Only buying certain grocery items when they’re on sale e.g. chocolate.

Turn off the lights whenever you leave a room. Turn down the heat in winter, and up the AC in summer ….

Leaving the oven door open after using it.

Hoard non perishables in times of plenty.

Save grocery store plastic bags to use as a trash can liner.

Shop at different groceries for different items because they are cheaper at other places.

Live with f****d up teeth because they have high copays and low annual maximums and can barely afford to even get cavities filled.

Rich people get extremely competitive health, vision, and dental plans, so they don’t have to think twice. They need care? They get it.

I have a rotten tooth that needs to be surgically extracted, need several root canals and crowns, need tons of cavity fillings, and have congenitally missing teeth. I can get the extraction (+bone graft and implant) and handle one cavity before I hit my annual maximum.

I floss and brush twice a day, I just have weak enamel and haven’t been able to afford dental care in a while. And the missing teeth? Sorry. It’s congenital/pre-existing so they don’t have to cover it.

No, Karen, I’m not doing d***s. God, people lose interest in talking to me the instant they notice my teeth (especially hiring managers). I start to smile as the conversation gets good and suddenly the light just leaves their eyes. It’s *humiliating.*.

Saw a tweet shared that I can't ever forget discussing this very thing. The gist:

People that don't keep fast food napkins in the glove box to use as tissues are in a totally different tax bracket.

Adding potatoes to meals not because it belongs in a recipe, but because it's very filling and can stretch the meal to more portions.

Don’t travel. The amount of people who are amazed when I say I haven’t flown on a plane blows my mind. People do not realize how much money/privilege it takes to travel at all, let alone on a yearly basis.

Working hard can make you more money. But finding a way to do less work and make even more money should be your true goal.

When you are doing something bold, different, creative or something the world hasn’t seen, and you’re deeply unsure but still want to put it out there - do it anyway - then you are invincible. I turn 35 in two days and learnt this barely a week ago (the hard way with too much self-critique, anxiety and chaos, and lost a lot of time). Don’t wait this long. Hope this helps someone.