50+ Things To Stop Buying Stuff To Save Money - A CENTSational Life

In today’s economy, many people are tired of struggling financially.

It’s really stressful when you are deep in debt and living paycheck to paycheck.

We think the answer is to make more money, which would be nice but sometimes it is just not that easy.

Stop Buying Stuff

Sometimes we need to take a cold hard look at our budget.

We need to figure out things to stop spending money on & what is an unnecessary waste of money.

Trust me, there are many useless everyday items that you are probably wasting your money on!

Living in a consumer culture, many people struggle with how to stop buying stuff altogether.

The ads and even the social media influencers tell us we need to buy things!

In order to figure out how to stop buying stuff, you need to take a cold hard look at your spending and your budget.

When You Stop Spending Money spending Money On Unnecessary Things:

• You can save more money.
• Pay off debt.
• Declutter your space.
• Finally, take control of your finances.

How To Stop Buying Stuff You Don’t Need

Write down all the unnecessary things you are buying.

Think about all the useless everyday items you need to stop buying in order to save money.

You may need to check into a budgeting app like Trim to save money to help you stop buying stuff.

And grab my FREE printable spending tracker.

Use this list of all the things I stopped buying to start saving more money!

50+ Things I Stopped Buying To Save Money

Things to stop spending money on! How to stop buying stuff and what to cut from your budget!

Kitchen Stuff To Stop Buying

Paper Towels – Stop wasting money on paper towels and get some good dishcloths you can just toss in the wash. I love these micro-fiber cloths because they are super absorbent and great for dusting.

Spices You Never Use – OK, that new recipe you want to try calls for a pinch of spice you that do not already have and never use. Just don’t buy it, because you will never use it again.

Seasonings You Can Make Yourself – Did you know know that taco seasoning is full of preservatives and GLUTEN?

That may be fine with you, but I can’t tolerate gluten. So I make my own with garlic, cumin, chili powder, and salt. It tastes so much better than that “fake” stuff! Play around with seasonings you have to see what you can make.

Waffle/Pancake Mixes – Total waste of money! You can easily whip up our own with some flour and a couple of other ingredients you probably already have.

Not to mention they are full of PRESERVATIVES that are not good for you!

Cake Mixes – Same as the pancake mix! Plus, fresh homemade cakes taste MUCH better.

Bottled Water – Big waste of money and horrible for the environment. I used to be the water bottle queen, seriously there were half-drunken water bottles all over my house and car.

I got this awesome filter for my kitchen sink and this reusable water bottle and it made a huge difference.

No more water bottles all over my house AND no more lifting those huge 24 packs of water at the grocery store.

Bulk Groceries – Many people have memberships to stores that let you buy your food in bulk.

If you are not feeding a family of 10 then you really shouldn’t buy food in bulk. 9 out of 10 times that food will expire and get thrown away.

Pre-Cut Veggies and Fruit – When you see those little containers in the produce aisle with all the pre-cut veggies just keep walking.

Grocery stores mark up the price by 300%! It really doesn’t take that much time to cut up your own produce.

By 2 get 1 Free Deal – How many times have you bought three mustards because they were on sale for buy 2 get one free? It’s a sales tactic to get you to buy more. Just buy what you need.

Unnecessary Kitchen Gadgets – So how many times have you used that $300 pasta maker or that fondue set?

Every black Friday, marketing strategists fill the ads with “must-have” kitchen gadgets that are a total WASTE OF MONEY!

More Utensils – Most people have a utensil drawer that is popping out at the seams.

Plastic Utensils – Don’t waste your money on the plastic eatery.

Excessive Pots and Pans – Chances are you have a favorite frying pan. Don’t waste your money on buying big sets that you will only use 2 of. Only buy what you use and need.

Extra Dishes – If your cabinets are full, there is no need to buy another set no matter how pretty it is.

Paper Plates – We all know it’s more economical to just wash dishes. It’s also better for the environment because paper plates take 20 years to decompose in the landfill!

Plastic Straws – I am sure you are aware of the plastic straw ban that is sweeping the world. They are just plain bad for the environment.

That being said some drinks are just better with a straw – yes, I am picturing a frozen margarita.

Lucky for us frozen drink lovers, you make a one-time purchase of some reusable straws. Saving your money, and doing your part for the environment.

Bread Crumbs – There is no need to spend $5 on a box of bread crumbs when all you need to do is toast the ends of a loaf of bread.

C’mon you know you probably throw those ends aways. Save money and make your own bread crumbs and then freeze it for later use.

K-Cups – When the Keurig came on the market every one had to have one. Then a year later people noticed the landfills were filled with all the little plastic cups.

If you have a Keurig, do what I did and get a reusable k-cup to use with your favorite coffee.

Individual Portions – Food brands try to market individually portioned foods like a microwavable mug cake. Save your money, and make your own.

Name brands – When it comes to the grocery store, you are pretty safe to buy generic versus name brands on many items.

Now I am not saying you should buy all generic. I suggest reading the labels and being selective.

For instance, snacks are fine being generic, but dairy products should always be purchased name brand.

Sandwich Bags – Another convenience that is a waste of money and bad for the planet. I use glass storage containers for leftover food and a bento box to take snacks on the go.

Parchment Paper – Before, I wasted so much money by using rolls and rolls of parchment paper every single time I baked. Then I got reusable non-stick baking mats.

Cleaning Stuff To Stop Buying

Dusting Spray – I know that our homes get really dusty, but skip the expensive spray and use a reusable dusting mitt.

Window Cleaner – For a streak-free shine skip the magic blue spray, because that dusting mitt I just mentioned, works on glass surfaces as well. It even kills germs because it is infused with silver.

Laundry Pods – I do not care for these at all. They are more expensive than liquid detergent and do not wash as many loads.

Dryer Sheets – Use wool balls instead. Not only will it save you tons of money, but they are better for your health.

Air Fresheners – For one thing, the chemicals in air fresheners are really bad for you. Invest in a really awesome air purifier to keep your home smelling fresh.

Oven Cleaners – If you don’t have a self-cleaning oven, just sprinkle some baking soda and water in there and leave it for a couple of hours. Then use a wet sponge to wipe all the gunk away.

Toilet Tabs – These have some chemicals that are pretty harsh on your plumbing, meaning they can cost you more money in the long run.

Disposable Mop Pads – Another waste of money that is just filling up our landfills. Use a steam mop with washable pads instead.

Drain Cleaners – Drain cleaners can do a lot of damage to your pipes. Use a plunger over a drain instead.

Personal Care Things To Cut From Your Budget

Disposable Wipes – They really are a convenience but a total waste of money.

Plus, they are horrible for the environment. They are up there on the list with plastic bottles and straws!

Pore Strips – These things are terrible for your skin! They strip your skin of natural oils and can cause breakouts!

Salon Shampoos and Conditioners – For years, I bought into the hype of purchasing expensive products from the hair salon.

Well on my quest to save money, I started buying cheap drug store shampoos. Guess what, they work the same!

Wrinkle Creams – Most of these do not do what they promise. Stick to just a plain old retinoid cream.

Your doctor can probably prescribe a microbead retinoid cream which will be even stronger.

Acne Face Wash -Most of these washes end up causing more breakouts. My skin is far from perfect, so I spent years trying to get it there.

Now I just wash my face with a silicone facial brush and apply a retinoid cream at night. My skin has never looked better!

Perfume – Perfumes and colognes are so bad for you! Synthetic fragrances are highly toxic and cause havoc on your endocrine system. Don’t waste your money!

If you really need a fragrance then get an essential oil diffuser bracelet or necklace.

Shaving Cream – Just use soap and water, then moisturize.

Make-Up Remover – My mom taught me to use baby oil to take off my eye makeup. It works perfectly and pampers the delicate area around your eyes.

Entertainment To Stop Spending Money On

Cable/Satellite T.V. – Ditch the high rates of cable and satellite bills and get Hulu! I pay only $5 a month and get to watch tons of movies and my favorite T.V. shows.

They have sports and even live T.V. so check them out. Sign up for Hulu’s Free Trial and get Thousands of Shows Free for One Month!

Dining Out – One of the things about the recent social distancing is that I realized we spent tons of money on dining out.

Now that I have gotten used to cooking my own meals, I don’t think I will ever look at fast food the same!

Books – I haven’t bought a book in years! Most books can be found at the library for free.

If there is something you really want to read and can’t find it at the library, then try out Kindle’s FREE 30-Day trial.

Magazines – Most people do not even buy subscriptions to magazines anymore. You can pretty much read everything online for free.

Expensive Cell Phone Plans – So we all pretty much can’t function without our cell phones. That being said the prices of phones and plans are getting out of control.

Check out other plans like Tello who has an unlimited talk, text, and 4G data plan for only $39/month.

Or Mint Mobile whose unlimited talk & text and 2GB data plan is only $15/month.

Batteries – Stop throwing your money away on batteries. Invest in some rechargeable batteries because it will save you so much money in the long run!

Trendy Items – There is always a trend! These trends seem to fade out pretty fast! Just don’t buy into it!

Mani/Pedis – Cut this from your budget because you can save so much money by painting your own nails. Or even go without polish, because honestly, nail polish is toxic for your body!

Unused Subscriptions – Many of us sign up for free trials and just forget to cancel them. Sign up for TrueBill to never waste your money on unused subscriptions again!

Home Items To Stop Spending Money On

Extended Warranties – These are a total waste of money. Most of the time they don’t even cover when the product needs to be repaired.

Seasonal Home Decor – This will just add to your clutter! I am very minimal with my decor and it is less than I need to clean.

Clearance Items – Many times we buy clothes and home items because we see them on the clearance rack. I now only buy things I absolutely love and need!

Stop Buying Things And Save Money

By cutting all these things from your budget, you can save so much money! So stop buying this stuff today!

If you are tired of being broke or just want to start saving for a better life then figure out what you need to stop buying.

Bonus: More Ways To Save Money

15 Money-Saving Hacks

18 Money Hacks To Take Control Of Your Finances

50 Money Saving Mom Hacks

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What things have you stopped buying?

If you know of more useless everyday expenses please let me know in the comments!