A few weeks ago, I wrote a post about how I got to where I currently am financially.

Fun fact – that included doing several things I didn’t/don’t really like.

Funner fact- at least I don’t have to do these things so often anymore.

Let’s start with a small one that I definitely don’t do anymore.

Wait as Long as Possible to Turn on the Heat

I also sometimes called this – exactly when does frostbite start? I would stubbornly go as long as possible before turning on my heat, hoping to make it to at least December.

By the end, before finally caving in, I would be wearing so many layers to bed, I looked like that kid from a Christmas Story.

I would avoid my home as much as possible and if I was home, I pretty much just snuggled on the couch under every blanket I owned, watching Netflix. Watching TV was pretty much the only thing I could do as head poking out of a blanket.

Did I save much money? Not that much. But there are times when every penny counts, amiright?

Turning Down Travel Experiences

I got roasted on a guest post at Get Rich Slowly years ago when I wrote about how I skipped a trip to Thailand because I couldn’t really afford it.

Sheesh. The commenters were not havin’ any of it because I was lucky enough to be in a position where it was even an option.

Truth is, we have lots of options in life. And yes, there are definitely lots of folks out there who don’t even have Thailand on the table. It may never be on their table.

But it was on mine and it wasn’t entirely out of the realm of possibility. I could’ve gone on that trip and just added an extra month or two to my debt sentence. And ya know what? I kind of wish I had gone. But, at the time, I was in buckle down on debt mode and I didn’t have a spare $2k to drop on the trip.

That was just a big example but there were plenty of times over the earlier years when I wanted to go on some trip or other and, financially, it was just a bad choice.

Substitute Teaching

This is a big one and I still do it sometimes. I do a side hustle I freaking hate.

When I was younger, I thought of each way that could bring in money as an extra string on the web of financial safety I was trying to weave under my insane career choice of stage management.

I’m pretty stable these days but I still worry about what if the floor falls out from under me? And so I still substitute teach sometimes because it’s a really reliable stream of income, if I need it to be. 

Setting a Budget and Sticking to It

I don’t talk a lot about how much I hate budgets here. They are really useful. I do believe you don’t have to use them forever.

That being said, when my income level lowers a lot or a bunch of new bills turn up in my life, I use a budget. And I stick to it. And I generally hate every second of it. I stick it out though until I’m running on autopilot easily again and with a surplus.

Living with My Parents

Here’s another big one. I’m currently in a semi-happy bubble of being happy to be living at home, since I think I’m lucky to have a life that let’s me be here with my dad and my brother after my mom’s death.

However, for many years, that’s not really how I felt about living at home. I felt claustrophobic and trapped. When I would come home from a ship contract or a tour, I would feel like my life was hitting pause until I left again.

That being said, I’ve been incredibly fortunate to have parents who genuinely never seemed to mind if their home was where I landed for a few weeks or months between jobs.

And it has hands down been the biggest contributor to my ability to pay off debt fast and grow my net worth.

No Spend Weeks

No spend weeks are not fun. When I was living paycheck to paycheck though, they made a massive difference. At the end of a week, I could immediately see the surplus and it really helped when I was trying to kick start my emergency fund.

The food I ate was weird.

I watched a lot of Netflix.

I was a weird hermit who turned down invites from friends.

It was worth it.

What have you done to save or earn more money that was effective but you didn’t like?