My baseline is living pretty modestly when it comes to money, and then as money is more plentiful I spend it more freely. Some things that people cut back on to save I just don’t do anyway, or very rarely.
I always pay off my credit cards every month
I don’t get regular mani-pedis.
I don’t go to Starbuck’s.
I don’t buy new clothing often.
I usually cook my own food, I only eat out about twice a week.
I leave appliances I rarely use unplugged.
I turn off the lights when I’m not in the room.
I plan errands to save on gas.
I adjust the thermostat when appropriate to save energy.
I coupon a little.
On the rare occasion I go to the movies I don’t buy food at the movie theatre, and I usually go to the matinee.
Also, I don’t shop for clothing on any sort of regular basis. I can go months and months and not step foot in a clothing store.
My husband cuts my hair sometimes and I usually dye it at home, although very recently I spent a small fortune on extensions, dye, and cut.
When I was younger things were much tighter, and so it was very normal to me to really only spend on necessities. I wasn’t at the bare minimum, but I wasn’t spending on any extravagances. Now, because we have saved over time, I feel much freer to spend, because I feel we already built up a reasonable cushion.
I have never saved to buy something. I save save save, and then when something comes along that I need or want, I decide if I’m willing to part with the money.