I Love Trying New Things — Here’s How I Do It on a Budget

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Variety is the spice of life. But trying new things can be expensive. Here are a few tips for keeping things fresh without breaking the bank. 

I’m a big proponent of the old saying, “Variety is the spice of life.” I really love trying new things. Foods, hobbies, adventures — I’m always looking for something new to explore. Occasionally, I discover something truly great. Sometimes, I find something I never need to try again.

The biggest downside to my thirst for novelty is the cost. I try not to be too wasteful in general, but when that weird food we try doesn’t appeal to anyone in the house, well, it tends to wind up in the garbage.

Life is too short to eat gross food.

Unfortunately, that means I often have to eat the cost of the wasted item instead. So, how do I keep that vital bit of variety in my life without breaking the bank? Here are a few of my strategies for trying new things on a budget.

Look for free trials and new customer promos

I can’t remember the last time I paid full price to try out a new service. I’ve found that everything from streaming services to meal delivery kits to the local gym will offer promos or discounts to new customers.

If you don’t see a promo on the company’s website, check its social media pages. If that doesn’t work, do a quick search for promo codes. You can find these in blogs and coupon sites. Referrals can also be a great way to get a discount or freebie.

Just don’t forget to cancel. Always set a reminder to cancel your free trials and subscriptions before you’re billed. Put an alert on your phone, jot it on a physical calendar, plaster your monitor in Post-it notes — whatever it takes for you to remember to cancel.

One survey found 42% of people are paying for subscriptions they don’t use simply because they forgot about them. Don’t let this be you. Set that reminder and cancel at least two days before your renewal date so it has plenty of time to go through the system before you’re charged.

Check shopping portals for deals and discounts

There have been a surprising number of products and services I’ve been able to try for free, or at least at a discount, thanks to my credit cards — and not just because of rewards. I’m talking about the discount and deal portals that many issuers offer.

For example, if you want to try a meal subscription service, check your Chase Offers or Citi Merchant Offers portals first. I constantly see offers for many popular meal kits here, and have saved at least $100 through these offers on my Chase credit cards.

The Amex Offers portal can also be a great source of deals. I earned hundreds of dollars in statement credits and bonus rewards on my Amex credit cards through offers for goods and services I wanted to give a try.

Maximize credit card rewards and bonuses

And speaking of credit cards, let’s not forget credit card rewards. I often save my cash back rewards to pay for little splurges here and there, letting me try new things without biting into my monthly budget.

Then there is the travel. Most of the leisure travel I’ve done over the last five years has been thanks to travel rewards credit cards. I transfer points and miles to pay for flights and hotels, and even redeem to cover rental car costs.

To get the most out of my rewards, I’m always looking to maximize what I earn. This means choosing the best card for each of my purchases. I also open a few new cards a year to take advantage of welcome bonuses on larger purchases.

Be selective about samplers and variety boxes

There’s a lot to be said about being able to try a variety of products at once, especially if you can do so at a reasonable price. That’s where finding a good sampler or variety pack of something can provide a great experience.

However, you need to crunch the numbers before you buy to make sure you’re actually getting a decent deal. If you can buy everything individually for the same price (or less), then the bundle isn’t a good value. Similarly, if you’re only really interested in a few items in the pack, then you may be better off trying them individually.

Make sure to compare the per-quantity price of something. For example, if a product is liquid, compare the price per ounce, rather than looking at the price per bottle. This gives you a fairer apples-to-apples comparison on prices between different sizes.

While bundles and samplers can be good, avoid anything that doesn’t tell you what’s inside ahead of time. While I can understand the appeal of “mystery” boxes, they’re rarely going to provide you with a good personal value. At best, you might like a few items, but the chances that you like — and can use — everything in the box are next to zero.

Trying new things is good for you. It can give you a gentle push outside your comfort zone. But it shouldn’t push your budget out of its comfort zone. Use these tips to keep costs down while still keeping things fresh.

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