Simple Living Is Cheaper
Simple living saves money. Not in an abstract, minimalist way, but in a very practical one.
As life becomes more complex, it becomes more expensive to maintain. More tasks, more commitments, more technology, more services, more convenience - all of it quietly demands money just to keep things running.
The more things we add to our lives, the more upkeep they require. And upkeep is where most of the money goes.
This is lifestyle creep, but not just the obvious kind.
Most people think lifestyle creep means buying bigger houses or nicer cars. In reality, it’s the small additions that do the damage - subscriptions, deliveries, premium versions of everyday items, convenience purchases, and services we barely use. Individually, they feel harmless. Together, they create a life that costs far more than we realize.
I know this because I’ve lived both versions.
For nearly ten years, my wife and I kept our spending almost flat while our income increased. We lived simply, saved aggressively, and got comfortable with needing less. Our life had fewer systems, fewer accounts, fewer decisions, and it was cheaper and calmer because of it.
Then we got promotions that led to more responsibilities and longer days. Then we had kids. Then we moved to a larger house.
Without making any dramatic upgrades, our lives became more complex. We got busier, more tired, and more willing to pay for convenience. More services, more accounts, more deliveries, more “just this once” spending. Nothing reckless, but everything required maintenance. Financial and mental.
Luckily, or unluckily depending how you view it, our investments kept growing, which hid the problem. But without that buffer, we’d be in the same position as many high earners who make good money yet feel stuck. Not because they overspend, but because their lives are expensive to operate.
That’s what I’m now working to reverse. Not by cutting joy, but by reducing complexity.
To me, simple living in the modern world means fewer systems. Fewer accounts. Fewer subscriptions. Fewer things that exist “just in case.” A good example is our finances - over time, we spread our banking and investing across multiple institutions purely out of convenience. My first goal is to consolidate, not to optimize returns, but to make life simpler and cheaper to manage.
I’m also reclaiming time. Cooking more. Preserving food again. Saying no to events that require too much planning and spending. Spending more time at home. These changes cost time upfront, but they reduce ongoing expenses and decision fatigue later.
Simple living works because it cuts maintenance.
A smaller home costs less to heat, insure, repair, furnish, and clean. A smaller car costs less to buy, fuel, insure, and maintain. Fewer subscriptions mean fewer automatic withdrawals you don’t notice. Fewer conveniences mean fewer fees quietly attached to your lifestyle.
Every layer of complexity adds a recurring cost. Simple living removes those layers.
The goal isn’t deprivation. It’s intention.
Before adding something to your life, the real question isn’t “Can I afford this?” It’s “What will this cost me every month - in money, time, and attention?”
Simple living is cheaper because a simpler life needs less money just to function. And once you experience that again, it becomes very hard to justify paying for complexity you don’t actually need.
So this is my 2026 resolution. Let's see how successful I will be over the next year.
