Things We Quit Buying to Save Money

Trying to find ways to save extra money? Here are some things to stop buying to save money!

If you want to save some money, pay off debt, or make a big purchase you need extra cash. Now, it’s really hard to make instant changes to your current lifestyle, but if you need extra money, you have to either:

1. Make more.
2. Spend less.

Unless you are getting a raise this week or you have a new (or another) job lined up, it will probably be hard for you to immediately start making more money. Everyone, however, can always take a look at their spending and find ways to spend less (and pocket more money). Here are some things to stop buying to save money.

Cable (Netflix, Hulu, etc.)

I have 2 little kids and honestly don’t have a lot of time to watch movies or shows. Still, I occasionally borrow them (for free!) from our local library. (I binge-watched “Downton Abbey” this way!)

My sister doesn’t have cable (or any other movie subscriptions) but she has slowly built up a vast library of movies (always buying them used) and also borrows lots of movies from her library.

Brand new clothes

We very rarely buy new clothes (except for underwear and socks!).  We buy all of our clothes at thrift shops, consignment shops, or garage sales. My daughters also get a lot of hand-me-downs from friends.

Want to save even more money on kids? Check out this post.

If you feel wary about buying used clothes, you could bleach them. I’ve occasionally used small amounts of bleach on used clothes for sanitizing (I’ve also washed wool and dry clean items in my washing machine and let them drip dry. *gasp*) I once worked as a caregiver for a lady who had me add a capful of bleach to every laundry load (whites, colors, etc.).

Magazine subscriptions

Unless you very frequently need to refer to your magazines, you can read them for free from your library (or often get similar information for free online!).

Books, DVDs, CDs

Can you tell that we use our local library a lot? Multiple times a week? We are blessed to have such a wonderful library system and I can get almost any book, DVD, CD that I want. If I absolutely must have something, I look for a cheap, used copy online.

Besides my girls just love going to the library to choose new books to read!

Toys

Kids thrive with fewer toys. It seems counterintuitive, but having fewer toys actually encourages creative thinking, imagination, and deeper brain development. My girls receive enough gifts from relatives for birthdays and Christmas.  We also receive free items from our local Buy Nothing group.

We also occasionally go to the thrift shop and get nice toys for cheap.

Related: Simple Tips to Organize Kids’ Toys

Makeup

I used to wear makeup more often, but honestly, the natural look is awesome – plus you don’t need to spend extra money to achieve it.

We’ll see what happens when my 2 girls become teenagers!

Brand new items

Not only can you save money by purchasing many used items, but this is also environmentally-friendly as you save items from landfills. There are hundreds of items that people use daily that you don’t need to purchase brand new.

Things like:

• Furniture
  • dining room table & chairs
  • bed frames
  • dressers
• Kitchen items
  • utensils
  • plates
  • bowls
  • appliances
  • containers
• Kids’ stuff – Besides brand new clothes and toys, having children means you’ll probably use and need a lot of items. Unless it’s a specific safety issue (like a used car seat, for example), you can get many second-hand items for kids. I’ve bought (or received as a hand-me-down):
  • used Moby Wraps
  • baby swings
  • bouncers
  • playmats
  • pack-n-plays
  • toy boxes
  • furniture
• Cars – I know that it might seem intimidating to buy a used car, but I found a really honest and reliable mechanic who is willing to evaluate any used car I’d bring him for a small fee. He is honest about the condition of the car and worth. I was also lucky to buy my used car from someone I know and trust, who took very good care of it (and kept good records). If you can buy a good-quality used car, you can save money – especially since the value of a new car depreciates the minute you drive it off the lot.

Related:
How to Save Money While Raising Kids
20+ Household Items to Sell Now for Quick Cash

Gluten-free or specialty items

I can’t eat gluten or dairy. There are a lot of fancy specialty items (think “baked treats”) that are gluten and dairy-free (and usually pricey!). I avoid the extra cost by meal planning and eating more fruits, veggies, and rice (all gluten and dairy-free!). I also love to bake my own special (cheaper) treats at home once in a while!

Related:
Meal Planning Made Easy!

You can save money by not buying unnecessary items. Every little bit adds up. Challenge yourself to see where you can cut costs and use the money you save up to buy a bigger, more important purchase, or, better yet, put it in a savings account or emergency fund.

Everyone has things to stop buying to save money. What have you cut out of your budget? Share your tips with me on how YOU save money!