5 things you can (!) live without that will save you money

Are you trying to save money?   Do you search for ways to reduce, things or services to do away with, or changes that will lessen your budget?  There are more and more people trying to save money wherever they can these days.  I know that we try to pinch pennies, but our grocery budget has just about doubled in the last two or three years, most of it due to increased prices at the store (and a teenage boy that is never full).

It can be even more challenging when you are trying to eat healthier, because healthier is almost always more expensive than buying what is cheap, like Ramen Noodles (which we did for YEARS).  An increasing number of people now care about preservatives, dyes, and the lack of nutrition in most pre-packaged foods and are trying to leave them out of their lifestyle, which almost guarantees an increase in what you spend on groceries.

However, there are things that most people buy regularly which don't improve our quality of health that could technically be done without.  We have made these changes over the last years, some gradually, and some not so gradually.

If you are absolutely aghast at the thought of giving these things up, I would suggest picking the one that is the least abhorrent and trying it for at least a few months to see if a new habit can be established.  You could always go back to it if you still hate it after those few months, but for most people the odds are good that you will have enjoyed not buying those items for a change.  You can add in some or all of the other things as you create new habits.

Even if it never occurred to you before to be more frugal in these areas, at least give it some thought.  I think I read information on some of them several times before I took the plunge.  Some things that I regularly do now I would have promised I would never do.  These things truly do save money, and that is more money in your pocket.   You might even estimate what you are saving, and put it aside each week/month as a small nest egg.

That being said, here is my list:

1.  Paper towels and napkins-   This is one of those things that I never would have pictured doing without.  I finally made the switch to household rags for paper towels, and cloth napkins (which both wash easily) that my mother-in-law made for us.  If you don't sew or know someone that does, you can purchase them one time online or in the household section of your favorite store.  They will last virtually forever.

Old towels and washcloths can be saved for big spills as well.   Disposable paper towels and paper napkins can be quite expensive, and this has saved our family quite a bit of money over the last few years.

2.  Toxic household cleaners (Bleach, Mr. Clean, Lysol, FeBreeze, Scrubbing Bubbles, etc) - We have replaced just about every single expensive, toxic cleaner that we used to buy with vinegar.  This is such a versatile, germ-killing, inexpensive cleaner.  You can even soak orange rinds and lemon peels in it to have a citrus cleaner or add essential oils to if you prefer.

The only other thing that we use besides vinegar is what we use for laundry.  We use washing powder (which is baked baking soda) and occasionally Borax (which isn't quite as healthy).  Personally, I think this is one of the things that helps keeps us healthy, because there truly are a boatload of poisons in store-bought cleaners and laundry detergents.

Read the warnings and the ingredients of what you use; they are there for a reason, but people just ignore them.

If you have a Sam's Club membership, vinegar can be purchased in a two-pack box quite inexpensively.  Your health and your budget will thank you if you make this change.

3.  Pre-packaged foods and frozen dinners-  Yes, I know they are convenient.  Really convenient.  However, not only do you pay a high unit price for them, but you pay later in poor health, because they are loaded with preservatives, chemicals (literally), and fake colorings.  There are some cheaper frozen foods and prepackaged items, but the cheaper they are, the more junk they have in them.

Start checking the labels on your grocery items.  If you can't pronounce it, odds are it is harmful to your long-term health.

There are a couple of things you can do to replace these convenient foods.  One is to set aside one or two days a month, and cook up a few meals specifically to freeze them.  Chili, spaghetti, lasagna, mac and cheese, casseroles, soups,  ground meat for tacos or burritos, biscuits, beans, rice, cookies, cakes, and pies are some starter suggestions for things that freeze well.  This will save you oodles of money, and you will have things ready to reheat for meals when you are in a hurry.

The other option is to just commit to cook from real, whole, fresh foods as much as you possibly can.  If you are a family that doesn't mind leftovers like us, you can purposely make extra to have for a few meals later in the week.  The time you think you save by buying prepackaged items and frozen meals are spent in a doctor's office later in life because your body has finally rebelled against all of the toxins.  Try spending a little time meal planning each week.  The effort put into thinking a little ahead can reap big rewards for your budget and health.


4.  Expensive coffee drinks from restuarants or stores:  This one can be fairly simple to remedy for anyone with a blender.  There are tons of healthy (and non-healthy) recipes for coffee drinks online.  They can be made up for a whole week and kept in the fridge in grab and go cups. 

If you put the money you save by making your own coffee drinks in an envelope, I honestly think most people could almost take a mini-vacation after a year.  This change results in BIG savings with really not that much effort.  It is worth developing a new habit for sure.

5.  New clothing and shoes every week/month:  This change will come more easily with a changed mindset about what we actually NEED to be in our wardrobe.  Most, if not all of us have entirely TOO many clothes and shoes in our wardrobes.  Some people couldn't wear everything even if they wore something different every day for a year.  If we realize that buying clothes we don't need is truly a waste of money,  we can open up a lot of room in our budget for debt, for saving for emergencies, or for saving for things we truly DO need.

I can't express the freedom and joy I have experienced as I have organized and narrowed down our possessions, including clothes and shoes.  I still think I have too many, but I don't have as many as most people I know, and I am constantly going through them to see what I actually want and like.

Don't be afraid to drastically narrow down your wardrobe.  You can always fill in the gaps later when you see what you need.  Most people don't even like a good portion of the clothing they keep.  Try wearing something different every day, and see what clothes you are avoiding.  Get RID of those items!

I have been trying to keep just one of each type of shoes.  One pair of black boots, one pair of brown, one pair of snow boots.  One pair of black heels, one white, and one pink pair of leather flats that my mother gave me a long time ago.  Two or three leathery summer pairs for warm weather and a pair for swimming in the creek or walking on the beach.  I LOVE not having a hundred pairs of shoes to wade through every time I get dressed.  Simplicity really is freeing. 

Also, try not to even go shopping if you don't actually have a need.  This will reduce spur of the moment purchases of things you don't really need.  Window shopping can be dangerous to the budget.  Try to develop an attitude of evaluating need versus want, and give in less to the wants.  It makes it more special when we do buy something we want just for a treat  if we don't do it all the time.

Making these few simple changes in our lifestyles can put quite a bit of extra money in your weekly/monthly budget.  If you have debt, this would be a good way to squeeze some extra funds to start paying it off.  We should be good stewards of all that we do and have, and should try to reduce waste/extravagance wherever we can.

The spiritual peace and freedom that comes along with it is a wonderful additional blessing to saving money.   New habits CAN be created.  I have done it and continue to try to do it.  It's not always easy, and it's not always fun.  But the result of saving money is real nonetheless!

What things have you changed or modified to save money?  Feel free to share this post with your friends.

Here are some books on de-cluttering, simplifying and saving money:
7: An experimental mutiny against excess
The joy of less: A minimalist living guide
The gift of simplicity: discover the rewards of simplifying

Blessings,
Debbie, Home at Serenity Springs (Find us on Facebook here)