Chasing the Fionist Dream

You know us. We’re all about saving money where we can in order to live our best possible lives. This post isn’t about how to find deals, or to deprive yourself of life’s great joys, but rather to encourage you to stop and think. To be more mindful with your money. Not all of the tips below apply to everyone, but we’re sure you can find some habits you can adopt from our list. Whichever habits you chose to adopt will quickly become second nature and the savings will add up.

Here we go!

1. Leave the house prepared. Heading out of the house? Do you have your wallet, keys, phone? Great. What about a water bottle and a snack? It will keep you from buying overpriced food and drinks while you’re out. If you’re heading out with children or babies, being prepared is even more important. More than once we found ourselves buying an entire pack of overpriced diapers or wipes because we ran out when we were out. You’re welcome. You’ll thank us later.
   
   
2. Think in hours instead of shekels. Thinking of buying yourself a new gadget or other expensive item? How many hours of of work at your current job does it cost? Is a new toy that you might only use a handful of times worth 20 hours of work? A week’s worth of work? A month?
   
   
3. 10bis, Cibus and the like. Do you or your significant other have one of these plans from work? While originally intended to order lunch to the office, these programs also work at some supermarkets (most notably Shufersal). The best way to maximize this perk is to use it all, in full, every month, on things you would buy anyway. Yes, you pay taxes on it. And yes, Shufersal is not the cheapest supermarket chain out there. But even at the highest tax bracket and even at Shufersal, you will still be paying far less in taxes than you would spend of your own money on that same shop at a cheaper store. 10bis/Cibus money disappears if you don’t use it. Don’t let it go to waste.
   
   
4. Give yourself an allowance. Allot yourself (and your partner if you have one) X amount of guilt-free discretionary spending per month. It could be 100 shekels, 1000 shekels, or whatever you decide you can afford. You can use this for anything you want, but once you hit your limit, you stop. If you have a hard time tracking this spending, you might want to consider putting your allowance on a rechargeable prepaid credit card. Then when the money is gone, it’s gone. Alternatively, anything left over rolls over to the next month, allowing you to save for bigger splurges.
   
   
5. Drink more water. And we mean tap water. Filter it, carbonate it, and/or add flavorings to it if you’d like. Bottled drinks are EXPENSIVE and usually not good for you anyway.
   
   
6. Avoid lifestyle creep. Have you recently gotten a raise? A new job? A side hustle? Mazal tov! You deserve it! Go out and celebrate. 🙂 Now that you are earning more each month, what are your plans for those extra shekels? Save and invest it (or at least a good portion of it) of course. Just because you earn more doesn’t mean you have to spend more.
   
   
7. Challenge yourself. Who doesn’t love a fun challenge? Set yourself a goal and a time period for how long it will take you to reach it. It can be a savings challenge, pantry challenge, no spending challenge – whatever you choose. Several years ago – before we decided to pursue financial independence, we did a 52 week savings challenge, where we put 1 shekel into a jar the first week, 2 shekels, the next week, etc. At the end of the year, we used the money to buy ourselves a standing freezer that we use to stock of up on supermarket sale items that we buy in bulk.
   
   
8. Disconnect. Aside from standard monthly payments (such as your kupat cholim, utilities, or your public transportation app), no other apps, websites or browsers should have your credit card information saved. Don’t let your Google account save your credit card info and opt out of having other sites like Amazon or Next save your info. It’s far too easy to make impulsive purchases with the click of a button. Having to type in the information gives you one more minute to consider if you really need this thing or not.
   
   
9. Make a list. Have your eye on a new bed? A a new dishwasher? A new phone? Instead of rushing out to replace something that still works or you can do okay without, add it to a wish-list. Now you have time to read reviews, track prices, and decide when, how, and if you ultimately will purchase this item. As a bonus, we determine which items on the list can be bought with BuyMe and save up to cover it.
   
   
10. Believe in yourself. Theodor Herzl famously said “אם תרצו אין זו אגדה.” “If you will it, it is no dream.” Your mindset can make or break a situation. Those who don’t believe they can accomplish something will never try, and thus will fail. You can do it. We believe in you. ❤
    

When it comes to reducing expenses, it’s important to remember that it does not have to feel burdensome or like you’re depriving yourself. Instead, think of it as a way to be more mindful and intentional with your spending. There are various strategies you can employ to lower your expenses without sacrificing your quality of life.

What strategies do you use to cut down spending? We’d love to hear from you.

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