The Easiest 10 Things to stop buying to save money

It is not just large families who are concerned about saving money. We are all thinking of ways to save money and a lot of that involves listing out all the things you can stop buying to save money.

Take a critical look at your expenses as a family for the month and you might find that many things are “stuff” that you do not necessarily need to purchase as often as you do. 

Stop buying stuff you don’t need as a family.

In this article, we will look at 10 things to stop buying to save money as a family or at home. We will also consider why people buy things they do not need and how best to control unnecessary spending.

Why do people buy unnecessary things?

1. Habit. Some people get used to purchasing certain items even though they do not have a real need for those items. 
2. Over-compensation. Dig deep enough and you might find that many people who buy unnecessary things are doing so to compensate for some other issue in their lives. Those issues could be unexplored childhood traumas and 
3. Boredom. Sometimes, people simply have nothing much to do. The devil finds work for idle hands. Some people will buy stuff because it is something for them to do. 

3 Ways to stop spending money on things you don’t need

1. Ask why. Analyze the reason behind your spending habits. What spurs you on to buy things that you know you do not need?
2. Prioritize. Look at the things you buy weekly or monthly. Which of them are important and in what order? Once you have put them in order of importance, are there any that you can cut out completely?
3. Set goals. What are your financial goals? On a broader level, what are your life goals for the next five years? Would it be helpful to have more disposable income available to get you to those goals? Perhaps focusing on those goals can help you to spend less on things that do not move you closer to your goals.

10 Things to stop buying to save money

1. Fast fashion. Spend your money on fewer, higher quality items of clothing that will last many years. Spend on classy and classic pieces that you will get the most wear out of.

2. Dryer sheets. These are bad for the environment because you can only use them once. Also, they may seem cheap but when you consider how much laundry the average family goes through in a week and the fact that you are probably using more than one sheet per load, you could be spending hundreds of dollars on dryer sheets per year. 

3. Pads and tampons. Pads and tampons are arguably right up there with the top 10 things to stop buying to save money for women. They are usually environmentally unfriendly anyway but there are also so many reusable sanitary products on the market now that you can try. From menstrual cups, to sponges to reusable period panties, you have a lot of options to consider.

4. Disposable shaving sticks or razors. These are yet again another bunch of single-use items that families can go through a lot of in a month. Instead of buying these, you can each invest in reusable shavers that need the blade to be replaced monthly or so. 

5. Takeaways/fast food. With the money that your family spends on takeaways or fast food in a week, is it possible that you could be making large batches of food for the family that could last a month? Check out these food recipes for large families on a budget. 

6. Travel sized products. Yes, they are  cute and maybe your focus is taking up less space when you are all going away on holiday. However, it is very likely cheaper for you to purchase the full size item when you consider how much of the product you are getting from the travel size. Fill up empty containers with smaller portions of the full size version and have some left over for future use instead.

7. Lunch at work. Taking a packed lunch to work or school will save you having to spend a few dollars every single afternoon. It may only be a few dollars per day but when you think about how much it comes to per month and then per year, you could be saving several hundreds.

8. Magazine subscriptions. How necessary are these for you? Is there anything you can see in these pages that you cannot find for free online? Evaluate all your magazine subscriptions to make sure they are truly valuable to you.

9. Brand new books. Why are you buying new books when you can buy them used, often less than half price and in good-as-new condition online?

10. Bottled water. If you live in an area where it is safe to drink your tap water, cutting out your spending on bottled water will save you a lot yearly.

These are the top 10 things to stop buying to save money as a family. 

What items have you stopped purchasing as a family in order to save money?