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Do you struggle to save money?
Saving money is really not as difficult as most people think it is.
What makes it so hard is that when someone decides that they want to save more money, they try to change everything!
That never works…it’s not about making drastic changes to everything you do, because as you know, this usually ends failure.
I’m not saying that this is always the case, but more often than not it is.
Resolving to totally change everything you do is really hard. And with one or two little slip-ups, most people tend to give up and go back to their old ways.
Saving money can be accomplished by making small manageable changes. Making small changes is much easier which, in turn, keeps you motivated to continue. You are much more likely to accomplish your goals if you’re not turning your whole life upside down.
20 Things You Must Stop Buying Now
For this reason, I put together 20 things you must stop buying that will save you a bunch of money every. Try implementing a few of these changes every couple of weeks and you have the potential to save $5000 or more.
Table of Contents
Paper Towels/Napkins
Paper products that are just thrown in the trash after one use is a huge waste of money. You are literally throwing your money in the trash. Instead, why not by some reusable paper towels and cleaning rags that can be used over and over again.
These bamboo paper towels replace 6 months of regular paper towels, they are machine washable and lint free so you can reuse them over and over again.
Magazines/Newspapers
Magazines/NewspapersJust about everything you pay to read in magazines and newspapers is available to read online these days. So why would you spend your hard-earned money on the physical versions that just end up in the recycling bin or worse the trash?
If you must buy magazines, get a subscription through Best Deals Magazine. A one-year subscription cost about the same as one or two magazines sold in stores.
Gym Memberships
If you are paying for a gym membership, then think about how much you actually use it. Is it worth the hefty gym membership fees? Are you using it enough to get your money’s worth out if it? If not then cancel it. There are many ways that you could get a workout at home or outdoors that don’t cost a dime.
Fancy Specialty Coffees
If you are a regular at Starbucks then you are throwing so much money in the trash every month. Even if you have just one specialty coffee a day, it’s costing you over $100 a month. Why not make your own at home, you can find many “copycat” recipes online and still get your fix.
Brand Name Food
There is a generic version of just about every brand named food out there and they are way more inexpensive than the brand named version. Did you know that most of the store/generic versions are made by the same manufacturer as the brand name? Really the only difference is that you are not paying for the pretty packaging and advertising of the more expensive versions.
Bottled Water
Just like specialty coffees, bottled water is a big waste of money every month. Why not buy yourself a filtered water pitcher instead. If you like the convenience of grabbing a bottle of water and heading out the door, just save the many empty bottles that I’m sure you accumulate pretty quickly and fill them ahead of time at home to save money & waste.
Takeout
Take out can become quite expensive, especially if it is a regular occurrence. I get it, there are some days where there is so much going on it’s hard to find the time to make a healthy dinner. Instead of turning to takeout, prepare yourself in advance for these types of days. Next time you make a casserole for supper, double your recipe and prepare another one for another time, then on those busy days, you simply need to pop it in the oven for a healthy and less expensive meal.
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Individual Sized Meals
These are another item that many people buy that are a big waste of money. Again you are paying for convenience and packaging. Instead, buy larger sized items and make your own individually sized meals at home.
Junk Food
Junk food is not only a huge waste of money but it’s also terrible for your body. Instead, make some healthy single-serve snacks at home that you can take with you to work or when you’re on the go. This way you can grab a healthy snack when your tummy starts to growl instead of hitting up the vending machine at work.
Disposable Dinnerware
Just as the name implies, you are just throwing your money in the trash if you use disposable plates, cups or utensils. These are very convenient but the convenience costs a lot of money over time. Really, how long does it take to wash and extra few plates, fork, and cups?
Sale Items You don’t need
Who doesn’t love to find great deals on sale items? Buying items that are on sale is a huge money saver, the problem comes in when you are buying sale items that you don’t really need just because they are on sale. If it’s not something you really need, don’t waste your money.
Individual Sized Meat Portions
This is another item that you are just paying for convenience. Instead, select a larger cut of meat that is less expensive per pound and then ask the stores butcher to cut it down into smaller portions for you.
Store-bought cleaners
Store-bought cleaners are super expensive, you can make most of these cleaners with some very inexpensive products that you probably already have at home. You can find DIY recipes for just about every cleaning product that you use now that work just as well and are so much healthier for you and your family.
Small size personal care items
Just like individually sized meals or meat portions, smaller sized bottles of personal care products cost more money. Instead, buy the largest sized that cost less per unit and fill your smaller bottles with it whenever you need to.
Dried Fruit snacks
Make your own dried fruit snacks at home instead of paying for the very pricey store-bought version. Think about it how much does it cost you to buy a bunch of bananas versus a bag of the dried version? You’ll have to make an initial investment in a food dehydrator but that investment will save you so much money down the road.
Music Streaming
Why would you pay for a music streaming service when there are so many out there for free? Ok, you might have to listen to a commercial every now and then, but who cares. It’s worth it in the amount of money you will be saving every year.
Keurig Pods
This is another disposable product that isn’t worth the cost. You can buy some very inexpensive reusable pods along with your favorite coffee and fill them up to save so much money.
Related articles to help you lower your grocery budget and buy food for cheap
51+ Cheapest foods to buy when money is tight
The easiest way to save money on groceries
Cheap grocery list for when you’re on a tight budget
23 Items you should always buy in bulk
15 Things you should never buy at a grocery store
5 Simple tips for buying groceries online
Are you overspending on groceries? Use this Grocery Budget Calculator to find out
How to build a sensible stockpile
17 Free meal planning templates
Couponing tips and tricks for beginners
How to start a container garden to save money on food
How to control food waste so you can stop throwing your money in the trash
Soda
Soda is another item that is not only pretty costly but is not good for you too. Get in the habit of drinking water instead. It is so much better for your health and it’s free.
Disposable Food Storage Items
Things like zipper bags and foil are another big waste of money. They are another use it once and throw it away item. Instead of throwing your money in the trash, invest in some good quality storage containers that can be used over and over again.
Pricey Personal Care Items
Many personal care items such as body scrubs, shaving creams, facial masks, and much more can easily be made at home for pennies compared to the high prices you pay at the drugstore. And most of them can be made with items that you already have on hand at home. Pinterest is a great resource to find DIY personal care recipes for just about anything under the sun that will save you so much money.
So there you have it, 20 items that you need to stopping buying now that will put an extra $5000 or more in your pockets every year. Plus, you aren’t really giving anything up, you are simply making smarter buying decisions. Try implementing a hand full of these tips at a time and you won’t even realize the difference.
Do you have any tips on things you must stop buying that you would like to add to this list? We’d love to hear them.
Free eBook "20 Ways To Improve Your Finances in Under 20 Minutes"
Improving your finances doesn't need to be a huge undertaking.
This FREE Mini eBook has 20 bite sized hacks to get your money situation under control that you can do in less than 20 minutes at a time!
Thanks for sharing this useful list. Smart buying decisions can surely help us to add to our savings. Even a small amount saved now can help us build a big amount altogether for our retirement. Keeping a check on one’s monthly expenses is a great way to develop healthy financial habits.
That’s so true Harleen. All the little changes do add up to quit a bit. Try keeping track of how much you can save by making small changes and you’ll be shocked.
I agree with every item on your list when I worked a normal job but my husband and I started driving a truck 4 years ago and most of the items you mention we use minus the prepackaged convenient foods. I cook almost all our meals in the truck. I get Homechef some weeks and even bring some of those meals to make. I use a Dash double up skillet oven and make everything on it. We do use bottled water. I spent years being frugal and I still have that mindset. We have very limited home time weekly so that limits my creativity in the kitchen for stuff but I still cook at home every week. We spend hardly any money on fuel for our vehicles or maintenance. We save on our utility bills because we are never home but our daughter still lives at home. The meal delivery has small bottles I keep to reuse for smaller amounts of mayo, dressing, etc. I still think we do pretty good on the items we have to use. Thanks for the article. Open to suggestions for traveling with limited space and alternatives to items. We use alot of babywipes for hygiene etc. We do buy disinfecting wipes and Paper towels and kleenex.
I only use bottled water in town. It’s the chlorine that gets to me. I’ve tried every filtration system (Except the installed kind, bc rentals don’t allow that sort of thing). Not one has ever removed the chlorine—even the ones branded to do so. I do bring a bottle of pre-filled water from home, but I usually drink 4-5 bottles of water in a day, so I buy the rest. (However, a 40-bottle case at Costco is only $3 or so). True, I might feel a little guilty about the environmental factor (no where around here recycles plastic). I have also tried the boiling method, but that only seems to concentrate the chlorine further. So until cities stop using so much chlorine the tap water tastes like a swimming pool, I’m going to keep drinking the bottled water.
Thanks Sarah! I can totally understand where you are coming from, chlorinated water is not the best for sure! Unfortunately, there are many things that are out of our control. The good news is that there are plenty more things that are within our control, focusing on what we can do is time better spent.