The Convenience Tax | A 365-Day Savings Challenge

Two weeks ago, I quit drinking alcohol in support of my mother-in-law, who needs to stop before an upcoming surgery. My husband and I decided to quit with her for two months.

What I didn’t know was how much that nightly wine-down was affecting my energy levels and mood.

I’ve now found myself relying on sugar to get through the day. From what I’ve read, it’s actually pretty common when you stop drinking. Even though I’ve been sleeping better than ever, I’m waking up exhausted and feeling moody and tired throughout the day. I’ve been leaning on convenience more than ever: Starbucks, Peet’s, DoorDash, Amazon. Instead of making lunch or driving to pick up my coffee, I’m using mobile and delivery apps multiple times a day.

Then today I asked myself a question I’d somehow never thought to ask:

How much am I actually spending on these convenience apps?

So I looked.

Over the last six months, I’ve spent nearly $6,000.

I couldn’t believe it.

That’s almost $1,000 a month.

That’s money that could have gone toward a new car payment, a vacation, investing for the future, or simply treating myself in ways that would have been far more meaningful.

Instead, I’ve been paying for convenience.

So I’ve decided to run an experiment.

Starting tomorrow, I’m committing to one full year with four simple rules.

My Rules

• No convenience apps.
• If I want something, I have to go get it myself.
• No ordering ahead. No drive-thrus. No grocery pickup. No delivery services for items I can buy in a local store.
• One coffee per week from a local café.

If I can go out and get it locally, that’s what I’ll do.

This isn’t about deprivation.

It’s about finding out what convenience has really been costing me—not just financially, but mentally and emotionally too.

Over the next year, I’ll document everything here.

The good, the bad, and the ugly.

Every week I’ll share my progress, my challenges, and an honest estimate of how much money I’ve saved.

At the end of 365 days, we’ll all find out the answer to one question:

What happens when you stop paying the convenience tax?

I honestly don’t know the answer yet.

But I can’t wait to find out.