Today I am sharing 10 things I quit buying to save money. Cutting out a few items from your budget can really add up.
When we started to declutter our home I realized we could also declutter our spending. Here are 10 things I quit buying to save money in our budget. Obviously we were spending money, but I never realized just how much.
Once we cut out these 10 items I was surprised I didn’t miss them at all. These items are things I didn’t think much about because they are all pretty cheap. Once you add them up you are saving a lot of money each month. In case you have a problem with impulse buying read some tips on how I avoid that HERE.
Of course what you buy or don’t buy is going to be different from me, but hopefully this post will inspire you to look at where you might be able to save money.
Watch It Here:
10 Things I Quit Buying to Save Money
Cling Wrap/ Plastic Wrap
When we started decluttering and becoming more minimalist I reevaluated what we were using in our home. I quickly realized we used a lot of items out of convenience and habit. Cling wrap is horrible for the environment. After looking through my kitchen I realized we could use some reusable containers for leftovers.
I also made some beeswax wraps. The beeswax wraps are super fun and easy to make, check out my tutorial here. We have been cling wrap free for over a year and I don’t intend to ever use it again.
Stop Buying Plastic Water Bottles
We no longer use plastic water bottles! Hooray, it only took about 30 years to realize we don’t need to buy water. All of us use reusable togo cups and water bottles.
It works for hot and cold beverages! What I like about giving up water bottles is we are helping the environment and saving money at the same time. Most of our water bottle usage was from my husband taking them to work with him. This is such an easy switch to make!
I like to use a water purifier system. For a long time we used a Brita water filter, but now we use a simple system from Costco
Back Up Supplies
Since simplifying our lives I am no longer storing back up supplies. It is so easy to go to the store and “stock up”, maybe things are on sale so it seems like a good idea. What I realized over time, is I wasn’t using most of these supplies in time.
A lot of things would expire! It is also annoying to have a lot of supplies clogging up my cabinets and limited storage space.
If you live in the middle of no where this might not apply to you, but for the average person who lives in a city or suburb, it’s pretty easy to get to the store. In most cases I go grocery shopping for perishable food at least once a week. If I find myself low on something I just restock at that time.
Refill Cleaning Supplies
There are so many cleaning tools that require special soap or refill scrubbing pads. This is just a trap to make you buy more supplies that you don’t really need. I don’t buy any cleaning tools that require anything to be refilled or purchased separately.
Swiffer products are convenient, but also cost you a fortune on refills! I use a mop I can clean myself and a washable rag to dust.
My vacuum can be dumped out so I don’t have to use a special bag! This saves money and the hassle of putting a new bag in.
No More Gift Wrap
I am no longer buying gift wrap. Instead of buying gift wrap I try to come up with creative ways to put a gift together. I might use a reusable shopping bag that the person can keep, or reuse bags I already have.
Last Christmas I made my own reusable gift bags out of scrap material. This is such an easy project and will save you a lot of time, money, and the environment.
In most cases I like to buy a gift card for friends and family. This way they can get exactly what they want and they don’t have to worry about keeping something they might not like.
Seasonal Decorations
I am no longer buying seasonal decorations. It is so easy to find yourself in the store looking for something new every season. This can add up fast if you aren’t careful.
One fun way to avoid this is try to use some items you already have. Maybe repurpose a vase or something for several different seasons by adding flowers. Also switching different colored pillow covers can transform a room without having to spend a bunch of money and add a lot of clutter.
No Drinks
A huge way to save money over time is by not buying drinks. Especially when you are out to dinner! The average soda when you are out is about $3.
It doesn’t seem like that much money, but if you go out to eat a lot it can really add up. We also cut out soda and juice from our grocery budget. If you can make your own coffee at home you will save a ton! This only applies to you if you go out a lot, but I realized we saved a lot on each dinner out by skipping the drinks.
Toys and Trinkets
We are no longer buying toys and trinkets for no reason. Of course if the kids actually need something, or it is a birthday, or Christmas we get something. We no longer buy something every time we pass the dollar section in Target.
It took a while for my children to realize they were not going to get a treat “just because.” This will not only save you money, but you will have way less clutter and broken junk heading to the dump.
Trendy Clothes
Trendy clothes come and go really fast. I have saved a lot of money by sticking to a style that I know looks good on me and I feel comfortable in. I always lose money when I try to branch out and go out of my comfort zone. Right now I love a capsule wardrobe where a lot of items can be mixed and matched.
Look for items that can take you through a few seasons. Buying a new wardrobe every season is a sure fire way to burn through some money.
Cable TV
Two years ago we cut the cord. This is going to sound crazy, but I was actually scared to get rid of cable TV. I thought, “what if I need to watch something? I will miss all my shows.” I went for it anyways, with the knowledge that I could always sign up again if we needed cable.
This is the crazy thing, I haven’t missed one show I use to watch. I look back and wonder how I sat mindlessly consuming TV for hours at a time. We did sign up for Netflix for my husband and the kids to have a few things to watch once in a while and of course we get the free channels with an antenna. Overall we are saving $60 a month by quitting TV!
I hope some of these suggestions help you save money or inspire you to make some changes to what you buy.
Read More:
How to be a minimalist with Family
Waking up at 5am is Changing my LIFE
The funnies in the new papers is the best gift wrap
you’ll ever find.