Reaching all of your financial goals takes a lot of planning and sacrifice. In order to reach our goals, we’ve stopped buying several things.
Not only has it helped us save money but it’s also helped us realize that we really didn’t need it in the first place. Less consumerism has helped us live a more minimalistic lifestyle.
20 Things We Stopped Buying To Save Big Money
1. Cable TV
We stopped paying for cable years ago and honestly it has saved us so much money. We have Netflix’s standard plan which is $12.99 a month. That gets us two screens at a time. The basic plan is $8.99 a month and you get one screen at a time.
Another good option would be Hulu. Their plans start at $5.99 a month.
2. Name Brand Food
Did you know that name-brand food costs a lot more? Just switching to generic brands can save you a lot of money. Most of the time, I can’t even tell the difference and the ingredients are usually the exact same.
Save big by switching to generic brands! Check out this post by Three Thrify Guys for a great price comparison between name brand and generic.
3. Expensive Cell Phone Plans
We ditched the expensive cell phones years ago and now use Republic Wireless. Have you heard of them? They are an online wireless company that offers affordable plans. Plans start as low as $15 a month!
There are no contracts, no hidden fees, no activation fees, no roaming charges and you can change your plan at any time. You purchase the phone upfront, they ship it to you and then you activate it and choose your plan.
You can pay monthly or yearly and all plans offer unlimited talk and text. And you have the option to purchase up to 15 extra GB per month.
Republic Wireless‘ technology uses wi-fi as a default. Whenever you’re around wi-fi it automatically tries to connect to the wi-fi. If no wi-fi is available then it will connect to a Sprint cell phone tower.
4. Trendy Clothes
I rarely buy new clothes for myself and if I do I like to stick to clothes that I’ll be able to wear for years. Buying trendy clothes cost more in the long run, contributes to pollution and creates more clutter in your home.
Shopping at thrift stores and consignment shops are good ways to save money on clothes. A lot of times you can find good quality clothing at a fraction of the price.
5. Books And Magazines
Books make me happy. But if I’m being honest, I usually read a book once and then it goes on a shelf. So now I try to find it at my library or ask friends if they have one that I can borrow. This saves me a lot of money.
Another option is Amazon Kindle Books. The unlimed subscription is $9.99. Great way to save money on books and cut back on clutter.
We cut out magazine subscriptions too. It was hard to find the time to read them and they cost money so we canceled them.
6. Starbucks
Buying fancy coffee adds up quick. Cutting Starbucks has been the hardest for me. I really love Starbucks. But it costs too much so it had to go.
I do like to ask for Starbucks gift cards for my birthday and Christmas. It’s a nice treat to have once in a while.
7. Eating Out
Eating out costs so much money. Making food at home can really help you cut back on food costs. We like to make pizza at home every Saturday. It tastes better in my opinion and it saves us money.
If you’re pressed for time, meal prepping is really helpful. If you know you’ve got food ready to go, you’re less likely to eat out.
8. Expensive Makeup And Skincare
I’ve always loved makeup. Buying new makeup is so much fun but it can really add up. So, for now, I buy from Root cosmetics or from Target.
You can find inexpensive makeup and skincare items that will work just fine.
I’ve also experimented with making my own skincare products. Making your own skincare products can save you a lot of money.
9. Expensive Hair Products
There are many inexpensive hair products that will work just as well as some of the expensive brands. I have wavy hair that gets frizzy if it’s not well hydrated.
I’ve tried so many brands but one cheap brand that works great on my hair is Tresemme. A big bottle lasts me a long time.
10. Dryer Sheets
Dryer sheets make your clothes smell nice but it’s another added expense. We switched to wool dryer balls and we probably won’t ever switch back.
Wool Dryer balls reduce drying time, save money and last for years. My family has sensitive skin so using things that have added scent can be irritating. Wool Dryer balls have no scent and nothing that irritates our skin.
11. New Cars
New cars cost more, have higher insurance rates and depreciate faster. You can find many reliable cars that are used. When we bought our van it was used and we drove it for 7 years.
Check out the consumer reports for the best-used cars.
12. Sparkling Water/Soda
Save money and ditch the soda and sparkling water. We only buy soda if we have a party or have friends over for dinner.
13. Paper Products
Paper plates, cups, and plastic spoons add unnecessary costs. And it contributes to the landfill. Save money by skipping the paper products!
Can you sew? You can make your own paper towels (unpaper towels) and napkins. They are reusable and cut down on waste.
14. Movie Theatre
I love going to the movie theatre but we end up spending so much money. Even if we skip the popcorn it’s still costly. So now we skip the theatre and just get a Redbox.
It’s so much cheaper to get a Redbox or find a movie on Netflix and pop your own popcorn!
15. Car Washes
Our kids love going to the car wash. I remember loving that as a kid as well. It’s fun to watch but it’s, unfortunately, an added cost that we just can’t justify.
So now we get the hose out and wash the cars as a family. The kids have fun and are usually soaked by the time we’re done.
16. Expensive Hair Cuts
My husband quit going to get his haircut years ago. Now we use a hair cutting kit . It comes with a guide to show you how to cut hair. But I’ve been doing it so long now that I can cut his hair without the guide.
My sister is a cosmetologist so she will sometimes cut my kid’s hair. If she has time she’ll cut mine too. When she’s busy I just go to the salon. I only get my hair cut once or twice a year in order to save money.
17. Alcohol
We cut out alcohol a few years ago. It saves us a lot of money and we feel better overall. The only time we have alcohol is at a wedding or special event.
18. Shaving Gel
Shaving gel is another added cost that we have cut. My husband has had a beard for years so he doesn’t need it anymore and I just use soap or coconut oil.
19. Female Version Of Products
Female versions of products cost more than male products. Save yourself some cash and buy nongendered personal care products.
I’ve been buying razors that are marketed to men because they’re cheaper and I honestly feel like they do a better job.
20. Prepackaged Food
Prepackaged foods cost more. Save money by making your own salad kit, shredding your own carrots, grating your own cheese and making your own bread.
I love making homemade fries. We have this fry cutter and we use it for fries and diced hashbrowns.
That it! This is what we’ve cut out to save us big money. We have more money and we’re happy knowing that we’ll be meeting our financial goals soon.
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What have you stopped buying to save money?
