The Top 10 Easiest Things We Cut From Our Budget

Over the years, careful budgeting has enabled Linda and me to stay debt-free and live within our means. Financial discipline is the key to a life of freedom and simplicity.

I get it—budgeting isn’t exactly thrilling. Most people’s eyes glaze over just hearing the word, which is why so many dream of winning the lottery. But here’s the catch: even a lottery win demands serious budgeting to sustain. There’s no escaping it. For those ready to take control, I recommend starting today and starting small. Linda and I began by cutting the easy stuff first. 

Here’s our list of the easiest things to stop buying and live without: 1. Alcohol – It’s literally poison, and skipping it improves the bank balance and health.

2. Magazine subscriptions – Libraries offer them for free.

3. Motor vehicle – Ditching the car was tough at first, but staying close to home, biking, and walking quickly became our norm.

4. Fast/processed foods – Tasty but unhealthy. We swapped them for home-cooked meals.

5. Restaurant meals – We learned to recreate our favourite dishes at home for a fraction of the cost.

6. Travel holidays – After escaping the rat race, we found didn’t need pricey getaways.

7. Clothes – Our wardrobe is minimalist. We wear clothes until they wear out, which takes years.

8. Entertainment like movies, concerts, or fairs – Fun, but we skip the crowds and overpriced snacks like fifteen-dollar fries.

9. Meat – It’s expensive and the biggest part of the average grocery bill. We’ve discovered vegetarian based dishes that are as satisfying as crispy bacon (once your palate adjusts).

10. Sweets – Our rule: want a treat? Make it yourself. This keeps sweets rare and special. I know this might sound like I’m asking you to give up all the fun stuff that makes life in our consumer-driven world enjoyable. 

But here’s the payoff: time and freedom. 

Cutting these expenses helped us escape the grind of endless work and the exploitation of paying interest on debt. 

For us, that meant more time for hobbies, like gardening, and the peace of knowing our simple life is financially sustainable. Everyone’s “easy list” is different. What’s simple for us might be tough for you, and that’s okay. The key is to find your low-hanging fruit and start there. The results are undeniable, and you can achieve them too. Try cutting one item from your spending for a month and see what happens. 

What’s on your easy list? Share in the comments below. We’d love to hear your ideas!

We’re Winning, Even If It Doesn’t Always Feel Like It

It’s easy to feel discouraged, but take a moment to reflect: we’re making progress. The people have shown incredible resilience against what many saw as overreach in 2020 and beyond. 
Here’s what I’m grateful for today:

• The “Great Reset,” once a buzzword for sweeping global changes, has faded from mainstream conversation.
• The “Build Back Better” slogan, which some feared would justify dismantling existing systems, has lost traction.
• World War III hasn’t erupted, despite global tensions.
• Gasoline-powered cars and meat remain legal, and we can still grow our own gardens.
• We’re not confined to dystopian “pods”… at least, not yet.

This progress didn’t happen by chance. Grassroots movements, like Canada’s Freedom Convoy, played a crucial role in pushing back against policies many viewed as distinctly unfunny.
The best part is that the whole “global takeover” they tried to sneak past us in 2020 has been a total flop.  
We, the people, turned out to be way feistier than they expected—think less “sheeple,” more “caffeinated beavers.”
Is “Build Back Better” still a thing? Nope, because we banished it to the void. We didn’t just win; we forced a whole script rewrite.
Take a bow, Freedom Convoy of Canada! Those honking truckers threw the biggest, most peaceful protest party in Canadian history. 
Picture this: a bunch of flannel-wearing, coffee-sipping, maple syrup slurping folks shutting down the narrative with nothing but horns and heart. It was like Woodstock, but with better parking and snow instead of mud.
Of course, the Canadian government’s not thrilled. They’re trying to toss a couple of these heroic truckers in jail for, what, six or seven years? 
For throwing a protest that was basically a polite middle finger to overreach? That’s like jailing someone for singing “O Canada” too loudly. Talk about sore losers.
So, let’s keep the party going. Share your own gratitude list in the comments—what’s got you smiling today? 
Or better yet, crank up the tunes, honk your horn (metaphorically or not), and let’s keep reminding the powers that shouldn’t be: we’re not in pods yet, and we’re not done laughing.
Or winning.