11 Things Frugal People Over 40 Refuse To Pay For On Principle
People over 40 have been around long enough to know that some things aren't worth paying a penny for.
fizkes | Shutterstock As people cross the threshold into their 40s, they begin to view their money and finances much differently. Life experiences, financial goals, and a desire for long-term security inspire a shift towards more mindful saving habits. They begin to distance themselves from paying for things that are now unnecessary in their lives.
Whether it's memberships, subscriptions, or even road tolls, there are certain things frugal people over 40 refuse to pay for on principle, choosing to save money for more important things. What others deem normal fees or purchases, they see as excessive and overpriced, and this is why they choose to no longer pay for them.
Here are 11 things frugal people over 40 refuse to pay for on principle
1. Gym memberships they don't use
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Frugal people rarely spend their money on luxuries unless they absolutely need them. A gym membership is something that they would consider a long-benefit for their health, so they see it more as an investment. However, they will start to notice that the payment is not matching up to the amount of time they go every year.
This is why it's one of the things frugal people over 40 refuse to pay for on principle, and they will end their gym memberships that they don't use. In fact, approximately 67% of gym memberships go completely unused, with 40% of gym members attending less than once per week. Frugal people have found that there are other ways to work out without having to spend so much money.
2. Extended warranties
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Extended warranties are heavily pushed at checkouts because they generate significant profits for retailers and third-party companies. It can feel like you're being scammed when you're paying for an additional fee that only covers a certain amount of time on the item.
But those over the age of 40 would rather risk their purchase breaking than buy an extended warranty on it. For them, it's all about the principle. They feel as if they are being taxed a second time on a product and wonder how companies can feel so out of touch with their consumer base.
A business is all about consumer retention rates, and if you constantly punish your customers with extra warranty fees on a product when you could just fix the item they purchased from your store for free, they have every right to not return to your business again.
3. Shipping and handling
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Frugal people over the age of 40 have lived through the evolution of online shopping and now see free shipping as a great marketing tool that keeps them coming back. They remember how much it costs to ship a package out and how so many retailers offer this new incentive. They've learned to shop smarter rather than cough up more money for shipping and handling.
Whether or not a customer can get free shipping affects their purchase. A study from Baymard Institute found that 39% of consumers abandoned their items during checkout due to extra costs being too high, like shipping tax and other fees. Shipping and handling costs are somewhat of an illusion, however. A product that costs $25 with a $5 shipping fee will be listed as $30 with free shipping to make the customer feel like they're saving costs.
4. High-interest credit card debt
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By the time people reach their 40s, they've learned the hard way how destructive high-interest credit card debt can be. With compounding interest rates that can quickly snowball into a long-term financial burden, frugal people in this age group see this type of debt as a trap that chips away at their financial stability and sabotages their long-term goals.
According to the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, around 46% of households carried credit card debt in 2022, and the average household debt was approximately $6,065 per household. Many have adopted strategies like using cash back or rewards cards only if they can pay off the full balance each month. These money saving hacks show a commitment to preserve their wealth, rather than bleed it away in interest payments.
5. Valet trash services
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Valet trash service, where someone picks up garbage from your doorstep for a monthly fee, is seen as a common staple in many apartment complexes nowadays. But the idea of paying extra for a task that they could do on their own feels wasteful, and is one of the things frugal people over 40 refuse to pay for on principle.
Especially when apartment complexes pass the cost onto the residents regardless of whether they use the service, for frugal people, they see it as an unnecessary luxury that they can't opt out of. They prefer doing small chores themselves to maintain a sense of responsibility and discipline.
Anything can go awry with valet trash — bags breaking for the workers or not picking it up at all when they're supposed to, for example. Another issue is that many valet trash workers don't work on holidays, which means a tenant's trash will stay there until the next day.
6. ATM fees
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Over the years, ATM fees have risen to the point that when people want cash, they simply choose to purchase something small and ask a cashier instead. Maneuvering your way around unnecessary fees can have you saving money every year, and it's easier to look for ATMs that are in your network to avoid the extra cost.
Many frugal individuals over 40 grew up in a financial era when accessing one's own cash didn't come at a premium. As a survey from Bankrate found, a common out of network ATM withdrawal costs about $4.77 on average, split between roughly $3.19 from the ATM's owner and $1.58 from the user's bank. To them, paying a small fee is not only an inconvenience, but they find it offensive as they are trying to access their own hard-earned money.
7. Premium cable or subscription services
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People over the age of 40 grew up around cable television, and while they loved it then, nowadays it's too expensive to keep. With streaming services creating better content than cable programming, many would rather pay a smaller subscription than pay hundreds of dollars for channels that they might not like.
However, having multiple subscriptions will eventually add up as well, especially for 40-year-olds who tend to be more frugal. A survey from Pew Research Center found that older adults aged 30 to 49 saw the second largest decline in purchases for cable television in their homes in 2021.
Frugal people over 40 have clever ways to circumvent paying for multiple streaming services by taking advantage of deals and only using a service if there's something worth watching on the app. This helps them from blindly keeping up with what's trending and instead pride themselves on having financial discipline, saving money wherever they can.
8. Road tolls
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Having to pay a toll fee when driving your car on a public highway is something that aggravates frugal people over 40. Most people accept it because they are told that the funds that the state receives will be used to fix the infrastructure, though this is rarely the case. In a statewide poll from Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, over 70% of Texans said existing roads should stay toll-free and tolls should be reduced post-construction.
There's a strong sense of principle at play. Many believe that the roads should be maintained through taxes already paid, not through additional charges. To them, tolls feel like paying twice for the same service, which goes against their belief in financial fairness and transparency.
9. Giving to charities
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It seems like nowadays, whenever you head into a checkout line at a grocery store, you are asked if you would like to donate to a charity of some kind. Frugal people noticed this was a scam before anyone else caught on. Corporations get tax write-offs for matching the money that customers donate.
What you're essentially doing is giving your local grocery store your hard-earned money so that they can donate it to a charity of their choosing and get the tax break. It's important to remember that you can donate money to charity on your own and deduct that from your own taxes, rather than having a middle man in the way.
No one likes to feel pressured to give away money that they don't have, and asking for charity donations at the checkout line can feel like a marketing tactic rather than about pure philanthropy.
10. Parking fees
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Paying for parking in a hospital or a public place downtown can be expensive, which is why frugal people try to avoid them. Finding and holding a parking spot can be difficult when a plaza is overcrowded, but there are ways around it. Many choose alternative transportation like buses and trains, while others take a taxi or cab to their destination.
According to a survey from ParkMobile, around 88% of U.S. drivers choose to evade paid parking by hunting for free options or simply skipping the trip altogether. This can be a bleak way to live, but often a necessary one to save money on costs. Unless the trip is important, like showing up at a courthouse downtown, people tend to avoid it due to the parking limitations.
11. Insurance
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One of the bigger things frugal people over 40 refuse to pay for on principle is insurance. As insurance companies continue to cut corners to save costs, many consumers have grown wary of the value they're actually getting in return for their services. Shrinking coverage, rising deductibles, and delaying or even denying claims have become too common, undermining the trust that once made insurance feel like a safety net.
A 2025 AARP survey found that adults in the U.S. between the ages of 40 to 64 considered monthly healthcare premiums of $100 or more unaffordable. For seasoned policyholders who have lived through economic downturns, the math simply doesn't add up. They see insurers as prioritizing shareholder profits over client protection, prompting many to simply go uninsured.
Sylvia Ojeda is an author with a decade of experience writing novels and screenplays. She covers self-help, relationships, culture, and human interest topics.
