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16 Things To Stop Buying As A Minimalist

By Author OnBudgetMoms

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When I was looking at my budget I would get a bit overwhelmed at how much money was going out vs what was coming in. I knew I had to figure out how to stop spending so much money, so that is when we turned to minimalist living.

Starting off can be difficult so I made a list of things minimalists don’t buy to help jump-start this new way of living.

Things Minimalists Don’t Buy

One of my biggest budgeting rules is to not cut out all those fun things you enjoy, this is just a recipe for disaster so I suggest looking for things you don’t really need. This is where minimalism comes in handy, by saving on everyday items you can use that extra money to spend on more important things, like fun!

Things minimalists don't buy

What I stopped buying to save money

Sometimes people have trouble finding those items or things they don’t necessarily need so here is a list of what I personally quit buying to save money as a minimalist.

 [ReviewDisclaimer]

1. Cleaning Products

We started making our own cleaning products which is much better for the environment and healthier for your family. Making your own cleaning products is actually pretty easy and will save you hundreds of dollars in the long run.

I personally love using essential oils to make my cleaning products. You can use them for any area of your house!

2. Dryer Sheets

After doing some research on how toxic cleaning products are I was shocked to find out dryer sheets are very toxic! With ingredients such as benzyl acetate (linked to pancreatic cancer) and chloroform (a neurotoxin and carcinogen) just to name a couple…I decided to find a safer alternative. Read more about how toxic dryer sheets are by visiting this article from Scientific America.

Step up dryer balls, the plastic ones don’t have the best reviews BUT the wool dryer balls have amazing reviews and are great for the environment as well as being safe! To help with the static you can make a solution of vinegar and essential oils, the oils will also give your clothing a great smell!

3. Takeout Coffee

We stopped going out everyday to buy coffee thus saving on gas and the $5 per day on two coffees. Instead I bought a small coffee machine with a re-usable filter <didn’t even know those existed! 

To be honest we still go for a coffee once a week on Saturday’s because we do enjoy it and I am all for living a happy life, don’t completely cut out everything you enjoy!

I also use Swagbucks to get FREE coffees, can’t go wrong there!

Swagbucks is a free rewards website where you can complete various tasks (including surveys) to earn points to exchange for free gift cards or paypal cash!

Free to sign up and get a $5 bonus when you sign up here!

4. Earn Free Gift Cards

This one isn’t really something I stopped buying but it saves me money on tons of items. I use Swagbucks which is a very popular and safe site, You can choose from a variety of popular gift cards to redeem your points such as:

  • Amazon
  • Esso
  • Starbucks
  • Tim Horton’s
  • Cineplex
  • Gap
  • Paypal
  • Steam
  • Xbox Live

and so many more.

👉Also you can earn $5 by signing up through my link, and you can do the same when you refer your friends.👀

I also use Survey Junkie to earn some extra cash, they are the ONLY Survey site I still use.

Survey Junkie is also free to use and you can earn up to $50 per survey!

5. Eating Takeout

things minimalists don't buy

So, I will be the first to admit I love eating takeout, however it is SO expensive! According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics reports the average American Household spends $3,008 on takeout per year, and I am sure for some us it is way more then that!

Meal Planning has helped me tons and saving money on groceries using cash back apps such as Checkout 51 makes grocery shopping even better!

$5 Meal Plan

Since I don’t have much time I love using the $5 meal plan, they have great recipes and plan my meals for me which has made life much easier, so to me the $5 is worth it.

👉You can even try it risk free with their 14 day free trial, so check it out.

6. Gas

Obviously I didn’t stop buying gas completely, although that would be awesome, BUT I did cut back drastically. I live in a small town so to get certain items I have to drive 30 minutes which is hard on my gas bill, instead I shop on Amazon and use Amazon prime to get free shipping.

I also get FREE gas cards from Swagbucks!! 

7. Amazon Prime

You get so much with Amazon Prime, free 2 day shipping on millions of items, you can watch popular TV shows and movies, exclusive deals and so much more!

😀You can try it out risk free for 30 days here.

8. Shaving Cream

I had a friend tell me once how they use conditioner to shave their legs instead of shaving cream, and I dunno about you but a bottle of conditioner for me lasts forever. I always use conditioner now and it leaves my legs feeling soft afterwards which is nice.

9. Paper Towel

This was a tough one for me because when their are really messy cleanups like dog vomit < yuck… I like using paper towel. Surprisingly we toss a lot of old towels, sheets, and clothes that either had holes or were just too worn to pass on, so instead of throwing them away I started saving them and when I do have a super messy cleanup I just toss the rag out instead of washing it.

10. Cable TV

Getting rid of cable was a great decision, we barely ever watched it, with Netflix and Amazon Prime we had all we needed. We ended up saving about $60 per month!

Related: How to Save Money on Your Bills

11. Magazines

This used to be something I would splurge on, you know waiting at a check out and those gosh darn magazines staring you in the face! I really only purchased them out of boredom and for the horoscopes at the back, now I just google my horoscope and save myself money and a junk pile of magazines.


12. Books

I love to read and I don’t really like using a E-Reader because I find it hurts my eyes, so instead of buying books reading them a few times and then they sit and collect dust I now go to the library or book exchange with friends and family.

13. Expensive Skin Care

things minimalists don't buy

Lord this is such a waste of money, the cosmetics industry has us women wrapped around their stinkin rich finger! Seriously, unless you have a bad skin condition in which case discussing with your doctor is probably the best route for that, then you do not need all this expensive crap.

I always break out when I try to use an expensive face cream, so I do have super dry skin and I swear by Vitamin E Cream, yup just plain ol’ Vitamin E.

What works for me may not work for you but always watch what you are eating and drink plenty of water!

14. Name Brand Clothing

I never really understood this but I know some people NEED name brand. I do like to splurge on myself but now I search buy and sell or auction sites to get name brand items dirt cheap, I would never pay full price!

15. Water Bottles

Not only are they very bad for the environment they can be costly, so instead purchase a reusable water bottle and if needed a Brita that way you can have filtered water all ready to go.

16. Gym Membership

I had one of these before and I rarely found the time to go. Instead I now use the 30 Day Shred and a treadmill I got for free off a buy and sell.

You would be surprised how much work out equipment you can get at a good price off buy and sell sites, a ton of people buy these items and then never use them!

There you have it, all the items I cut from my spending to help save money! Comment yours below, would love to hear your tips 🙂

Want more money saving tips?

 

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