25 Things to Stop Buying to Save Money

Want to get ahead financially? Sometimes its the little things that can make a big difference and these 25 things are wasting your hard earned money.

My mum always liked to tell me look after the pennies and the pounds will after themselves.

While I like to focus in on my big ticket spends now and then, it’s often the little ones where I can claw back wasted money every year.

Products that are a waste of money

You can save thousands with these tips, and the great thing is you won’t feel like you’re missing out when you stop buying these items!

You may also like these frugal habits to save money.

1. Fast fashion

I am so over clothes that are in style one minute and then out the next. A good rule I have adopted is that if it’s not something that goes with several other things in my wardrobe already, I wont buy it.

If it’s something that I do not at least score a 9/10 on the “love it” scale, I am not buying it.

If you struggle to resist buying new fashion, then check out these tips to stop spending money on clothes.

2. Annual planner

Starting the year with a pretty planner to organise your days and weeks can feel really intentional and motivating.

But what if you lose steam, miss a few weeks out, or just stop filling it in altogether before the year ends. Once you get to the next year, you need a brand new one.

Instead I just have an ongoing notebook that I use as a planner. I can add a date to the top and if I use it weekly great, but if I miss a week then I haven’t wasted the paper.

You can also get undated planner books which you can dip in and out of.

3. Tech upgrades

The greatest lie tech companies ever sold is that we have to upgrade our tech to the latest device every year.

And I am so suspicious that with every software rollout they’re deliberately making the older devices slower so you feel like you need a new one.

Anyway, stuff like mobile phones, tablets and laptops actually have a far longer life than 12 months. So try not to upgrade your phone once your device is paid off, instead find a cheaper mobile contract to save you money.

4. Cheap kitchen roll

This is such a false economy. When you buy cheap kitchen roll you end up using three sheets to mop up a spill versus the one sheet you need with the better stuff.

For me it’s about finding the middle ground between the cheap stuff that can’t soak up a drop and the super overpriced stuff.

5. Greeting cards

I get the kids to make them instead! Alternatively you can buy bulk packs of greeting cards the cost a fraction of the price, rather than buying a single card for £3 to £4.

6. Tampons and sanitary pads

I have not bought tampons or sanitary pads in four years. I have been using a combination of reusable products instead – period underwear and menstrual cups.

I think the cups can feel quite daunting to get started with, as they are much more tricky to insert than a tampon. However once you get the hang of using them, they are fantastic.

7. . Branded meds

When you are buying medication, as with many other things, we often assume the branded product is best. It’s the one we are familiar with from advertising and

it’s worth taking a closer look at the ingredients, because you’ll often find with things like antiseptic cream there’s the same percentage of the key ingredient in the branded goods as in the non branded goods.

Same with painkillers. Sometimes branded and non branded pills are made in the same factory, but the difference in price can be 50% or even more.

Stop giving your loyalty to brands.

8. Face wipes

Disposable face wipes cost you money and aren’t great for the planet. I’ve been using washable face wipes to remove my makeup and clean my face for years.

I’ve definitely saved money and they wash so easily!

9. Jewellery

Like with fast fashion, cheap costume jewellery can be really tempting because it’s not too pricey and we like to have something brand new, especially if we have an occasion coming up.

These days I never buy cheap jewellery and instead rely on the nice pieces that family have bought me over the years. I like having a few meaningful pieces rather than tons of cheap jewellery, which just starts to go black after a while anyway.

10. Lazy food

Of all the things to cut out of your life, I think lazy food is number one because it’s such a quick way of saving money and you won’t really notice that much difference.

Pre cut and pre grated fruits and veg and cheese save you time, but you really pay for it!

Just look at the difference in price by weight between grated cheese and a block of cheese.

Save yourself some money and just go for the whole food. Especially with fruit, which lasts longer than the pre cut stuff I find. Especially with things like watermelon.

Want more tips for saving money on groceries? Check out these tips for saving money on your food shop.

11. More than two streaming subscription at a time

It can be tempting to have all the streaming services. Especially when you have a fmaily, you don’t go out much and everyone loves watching different movies, shows or listening to different music.

There’s Netflix, Prime, Disney+, Hulu, Paramount, Apple TV, Now TV, Starz, Spotify Amazon Music, the list goes on and on.

But try to limit yourself to just two subscriptions at a time, and rotate them so that you never pay for all the services at once.

Want more money saving ideas? Check out these frugal living tips.

12. Subscription boxes

I’m going to just start this one off by saying that sometimes you do get a decent saving from subscription boxes. But the trick is to cancel your subscription before you get charged for the second month, because that first month is usually a genuinely great deal. The second month not so much.

This is what I’ve found with meal box services like Hello Fresh and Gousto. I made a great saving with them on signing up, but then once your 60% discount is gone it costs more than it would have buying the equivalent food at the supermarket.

You can read more about this in my Gousto review.

Yes you are paying for convenience, but wow you really pay above the odds for it.

It’s a similar story with beauty boxes. Sometimes you can get the odd good deal on a one-off box where every item in the box is something you want, but if you sign up to a subscription you’ll inevitably end up with tons of stuff you don’t use.

So just be careful not to be get stuck in a subscription that’s not giving you great value for money.

13. Haircuts

When you pay to get your hair cut you are paying for the person’s skills and the salon experience.

But I have really noticed the cost of getting my hair done at the salon rocket in the last few years.

If you get some salon scissors you can trim your own hair at home and with a little research at home hair colour doesn’t have to be too scary.

At the very least if you cut back on salon visits to just once or twice a year then you can save hundreds of pounds.

14. Nails

I always do my own nails at home, I haven’t had a manicure in years. Like with hair cuts, you are paying for someone’s skill and there’s a lot more a manicurist can do in terms of styled nails than I can do at home.

But this is an extra expense I like to avoid. I have a really good collection of nail colours and as long as I glance down and my nails look tidy then I’m happy.

15. Seasonal decorations

The amount of stuff you can now buy to decorate your house for every holiday and occasion is unbelievable!

I’ve noticed so much decor being sold for Easter – bunting, little bunnies, banners, posters, lights, flower pots. Everything you can think of.

It’s the same for Halloween, Christmas, New Year, St Patrick’s Day and more.

I have a healthy stock of Christmas and Halloween decorations but I avoid any other seasonal decorations. And actually my kids usually come home with projects they have made at school for things like Easter or Mother’s Day so those are my decor for the occasions.

16. Fabric softener

Having fluffy towels is definitely a nice thing. However I’ve found without a tumble dryer, even using fabric softener makes no significant difference to the softness of the towels.

For that reasons I haven’t bothered with fabric softener for a long time. You can use vinegar as a cheap natural alternative to try to soften your towels.

Try line drying them outside to speed up the drying process.

17. Laundry scent booster

The rise of the cleanfluencer means that we now have soooo much choice down the cleaning aisle of the supermarket.

One of the big fads is the laundry scent boosters you add to inject a big dose of floral fresh smell into your laundry.

Look scent is a great stimulator and once you get used to a product like this you can convince yourself you need it. But it’s not doing anything practical for you in the washing machine. I always avoid these.

18. Kids magazines

My kids have been obsessed with those magazines that come with all the plastic junk since they could talk. The trouble is they are so expensive.

We decided to subscribe each of our kids to a magazine that contained fun and engaging content for them to enjoy and this has worked out cheaper.

19. Bottled water

Sometimes it is nice to treat yourself to something when on a day out, like a smoothie or an ice cream.

One thing I hate to waste my money on is bottled water. Especially as some prices charge so much for just a single bottle.

I always remember to take out at least one plastic water bottle when we are heading anywhere, even just into town for an hour as you never know when the kids will decide they’re thirsty.

20. Gifts

I don’t forgo all gifts, I’m frugal, not cheap! My kids absolutely still get gifts.

However what I have been more focused on in recent years, especially with my husband, is buying experiences rather than stuff.

It’s a similar story with my parents, who are comfortable financially and have everything they need. It’s nice to buy them something sometimes if I see it, but generally these days I try to treat them to a meal out or a small token gift that I know they will like rather than feeling like I have to spend a certain amount.

21. Gift bags

I don’t think I have bought a gift bag in about seven years. It probably coincides with when my kids started having birthday parties and so we collected a ton of gift bags every year.

I save every gift bag we receive something in, remove the gift card or tag, and then recycle it for giving a gift at the next party or for Christmas.

22. Multiple personal care dupes

There are so many different lotions and potions out there. We’re sold different moisturisers, hair care products, make-up. The global cosmetics market is valued at over 500 billion dollars. It didn’t get there from selling people just one ultimate product.

It got there because it sells people multiple, similar products. An eye cream for day time, an eye cream for nighttime.

These days I aim to use up what I have before I buy another similar thing. So I’ll only have one body moisturiser, one for my face. It’s the one in, one out rule.

I think taking a minimalist approach to your personal care not only helps to cut down clutter but it helps you focus in on the best products that really work for you. It can take time to find the combination of products that you love, but once you do then you’ll save money as you won’t be constantly looking for the next thing or be vulnerable to being sold the latest “must-have” face cream.

23. Boxes of tissues

We never buy boxes of tissues, ever. We do have colds in our house, but if we need to blow our noses we use toilet paper.

Some people may see this as a little gross or weird that we don’t have tissue boxes ready on the coffee table just in case, but honestly I just don’t even notice it.

24. Dryer sheets

You don’t need dryer sheets. A dryer ball can be reused over and over again, plus it’s better for families where someone has sensitive skin.

25 Decorative pillows and throws

And finally the last thing on my list is decorative pillows and throws. These items can make your home feel cosy and happy plus they’re an easy, cheap way of injecting colour. So I am not saying you shouldn’t have them.

But for me if you are buying seasonal pillows or upgrading them all of the time it’s just a waste of money. Buy decor that is going to last beyond current trends and that you will still love in a year’s time.

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