This isn't a list of things you should cut too. It's just what my priorities look like in practice. Building wealth means making choices about where money goes — and being intentional about the things you're choosing NOT to spend on is just as important as what you spend on.
Here's my current list, and the actual reasoning behind each one.
Cars depreciate the moment you drive off the lot. I drive a used car I bought outright. The money I would have spent on a car payment goes directly into my investment account every month instead. The math over 5 years is not close.
I did a subscription audit last year and cancelled four services I was paying for that I'd watched exactly zero things on in the past 3 months. That was $60/month. $720/year. Just gone. Audit your subscriptions — you will find money.
I make coffee at home. I still get a coffee out sometimes when I'm meeting someone or actually sitting to work in a café — but not as a daily commute habit. Brewing at home costs maybe $1/day vs $6–8 for a daily latte habit. Boring, but real savings.
I'm not telling you to cut the $6 latte to become rich. That's not what this is. But if you're genuinely struggling to save and you're spending $150+/month on coffee without noticing it, that's worth seeing clearly.
I stopped shopping randomly and started buying intentionally. A $120 piece I wear 100 times costs me $1.20 per wear. A $20 item I wear twice costs me $10 per wear. Quality over quantity genuinely saves money long-term — and I stopped having a full closet of things I don't wear.
Monthly maintenance fees, overdraft fees, out-of-network ATM fees. All avoidable. I use a high-yield savings account with no fees and a checking account that reimburses ATM fees. I have paid $0 in bank fees in years.
Extended warranties are extremely profitable for retailers — which means they're usually a bad deal for buyers. I skip them on almost everything. The exception is expensive electronics I use daily (laptop, phone) where the math can make sense.
I pay for one gym. I go to that gym. If you're paying for a gym membership and not going, that's not a motivation problem — that's a $50+/month recurring bill for nothing. Cancel it. Go outside. Start again when you're ready.
Not obsessively — I'm not clipping coupons. But I use a card that earns cash back, I check Honey or Rakuten before buying anything online, and I wait for sales on non-urgent purchases. Small habit, adds up to real money.
Delivery apps are expensive. Not just the food — it's the delivery fee, the service fee, the tip, and the markup on the food itself. I meal prep once a week and save delivery for occasions, not habits. The savings are wild.
The most expensive thing I could spend money on is other people's financial choices. Your friend's new car, your coworker's vacation, the influencer's apartment. None of that is your life. The fastest way to derail wealth-building is spending to match other people's highlight reels.