13 Things You Need To Stop Buying To Save Money
Last Updated on by Bree
When you are trying to save money, there are certain things you need to stop buying to make your budget work.
As a single-income family, there are some things we don’t spend money on.
Even if it looks like we are missing out, we certainly aren’t missing a lot because we now know our way around our budget and priorities.
Moreover, even if we aren’t buying these items, it doesn’t necessarily mean we’re not consuming them.
So in this post, we’ll cover 13 things you need to stop buying to save money.
Let’s dive in.
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You Need To Stop Buying These 13 Things To Save Money
1. Fabric softener
Before you start, hear me out. I’m not saying you don’t need fabric softeners. I’m sure everyone wants their clothes soft and gentle on their skin. So instead of buying a separate gallon of fabric softener, you can buy laundry detergent that already contains fabric softener in its composition.
This can save you a few dollars.
2. Bottled water
We all know that drinking water is essential to our health.
But buying bottled water may not be healthy for your budget as they become more expensive as time goes on.
Plus, the plastic waste in our environment is getting out of hand.
So you can switch to water filters like PUR, which can be connected to your kitchen faucet, and get clean water straight from the tap.
That’s what we’ve been using in my house for over two years now, and it saves us money. We change the filter when it is due, maybe once a month thereabout.
3. Sales and clearance stuff
Like I said in the post about impulsive spending, even if you’re shopping during clearance sales, you’re not saving money if you don’t need those items.
But you can put some of your needs on hold.
And be on the lookout for clearance sales.This is a better way of taking advantage of lower prices.
4. Brand new items
When you buy brand-new items, you’re paying full price most of the time.
So if you can find a gently used version of those items, you’d save money as you may pay half or a quarter of the retail price.
Examples of items you can buy gently used are:
- furniture items like (no, not sofas, because of bedbugs), bookshelves, dining sets,
- seasonal items like snow boots, winter jackets,
- home decor like lamps, planters, etc.
5. Cable TV subscriptions
Another thing to stop buying to save money is cable TV.
Cable TV subscriptions are usually set on automated payments.
So whether you use them or not, you’d pay for it by the end of the month.
But you can consider the free version of Hulu, watch a few ads but still watch free TV.
You may also enjoy 88 Fun Things You Can Do Without Spending Money.
6. Fast food
Fast foods are one of the major things you need to stop buying to save money. They are expensive and cost way more than the cost to prepare regular food at home.
Check out 6 Lifestyle Hacks – How To Eat Healthy foods On A Budget.
It is okay to eat take-out occasionally.
But if and when it becomes your only food, you’re in for a significant budget breakdown.
You may also want to look at 9 Unusual Meal Planning Tips To Simplify Kitchen Life.
7. Expensive skincare products
I acknowledge that different skincare products offer several benefits and all that. But at the same time, you have to be wise about the amount of money you spend on them because sometimes these so-called benefits are also present in the lower-end brands.
8. Name brands
Everybody – including me – loves gorgeous designer items to feel good and look rich, and that’s a good thing.
However, name brands are freaking expensive and will dry out your pocket if that’s the only way you shop for fashion.
So instead of paying full price for name-brand fashion items, check out consignment stores like ThredUp for designer stuff for less.
Also, ThredUp sells both used and new-with-tags, regular and brand name items.
So you might find that designer bag or shoe you’ve been dying to have, for cheap and in excellent condition.
9. Hard-copy books
Another thing you need to stop buying to save money is hard-copy books. If you check, digital versions of the same books cost way less than the hard copies.
Besides, after reading hard-copy books, they stay on your shelf and collect dust.
So what can you do?
You can’t and shouldn’t throw your hard-copy books away. Instead, you can buy only digital ones, to save money and not clutter your place.
10. Ready-made canned foods
Cooking at home is one of the best ways to save money, but ready-made canned foods may stretch your budget too far.
However, learning how to make some of these foods like chicken broth, pasta sauce, etc., can make a lot of difference.
And you’d also notice how yours tastes way better than grocery store ones.
11. Tiny figurines decoration
Those cute little figurines are great decoration ideas, but they are also one of the things you should stop buying to save money.
I imagine every time you stop at Goodwill, you pick a couple, and before you know it, your space is cluttered.
At some point, they become more of a problem than decoration when they topple over every time you try to dust in-between them.
12. Regular spa visits
A spa visit once in a while won’t hurt anyone. As a matter of fact, most women desire to stop at the spa and get pampered without all the noise in their homes.
However, regular spa visits are one of the things you need to stop spending your dough on to save extra money.
So as inconvenient as this may sound, do your own home-spa once in a while. And save spa visits as a special treat you give yourself, maybe on your birthday or holiday vacation.
13. Takeaway beverage
Lastly, takeaway beverages are one of the things to stop buying to save money. Though I’ve never tried a Dunkin’s or Starbucks’ coffee from what I heard, they are great.
And I believe you can treat yourself to them but making it a regular thing can spread your budget too thin.
So you can try to make your own coffee or even hot chocolate at home. Maybe with less sugar and a low-fat or even lactose-free creamer (if you’re intolerant).
Let’s Wrap Up! Things To Stop Buying To Save Money
Boom! That’s 13 things you need to stop buying to save money.
I hope this helps you make the right spending decisions and also allocate money to your needs.
What items do you think we need to stop buying to save more money?
Please share them with us in the comments.
Thanks for reading.
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