It’s been way too long since our last Save It post (like this one, this one, this one, this one, this one, and this one to name a few), so the other night I was thinking about a few things that we just don’t buy, and how going without those things probably adds up to saving a decent amount of cash-money.
And it doesn’t feel particularly martyr-ish of us – it’s normal and easy after years of living this way. So it feels less like “going without” and more like “streamlining and simplifying.” We’ve mentioned a few of these things over the years, but I realized there were others that I never really thought about (or blogged about) so here’s a big ol’ brain dump of all the things that we typically skip.
- Meat three or four nights a week: Some nights we just opt for spaghetti, bean burritos, vegetable stir fry, homemade pizza, nachos, sweet potatoes and salad, etc.
- Fabric softener: We use vinegar sometimes, but most times it’s just nothing. We don’t notice a difference!
- Dusting spray: We both grew up with Pledge, but now we just use microfiber cloths and water.
- Regular dry cleaning: All of our clothes are machine or hand washable so we only do one trip per year for a few coats/blazers instead of monthly trips.
- Dog grooming: Burger’s short haired, so we just bathe him at home and cut his nails ourselves and we’re good.
- Newspaper: We get our news online (almost every newspaper has an online format now) and on the radio (NPR).
- Bottled water: We have a water filter and use Klean Kanteens that we refill ourselves.
- Starbucks: In the past year or so I’ve become a chai lover – and it’s $3.99 to make seven cups from this grocery store box, as opposed to that price for one cup at Starbucks. So I save that for special occasions and make a cup at home every morning instead.
- Bag-checking fees: Even when we’ve flown with a dog or a kid, we’ve actually never paid to check a single bag (we’re nerds for the challenge of packing light).
- Gel, hairspray, mousse, or serum: I haven’t bought that stuff since college. I’m just a wash and wear girl – plus I tend to break out a lot from hair stuff, so this is for vanity as well as saving money.
- Lipstick: It’s not my bag baby, so I use what’s in this makeup tote and nothing more (not buying 20 shades of eye shadow definitely keeps money in my pocket too).
- Creams and self tanners: I’m pale and totally cool with it – plus my mom looks awesome for her age and doesn’t use any fancy potions or creams, so I’m hoping to follow in her glamorous grandma footsteps.
- Perfume: I like the smell of my shampoo (John doesn’t wear cologne either).
- Haircuts & colors: Maybe once every two years I get a $35 cut, but other than that I just trim it myself. And of course cutting John’s hair saves us money too.
- Regular manicures and pedicures: I go about once a year with a friend (and usually hit up Starbucks while I’m splurging) but other than that I do my own toes at home and usually leave my fingers bare.
- Gym membership for me: It’s just not my thing, but John loves his.
- Alcohol: John has just never been a drinker and I might drink a bottle of wine a year at home (although most years it’s a gift from some sweet house guest) so it’s not a monthly expense for us.
- Disposable diapers: More on that here.
- Diaper bag: I never got one, just used a purse and kept extra stuff in the car.
- Incandescent bulbs: Using CFLs and LEDs in the bulk of our fixtures adds up to a lot of money saved. We’d love to eventually go all LED in our house, but it’s not exactly a cheap switch, so we’re trying to chip away at different rooms over time.
- A second car: This one definitely doesn’t works for everyone, but since I’ve been freelancing from home for the past seven years it’s no big deal to have one car (and it saves us the cost of a car, the gas, the maintenance, and the insurance).
Best of all, saving in some areas allows us to more easily afford other things that are more important to our family, like project materials, organic produce, cable TV, and ceramic animals. Guess it’s all one big balancing act right? I’d love to hear your “skip it” list! And this is a no judgement zone. You might LOVE to get your hair dyed but can resist giant dangly earrings when I can’t (I may or may not have over a dozen of those in my night table).
Psst- You can peruse over 30 money-saving posts of yore here.
James Malone says
After living by myself in DC with a sub 30k a year job, I’ve learned to do without a ton of things:
Paper towels, I have a bunch of kitchen rags that get tossed in the wash.
Cable: with all the new broadcast channels it’s pretty easy.
Dryer sheets: why buy they’re not worth it.
Cell phone plan with a big carrier: pre-paid carriers are cheaper and use the same towers as the big boys.
Internet at home: i use my cell phone to tether to my tablet, I can’t do absolutely everything with a dedicated Internet connection, but if I need to the library has free wife. a year without the cable,Internetand big name cell carrier I end up saving almost $2000 a year.
James Malone says
Typos, one huge downside to using a tablet instead of my trusty laptop. ^ see above. SMH.
Jess says
We are also a one car family. I work from home so it’s very manageable for us. We never take our Pomeranian to the groomer and don’t pay for cable. I’ve started cutting my own hair and my husband cuts his.
I also make my own chai at home. I get mine at Costco. They sell a three pack of the same chai for under $8! I just bought I $6 milk frother online so I now have fancy pants homemade chais.
Sunday says
Oooooh I used to love SkipIt! I’m sure we still have our old one around somewhere. I used to love how it would count your skips and everything :)
sarah @makingitmyhome.blogspot.com says
i challenged myself to go a month without buying coffee. where i would have easily bought 5 coffee’s a week (which equals to at least $10.00, i totally succeeded in my goal and went nearly 7 weeks without purchasing a coffee. i let myself get one or two here or there but i definitely stopped making it a regular thing and saved at least $50.00
we also gave up cable and just use netflix and other instant streaming. so much cheaper!
Kate S. says
I love this post! Honestly, I think we save a lot by living in a 700 square foot house. We are looking to move into something larger soon, but I think we’ll keep small-house-living because it makes it so much easier to say no to more stuff–if I don’t have a place to put it, I don’t buy it.
I do have a taste for somewhat expensive shoes, but I usually wait until they’re at least 50% off–either through 6pm.com or watching for extra discounts on clearance items on other websites. Patience saves me a ton! I also get my hair cut and colored every 6 weeks, but since I’m a Pilates instructor, I give my stylist one 30 minute weekly private session in exchange for her services and neither of us has to worry about money. Finally, though our grocery bill is somewhat high, I save a lot by making specialty items (gluten free crackers, etc.) myself–instead of spending $6 for a small box, I might spend $2 for a huge batch. I also skip manis/pedis and instead splurge on a new polish color every couple of months :).
I think the lesson really is to simplify–I feel like we live really well, even though on paper we do without some “normal” things (cable, newer cars, huge wardrobes). For us, it’s just about honing in on what will give us in the biggest dividends in quality of life boosting and investing there instead of throwing money at stuff that isn’t as enriching to us.
Kathy S says
My money-savers:
* only buy what’s on sale at the grocery store
* shop only at stores that offer double-coupons
* no cable
* buy DVD sets and share with friends/co-workers
* negotiate for lower price (I got a slightly beat-up solid mango wood desk from a pricy furniture store for just $86! I fixed it for free :) )
* buy a fixer-upper house in a neighborhood that can take your upgrades
* get a roommate
* bike to work
* choose an HSA over the expensive PPO or HMO
* furnish and full your house from thrift stores. Especially those stores in “fancy” neighborhoods — they will have high quality goods!
* don’t buy trendy clothing. Buy when you need it, not when you want it
* find cheap ways to have fun! For example, this weekend the National Parks have free entry on Sunday in celebration of their birthday!
Katie says
Well, the best way we have decided that we can live well, splurge a bit, and not have to think too much about money is by having only ONE child. We get the joys of raising and enjoying a child and know that we will always be able to provide for her and enjoy our lives, too! Plus, I think environmentally speaking–it’s way more green than not buying paper towels! Thanks for the post!
Kalie says
Wow I could never get through a whole year with only 1 bottle of wine!! I don’t drink during the week, but I definitely like to unwind on the weekends.
Reading this post makes me realize how much I splurge on things. I like to do it cheaply though! I get my nails done every 2-3 weeks but my salon only charges 15$ for gel polish. I’ll paint my own toes or just get a polish change at the nail salon. I will splurge on a pedicure when my toes are looking rough.
I do quite a bit of shopping but generally only buy stuff when I have a coupon or if there is a big sale going on.
My husband and I don’t drink coffee so we save a lot there! We also skip the water bottles and opt for refillable ones.
I do splurge on a few make up products. I like paraban free or organic products. Speaking of organic I like good produce too!
We don’t have a home phone or read any news paper articles at all. My husbands likes sports and I read blogs or books.
I skipped cable when I first moved out on my own. I have it now though and would have a pretty hard time giving it up (but could if I had to). It makes me feel so disconnected not to have it.
Cool post!! Interesting to learn how people like to save and what they “skip” out on. ;)
Sara says
Microfiber cloths for cleaning and no dryer sheets are are the way to go! You are reducing waste and reducing the amount of harmful chemicals in your home. For people who are not familiar with Norwex, they offer microfiber cloths and other products that use minimal/non-harsh chemicals. You can get more info at http://www.norwex.com
Penny Smith says
I second this!! (I didn’t see this before my post! I swear!!)
Penny Smith says
I use those (yes I am gonna say it) (fabric softening) blue balls on a whim and we have used them now for 5 years? I don’t see a difference either. Though since I now order a monthly Honest.com bundle, I did try the “use twice” dryer sheets. Not sure if it made ANY difference. :)
I LOVE my norwex microfiber rags, dry and wet mop, and dust mitt. My rags/mop/dust mitt are on year 4?? Definitely offset the initial cost!! I buy VERY little cleaner. (Only for a few specific jobs) and vinegar works as cleaner AND kills weeds. Bonus!
I LOVED starbucks chai tea. It is a well known fact to be an issue of mine. But I decided the HFCS in the syrup was my excuse to REALLY cut back, and I have since started buying coffee (free trade and organic-stuff is sprayed SEVEN times with pesticides otherwise. Eek) for my kuerig (have the reusable cafe cup) and when I “splurge” at starbucks now, I get the ultra cheap brewed with a lot of cream or soy (soy there is organic-no organic milk option. Boo!) and raw sugar. Half the price of my tea issue. :) As it was I got soy in my chai’s-traded issues with soy since it was the only organic starbucks option, before I switched to coffee.
I DO have an Amazon Prime membership… so I use and abuse it. Especially books, I ALWAYS scan and check the price on amazon (app on my phone) for things when I shop (books and shoes and kids stuff and bulk organic food items) and get no tax and free two day shipping. And we watch every prime free movie too-when not watching netflix… I know for a fact I am ahead on savings and shipping for the yearly membership. :)
Sam’s-there are some items that are so much cheaper there that my membership fee doesn’t make a dent. On string cheese alone I save $150 a year on the savings verses the price at the grocery stores… That and organic lettuce. Mushrooms (we grill them weekly-big white caps). And their TP price can’t be beat for the “pom pom” brand.
OK, that was a LOT off the top of my head! LOL!
Anne says
It may have been recently asked, but how do you deal with gift giving? I am pretty good about keeping things low key in my own world, but when it comes to the zillions of baby showers and weddings, I do not know how to keep it budget friendly. Ideas anyone?
YoungHouseLove says
Anyone have tips for Anne?! That’s a toughie. I love doing meaningful things or handmade things (not always by me, sometimes from Etsy or a local shop – but something personalized always feels memorable and sweet, either with an initial on it or a painting of a blonde girl with her dog if the couple has a blonde girl and a dog, haha!
xo
s
Alissa says
Oh my gosh! I don’t know what’s worse…the fact that I owned a skip it and was actually really good at it OR the fact that when I started to play that commercial I instantly remembered all of the words and started to sing along! #80s/90sNERD
YoungHouseLove says
Oh yes, I know the whole song. It’s my party trick. Also lots of old jingles for food. It’s weird how those get stuck in your brain!
xo
s
Caitlin Wallace Rowland says
My husband and I are young (22 & 23), just out of college and trying to pay back my husband’s student loans. We are on Dave Ramsey’s Total Money Makeover, so money is really tight for us because of that, and also because we don’t make a large income anyway. We save in a lot of the ways you said as well. I don’t get my nails done, I don’t dye my hair (I only go in once or twice a year for a trim and that’s it), I wax my own eyebrows at home, we cook pretty much all meals at home and don’t buy processed foods (eat mostly fresh fruits/veggies/meat — also because I’m gluten-free), and we try to mostly only go on free dates (trips to the park, walks around the neighborhood, movie nights at home (no trips to the movie theater), etc). I don’t buy new clothes very often and when I do I check out sale racks. To lengthen the longevity of my clothes, I only wash them when they are actually dirty. So anything other than underwear I wear multiple times before washing. That also means I wait quite a while between loads (I only end up washing a couple loads of clothes every few weeks), so I cut down on water/soap/etc usage there. I also don’t wear perfume, don’t use fancy beauty or hair products, and wear make-up minimally, (so it lasts forever). I’m sure there are a lot of others, but those come to mind!
Caitlin Wallace Rowland says
Oh we also try to use as many reusable products as possible (we always use cloth napkins and we use real towels over paper towels) and my husband home brews beer (as a hobby, but also to save money on buying alcohol). :)
Natosha says
We do without a lot of the things people here mentioned, particularly cable tv. When we moved for my husband’s job, had two mortgages, and I became “self-employed”, we couldn’t justify that bill anymore. Our antenna works great and we subscribe to Amazon Prime. It’s bad enough with the cable companies trying to extort more money for the internet, let alone a cable bill included.
I also stopped dyeing my hair and only get a cut once a quarter. Mani/Pedi’s are a thing of the past and I hardly buy new clothes anymore (working from home). My splurge is a monthly yoga studio membership and Spotify Premium :P