When “Saving” Means More Than Money
We talk a lot about saving money here at What’s Good in Our ‘Hood, because who doesn’t love a great deal? However, we want to talk about a different kind of saving, the kind that gives you back your time, your energy, and your peace of mind. The kind of saving that means investing in yourself first.
Here’s the thing: sometimes the smartest financial decision isn’t the cheapest one. Sometimes it’s the one that buys you back a Saturday morning with your family instead of spending it scrubbing toilets. It is the choice that means you’re not making your fourth trip to the grocery store this week because you forgot something (again). When we only think about saving in terms of dollars and cents, we miss the bigger picture. Our time is valuable. Our mental health is valuable. And sometimes, spending money strategically in one area actually creates savings in ways that don’t show up on a receipt.
That’s why I recently asked our amazing community this question: What’s one thing you spend money on that actually saves you money (or your sanity) in the long run? I wanted to hear about those purchases that might seem like a splurge to someone else, but for you? They’re absolutely worth every penny. As usual, we had to share them!
What Our Community Had to Say:
“My splurge is buying from these deals. I love that you double your money and get to try new places.” – Lisa from Niles
Lisa, you’re speaking our language! This is exactly what we mean by smart spending. Yes, buying a deal means spending money upfront, but you’re literally doubling your value AND discovering new local spots you might have never tried otherwise. It’s not just about saving money, it’s about experiencing your own community without breaking the bank.
“Bulk Shopping.” – Autumn from Elkhart
Autumn knows what’s up! Bulk shopping is one of those things that can feel overwhelming at the register, but when you break it down, you’re saving on per-unit costs, cutting down on packaging waste, AND maybe most importantly, you’re making fewer trips to the store. Fewer trips means less gas, less time, and let’s be honest, less temptation to impulse-buy those end-cap goodies. That’s a triple win in our book.
“I guess I could say about my day of prepping yesterday. I bought all of my groceries in bulk, prepared it in bulk which allowed me to make more manageable sized dishes, then froze it all so we have food prepped in advance and don’t have to cook every night.” – Abbie from Niles
Abbie, you are playing chess while the rest of us are playing checkers. THIS is next-level smart spending. She’s combining bulk shopping with meal prep, which means she’s saving money on groceries AND buying back her weeknight evenings. No more staring into the fridge at 6 PM wondering what’s for dinner. No more emergency pizza orders because everyone’s hangry and nothing’s thawed. Just open the freezer, reheat, and you’ve got a home-cooked meal without the nightly stress. That’s not just saving money, that’s saving your sanity.
Your Turn!
What about you? What’s your “splurge that saves”? Is it the good coffee that keeps you human in the mornings? The lawn service or house cleaner that gives you Saturdays back? Doing grocery delivery to save you hours in a bright grocery store?
Drop a comment and let us know—we’d love to hear what’s working for you! And who knows, you might just inspire someone else to make a change that saves them time, money, or sanity too.