10 THINGS I DON’T BUY | Money Saving & Minimalism

Whether you are on a path to minimalism or just want to save money, today, I’m sharing 10 Things I Don’t Buy To Save Money.

>> Click here to watch 10 Things I Don’t Buy To Save Money!

Household Cleaners

Not only does the cost of household cleaners add up, but it also brings strong chemicals into your home.

Check out my 8 DIY Household Cleaner Recipes for easy cleaners each with 3 ingredients or less.

Full-Price Gas

The second thing that I no longer buy is full-priced gas, especially with how high gas prices are right now.

I use the app Upside (formerly GetUpside) and earn 20 cents cash back per gallon every time I fill up my car.

The Upside app is a legit way to earn cashback simply by filling up your gas tank!

Earn up to $0.35 per gallon when you download the Upside app and use code FIAB20.

More ways to save!

CIT Bank: BEST High-yield savings account; your bank shouldn’t be charging you money. Instead, YOU should be making money off your money!
Ladder: Get a quick, free quote on term life insurance, affordable, online term life insurance. No exam! No waiting! No hassles!
GetUpside: Earn 20 cents per gallon on gas cash back when you download the app and use code FIAB20.
Fetch Rewards is a free grocery savings app that rewards you just for snapping pictures of your receipts. That’s it. Really. Free gift cards on groceries on thousands of products every day, no matter where you get your groceries. Just scan your receipts and get gift cards from retailers like Amazon, Target, Ulta, Applebees. Use code QHKBH to earn 2,000 points ($2)!
Rakuten: Get cash back on online purchases and automatic coupons and savings with their browser plugin… and remember, you have to make a $20 purchase to get your $20 for free!
Blooom: FREE 401(k) or IRA analyzer, Let the experts take a peek at your retirement account. Get real advice on how it’s doing and how it could be performing better.
Lively: A modern health savings account. Prepare for tomorrow by making smart decisions about finances and healthcare today. Lively HSAs are free for individuals and families, so you never have to worry about hidden costs.
Build Wealth by Investing in Index Funds Course: I’ve teamed up with my friend Jeremy from Personal Finance Club to teach you everything you need to know to invest in index funds! How to open an account, how much to invest, and how to choose an index fund. You’ll gain the knowledge and confidence to optimally invest and build wealth for decades.

Name-Brand Food

The fourth thing that I do not pay full price for is name-brand food.

I do 99% of my grocery shopping at ALDI. I’ve done my research and have found that ALDI is about 30% cheaper than stores like Publix and even Walmart.

Click here to watch: Aldi vs Walmart | Which One Is Cheaper?

The quality of ALDI’s food is amazing and you honestly can’t tell the taste difference between their food and name brand.

Also, if you want to know ways that grocery stores manipulate you, check out this blog here! They are quite sneaky!

Purses For Different Outfits

In years past, I would have a ton of different purses for different occasions and outfits.

Now, I have one purse that goes with everything, I use it for a couple of years until it falls apart and then I replace it.

Using only one purse at a time saves space in my closet from having them all lined up, saves time from having to transfer all my items when I am rushing out the door, and saves money. Here is my current purse that I am absolutely loving.

Paper Towels

My husband and friends like to tease me that I don’t keep paper towels in the house. The reason is it is so easy to undo what feels like half the roll to clean up a little mess on the counter or the floor.

Instead, I have a drawer in my kitchen with dishtowels for either drying hands, wiping down the counters, or cleaning up messes.

“On Sale” Items

I have been extremely guilty in the past of buying items (especially clothing and household decor) just because it’s “on sale”.

This often resulted in my buying items that didn’t fit right or weren’t the best quality, but I bought them because they were a great deal and I felt that I was missing out if I passed it up.

This caused me to have a closet full of items that I didn’t wear because I didn’t feel confident in them and a lot of money down the drain… that could’ve been going to debt payments.

Tip: Don’t buy clothes that will fit you for your “future body”, buy the clothes that you feel great in NOW!

Keurig Pods

Call me crazy, but I don’t see the hype in the Keurig trend.

I think the Keurig pods are very expensive; honestly, it doesn’t make a good cup of coffee.

I like the good ole fashioned drip coffee maker that I can make as strong as I want, the pot is easy to clean, and you don’t have the plastic pods in the landfill.

Pre-cut Produce

The markup on pre-cut produce is INSANE! I don’t buy produce that is pre-cut and this saves our family a ton of money.

I have even stopped buying a lot of fresh vegetables because I found that “Grocery Shopping Kelly” is much healthier than “Real Life/Busy Mom Kelly” and a lot of it would go to waste and get wilted before we ate it.

I now buy a lot of frozen veggies to save money, they are just as nutritious as fresh veggies and they don’t go bad on me. I always have a variety of veggies in my freezer at any time to add to a dinner.

Caveat: If your family does a lot of take-out or eating out, then buying the premade $8 rotisserie chicken from the deli is going to be cheaper than a $30 take-out meal. So take a look at where you are and see ways that you can save money in your current situation.

Cable

My family doesn’t pay for cable, I cut cable when I moved out on my own at 18. We strictly use streaming services.

But, be careful with streaming services they can add up quick. Often times people pay $80 for cable and switch to streaming but then after they sign up for Amazon Prime, Netflix, Hulu, Discovery+, HBO Max, etc. and end up spending $150 a month so be mindful of adding too many streaming services and end up spending more.

Not Used Up Items

Is anyone else guilty of buying new shampoo or eyeshadow pallet before your old one is used up?

I sure am!

I am now very intentional about using up a product entirely before buying a new one. This can be challenging when I see a new shampoo I want to try or makeup in a beautiful color, but the lack of clutter is well worth it!

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