Want to save more? Try this “unthinkable” savings strategy (I did.)

What follows is a story about housecleaning that’s not really about housecleaning. I mean, yes, there’s a part where I scrub three toilets. But really it’s about how to look at your spending and saving with fresh eyes. It’s about trying the “unthinkable” to get more of what you want from your life and your money.

Where I live, in a northern suburb of Dallas, it’s not unusual to hire someone to clean your house. I had a professional house cleaner, too. Until I didn’t.

It’s one of those things you don’t question. Most people you know have someone clean their house, so it seems completely normal. Actually, it starts out being awesome, then pleasant, then normal, then often annoying because you have to lightly tidy the night before and you’re just not in the mood!

What was once awesome becomes just a regular thing, and a regular expense, that you never question again.

I started questioning the expense a few years ago when I was opening my own independent financial planning firm. During that stage, I had extra time and I wanted to do a better job of “walking the talk” as I discussed spending and saving with my clients.

So, I decided to start cleaning my own house.

Honestly, it was daunting at first. I’m fairly neat and my house isn’t huge but 1600 square feet and three bathrooms felt like a lot of ground to cover. I used Vertex42 to make a schedule, taped it to the fridge, and got down to the dirty business.

What started as a budgeting hack brought many surprising benefits.

The financial and non-financial things I learned from cleaning my own house

Things you buy cost more than money

The cost of buying things doesn’t stop at the purchase price. Each item you own has to be cleaned and dusted and organized and stored. Constantly. Time after time. Forever. Having to do it all myself has made me purge more and buy less.

The difference between necessity and luxury

Many clients come to me wanting to save more money, yet as we analyze their spending they struggle to find areas to save. I get it. It’s hard to change our mindset when “we’ve always done it this way.” It took a long time for me to question my assumption that I needed a professional cleaner. I realize now that I’m completely capable of doing it myself and that paying someone is a luxury, not a necessity.

Humility and gratitude

Scrubbing three toilets every week seems to be good for you, in that it makes you appreciate the bounty that is your life. “Builds character,” as my dad used to say. I hate cleaning the shower; it hurts my back and my shoulder; I don’t seem to have enough grease in my elbow. But it creates a contrast that reminds me how lucky I am that my daily work involves sitting at a computer, solving interesting financial problems, and talking with clients.

Self-reliance is a step toward financial freedom

For those who are working toward financial independence, or just more financial freedom, self-reliance is key. The more things you can do yourself, rather than paying someone else, the more financially free you immediately become.

It’s a better use of time than lots of other things

I’m physically moving around, improving my living environment, probably listening to a financial planning podcast, and saving money! That’s four benefits in one activity. It’s not fun and relaxing, but it sure seems like an effective use of time.

Budgeting Your Way to Happiness

I started cleaning my house for budget reasons. And what I found is doing it myself has made me happier. Not in an excited, giddy way, but in a satisfied, settled way as a result of all these benefits of which saving money is just one.

Again, this isn’t really an article about housecleaning. The takeaway here is about questioning our assumptions, about looking at our lifestyle and spending with fresh eyes. Change things up. Try something different and see what unexpected benefits you may experience.