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Looking For Ways To Stop Spending Money And Begin Saving?
Have you ever thought to yourself this is the month I am going to figure out what things I should stop buying to save money?
You have all the best intentions and the right goals to make this happen. You decide you aren’t going out with friends, not taking that vacation, not buying new clothes, not buying a new car, the list can go on and on. And then, despite your best effort, it doesn’t work out.
You look at your bank account and realize you’ve spent two times the amount of money you had planned. That’s ok don’t beat yourself up, it happens to the best of us.
When you’re working towards important life goals and how to save money fast sometimes you just have to settle down, take a deep breath, and actually analyze your spending. Learning how to start saving money is really not as difficult as most people think.
People often think they have to make drastic changes in all aspects of their life but this is not true, It’s really about making small changes that impact the big picture.
By making small changes you’re more likely to accomplish your goals of saving money. Drastic changes are rarely effective and people often get frustrated and quit before they reach their goal.
People don’t realize the various things that are a waste of money. By cutting out a $5 coffee here and an $ 8 cocktail there it can really add up to significant savings. If I told you eliminating 4, $5 purchases a week could save you up to $960 a year would try harder to save your money?
21 Things That Are A Waste Of Money
1. Expensive Cell Phone Plans
Expensive cell phone plans often include features and services that many users don’t fully utilize, leading to unnecessary monthly expenses. By carefully assessing personal usage habits and opting for a more affordable plan, individuals can save money without sacrificing the essential communication tools they rely on.
Here are some cellphone plans you can look into help you save money
- Mint Mobile: Offering plans starting at $15 per month for 4GB of high-speed data, unlimited talk, and text on the T-Mobile network. They provide discounts for buying in bulk (3, 6, or 12-month packages).
- Tello Mobile: A flexible carrier with plans starting at $5 per month. You can customize your plan to fit your needs, with options for data, talk, and text on the Sprint/T-Mobile network.
- Republic Wireless: Plans starting at $15 per month for unlimited talk and text, with the option to add 1GB of data for $5 per GB. Republic Wireless operates on the T-Mobile network.
2. Shaving Gel Is A Big Waste Of Money
The concept of using a shaving gel is so crazy to me. It is completely unnecessary and expensive you can simply use soap or a cheap condition and moisture with coconut oil.
3. Cleaning Supplies
Cleaning supplies are ridiculously expensive and are not very necessary. You know the best cleaner that that will save you a ton of money? Vinegar. Vinegar has
You can use vinegar as a window cleaner, weed killer, floor cleaner, sparkling dish rinse and so much more. I use vinegar and baking soda as a drain freshener when they get a little smelly
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4. Stop Wasting Money On Spice Packages
I have a secret….making homemade seasoning mix
5. Trendy Clothes
These days I am all about practical spending and being choosy with what I am buying. You can’t save money and reach your goals if you are spending money on expensive clothes.
Try focusing on fewer quality pieces you can easily mix and match. New and expensive clothing isn’t going to help you reach your financial goals.
Keep in mind thrift stores have come a long way and you really can find some quality items.
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11 Frugal Tips to Save Money On Clothes
6. Female Version Of Products
Did you know that you pay more money for “women’s” versions of products? Yep the exact same product that is marketed towards men is much cheaper.
When buying women’s products you are simply paying for pink, flowery, and foofy packaging. Who needs any of that? Save money on the so-called pink tax by purchasing gender neutral razors, deodorants, and other personal care products.
7. Stop Spending Money On Bagged Salads
The convenience of bagged salads is nice but the cost isn’t. It’s really not that difficult to cut up a couple carrots, throw some fresh spinach in a bowl and top with your favorite vinegar and oil dressing. By buying unpackaged products you will save money and have more veggies to eat later in the week.
8. Paper And Towels Napkins
Good quality paper towels can be surprisingly expensive, Not only that they are terrible for our environment. Why not use a kitchen towel you can throw in the wash and use again?
I have always had a difficult time using a full paper towel or napkin with every meal. I was so happy when they came out with paper towels you can tear off in different sizes. #savingtheenvironment 😉
9. Stop Buying Magazines And Books
Don’t get me wrong back in the day I had several magazine subscriptions. But times have changed, there are so many ways to get the same version for FREE online.
If you are one of those people who like the good ole paper magazine’s why not rent them from the library? They have all the popular subscriptions for FREE. They also have audio books to rent for long road trips that I have found to be a great resource.
You can try something like an unlimited Kindle membership for under $10 a month. Get an Amazon Kindle Unlimited 30-DayFree Trial here
If you are more of an audiobook person like myself, make sure to check out this free trial offer from Amazon Audible – Try Audible and Get Two Free Audiobooks
10. Gym Membership
A gym membership can be so expensive. I am all for health and fitness but I don’t think it has to involve paying money to a gym, especially for those people who rarely go to get their moneys worth.
Why not go to the park for a run or use some free youtube videos. My favorite video when I need some motivation is Melissa Bender or if you are looking for other options try these:
- Nike Training Club – iPhone, Android
- Cody app
- Meetup– Is a great way to meet like-minded people in your area for any sort of exercise that you may be interested in. For me, this is a great way to keep the motivation flowing.
11. Scented Candles And Air Fresheners
I know these things smell so good and the names of the various scents scream Yuuum!
Don’t get me wrong, I too want my home to smell welcoming and fresh but I save money and avoid the mess of candles by making my own air fresheners.
Making air fresheners with various essential oils is super easy and the oils are multi-purpose to use for many different things. A couple of my favorites are lavender, citrus, and peppermint.
12. Greeting Cards
Remember earlier I talked about how saving $5 a couple times a week can really add up? Well, when figuring out how to start saving money greeting cards are definitely one item you should cut from your shopping list NOW.
The amount of money charged for store bought cards is outrageous, your money is essentially being tossed down the drain.
A couple of ideas to avoid the waste of money from store bought cards are:
- Go to the dollar store and purchase some craft supplies that will allow you to make 100’s of your own cards.
- For kids birthdays simply go to the dollar store and get a book that they can use for coloring or reading. Much more practical. You can even sign it like you would a card!
13. Pre-Cut Packaged Foods
Again another convenience item. I get it, every once in a while it’s so nice to have pre-shredded cheese to go with your tacos without the hassle of grating. But I bet you could buy 2 times the amount in a block of cheese.
Same applies to carrots. I love the pretty julienned carrots and would love to buy them to toss in my stir fry but I stop myself right there. It’s really not that difficult to get out my cheese or veggie grater and do it all myself.
14. Fancy Coffee
Coffee is a must in my household but going to an expensive coffee house isn’t. Instead, I buy coffee beans in bulk and brew a piping hot cup of coffee at home.
While it might not seem like a lot when forking over $3.50 for your fancy coffee, trust me it is.
coffee compounding savings
You can get yourself a good coffee maker at a decent price and save tons of money. Almost all coffee makers now have
When I am headed to work in the morning I fill up my favorite travel mug and hit the road.
15. Take Out- My #1 Thing To Stop Buying To Save Money
Fast food is a waste of money and it can become quite expensive, especially if it’s a regular occurrence. If you want to cut your grocery/food bill by 50% start cooking healthy home cooked meals.
By meal planning in advance its a guarantee that you will always have healthy food ready to eat. You can make double batches of your favorite casseroles to grab before heading out the door to work.
If you come home from work exhausted you know that you will have something quick and easy that doesn’t require you slaving in the kitchen.
If you aren’t the best at thinking of new things to make each week I think the benefit of paying for inexpensive meal plans outweighs the cost of you hitting up a fast food joint.
These meal plans include recipes along with easy shopping lists that are sent to you weekly. Honestly if you aren’t into meal planning yourself I highly suggest you look in $5 meal plans. These plans cost less than $2 a person per meal and the shopping list makes it sooo easy!
16. Stop Buying Bottled Water
Is it really worth the expense to you and the environment? Buying bottled water is expensive and the plastic is definitely not good for our environment. We purchased a Brita water filter for our house, now we can enjoy
17. Home Decor And Knick-Knacks
I used to be the kind of person who loved shopping for home decor. But since simplifying my life and creating financial goals I had to kick those habits to the curb.
I now realize how much money I wasted on decorative pillows, picture frames, candle holders and much more. There are so many DIY options and upcycling ideas on Pinterest you really don’t need to spend your hard earned money on home decor.
18. Brand Name Food
I’ve never really been a name brand kind of person so saving money by purchasing generic is something that comes pretty easy for me.
For those of you who are still focused on name brand products did know that by choosing the generic option you can save at least 25%? Based on this price comparison, a person can save at least $60 when choosing the generic brand over name brands each month.
In most cases, the ingredients are pretty much identical in generic vs name brand items anyhow.
19. Travel Size Products
Is it weird for me to admit that I enjoy looking at the travel sized products while at Target? I know! K
I used to fall for purchasing these small products but I’ve become much smarter over the years. Now I opt for refilling the old ones and collecting unused ones from hotels.
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19. Expensive Cosmetics
The beauty companies know just how to market their items into pretty little containers to intrigue their customers. It can be really easy to fall into the beauty marketing scheme making you think you have to pay a lot of money for quality cosmetics.
Not true, I have tried some of the fancy mascaras that cost $20-$30 and I was not impressed. This mascara has been my favorite for years and is a fraction of the cost. I am also happy to share the top 20 best-selling mascaras on Amazon which are
20. Start Saving Money By Ditching The Expensive Dates
Who says dates have to be expensive? Sometimes simple is better. If you’re looking for a quick and super cheap escape why not opt for a walk in the park or a picnic at the lake? If you are looking to go out to eat without spending tons of money I love using cardpool.com for finding discounted restaurant gift cards
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21. Dryer Sheets
I grew up with my mom using dryer sheets but are they really necessary? Sure they give your clothes a nice fresh smell but I don’t think the money is worth the fresh scent. If you have an issue with static electricity in your clothes use one of these instead.
That’s All For My List On How To Stop Spending Money On Things You Don’t Need
There you have it my top 21 things I recommend you stop buying to save money. By not buying these items you will definitely start to see your money adding up at the end of each month.
Who doesn’t want a couple of hundred dollars in their pocket by the end of the year?
Looking For Good Ways To Start Saving Money Fast?
Ok, now that we’ve covered everything you should stop buying to save money you may be wondering if there are things you can do to start saving money fast. Lucky you, I’ve got you.
By putting your money into a roundup account like Acorns you won’t even realize your money’s being saved. Acorns works by rounding up your purchases and depositing the money into a savings account. I just looked at our account and we have $465.84 saved and I didn’t have to do a thing.
The next best idea for saving money fast is to start banking with a bank that will make you money. If you are banking with a regular ole brick and mortar bank I doubt you are getting the best rate for your money.
Check out Cit Bank where you can earn up to 2.45%. Yes, if you have the money to open a new account with a $100 minimum deposit and deposit $100 into the account monthly you can make a great interest on your money. Think of all the things to save money for by making money off of your money!
Your Turn, How Do You Avoid Spending Money ?
How about you? Do you have anything that you will not buy because you know how much money you can save in the big picture? Are you trying to become debt free? Are you working towards financial freedom? Let me know in the comments down below. I’d love to hear from you!
