I'm a Millionaire, but I Still Do These 5 Frugal Things

I always figured that once I crossed the millionaire mark, I'd loosen the belt a little.

Maybe stop budgeting so tightly. Maybe trade in some of the frugal habits I'd held onto for years and enjoy the finer things in life. After all, isn't that the whole point of building wealth -- to upgrade your life and relax a bit?

Well, it hasn't really worked out that way. As it turns out, old habits stick. And honestly… they still make sense, no matter how much money I have.

Here are some low-key frugal habits I still have, even as a millionaire.

1. My wife still cuts my hair

This started 16 years ago, back when we were dating.

I was tired of dropping $30 every couple months on haircuts, so I asked her to give it a shot. We watched a few YouTube tutorials, bought a pair of scissors, and crossed our fingers.

She's been my barber ever since. (We cut our kids' hair at home too.)

The saved money is nice -- probably a few thousand over the years. But honestly it's not even about the money anymore. It's quick, easy, and why pay someone else to do something that we can easily do with our own hands?

2. I still wear clothes from over a decade ago

My favorite hoodie is older than my oldest kid. And I'm not tossing it anytime soon.

I'm not anti-fashion or against buying new things. I just don't feel the need to replace stuff that still works. If a shirt fits, feels good, and isn't falling apart, it stays in the rotation.

On the rare occasion that I do splurge and grab something fancy, the thrill wears off pretty fast. At this point, I've realized that comfort and familiarity beat flashy trends.

3. I'm still a total credit card rewards nerd

This is my version of old-school coupon clipping.

I have a handful of rewards cards and I'm super picky about which ones I use for each type of thing I buy.

The rewards are small on each transaction -- a few dollars cash back here, a few points there -- but over the course of a year it really adds up. I've easily earned over $15,000 in rewards the last 10 years just by using the right credit cards.

And I actually find it fun! There are companies out there literally giving away points and perks for stuff I'm already planning to buy. So it's just a matter of knowing which card to use and when.

4. I wash my own car (with my kids)

It's not really about saving $30 at the car wash anymore. It's about doing something hands-on and personally caring for the stuff I own.

Every few weeks, I pull out the bucket and soap. My 6-year-old loves to spray the car down with the hose and make as many bubbles as possible scrubbing. My 1-year-old baby is fascinated with the mini-vacuum so he sits inside while I suck up the crumbs he spilled munching on the way to daycare.

It's become a small family ritual. One that I think will pay dividends later in my kids' life -- or at least give them memories of activities we did together instead of tapping a screen at the gas station car wash.

5. I still budget every month -- even though we don't have to

My wife and I have worked hard to hit financial independence at a young age.

We're in a spot now where, technically, we don't need to budget anymore. Our spending could increase here and there and it wouldn't make a big difference long term for us.

But we still budget and track our spending -- every single month.

It's not about restricting our spending or trying to save money wherever possible. It's about staying intentional with all of our spending and making sure we're getting the most from our dollars.

Budgeting also helps us stay on the same page, avoid any money fights, and keep our priorities front and center.

Frugal isn't the same as cheap

I know some people will read these habits and think I'm just being cheap. But that misses the point.

I don't do these things only to save a few bucks. They just make sense for the life I want to live. To me, frugality is about being resourceful and avoiding waste.

If a new habit clearly improves my life, I'm all in for changing the way I do things. But until then, I'm sticking with what works.

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