Here’s a couple examples from my life:
-
Safety Razor. I get a better shave and it’s like $15 for 100 razor blades, which lasts me a couple years. Way way way better than the disposable multi-blade Gillette things, which sell 5 heads for $20.
-
Handkerchiefs. I am prone to allergies, so instead of constantly buying disposable tissues, we now have a stack of handkerchiefs that can just be used a few times and then thrown in the wash. This has also saved me loads.
What about you?
Use public transport
This is the biggest cost savings for me right now… Assuming I get a cheap rust bucket paid in full (estimate in metro Vancouver, BC in Canadian $s):
- I’d expect to pay $200 a month in insurance
- I’d expect to pay at least $100 a month in gas
- I’d expect to pay $250 a month in parking fees
- I’d expect to pay at least $500 a year in maintenance, repair and incidental items (oil, winter tire storage etc.)
So all together that’s $591 per month or $7100 per year.
Transit costs me $135/month and I’m lucky to live and work somewhere where transit actually sort of works.
This is particularly true with the multitude or car sharing programs that are available in major cities like Vancouver. The odd time you need a vehicle it is trivial to rent one, which is still cheaper than owning a vehicle.
You don’t even need a car sharing program, rental car companies still exist.
And this is true both for people looking to use public transit, as well as people people afraid to go electric because they take one monster road trip every 2 years, or people considering buying a pickup truck because one time they had to move a couch.
