How to Minimize Expenses (Without Feeling Deprived)

Cutting expenses isn’t about suffering.

It’s about removing what doesn’t matter so what does can breathe.

Here’s how to do it intelligently.

Step 1: Kill the Big Three First

Ignore coffee debates. Focus here:

• Rent/mortgage

• Utilities

• Property taxes & insurance

If housing is eating more than ~30–35% of your take-home, progress will be slow.

This is math, not morality.

Step 2: Make Spending Boring

The most effective budget is the one you don’t think about.

• Automate bills

• Automate investing

• Cap lifestyle categories once — then stop revisiting them

Decision fatigue is expensive.

Step 3: Cut Subscriptions Ruthlessly

Subscriptions feel small because they hide.

Do this once:

• List every recurring charge

• Cancel anything you wouldn’t buy again today

If you “might use it,” you won’t.

Step 4: Pay the FIRE Tax Upfront

Buy fewer things — but buy better ones.

• Fewer clothes, better quality

• Fewer gadgets, longer lifespan

• Fewer upgrades, longer cycles

Cheap becomes expensive when replaced often.

Step 5: Design Friction Into Spending

Make spending harder than saving.

• Remove cards from apps

• Add 24-hour delays to purchases

• Keep savings accounts at a different bank

Ease is the enemy of intention.

Step 6: Ask the One Question That Ends Most Purchases

Before buying, ask:

| “What am I trading away to afford this?”

The answer is usually:

• Time

• Freedom

• Options

Most purchases don’t survive the question.

Step 7: Lock In the Win

Every expense you permanently cut:

• Increases your savings rate

• Lowers your FIRE number

• Brings early retirement closer forever

This is a one-time effort with lifetime returns.

The FIRERANT Truth

You don’t get rich by earning more alone.

You get free by needing less.

Minimize expenses first — then let income do the rest.

— Jackson