Things I Don’t Spend Money On
Money is a part of our life. Whether we like it or not, we need it to live and we can choose to either manage it well and let it be a blessing to us and those around us, or if we neglect it, we'll likely end up with not very much of it and it will be a continual point of stress for us.
Today I'm excited to share a list of things my husband and I try to avoid spending money on in an effort to help us handle our money wisely. I’d love to hear your list too!
Haircuts
The boys keep relatively simple haircuts and don’t really use any hair products. That said, I cut my husband and two boys’ hair every 6 weeks or so…either outside or in our basement in the colder months. It’s relatively easy and saves us a ton of time and money making trips to get it cut. As for me, I am passing on coloring my hair and letting it go back to a more natural state, and get it cut in a home salon 2-3 times per year.
Coffee
We brew our own coffee at home every morning in the good ol coffee maker we’ve had for years. It saves a TON of money with a daily coffee run, and we avoid all the excess calories, sweeteners, etc. by making our own with a splash of cream. Some times I love a good coffee house inspired drink, so maybe I’ll get one of these when it’s a good deal. Otherwise, I save up my Kwik Trip visits for a free Nitro Cold Brew and it’s the perfect treat (#wisconsin).
House cleaners
We’ve never had a house cleaner, rather, I make sure to do daily chores (along with monthly and quarterly ones) to ensure the house is being kept up as opposed to doing a giant cleaning day/weekend. For example, laundry/linens are Wednesdays, vacuuming and mopping is Fridays, bathrooms are every other week Thursdays, I reset the kitchen every night, etc. It also helps to keep a streamlined, minimalish home so having a system for papers, toys, etc. helps keep things easy to manage and not a source of stress when it comes time to entertain or have visitors. (PS- GoCleanCo’s Instagram and cleaning guides are super helpful!)
Home Maintenance Projects
We opt to DIY a lot of home projects ourselves. Youtube has such a wealth of information out there, combined with sourcing friends’ expertise— it saves a TON of money. We build our own projects around the house, and it’s a great way to have the kids learn some valuable skills!
Nails/Massages/Flowers
Weekly or regular indulgences like manicures or massages, or a bouquet of flowers aren’t something I regularly spend money on. Sure, it’s nice to enjoy every once and a while, but they truly aren’t a need. If I am going to treat myself, I’d much rather buy something that lasts longer so to speak, like a new pair of workout leggings.
Eating out
Of course, our family does love to eat out. And we do a couple times a week- usually one dinner during the week and something on the weekend, but that’s it. It’s interested to look back on a typical month of spending and add up how many times and how much was spent on eating out vs. groceries. We’ve looked at this a lot and try to stick to this and do a good job of weekly menu planning while also having a little wiggle room to enjoy meals out. But boy, it truly adds up fast! (Lillie’s app has been super helpful for meal planning along with these CSE recipe books.)
Rates hikes on household expenses
Another great reason to do a regular budget review…we have saved money by simply reviewing our monthly bills and either downgrading or signing up for a promo rate for a variety of things—most recently, switching propane providers, and our Internet by negotiating a lower rate or year long special pricing.
Books
I rarely buy books since I usually read them once. Instead, I borrow from the library or use the library’s resources like Libby or Hoopla to listen to books. Sure, I may have to wait for a popular book title, but I don’t mind one bit!
Streaming services
The list of streaming services one can have is wild these days. We keep it simple and have Netflix + Discovery TV and that’s it. We don’t watch a ton of TV, so we don’t need a ton of options. Plus, I can rent DVDs of specific movies we want to see (we are currently on a 90s kick of good family movies to show our kids for Friday Family movie nights: Sandlot, Mighty Ducks, Air Bud, Space Jam, etc.) As for music, we share a Pandora account and it works for us!
New sports gear
As our kids try out new sports, we realize that 1- they may not like that particular sport and may only try for a season, 2- they grow crazy fast (shoes & socks are always being replaced!) and 3- at this level, having the “perfect” set of cleats/bat/mitt, etc is not going to affect their athletic performance like a more serious athlete might attest. That said, I use Facebook marketplace or resale shops to buy sports equipment, which saves quite a bit after realizing how much things like a baseball bat costs. Yikes!
Online/big box memberships
For the past year (or two?) we have opted to cancel our Amazon Prime membership. We looked back at the things we spent when we had them, and realized many were discretionary, or had overspent often times. Now, this isn’t to say we won’t reconsider, but I can still use Amazon, I just have to hit a minimum spend of $35 to get free shipping, which helps for me to contemplate the purchase before hitting “buy now.”
Car payments
We live by the money mindset that if we can’t afford it, we shouldn’t buy it. Same goes for a big purchase like a car. Of course, we put aside money in savings for a future car purchase, along with repairs, etc. but we won’t buy a vehicle unless it’s in cash. We’ve always done this, buying reliable brands with a good reputation and resale value, and don’t believe in paying interest because it is a waste of money.
Extravagant vacations
We love to make memories as a family, and there are lots of ways to do it without fancy, globe trotting experiences. While amazing, we simply don’t need to do that, let alone every year or multiple times a year like many people in our culture do. We will do an exciting trip like that once and a while, but not regularly. Instead, we do tons of road trips (there are SO many amazing places to visit in the US. Like so many.) or will fly somewhere as part of my husband and I’s work travel or where we have family nearby to stay with.
On the flip side, there are a few fun tools I use to save some money…and it sure adds up!
1. Rakuten (sign up here and get 10% cash back bonus)
Simply start at Rakuten.com and search the retailer you want to buy, then you’ll get a cash back percentage of your purchase back in cash! I do it for all my online purchases and make it a habit.
2. Raise Right
This is a great way to earn money for your child’s school. Our schools runs this, and we buy all of our gas cards to use on gas throughout the year (and other gift cards during the holidays). It earns major cash back that comes off our tuition bill!
3. Social Nature (sign up here)
This is a new-to-me platform that allows you to try natural, clean & sustainable products (from food and drink to household products and beyond) for free in exchange for your review. Helps me avoid those impulse purchases at the grocery store when I can get these items I’ve been wanting to try anyways!
“Winning at money is 80% behavior and 20% head knowledge.”
This post is in partnership with Responsival.