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BeachTheHam13@reddit

Cut down to having only 2 holidays per year. Grim!

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lavender_cookie_@reddit

Nice 🤣🤣

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WhyDidIDoItSoSad@reddit

I walk home from work now, takes like 2 hours and I hate it, but I hate paying even more.

I hardly ever bought take aways anyway but now I buy none. Cancelled all my subscriptions and watch what I want a different way 🏴‍☠️ also thrifting clothes.

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RetroRegretso@reddit

A 2 hour walk? That'll be great for your fitness.

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gse2026@reddit

It's cheaper to be a sleeper, sleep more.

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CuteMaterial@reddit

Sleep for dinner!

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dbltax@reddit

I don't go out for meals anywhere near as much, reduced spending on clothing, I'm cycle commuting more regularly again now the weather is better, etc etc.

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RainysPlanet@reddit

I dont have any subscription services or a TV. I no longer eat breakfast just lunch and dinner. I dont buy anything i dont need, for example: i dont need fresh meat, so i buy the cheapest frozen kind, I dont need a new phone, ive had the same phone for 5 years and only pay £10 a month for the sim (i used to buy a new phone every year). I no longer get my hair cut or wear make-up as its just outgoings that i dont need.

I bought the cheapest car i could out right, £700 hyundai getz, this was 4 years ago when the cost of living was really hitting me. Its £300-£350 a year in insurance.

I live as cheaply as possible, compared to how i used to live,

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Prior_Elephant_5187@reddit

Turn off electrical items on standby. Walk with dog, no gym required. Shop Lidl/Aldi. Fuel reduction, only ever use it for work. No tv licence or any Amazon/netflix stuff as I don’t watch tv. Regular visitor to MSE to find deals. Got myself a birthday meal with a free main for the other person and converted my Tesco points I had unknowingly sitting in my account into vouchers for said place so it’ll cost me about £10 for drinks and that’s it.

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WillingApplication10@reddit

Butcher :/

Also skimping on buying new clothes, have actually asked for socks for my birthday this year 😂

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Alarming_Profile_284@reddit

Food, delivery services ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

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