The Diary Game: What Living on Less Taught Me About Money and Freedom
Six months ago I decided to cut my monthly expenses by almost 60%.
Not because I wanted to live like a monk. I just wanted to stop feeling trapped by money.
I cancelled the streaming services I barely watched. I stopped eating out during the week. I sold a few things I didn’t need. I started cooking simple meals at home and walking more instead of taking transport.
At first it felt uncomfortable. I kept catching myself thinking, “This is temporary. Once things get better I’ll go back to normal.”
But something unexpected happened.
The less I spent, the clearer my mind became.
I stopped buying things just to feel better after a hard day.
I started noticing how much of my stress was tied to trying to maintain a lifestyle I couldn’t actually afford.
Here are the biggest lessons I learned:
- Most of the things I thought I “needed” were just habits.
- Time became more valuable than money. When I wasn’t constantly working to cover unnecessary expenses, I had space to create and learn.
- Freedom doesn’t always come from earning more. Sometimes it comes from needing less.
- Small consistent choices compound faster than big dramatic ones.
I’m not saying everyone should live extremely frugally. But I am saying that experimenting with living on less taught me more about money and freedom than any finance book ever did.
What’s one expense you could reduce this month without feeling miserable?
Drop it in the comments
I’m curious what others are cutting.
Thanks for reading. Upvotes and resteems are always appreciated.
I love how you mention that time became more valuable than money - that's a powerful realization, and I'm curious, how has prioritizing time over money impacted your relationships with family and friends? 💸🕒
Prioritizing time over money has actually deepened most of my relationships. I stopped saying “I’m too busy” as often, and started showing up more fully whether that’s longer, unhurried calls with family, or just being present when friends need someone to talk to.
The biggest shift was realizing that money can buy experiences, but it can’t buy back the moments I used to miss because I was chasing the next dollar. Now I have more capacity to listen, to help, and to simply enjoy people without constantly watching the clock or my bank account.
Of course it’s not perfect some people still measure success by income, and that can create distance but overall it’s made my connections feel richer and less transactional.
How about you?
@drichie, estos momentos son los que uno recuerda cuando se hace grande. No los planes perfectos, sino estos improvisados.
Qué lindo cuando la gente comparte reflexiones así. Con los años uno aprende que estas son las cosas que realmente importan. @drichie