Do you struggle to ignore your shopping cravings? There are several things to stop buying and save a huge amount every day. And you really don’t need to sacrifice everything on earth to live a minimalist life.
Shopping cravings are common, and many times we go on a guilt trip after the shopping trip. To avoid this sinful feeling, I started noting down the things I don’t really need. I had purchased many of them just out of impulsive buying.
I really needed to get over this habit of impulsive buying and save money for rainy day. Hence, I listed down these 11 things to stop buying and save a huge amount every month. And to my surprise, I seriously had saved a lot of money that could be used for other important things in my life.
11 things to stop buying and save a huge amount every month
Setting your monthly budget is the first step towards saving money. Having a money-saving plan makes things easier. So set your goals and make a plan and be firm on implementing your plan every month and you will definitely save a lot of money month on month.
Disposable Plates And Cutlery
I know doing dishes every now and then is really frustrating. But using disposable plates and cutlery like paper plates, plastic spoons, etc is definitely way more expensive and frustrating than doing dishes every day.
Get some sturdy metal plates that aren’t expensive and fragile, this way you will save a decent amount every month.
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Reduce The Salon Trips
We all want to get pampered at the spa and salons. You can treat yourself with a spa treatment once in a while. But spending a huge amount of spa and facials every two weeks is definitely making a hole in your pocket.
Keep your spa visit for special occasions and for the regular facials or manicure/pedicure, you can buy your own Home Spa Kit and Manicure/Pedicure Kit and can DIY a spa session at home.
I stopped spending money on these things and preferred the DIY beauty sessions. Salon treatments are surely one of the top things to stop buying to save money.
I Don’t Buy New Clothes Every Time
I remember being a shopaholic a few years ago. Slowly I got into a habit of saving money and the first task was to save money on clothes. Going on a shopping spree can boost your mood but it definitely shakes your monthly budget.
Rather than buying new clothes every time, try to repurpose the old ones. You will still look stylish and repurposing old clothes is the best way to save money every month.
Canceled Sports Club Membership
I canceled my Sports club membership last year itself. It was taking a lot of money from me while I was hardly using the club facilities.
Having a club facility means spending extra on club dinners too. Their membership fees plus the renewal fees definitely made me feel that I am wasting my money on this unwanted luxury.
Rather I repurposed half of the club membership fees on other leisure outings and saved a whopping 50% last year. Isn’t that a win-win? I don’t really need to live below the poverty line to save money 🙂
Reduced Mall Trips
Yes, going to a mall meant unwanted expenses again. A family outing to the mall would cost us around $200, which included some shopping, lunch/dinner, charges of play area for my little one, and some temptation of watching movies followed by those popcorn and cold drink expenses, etc.
It would go beyond $200 but never has been less than that. Hence, visiting the mall less frequently helped us to avoid wastage of money. Instead, we started saving that extra chunk of money in our savings account.
Less Eating Out Trips
I am a big-time foodie and I hate cooking. I just loved to explore new food joints and indulge in eating out almost every weekend. Such a bad habit I had. It not only spoiled my health but also made me spend a lot of money.
Cooking our own meals is the new lifestyle change that we have implemented in our family. From baby food to adult food, every damn thing is homemade now.
It doesn’t only help us to save money but also keeps our health better. Eating Out is kept as leisure and homemade food has become a habit now.
Stick To The Grocery List
Making a monthly grocery list helps me to buy as per the list only. Following a grocery list makes me to save money and also helps me to avoid impulsive buying of unnecessary things.
Fancy Shoes
Yes, buying matching shoes on every outfit was an expensive affair. I ditched those high heels (kept some of them for special occasions) and started wearing comfortable footwear which had neutral shades.
It saved a lot of space in my shoe rack and saved my money too.
Make Your Own Coffee
I just love coffee. And I know I can’t live without it (just kidding, I survived without coffee for the entire 9 months of pregnancy 🙂 )
Going to Starbucks to have that refreshing cup of coffee is definitely a great feeling, but spending a huge amount for a cup of coffee is definitely not worth it.
I started making my own coffee every time. It simply saved a lot of money and time (wasting hours in the cafe). I found several great coffee recipes online that helped me satisfy my Starbucks cravings without spending a lot.
Gym And Spa Membership
Yes, it has become a trend to buy a Spa membership to get some discount on monthly visits. I realized I was spending more money than the mere discount offered by the spa.
The same goes with the Gym membership. I was super lazy to attend the gym every day. Hence, I decided to cancel both these memberships and started home workouts with the help of some youtube videos. And the home spa has definitely become a good habit to feel good and look good without spending a fortune.
Bottled Water
Many people don’t think about this. Bottled water takes away a lot of money for sure. I started carrying my own water bottle every time I moved out. It definitely helped me to save a little amount on every outing of mine.
Packaged Beverages
I realized that having whole fruits and homemade juices was a better option than sipping on those packaged beverages that do no good to my health too. Having a fresh homemade smoothie or fresh fruit juice saved my money and health too.
Final Thoughts On 11 Things To Stop Buying To Save Money Every Month
I hope you found this list of things to stop buying immediately and save a huge amount every month. Let me know if you have saved a huge amount on something that was unnecessary to buy.
Is it difficult for you to ignore your shopping cravings? Every day, you can save a huge amount of money by not buying certain things. To live a minimalist life, you don’t have to give up everything.
The urge to shop is common, and we often feel guilty after our shopping trip. I started jotting down the things that I didn’t really need to avoid this sinful feeling. Most of the things I had bought impulsively.
My habit of buying on impulse really needed to be broken so I could save money for rainy days. As a result, I have compiled this list of 11 things that you should stop buying and save a lot of money every month for the future. As a result, I was able to save a lot of money, which I could have used for other things.
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