I wanted to share 10 things I don’t buy anymore in 2020 to really help our family stick to a budget. I’ve been able to save over $3,000 just by not buying or paying for these items and I actually don’t even miss them!
If you are asking yourself, “how can I save more money?” cut out some of these expenses in your budget. It is a lot easier than you think and the savings really add up!
By doing some DIY techniques and finding reusable items to replace those that I ended up throwing away, it has been a lot easier to add more money to our savings. Not only does it save me money, but it helps the environment as well!
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10 Things I Don’t Buy Anymore
Brand New Cars
We are the type of family that drives our cars until it is cheaper to buy a new one instead of fixing the old one. We normally keep our cars for 12-15 years and only buy used cars.
I recently had to purchase a new car because I was in an accident and the old one was totaled. There really wasn’t that much difference between the new model compared to the models that were 1-2 years older. The only big difference was the price!
There was a $3,000 difference between the 2018 and the 2019 model of the particular car that I wanted. That was even before negotiating down the price.
You know that once you drive the car off the lot, it depreciates in value. Let someone else pay for that depreciation, not you.
Savings: $3,000+
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Dog Grooming
Our little chihuahua- peekapoo mix, Obi, has to be groomed every single month. He has very long hair so it needs a good trim to keep it manageable. We have to groom him ourselves because he is terrified of any of the groomers we have taken him to and gets very anxious.
So I bought a pair of dog clippers and watched A LOT of Youtube videos to learn how to groom him myself. It has taken some practice, and a few small bald spots on poor Obi, but I can now comfortably groom him and he is less anxious!
Savings: $50/month = $600 per year
Manicures
I don’t pay for manicures! My nail polish usually chips after a day or two anyway. I discovered the Kiss Impress Nails and I use them all of the time. I can usually do them for less than $3 a manicure and they last for 2 weeks!
I did a full tutorial so you can see what they look like and how easy they are to apply. You can always just paint your own nails so that you can easily fix any chips as soon as they happen.
You normally have to go to the nail salon every two weeks to maintain your manicure and the cheapest I have seen them for is $20 for each visit!
Savings: $40/month = $480 a year minimum
More Ways to Stop Spending Money
Minor Repairs
We try to DIY every home and car repair that we can. You can find so many tutorials for minor home and car repairs on Youtube. We will do as many as we can so we don’t always have to call a professional to come and fix something that only takes a few minutes of research to figure out.
We don’t do anything electrical because that is a bit out of our comfort zone but any minor plumbing, wood, or paint repair we can easily do ourselves.
We also don’t pay anyone to do landscaping or trash pickup (we don’t live in city limits for free trash pickup). We simply mow the lawn ourselves and take our own trash to the recycling center.
Savings: At least $50 per month= $600 per year
Makeup Remover Wipes
I stopped buying makeup remover wipes because I hated throwing one away every single day. It was so wasteful and I found a more eco- friendly alternative, Makeup Eraser. I love it and it really does work. You just add some warm water to it and your makeup comes right off!
It will last for 3-5 years and you can throw it in the washing machine with your clothes or towels when it needs to be cleaned. I only paid $10 for it when a month supply of makeup wipes cost me $8.
Savings: $8/month= $96/year
Disposable Plates and Utensils
Since we are cutting back on our waste, we now longer buy any kind of disposable plates, utensils, bowls, cups, etc. We simply reuse the regular dishes we have. The only exception is when we are throwing our daughter a birthday party.
Savings: $10/month= $120/year
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Books & Audiobooks
I LOVE to read! I can easily read about 4 books a month. If I paid for each one, that would be $1,000’s and that’s not including books for my kid!
We get all of our books and audiobooks from our local library. You will be surprised at what the library offers if you haven’t been there in a while. They don’t just have books and audiobooks but video games, movies, music, and much more. A lot of the time you can simply download them!
Savings: $50/month=$600/year minimum
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More Ways to Save Money
School Pictures
My daughter started kindergarten this year and her school pictures did not turn out great. They usually don’t take pictures until the afternoon and by that time, her hair is a mess and she also has an awkward smile in the photos.
Instead of paying for over priced pictures, we just take them ourselves. We always do a first day of school picture and we can easily take a nice sitting picture of her every year.
Savings: $50/term= $100/year on average
Cleaning Supplies
I no longer buy all of the different types of cleaning supplies. The only thing I buy is the Bona floor cleaner because I think it gets them cleaner than anything else I have tried.
I usually buy some vinegar, hydrogen peroxide, and mix it with water to make a good all purpose cleaner. I love using this Miracle Carpet Cleaner for my carpets.
You can check out this Ultimate List of DIY Household Cleaners for some great recipes.
Savings: $20/month= $240/year
Seasoning Mixes
The last thing I no longer buy are pre-made seasoning mixes. You can buy herbs and spices separate for a lot cheaper and just make up the mixes yourself as you need them.
There are so many great recipes for the mixes online and you can easily add more or less spice to your preferred taste and cut way back on the sodium that is usually always in the seasoning packets.
We make our own taco mixes, onion soup mix, ranch and Italian dressing seasoning, and much more.
Savings= $10/month= $120/year
By not buying just these 10 items, I have saved my family a minimum of $3,196 this year. That’s not including the car since we just buy that once every 10 years or so.
All it takes is finding some cheaper alternatives instead of cutting things out of our lives altogether. Let me know some of the things you have stopped buying to stay on budget this year.
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