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I’m so excited to share these 8 things I stopped buying to save $500+ per month. If you are tired of banging your head against the wall, wondering how you can possibly scrape and scrounge to free up money in your budget..keep reading!
Why Free Up Money in Your Budget?
So many reasons!
- Save for an upcoming big or small purchase
- Grow your retirement fund
- Grow your savings
- Enjoy a more fruitful lifestyle with more disposable income every month
Ok, so here’s how you do it!
Eight Things I Stopped Buying to Save
1. Pedicures
I haven’t had a pedi in almost a year.
It makes sense, doesn’t it?
For me, I have always enjoyed painting my fingernails at home anyway. I never ever got a manicure.
So now, I do my toes at home too.
That’s a great way to save a cool $30 per month.
That’s how much pedis cost in my area.
Want to invest a teeny bit to have a luxurious spa pedicure experience at home?
Grab these items:
- Pumice stone (a must-have for super soft feet)
- A soaking tub (this is small and for your feet..splurge and grab this one which bubbles up the water)
- Gorgeous nailpolishes (no explanation needed)
- Yummy lotion (to make your feet and legs uber-soft)
Monthly Savings $30
2. Fast Food
Yep, you heard right.
This one was tough, especially for my family because ever since we moved to Houston, we used to eat out constantly.
There is literally every kind of cuisine here:
- Vietnamese
- Ethiopian
- Japanese
- Italian
- On, and on, and on
All the food is so delicious.
We gained 15 pounds, me and hubby in the few months we were jetting back and forth from where we were from to Houston, just because of all the yummy food we’d splurge on.
And, it’d be easy if we ate Burger King or McDonalds but no, we eat higher end takeout and restaurant-style food where our bill is at least $40 for takeout.
Yikes.
We cut it out entirely and now, cook at home.
Give this a try and see how much you can save!
Monthly Savings $200+
3. Starbucks Coffee
No, I didn’t?
Yes, I did!
Ahh..I never thought I’d cut out MY FAVORITE splurge, Starbucks!
Now, granted..there are ways to save on Starbucks but drink coffee or tea at home or cut both out of your diet entirely and watch as you gain more money in your budget every month.
For me, since I work from home, it is easier.
I have my trusty Keurig and my favorite batch of coffee and enjoy saving $20/week (eekk..yes..it was actually much more when I had my 9 to 5 cuz, coffee is life, right?)
Grab a cute mug..
..to keep you inspired and save on pods by getting whole beans and a coffee grinder and you will FALL IN LOVE wih the smell and taste of freshly ground coffee beans
This is actually making my mouth water.
Give this a try, for sure..for me, ok?
Monthly Savings $80
4. Gym Membership
I remember the last year I had a gym membership.
I only went twice for the entire year.
What a waste!
It was a cheaper membership at only $25/month but still, money down the drain.
Now, I workout at home.
Here’s how…
- Free workouts on YouTube
- Free workouts on my favorite streaming channels
- Walking or jogging in my neighborhood
- Using my exercise machines at home (I have a treadmill and a stationary bike)
Monthly Savings $25
5. Bottled Water
Even at the crazy impressive deals I grab at Costco (it’s $2.99 for like a 40 pack of water..insane), I can save around $40/year by cutting out bottled water entirely.
Plus, I’m kinda funny and I’m moving toward a more health-conscious lifestyle.
I wanna get away from plastic containers of all kinds so bottled water is totally out in my household.
How I do it?
I have this filtered water pitcher and a filter on my fridge, and call it a day!
Monthly Savings $40
6. New Clothes
How can you get away from new clothes?
Does that mean no clothes are purchased?
Absolutely not!
I do used clothes, or, really, clothes on consignment.
You can get some amazing quality clothes (some even brand new) for a fraction of the price of new clothes.
I remember, one year, I bought my son (he was 4 at the time) an entire school year’s wardrobe for $100 at our local consignment store and got a million different pieces. I was so thrilled.
Now, most of our family (I can’t get hubby to convert) shops this way.
Monthly Savings $25 (around $300 per year)
7. Shaving Cream
I don’t do shaving cream anymore for shaving.
I use coconut oil or olive oil.
You get a closer shave, soft, smooth skin and it just works for us.
Monthly Savings $5
8. New Toys
We still buy new toys around the holidays but no more toys outside holiday season.
Instead, we get free apps from our iPad.
My son has an iPad and we get him free apps for entertainment.
He also has a ton of toys, we just don’t buy new toys during the year.
Make sense?
Monthly Savings $20
Wrap Up
Boom! What do you think!
Make sure to bookmark this post so you can come back to it in the future as we continue to expand on our roundup.
What kinds of savings do you get and what items have you quit buying? Share down below in comments!
