Hey there, I’m Jess ✨. On The Signature, I share reflections on beauty, routines, travel, wellness, culture, and everyday life. For those drawn to a calmer, more intentional way of living, I send a free newsletter each month on the 7th. You're welcome to join.
I never considered myself a frugal person per se even if I am addicted to saving money and, more recently, investing it. But the older I grow, the more I value the money I earn, how I spend it, as it is also tied to the time I have to do things. If something does not improve my life, bring me joy or genuinely make things easier, I struggle justifying the expense.
Here are the things I don't value spending my money on...
I don't buy coffee or tea
You should see me roll my eyes when my husband orders a tea after a meal when we are at a restaurant. I will never understand paying for boiling water. When I lived in Paris, I used to go to a coffee place and grab a croissant and a cup of coffee. When I arrived at the office, some very french colleagues would disdain my "coffee in a paper cup" habit but a few months later, they were hooked onto Starbucks. Almost 20 years later, I do not do anymore and I don't buy coffee out of home. I have a coffee machine at home, as well as a kettle to boil water. I have invested in a couple of reusable to-go mugs and I fill them in the morning. A coffee is not expensive per se, but as soon as you add a vegetal beverage and syrups, it adds up. I make a few exceptions when I am travelling, but that is all.
How much am I saving: considering a coffee is around 5 EUR and I work 200 days per year, I am saving close to 1000 EUR per year.
Jess
I don't order pasta or chicken
I have been avoiding restaurants like the plague - I find them all boring and serving the exact same thing - but when I am out of the home, you will never see me ordering pasta. I can do pasta at home. When I am in a restaurant, I order things I don't do, can't do, don't have time to do. I go out to be with friends even if food is subpar compared to what my husband cooks. But no matter what, I will never order pasta unless it's freshly made (impossible to find in Angola so there's that). And let's not talk about ordering chicken at a restaurant. As Gordon Ramsay taught us many moons ago, it's in the cheaper items restaurants do the bigger markup and unless it's a portuguese-style rotisserie chicken to go (perfect to do my go-to salad), I will not sit outside my home for it.
How much am I saving: considering a pasta dish is around 15 EUR and I go to restaurants at least once a month, I am saving close to 200 EUR per year
Jess
I don't buy fast fashion
I bought my last Zara item in 2011. It's been 15 years of a successful boycott that has spread to other brands such as Mango and H&M. I have never entered a Primark store in my life or even opened the Shein website. And I never will. I am against fast fashion because of high-volume production, which contributes to low wages in developing countries, overconsumption and textile waste.
When I lived in Lisbon a few years ago, I had to deal with my coworkers who would spend the day ranting about their salaries but would come back from lunch hour with a little bag of the latest fast fashion goodie. That is maths I will never ever understand. I would rather use high quality items that last many washes and I avoid the latest trends.
I understand that brands I gravitate towards like Sézane are starting to be considered as fast fashion as well, as they have a great turnaround in collections. Yet they balanced it out with their sustainability practices. And if they stop doing it, I will stop consuming their goods too.
How much am I saving: considering I wear the same 200 EUR flats since 2017 and don't buy a new 19.99EUR pair every other month, I am saving around 120 EUR per year. Greatest cost-per-wear math!
Jess
I don't go to the hairdresser (as often)
I used to go to the hairdresser on a weekly basis for a wash and a blow dry. Today that is absolutely unthinkable and I do my hair at home. I only go to the hairdresser once or twice a year, when I have a special work event and want to jazz things up. If not, even if I am not a master hairdresser, I would rather do it myself. It takes time, but my alopecia and scalp are also thankful for that.
How much am I saving: doing my hair weekly costs around 30 EUR per session so I am saving around 1500 EUR per year.
Jess
I don't get my nails done
My friends's biweekly appointment to the nail salon? Nah, don't invite me. I never had amazing nails - and never will - and I decided to stick to what I have. I spent almost 10 years trying manicures and pedicures that left me in pain and bleeding, in the name of a week of blue nails.
I have a Sunday routine where I remove my nail polish, remove my cuticles (I am rubbish at it but I do my best), I file my nails, apply three coats of nail polish (I am exclusively loyal to anything Essie), a coat of speed setter and when the whole process is done, I rub my nails and cuticles with a bit of cuticle oil.
I love how my nails feel fresh and ready to tackle the week with this routine, even if they do chip by Thursday. I do not have the most beautiful nails ever but doing the same process week after week makes me feel more confident about them.
How much am I saving: doing my nails every other week costs around 20 EUR per session so I am saving around 500 EUR per year.
Jess
I don't have the latest gadgets
Someone asked me recently why is my work phone so old and that I should have the latest model. I asked that person how much money he has invested abroad, how many houses he fully owns and the conversation stopped right there.
My first MacBook Air lasted for 10 years before I purchased a new one. It wasn't the latest and fanciest model, but it worked for me and only stopped doing so because the battery life went from half a day to half an hour. I don't have the latest smartphone in the land. My Oura Ring is already a few generations old and I will use it until it stops working. Other than investing in technology, I don't like to transfer my things and open something new. I invest more in new cases and screen protectors to make what I have last than purchasing the latest launch.
How much am I saving: not going for the latest gadgets and using what I own for several years makes for a more affordable tech lifespan for me. I am confident I save at least 1000 EUR per year.
Jess
I don't pay for gyms
In a next lifetime, I will be a gym owner. It's the greatest business in the world. You have to invest in a space, machine and running water. Then you wait for people's yearly January self-loathing and good intentions and they will pay for a yearly membership, saying "this is it, I will do it", go for a couple of classes or PT sessions, get frustrated at not seeing results and quit by Valentine's Day. And then you have the place to yourself for the next 10 months. Yeah, I don't lie to myself. I am not good with gyms, with sharing my physicality and sweat around other humans and all that gym etiquette and chats. I would rather go for a walk outdoors, a swim by the pool or, preferably, do a free workout from home, only investing in a few kettlebells and dumbbells.
How much I am saving: great gym memberships can cost over 100 EUR per month. I am saving around 1200 EUR just being active on my own terms.
Jess
What I DO love spending money on...
Rest assured, I am not sanctimonious over this subject. I am aware we all have our likes and dislikes. I might invest in things you never would and vice versa. These are the things I truly value and gladly invest my money on:
- sightseeing from the sky
- a better seat in a long haul flight
- skincare, haircare and makeup that empowers me
- great candles (like the ones I bring back from Paris)
- triple-sheet toilet paper
- hotels that are worth leaving my own home
- a great newsletter premium subscription
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