Everyone is looking for both big and small ways that they can cut their expenses to make their monthly budget stretch a bit further. Recently, the topic in an online forum was items you can stop buying to save money that you may not even notice.
Here are some of the most popular cuts they suggested to remove from your shopping list.
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Alcohol
If you drink regularly, you may notice this cut at first. However, the savings to your wallet and the improvement to your health make it worthwhile.
One person said, “I’ve saved over $1,000 this year so far from cutting alcohol.” Someone replied, “I quit drinking for health reasons (mental and physical) and quickly noticed how much money I was saving. Seriously blew my mind and also put into perspective how expensive it was to destroy my body.”
Cigarettes
This is another unhealthy habit that you can cut out and save yourself a fortune. One commenter said, “I quit 3 months ago and have saved $700. Glad I quit too. I smell my co-workers when they come back inside and it makes me queasy.”
Another said, “I consider cigarettes financial suicide, you actually pay and it ends up killing you or you live with health problems the rest of your life.”
Multiple Streaming Services
Streaming services add up, especially over the course of a year when you have multiple plans. You can only watch one show at a time anyway, so why not rotate your plans?
One woman said, “We’ve started rotating our streaming services. One month we’ll do Netflix, then the next Disney or whatever so we’re only paying for one service per month instead of four or five.”
Razors
Razors are an expense most don’t think to calculate, but they aren’t cheap and do add up.
One man said, “My partner and I changed to refillable and just replace individual blades from time to time, which are cheap as hell. It’s a more challenging shave, but it works.”
Someone else said, “Buy a double edge razor, $10 to $40, because it lasts a lifetime. If you get 100 razor blades for $10 should last at least a year.”
Amazon Prime
Did you know you don’t have to have a monthly Prime membership to get free shipping? You just have to wait until you have a purchase of $35 or more.
One woman said, “I cancelled Prime. I do still order from Amazon but typically wait until I’ve reached the $35 threshold for the free Prime shipping. I order way less and its typically only the stuff I actually need.”
Someone replied, “I ditched Amazon Prime. Not only saved the monthly fee but I haven’t ordered a thing off Amazon in months. No more late night ‘hmmm I need this’ shopping.”
Food Delivery Service
Having food delivered may be convenient, but is that convenience worth all of the extra fees? You can save a small fortune by picking it up yourself or making it at home for even less.
One woman said, “Food delivery is definitely something that is a huge money sink. Uber Eats for example is typically 2x the price of picking up yourself (once you add tip, markup and Uber fees) and the restaurant is typically 3-5x the cost of making it yourself. So all in you are looking at 6-10x the cost.”
New Clothes
We all need a wardrobe on occasion, but it’s better for your wallet and the environment to look for second-hand clothes that are good quality.
One mom said, “I buy nearly everything on Vinted. The exception being underwear and shoes, but I’ll still buy second hand little worn shoes if they’re for special occasions as I don’t wear them often. This has worked especially well for my kids, they only get one season out of clothing, it’s madness to spend a fortune on their clothes.”
Pre-Packaged Snacks
Snack foods and sodas have seen a huge increase in price in just the last few months, and this includes any type of individual or pre-packaged snack items.
One person said, “Make sure you do the math. Doritos are the same price as sirloin steak per pound. Same with a lot of the other package snack foods. The bags cost them pennies to produce and they are charging steak prices. Even higher prices for the smaller bags. Absolute total rip off. Always calculate the per pound price for prepared food when you are unsure if it’s a good deal or not. The prices they are charging for snack foods are terrifying.”
Paper Towels
Paper towels are convenient for cleaning up spills and messes, but have you ever calculated how much you spend on them for the year?
One woman said, “I use rags from old bed sheets or t shirts.” Someone else said, “I use paper towels for greasy messes, cloth towels for everything else. Saves so much money.”
Meat
The cost of groceries, and particularly meat, continues to rise. It doesn’t look as though they are coming down anytime soon. Some families are greatly reducing their meat consumption to save their grocery budgets.
One person said, “I didn’t stop buying it entirely, but we now go weeks without buying any and it has brought my grocery bill down tremendously.”
Another person replied, “I didn’t stop buying it entirely, but we now go weeks without buying any and it has brought my grocery bill down tremendously.”
Salon Manicures
Pampering yourself is great. However, in this economy, you can save a lot by changing your habits to pampering yourself at home.
One woman said, “I don’t get my nails done anymore, I do them at home. I can’t justify spending $80 for a mani/pedi.”
Another said, “A gel manicure is about $70-$120 every 3 weeks, and a gel pedi is about $50-$80 in the same amount of time. I spent the $200 to buy everything I needed to be able to do those things at home and I’ve gotten quite good.”
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This thread inspired this post.
I’m Nicole Schmoll – a master’s-educated professional writer, mompreneur, and co-founder of Frugal Rules.
As a freelance copywriter in Omaha, I still believe that writing is an artistic expression. Every time I strike the keys, I intend to evoke a response from my listeners. I left my full-time career as a senior copywriter for an insurance agency to start my own freelance writing business.
I love watching and writing about TV (and how to stream it!)
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