Trying to decide what to cut from your budget when you’re broke?
Me too.
You’ve probably heard that in most relationships, there is just one person who is largely in charge of the finances.
It’s a generalization, but one that hits the nail on the head with my husband and me. We make all our major money decisions together – house, car, investments, insurance… anything that costs more than a couple hundred bucks really.
But I, almost unilaterally, do all the spending. I pay the bills, I buy the groceries, I plan the holidays, I buy the kid’s clothes, and I am absolutely not complaining.
I have been wasting a lot of money on frivolous purchases lately.
So I just… quit buying some things.
I love having free reign over the bank account – which, by the way, G contributes to far more than I do. I make around 1/4 of what he does at my desk job, and do a few fun things (like photography on the side) but really, I don’t make much money. (Update: this USED to be true until I started this blog – now I make over $5000 from home – read my October Blog Income report!)
Related: How to start a blog for profit and work from home
We don’t have a perfect relationship, but we do have a pretty perfect financial relationship. I don’t believe a lot of people can say that. We do not fight about money.
Now, I’m pretty financially responsible. G wouldn’t trust me with all the spending if I wasn’t. (Hopefully, I can encourage you to be as well, if that’s a goal of yours!)
If you’re not financially responsible, consider getting a budget planner and USING it – I love this one:
But it wasn’t always like that. Over the past few years, as we got older and somewhat more financially secure and lazier, I developed some very bad spending habits. Not bad enough to rack up a bunch of credit card debt (thank goodness) but bad enough that I was spending at least $5000.00 a year that should have gone into savings.
Related: 6 Habits of People Who Stay Debt-Free
Related: Bad Money Habits You Need to Quit NOW
When I started on my intentional living journey I took a very long hard look at my spending. Maybe I’ve been spending poorly for around 5 years.
Maybe I have wasted $25,000. This thought makes me sick. It SHOULD make me sick; I don’t even make that in a year. The stark reality is that I have no way to know how much I have wasted and it’s likely far more than I think.
So I looked at my spending. I watched myself hand over my debit card again and again, and I asked myself to be honest about what I was buying that was unnecessary and not in keeping with intentionally minded spending.
A few things were so glaringly obvious I couldn’t even pretend they were justifiable, and some things were a little harder to give up, but I did it. So here you go;
(THIS POST PROBABLY CONTAINS AFFILIATE LINKS. OUR FULL DISCLOSURE POLICY IS REALLY BORING, BUT YOU CAN FIND IT HERE.)
Ten things I banished from my shopping list, to save money:
1. Take out. The amount we spend on food is INSANE. It’s not that I don’t like to cook – it’s that I was never prepared to cook at dinner time. Meal planning is where it’s at! To make this easy, use a program like Eat at Home Cooks – for less than $15 you get access to FOUR separate meal plans (Traditional, Slow Cooker, No Flour, No Sugar and Wholesome Traditional). Print the plans, color-coded grocery lists, and recipes you want for that month — and never think about what’s for dinner again!
2. Shaving Gel. I’ve always known that cheap hair conditioner works just as well or better than shave gel. It costs a fraction and lasts so much longer. I don’t even know how I was justifying buying the shaving gel.
3. New Books/Magazines. This is hard for me to post because I’m afraid to start an online battle about how authors deserve compensation. I totally agree. But I want this blog to be honest and at this point in my life, new books are something that I can’t justify for me. Thrift stores everywhere are a testament to how wasteful it is to buy new all the time. I usually get the newest books by my favorite authors within a few months to a year of their release. At the thrift store. ← IDEA! If you read lots and can’t fathom not buying books, try Amazon KindleUlimited FREE for 30 days now. You don’t need a kindle to use it, you can install the app on any device, and the best part is that you get to try it for free. Join Amazon Kindle Unlimited 30-Day Free Trial.
4. Bottled Water. Another “how did I ever justify this?!” item. I have great tasting tap water, from a well and chemical-free. Oh and also actually FREE. Shame on me for not taking every advantage of that. Plus my new habit of filling my bottle before I leave the house is so much better for the environment. Extra intentional points. I have these freaking awesome Contigo water bottles… 5 of them. Seriously.
5. Convenience Food. I can admit those first four things were pretty easy to give up, and I don’t miss them very often. Now it gets trickier. Giving up pre-packaged foods was not entirely budget-related. It also had a great deal to do with intentional health and doing things that were good for our bodies, but unless your an extreme coupon-er and getting almost all your canned soup and hamburger helpers for free… convenience food is actually really expensive. (But I do miss just putting a pizza in the oven sometimes, or microwaving a cup of noodles. *sigh*) But really, why would you buy pre-made potato wedges for 10x the cost when you can make AMAZING WEDGES at home for pennies (+ they have no weird additives).
6. Specific Brands. We all know that brand loyalty could be costing us big bucks. Open your mind, save money. (With the exception of my three exceptions, see next point.)
7. Toiletries that aren’t on sale. This isn’t one specific item, but much like the brand loyalty point, I can not justify buying full price soap, shampoo, deodorant, ect. These things go on sale, and they go on sale often. I love it when the brand I prefer goes on sale, and I stock up then… but when I NEED something and I don’t have it in the house – I buy the one that’s 50% off. There are three things in this category that I make an exception for. Q-tips, big sexy hairspray and Bioderma Hydrabio Serum moisturizer – Because I love those things with my whole heart and they have proven their worth over and over 😉
Related: How to save money on groceries
8. Curcumin Pills. This is one of my proudest money-saving revelations – I’m sure someone else has thought of it before, but that doesn’t make me any less thrilled about it. Anyhow. Curcumin is the active agent in turmeric that makes everybody talk about how great turmeric is for you. “They’ve” processed it into a supplement mainly used for inflammation. The thing is, turmeric is available in great big bags (and organic) for a fraction of the cost of the pills. I add a tsp – tbsp of turmeric to my shake every morning now, and I don’t need to buy $60.00 bottles of Curcumin pills. It is not, like, the yummiest thing I’ve ever done, but I take a lot of supplements so finding a way to save money this big in this area in a huge win.
9. Almond Milk for my smoothie. I thought I needed it. We don’t drink dairy milk in our house, I have a smoothie for breakfast every morning and I never gave any thought to not having almond milk. One day I was out so I made it using water and honestly with all the fruit and seeds and protein powder in there already – I really couldn’t tell the difference. I was buying it in bulk for a bit of savings, so it only cost me $10.00 for 6 cartons, but saving $10.00 every month is saving $120.00 a year. I think about you once in a while, almond milk.
10. Manicures. I invested in a gel nails kit from the cosmo proff store and taught myself to do gel nails. And they look professional. Well, they usually look professional. When they don’t, they still look like 50 bucks that stayed in my bank account, minimum 12 times per year.
So there you go. 10 things that I have deemed too downright wasteful of our hard-earned money. Are there any frivolous regular purchases in your life that need to go? (I asked myself this question, and did a self-audit of the things I DO still buy.)
Share your money-saving epiphanies with me – I’m always looking to build my frugal muscle and save money!
Don’t forget to check out our adorable budget planner here!
More from Mommy on Purpose:
10 things I always buy in bulk to save money
7 things we do that save us over $5000 / year
15 little ways we save big bucks
You forgot an important resource for #3 – the public library. Books, audiobooks, movies…all free. Plus since you borrow them, you cut down on the clutter.
Hi Trudy! You’re right! I never think of the library since I live rurally and they aren’t readily available to me, but for most people they’re an awesome option 🙂
I don’t know if your public library has this, but it’s worth checking out: even if you live out in a rural area, you can still ‘check out’ books online from the library. My sister is an RN and never has time to check out actual books, but since she has a library card, she goes online and checks out library books all the time. Now if only I could slow down enough to check out some books of my own! 😉
Hi Melissa! That is SUPER INTERESTING! And she can read them on her phone? OR a reader of some sort? Or just on her computer? (Sorry I’m so clueless – haha!) Making time to read is really important to me… although it IS something I leave on the back burner too often.
Librarian here! You absolutely can read library books on your phone/tablet/computer/e-reader. If you library has an e-book collection (and most libraries do nowadays), all you need is the app associated with their collection (the most common in the US is Overdrive) and an up-to-date library card. Set-up sometimes takes a few minutes, but once whichever app you need is set up, it usually only takes a few minutes and an internet connection to download books and start reading.
Hey Mallory! SO I’m totally clueless at technology (not exaggerating; the fact that I can run a blog is mind blowing lol) but once they are downloaded can you read them offline? Like if you were on an airplane or at the beach but didn’t want to use data???
Go to your library website and find out what they say about ebooks. Mine does overdrive, an app I have on my iPhone and I got for my mom on her Samsung. Then you’ll use the app to search for your library and then you’ll log in (your library site may have instructions on your first password/pin). Once you’ve logged into the library site, you can choose any book available and then it downloads the book either as a an ePub (read on Overdrive app) or Kindle book (go through Amazon to finalize checkout). Once you’ve downloaded it, you keep it for three weeks and then you can’t open it after that. You can read it offline for that three week period.
OO three weeks offline is more than enough… We only usually get to take a week at a time for holidays anyhow lol. Thanks Alison!
I LOVE going to the library but I’ve since bought a house that’s a little longer commute so I dl audio ebooks for FREE from the library and listen to all sorts of things from business to classics while I drive to work. I literally recommend it to everyone I talk to- it’s such an easy way to “make time to read”
OOOO listening while I drive sounds AWESOME – I have a 20 minutes each way commute right now…
The St Louis County Library uses an app called overdrive….I down load books and audio books that my phone all the time. On the go and easy
Most libraries have an electronic library and books are available on an app named Overdrive. Try it. I use it all the time and haven’t stepped foot in a library in at least a year.
Thanks Kimberly! Overdrive is another one I’ll have to check out 🙂
You should check out your library online. Most libraries have a website or app now and they have digital and audio versions of books. My library uses 3M Cloud app for eBooks, OneClickdigital app for eAudiobooks, Hoopla app for movies ,music , eBooks, and Zion to download and read magazines FREE. The best thing about checking out digital content besides its free is it automatically returns to library when it’s due – so NO late fees!!
That’s what I’m hearing… So awesome!
A thought to all with access to public libraries. Services and items from them are not actually “free”, your tax dollar pays for them so make sure you are using them and getting what you pay for! Go libraries!!
There is also an app called overdrive that ir connected to your library card, you can borrow book, audio books ,and movies without leaving your house
I LOVE not leaving my house… Never heard of overdrive… Thanks for the tip!
And, I don’t know about you, but any time I go out, even “just” to the library, I invariably go someplace else and spend money!!! If I can download library materials from home, I can avoid that!
HA! SOOOOO true!
The Goodwill store at my house has many adult and children’s books for less than 3 dollars. Try thrift stores.
Know a senior citizen? At my Goodwill, on Tuesday’s it is 25 % off of purchase.
Check out Dollar stores for lotions and plastic ware for kitchen.
HI Cathy! I LOVE second hand stores!! (And yes, my grandma comes with me to them sometimes on tuesdays 😉 )
Yes!! I get all my books and movies from the library!
Homemade Salad dressing is much better than bottled!
Costs pennies to make.
Last night we had Greek salad: try Ina Garten’s Greek salad.
It was wonderful! Almost as good as my favorite Greek restaurant in
NYC!
Great Suggestion Jane!! And probably about ten times healthier too… no weird unpronounceable ingredients! I love to just mix up some balsamic vinegar and oil with a sprinkle of garlic salt.
Absolutely. I fill up my Nook before I go on vacation. (Same with the Kindle.)
Actually, though, if I have a computer, I can get library books while I’m away from home and put them on my Kindle or Nook. Reading on a tablet or computer is hard on the eyes, if you do a lot of it, but on a black-and-white type e-reader, it’s just as easy as paper. At home, I read both books and e-books, but I’d rather not take a lot of library books on vacation with me.
Hi Bonita – I’ve borrowed my mom’s kindle for vacation before, and you’re right, it’s about 100 times easier than taking 6 books (I can go through LOTS of books on holiday in a week). Now that I know I can borrow these books for free?! EEK!
Hi Carly, actually life Is too short if we know what our actual purpose in life is …….. n to live a meaningful life means to live according to God’s instructions , so when it comes to reading, i too WAS very fond of reading all that stuff called fiction and gossip and all that is in magazines n newspapers BUT now also i read but only spiritual books . This reading is healthy not only for the mind but also brings us closer to God…. n makes us realise our actual purpose to be born as a human being…. n the amazing part is that by doing so we stop spending on So Many things we earlier thought useful , thereby saving automatically….. Thank u
HI Mini! I would agree that as we draw closer to God we will automatically have less desire to spend our money on this earth’s “things”, as they will no longer hold appeal for us! We will begin to understand that things will never bring us lasting joy, and only Jesus can do that. Very good point 🙂
Thanks for the heads up on checkout 51. I’ve seen the ads and have been curious about the validity of the claims. Also, to Mini-check out jw . org. You’ll never run out of things to read.
HI Deb 🙂 I do find checkout 51 totally valid! Hope you do too!!
I use it every week. Sometimes it takes a long time to accumulate the requisite $20 to cash out. ALl you do is scan the good and the receipt to get credits. It takes longer if you use more store-brand products than name brand.
That is SO interesting! I am going to look into it right now… Who cares if it takes a little time? I use checkout 51 and it takes months – because I usually only use the “generic” coupons
In my area, the shredded cheese and block cheese are the same price.
Then I would absolutely buy the shredded cheese – lucky you!! Life IS to short to grate cheese for no reason. This will be the amended saying 😉
Shredded cheese has additives in it to keep it grated in package Yuk
Hey Rita – That’s what I’ve been hearing! Totally Yuk!
Ditch the shredded cheese no matter the price, the cellulose (woodpulp) used to keep it from clumping is not something you want to consume
That’s what I hear! Gross!
But the block cheese that you grate yourself is not dried out and usually (I feel) tastes so much more flavorful! Just a personal observation
Not a bad point!!
Except now a lot of those shredded cheeses contain wax. Keep with the purer form and buy the block cheese.
In my area when it’s on sale I can get either black or shredded forthright same price.
Where on earth are you guys located that you can get all this affordable shredded cheese?! My husband is from England and I always find cheese in general there soooo much cheaper. It’s not fair! lol
On the cheese front (!), I’m in England and don’t consider most cheese cheap – BUT we love it. I buy cheddar in big blocks and cut them in to manageable pieces, wrap them in cling film, then either freeze them (if I don’t mind it going crumbly) or just keep them in the fridge. BIG savings over the smaller packages. (I guess you guys have prices on your goods given as dollars per pound or something, so you can directly compare prices? Obvs we have pounds per kilo/100grams).
HI Angela! That’s funny – I always feel like I need to stock up on my cheese eating when I get to England! I actually brought cheese back with me last time we were there, and of course they lost our bags, and got them to us three days later, filled with gross spoiled cheese! So THAT didn’t work out as well as I had hoped. LOL. I freeze my cheese too, esp. when it’s on sale, for cooking with. But yes our cheese is usually priced in dollars per kilo/100 grams. (I’m in Canada.)
I live in Georgia USA & here also shredded is the same price as block cheese. It’s also on sale a lot
Same here…block & shredded are nearly the same price, so I’m not about to waste my time shredding! LOL
It’s just so UNFAIR! lol
They may be the same price, but the shredded has corn starch added to keep it from sticking together…and that’s just nasty.
Hey Janice – That’s interesting… and a very good reason to self-shred!
I also read that some shredded cheese can be coated with very finely ground saw dust. Could this be true?
I agree on the cheese. One thing I have cut way back is buying coffee at the coffee shop. I have a Mr Coffee and it costs pennies even if I use the syrup flavoring.
The additive is cellulose (wood fibre)! Now I won’t buy it even on sale.
WOOD FIBER? ew.
Just an FYI cellulose is found in almost all plants. it’s a natural sugar. however, humans lack the enzyme to break it down into usable sugars.
if you’d like to know more here is a link explaining what it is: http://antoine.frostburg.edu/chem/senese/101/consumer/faq/what-is-cellulose.shtml
Thanks Gabrielle – it sounds a lot less gross when you put it that way 🙂
Check the ingredients in the shredded cheese. Usually there is a lot of extra things you can’t pronounce. You can throw a block of cheese in a blender or food processor. Super easy.
HI Tonya! Really? That doesn’t make it a sort of squishy mess?! I never would have thought of that…
I throw the cheese in a large zip lock after shredding in the processor, add a bit of flour and shake it real good. Typically lightly coats the cheese. No stickiness and lasts in the fridge for a while.
Fantastic – and no weird preservatives either. Thanks Shannon 🙂
You just made my day! Thanks for this tip!
This is assuming you’re going to heat it high enough that you’re not consuming raw flour!
Real shredded Parmesan is so much better than the grated too!
Comparing the weight is what I do because some companies are different in what they charge if they shred the cheese and package it.Also compare the unbranded of the same type of cheese mainly if it is a cheese that you mix in with other food items such as salads,mac&cheese,cheese burgers,Philly cheese stake,etc
Hi Charlotte! I have found the unbranded kind molds faster – although now I wonder if that’s because it doesn’t have weird chemicals on it!!
How I wish I could buy sale brands of many items but because of allergies all of our soap and detergent products have to be paraban, lanolin, dyes, and frangrances. One thing that has taught me however is that vinegar makes excellent fabric softener. It’s also much cheaper to buy large gallons of it vs real fabric softener.
Hi Nichole – I hear you… allergies are a major bummer, that’s the spot we are in with food! It defenitly limits you on what you can buy :/ I love getting the giant 2 pack of vinegar at Costco for just a few bucks. I haven’t tried it as a fabric softener, but what a great tip!! Thanks!
I started making laundry soap about a year ago using a bar of unscented soap, washing soda (sodium carbonate), and borax. Takes only one cup of each to make around 10 gallons of laundry soap. Since I do 3 or 4 loads most every day (cats, not kids), I figure I’ve saved quite a bit since I only used the “natural” stuff anyway. Sometimes I add homemade “oxygen clean” using washing soda and sodium percarbonate. If you have a backyard pool, you likely already have these ingredients amongst your pool “chemicals”.
Interesting! I have never tried home made laundry soap (but that’s cus I’m so stingy with the amount of store bought soap I use LOL)
We make our own bar soap. With the extra materials we are able to make beautifully scented and colorful soap for gifts.
Hi Paige, homemade soap sells really well at farmer’s markets – have you considered selling it??
Dyer balls are a cheap alternative as well. As for homemade laundry soap…The cleaning agent in detergent (which is specifically made) isn’t usually in most homemade laundry soaps. Which means, the clothes aren’t actually being cleaned. I’m just learning of this, before I attempted it, and it was shocking to know. I’d prefer clean clothes over saving money. 🙂
Hi Leora! I still buy laundry soap… I just don’t find it that expensive. I get the ECOS stuff from costco, it smells nice, it’s eco friendly and it costs like 8 cents per load… I’m kinda with you on the clean clothes are nice thing! Dryer balls are a great suggestion tho – I have a set I hardly even use.
Yes I make all my own detergents soaps household items I work full time and overtime I have 3 little home businesses and still fi and time to read from a real book hard cover the feel and the smell are wonderful but I go to sleep by audio books
WOW you sound like a busy lady Jeanne – I haven’t had time to read a book in ages… I miss it. I always look forward to reading at least 5 or 6 on holidays tho!
Hello just wondering what brand you bought for the gel nails? I would love to get rid of that expense 🙂
Hi Yvonne! We’ve been using mostly OPI products, specifically the Axxium gel nail system. It’s expensive to buy and set up, but once you own all the stuff it lasts forever! Be patient with yourself while you are learning to build the nails… my first few sets looked pretty amateur lol
Have you tried Jamberry nails? They are a do it yourself vinyl nail wrap that last up to 2 weeks on your nails!!! They are fabulous!!! They also have a gel system that is great as well! If you’d like to try them, I’d be happy to send a sample your way!!!
Hi Tina! I think I tried some on my toes a few years ago but I didn’t think they would last on fingers. Do they hold up well in dishwater and stuff? Or garden dirt?? Or are they more for the hands free type of lady? I’d love to try a sample!
Hey Carly! I found your article on Pinterest this afternoon, and was reading through the comments for more money-saving ideas. 🙂
I’m with Tina — Jamberry does last a long time on fingers, too! I typically change mine every week or 10 days, because I like to keep them fresh, but they do last in dishwater and garden dirt, as long as you get a good seal on them. (It took me a little practice to get it right, but once I did, it was worth it!)
If you aren’t already working with a consultant, shoot me a message, and I’m happy to send you some samples to try!
Dawn
Hi Dawn! Thanks so much 🙂 I did get some jamberry samples, just haven’t had time to try them out yet lol. SOON!
I’d love some jamberry sample to try !
Anyone have a jamberry sample for Jessica?
I totally agree with water in smoothies. I like it better that way. All are great tips to save in little ways.
Hey Jeanna! I was actually pretty surprised that the water was acceptable LOL, but it totally is! I knew I couldn’t be the only one who figured that 🙂
I put green tea in my smoothies. Brew a cup every morning. Drink what I can before work, then put the rest in my smoothis
Hey Jane – I’ve heard this twice now – I think I’m gonna have to try it. I know green tea is pretty good for a person too, (probably way better than almond milk anyhow!).
I’m sold….I am switching to water in my smoothies! Thanks, I feel richer already!
lol good choice Teresa! You won’t look back 😉
Hi, Carly. I guess I’m fortunate that cheese blocks and shredded are mostly the same price for me as well. But I also am able to use the military commissary, since my husband is a military retiree. I also have access to lots of discounts on the local economy for being a military retiree spouse. I like a lot of your ideas and am willing to give them a try.
Hi Diane! It’s so great that you get military discounts 🙂 (Even if you don’t need the discount to get affordable shredded cheese…I’m so jealous! haha)
Hi Carly,
Thanks for sharing, we can all learn new things from others! Two suggestions, you could put your tumeric in gel capsules you buy yourself, helps with the taste and is still way less than the store bought supplements.
Another tip, on the Dr. Oz website, there is a really easy and cheap recipe to make your own almond milk. If I remember correctly, you soak raw almonds in water overnight. The next day you put them through a blender with some raw dates (natural sweetener) and I believe that is it. So easy and so much cheaper.
Cheers! 🙂
Hi Joy! Interesting about the almond milk! My sister made coconut milk for her baby and it was a MUCH more complicated process, so I never even gave making almond milk a thought. Doesn’t sound nearly as difficult though.
I did try to make turmeric “bombs” by mixing it with coconut oil and honey and keeping them in the fridge, but they hurt my throat going down (with their rough edges) and stained my hands so bad mixing them up that I was spooked off of putting my hands in it ever again LOL. Maybe if a person wore gloves then capsules would be the way to go… it would take a lot of capsules to equal a whole tablespoon tho!
I make my own laundry detergent. Been doing it for 5 years now! Costs me around $1 per gallon and is so easy! I also quit buying paper napkins years ago. Bought cloth at thrift stores and that is all I use! Just throw them in my washer with the towels!
YES Laurie!!! I LOOOOVE to hear about thrift store finds – I think the thrift store is IT. I love how much we can feel free from the guilt of consumerist waste by putting the thrift store to good use too. I buy my laundry detergent, but I don’t find I spend that much on it… (more than 1$/gallon tho). I must not wash our clothes enough… I wonder if I’m yucky??
Carly, you’re not yukky at all. Remember, soap manufacturers are in the business of selling soap. Sometimes their recommended amounts are just plain ludicrous! And telling consumers to add almost twice as much if they want to kill bacteria. A statement that plays on our fears of “germs”! I doubt anyone ever got sick because they didn’t use double soap to launder their jeans.
haha – Thank you SOOO much Faye! Sometimes we need to be reminded of this stuff… You’re are TOTALLY RIGHT! Plus I have never been in the habit of licking my jeans anyhow – how germy can they really be?
What is your recipe? Thanks for the idea!
We, you, me, have so very much to learn. I’m a sponge. Looking for another/any avenue to inhance our family’s quality of life while saving money. Oh girl. I find you fascinating. There is not a single item on your list that would save me a dime. Thinking you are much ‘further-out-there’ then you know. Lots of reeling-back-in is oh-so necessary for you child!
Want to know about frugal, contact me, or search ‘frugal’ on Pinterest. You couldn’t be further from frugal my friend. All the best.
You have my email. Good luck.
Hi Brenda! I doubt you can determine the extent of my frugal-ness just based on this list 🙂 It’s not really meant to be a “look how frugal I am” post, it’s just a fun resource for people trying to think of new ways to save. It’s ok if none of these work for you because you have already “frugal-leveled-up” from here. It’s wonderful that you have saving money so figured out 🙂 What are some of your best tips?
Coffee from Dunkin Donut and $5 white chocolate mochas from Starbucks are a budget killer. On average I was spending at least $25 a week on coffee! Now I mostly drink green tea I’ve made myself at home. I do treat myself to an iced coffee 1-2 a week but I’m still saving an average of $15 a week, which is almost $800 a year!
Hey Nicole – o my word yes, coffee is one one place where SO many of us could save. I’m totally guilty, I still but chia tea from tim hortons 4 x week. It’s only 1.90, so my indulgence is 8$ / week, but that’s over $400 / year (I wish I hadn’t just done the math!). Good for you for cutting back (plus green tea is soooooo much healthier anyway, so really, double win.)
I buy chai mix from Sam’s club. It is pretty good and it is 7 bucks for a container that makes 26 drinks. That is far better than nearly 5 dollars at Starbucks.
Hey Sue! TOTALLY true – I used to buy the three pack of tazo Chai from Costco, but I cut back on dairy and so I gave it up. It was such a huge savings tho, and just as good actually!
At timmy’s order an xl chai tea and ask for the tea bags on the side. Put one in and keep the other. You now have 2/1 chai tea!
Hey Mel – HA! That’s an awesome idea! (Makes me wonder why I’ve never thought of it… lol)
First, I want to say that my husband and I have the same financial relationship that you and your husband enjoy. We have been together for 8 years and we have not had a single fight about money. I work only part time while I’m finishing my last year of college to become a teacher. I make less than $1k a month, and many months less than $500. My husband is the breadwinner of the family and I manage our “life”…including paying bills, monitoring credit, cooking, cleaning, laundry, etc. Your article has inspired me. I read this and put together a list of things that I have been wasting money on for years and am going to now change, or have changed recently. I don’t even want to think of how much. Here’s my list:
1) Paper towels – even the cheap ones. I use a lot of them (1-2 rolls per day) and I use them for everything. But I sat and thought about it and I have an entire shelf of “rags” that I never use. Cheap paper towels each month – $12. Annually $144.
2) Laundry soap. Now I am pretty fickle about this one. Tide pods in the refill packs and not the plastic containers are still expensive. Refill packs for Gain Flings are always several dollars cheaper. Difference in the change to Gain – about $5 per month. Annually $60.
3) Shower gel. This one is new for me. I have spent a pretty penny on fancy shower gels – don’t get me started on bath and body works either. I changed to bar soap – even the bar soap for ladies, and not only does it last just as long, if not longer, I can get a 2 or 3 pack from the dollar store. The lavender ones are really nice! So I’ve saved about $7 per month. Annually $84.
4) Newspaper. I used to get the paper each week to get the coupons. Now I’ve learned how to shop the sales and print coupons at home. Stopping the paper saved me $12.50 a month. Annually $150.
5) Mowing the lawn. We do not live in a neighborhood that is governed by HOA rules, so this may be a bit easier for some, not so much for others. We have 2 acres. It costs me $6 in gas to mow each time. I was mowing twice a week, and now I cut it shorter and only mow every 10-12 days. This has cut my fuel charges in half. Monthly savings $24. Annually $288.
6) Hair color. This one was hard for me. My hair is long and it grows fast, and it needs root color every three weeks. Salon price for root touch up $85. Salon price for all over color $120. Colorsilk in a box (2-3 boxes per month) $6-9. Annually $1000+. And I get compliments on it all the time.
7) Boy’s hair cuts. My husband, my 16 year old son, and my 11 year old son NEVER go to the salon. I cut their hair. Watch youtube. Get a kit with guards. Its not hard. Hair cuts once per month $45 for all three. Annually $540.
8) Carpet cleaning. I used to have Stanley Steamer come out and clean the carpets every three months. (Not – three boys live here) and now I do it myself with a Bissell floor cleaner. While its a lot of work, the results are just as good. Stanley steamer cost $1200 if I didn’t get the deodorizer. 2 cans of carpet foam cleaner, and 2 bottles of vinegar – $4.20 quarterly or $16.80 annually. (Cost of the machine – around a hundred dollars. I’ve had it a few years now). Annually $1000+.
9) Cleaning supplies. I was spending a small fortune on Lysol all purpose spray cleaner. Now I buy the Lysol all purpose cleaner in a bottle and mix it to 1 part Lysol, 4 parts water, and reuse the same spray bottle. I buy 4-5 Lysol bottles per year now where I was buying 2 spray bottles a month. Spray bottle cost $7 per month or $84 annually. Diluting about $20 per year. Savings about $64 annually. (And works JUST as well!)
10) Meal preparation. I’ve got my grocery bill for a family of 5 (all eating adult portions) down to about $75-$100 a week (not including things like toilet paper, cleaning products, etc.). I make 2-3 meals a week meatless – things like beans and cornbread, spaghetti, pasta bake with spinach, and minimum meat meals like chef salad with 3 slices of chopped ham cut into small pieces, jambalaya, and chicken chunks with rice and vegetables. I make desserts like Jello, or bake a cake, or cookies from scratch. Crock pot meals are my favorite and there are tons of recipes online.
Things I won’t change:
~Kraft singles. My husband will not accept anything except Kraft, or real cheddar slices.
~Dog food. My three dogs eat Purina Dog Chow. I have always fed my dogs this brand and they have always been healthy and lived long lives.
~Chapstick. The generic variety is awful. If it works for you, great. It doesn’t for us. We are chapstick lovers here and we have at least 100 tubes. We use 1-2 tubes every couple of days. Addicted, yes. None of us in this house can stand chapped lips.
~Toothpaste. I hate tubes of toothpaste, and while they may be cheaper, the mess they make just isn’t worth the headache so I buy stand up containers like Colgate Max Fresh. When I find it at the dollar store, I buy every one they have.
Hope my list is helpful. We all have our list of things we can’t live without. I’m still debating on the paper towels. Ha!
Hi Charity! You and I are very blessed to be in relationships where we don’t have to fight about money and WOW I am so impressed by your list! And also challenged on the paper towels… lol I actually have another post of 10 things I STILL buy, and paper towels is defenitly on it. I only use about a roll every month so It doesn’t cost me much at all in the year… I buy one big pack once a year when it’s on sale and I’m set. It would be very hard for me to give up! I think it’s ok to have things we won’t cut out of our budget – for your husband that might be Kraft cheese, I think for my husband it would be ice cream lol. And good for you for feeding your puppies good food! If we want to have animals we need to take care of them. I totally agree 🙂 With your list, just in case you haven’t noticed, you will save enough annually for you and your hubby to go on a holiday. (And yes, best not to think about how much we’ve wasted in the past, just go forward with a healthier attitude towards spending.) Enjoy all your savings!! YAY!
A word for Charity about Chapstick. The reason you are “addicted” to it is because it contains both moisturizers and chemicals that dry your lips. I used to have lip balms in every corner of my home, in my office desk, in the car, etc. When I stopped nursing my children, I had a lot of leftover lanolin in a tube, and figured if it’s good for chapped nipples and safe for babies, it should be good for my lips. Now, this is what I use all the time. I only use a tiny amount after brushing my teeth and I am good to go. No more chapped lips ever, and a tube will last me at least two years!
One trick I use to save money is on swiffer dust cloths. I like how efficent they are at picking up dust, and when they get dirty, I swish them in the bathroom sink with a drop of liquid detergent in warm water to release the soil and rinse them until clear. Then, I squeeze the water out and leave them to dry on the counter for about an hour. I can usually reuse each cloth 2-3 times.
Danielle I had NO IDEA you could re-use swiffer cloths! That’s fantastic! I have a couple Norwex dusting mitts I use, so I don’t ever have swiffers in the house, but for the people who do use them that is SUCH a great tip – thank you!!
I stopped buying magazines when I discovered Pinterest, I’d buy the higher end -££ lifestyle ones they’re still hard to resist, especially at Christmas, but I generally do and it’s all here online if you know where to find it.
SO TRUE Nicola. And here we can interact and research farther if the first article we find doesn’t have all the information. Even better 🙂
I stopped buying cooking magazines for the same reason! I can go online and find all kinds of recipes. I do miss them sometimes though.
Hi Sarah! I defenitly miss some of the things I have given up… but cooking magazines are a great example – ALLLLLLL that stuff is available online. And most of the food blogger ladies out there are putting in HOURS AND HOURS for each recipe they post (since photography for food blogging is KEY) so they deserve our attention.
On your list…..I am guilty of shredded cheese and convenience foods. I guess that’s under the same heading in a way! I do not pay for cable TV or a telephone landline; to name a couple.
Ungh Cable TV is defenitly one of my worst offenders, but we are just not ready to let it go lol. And honestly, if we could still eat frozen pizza I’d probably buy them once in a while too!
And I just realized shredded cheese has antibiotics in it to prevent mold! Ah! No thanks! Add a pinch of black pepper to your turmeric for better absorption! Great list and thanks for reminding us to step back and look at our lazy money habits!
Hey Andrea – and um, WHAT?!! Like it’s treated with preservative? Defenitly one more reason to stick with the block stuff. I’ve heard of the black pepper before with the turmeric… have you tried it?
I follow a dietary plan designed for those of us with chronic digestive issues. Shredded cheese is one the specifically prohibited items, for the reasons mentioned here.
INTERESTING! I wouldn’t have known but it really does make so much sense! And silly question, but regular block cheese is ok then?
Buy yourself an android box. I got one preprogrammed from kijii. It will cost you $150-$200 upfront and you need one for each TV. But you will never pay for cable TV again! My bill for unlimited Internet went up by $25 but I eliminated a $150 monthly cable bill! So that’s $125/month savings!!!
HI Sherri! I’ve never even HEARD of an Android box!! Great tip – thank you for sharing!
We gave up cable/dish tv by purchasing (Roku) you then can get Netflix, Hulu or other channels you like for a lot less you can get Netflix for 12.99, Hulu for 8.99 so much less than cable/dish/ direct tv then you can watch tv series at your leisure no commercials
Hey Bonnie!! We have netflix too – I find I watch it more than I watch TV! My hubby loves the TV tho so we aren’t ready to give that up yet 😛
I’ve been making my own eye makeup remover. 4 oz or water, 1/2 tsp of baby shampoo and about 10 drops of baby oil. The initial cost of the baby shampoo and baby oil was still less than the cost of one bottle of eye makeup remover and it should last years.
Interesting Amy! Make up remover is SO expensive. I got two bottles for free at Christmas with my moisturizer and I’ve been hoarding it lol. I’ll have to try the home made version!
I use coconut oil to remove my eye makeup.
I’ve started making my own yogurt and bread. The yogurt is SO easy. The bread recipe I use takes a half day of mostly 20 min intervals, but tastes so much better (and costs about 50¢/loaf). I wouldn’t be nearly as religious about the bread except my 3 year old loves making it with me.
Recipe: http://danabananaskitchen.blogspot.com/2013/11/about-14-years-ago-we-had-neighbor-and.html?m=1
I make either 1/3 or 2/3 of the recipe and substitute flax meal for the wheat bran/germ.
I bet the yogurt is about 100 times better for you too, since you can control the amount of sugar in it and it won’t be pasteurized POST culturing, so more probiotics!