Stuff We Just Stopped Buying

November 6, 2015

I’ve recently noticed that there are a lot of everyday things that Mr. MMM and I just don’t buy.  Not surprisingly, skipping out on these little items have added up to big savings over the course of a few years. After getting married in 2015 and deciding to make our finances a priority, quite a few things made the chopping block. If you’re curious to see just what kind of stuff we just stopped buying we live without, keep reading.

New Cars

Let’s start with a big one. This isn’t something we stopped buying – this is actually something we have never purchased.  Even before we met each other, we never bought a new car.  I can’t see this changing in the future, ever.  In our opinions, it’s a surefire way to flush a few thousand dollars down the proverbial toilet the moment you leave the dealership.

We currently have two vehicles and are seriously considering taking it down to one.  One is paid for and the other has a balance of $7,000.  Quite affordable, yet a huge frugal No-No!  Geez, give us a break, we just started on this hardcore journey a few months ago.  I think I remember reading somewhere that Rome wasn’t built in a day 😉

Update: We paid off our car with the 7k balance early last year. Since then, we ditched Mr. MMM’s car with the help of the FB Marketplace and bought a conversion van in its place. Basically, we’re down to 1 car (our Mazda 3) with our van being reserved for family vacations and other various cross-country adventures. Read all about our plans for part-time #VanLife!

Cable TV

We decided to cut the cord a few years ago and haven’t looked back.  Mini Monster isn’t bombarded with the latest advertisements, and neither are we.  And since we’re not a big sports family, Netflix covers our entertainment needs just fine.  A win for everyone.

In addition to our Netflix account, we also have the NVIDIA Shield, which is an app-based streaming media player. It was given to us as a wedding gift and has been, by far, our most used gift. It comes pre-loaded with a ton of popular apps and is customizable. 

Related: Our Incredibly Simple Hack For Cheap TV

Paper Products (minus Toilet Paper)

Is it really necessary to purchase these items?  I’m not an expert, but I’d estimate that you could easily drop $5/week on said items.  At $5/week, you’re dropping $260/year on paper.  Yes, we do blow our noses.  We just tend to use toilet paper for this 🙂

This started because I absolutely hate clutter and am probably the biggest minimalist who ever lived.  In fact, I was a minimalist before it became trendy and before I knew I was one. Lucky for me, it just so happens that minimalism goes hand in hand with frugality.  Yay!

Thanks to my little neuroses, we don’t spend money on tissues, ever.  Granted, it could be awkward offering a sniffling guest some TP to blow their nose, but, if they’re in our house, it’s a fair assumption that they know us well and wouldn’t care.

As for napkins, we like using cloth.  They’re classy and make you feel like you’re dining at a fancy restaurant.  And who doesn’t like that feeling!

But what about paper towels? How can you live without paper towels, Mrs. MMM? Truth be told, we always have a roll of paper towels on hand for the unfortunate event of pet vomit (yuck).  It happens.  Otherwise, we use rags from old, worn-out clothing to help us out in the cleaning department.  Oh, how I wish we had a cleaning department 🙂

Our paper towel alternative
Our paper towel alternative

Shaving Cream

Nope, you’re not gonna see it in our house, despite Mr. MMM shaving his head!  We both use a good old-fashioned bar of bath soap to lather up for our shaving needs.  I started doing this when I ran out of shaving cream quite a few years ago and realized it actually worked.  I never looked back.

When I met Mr. MMM, I noticed he didn’t waste his cash on shaving cream either.  That’s when I knew we were a match. I highly recommend you try it.

Soda and Juice

Again, we just don’t buy it unless we’re entertaining family or friends.  We both grew up with less than most of our friends, so having this stuff in the house wasn’t a daily thing.  I grew up loving water and milk (preferably chocolate, of course) and so did Mr. MMM.

We are perfectly fine doing the same thing now. We certainly don’t feel deprived, especially since they’re not really good for you anyway.

Sometimes “Mamaw” (Mini Monster’s term of endearment for her grandmother) brings Mini Monster some juice boxes.  Thankfully, they usually just sit in our refrigerator and go to waste, unless we have some kids come over for a playdate. Nobody needs that kind of sugar. And we’re certainly not going to pay for it!If you want to save massive money by embracing frugality, this is a must read! Check out some everyday products that we just stopped buying to save money. Frugality | Frugal Living | Saving Money | Budgeting | Budgeting Tips via @MadMoneyMonster

Family Photos

Is it really necessary to drop cash on posed family pictures with the change of every season?  Don’t call me a curmudgeon, I like these pictures, but I would never pay a professional photographer to take them.

If you absolutely cannot stand the thought of foregoing these pics, have a friend take them, or set a timer and take them yourself.  It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out the standard poses.

So, sit in the leaves, hold your children, and strike a pose. I guarantee you they WILL be Instagram and Facebook worthy. 🙂    

Of course, this list isn’t all-inclusive. There are tons of other things we just stopped buying but that didn’t make our list.

Related: Pet Ownership: A Frugal Guide To Happy, Healthy Pets

Pet Care

It’s no surprise to anyone that our pets are incredibly important to us. But that doesn’t mean we spare no expense. We absolutely spend money on their annual check-ups and healthcare needs. On top of that, we have no problem purchasing grain-free foods to ensure they’re eating well and staying healthy.

Mad Money Cat - stuff we just stopped buying
Mad Money Cat enjoys never-ending attention. #spoiledrottenkitty

But, on the other hand, we’re certainly not paying for doggie daycare or the latest toys. We prefer to spend time with our animals. Lots of time. We also prefer making their toys over buying them. Tying a few T-shirts together for a tug toy makes them super happy and is great for recycling our old stuff.

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We would love to hear from you. What kind of stuff did you just stop buying to save money?

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42 Comments

  • We stopped buying clothes exactly one year ago this month, and I don’t think we have any intention of making this a regular purchase again. We spent a ton of $ on clothes in the past, so needless to say, we have enough! 🙂

    Reply
    • Congrats on eliminating clothes from your shopping list! I’m a firm believer in buying classic, mix and match pieces. I’m also convinced I could go nearly a decade without buying more clothes. Financial independence will be worth the sacrifice! Stay strong 🙂

      Reply
  • I wish that I could live without paper towels. I do get them at costco very cheaply so each roll lasts me a good 6-10 days and it costs about $1.25 each. I think that my greatest cut was when I spent money on $10 LED bulbs. They’re saving me a good $70 per month on electricity.

    Reply
    • We haven’t made the switch to LED bulbs yet, but everything I hear points in the “worth it” direction. It did take us a bit to get used to not using paper towels but, like everything else, it’s not so bad when you get used to it. One roll/10 days is great! You’re doing much better than most people in this department. Feel free to share more of your story in the future.
      Mrs. Money Monster

      Reply
      • LED bulbs are certainly worth it. Just remember to keep their receipts because most of them come with a 10 year warranty. So at $10 a bulb you can expect it to last at least 10 years and cost a maximum of $1 per year per bulb. Plus if you get it from Amazon all of the receipts are already there.

        You should buy at least one and put it in the room where you spend the most time in. And look at your bill for the next 2 months and see if there is a considerable drop. If you save at least $0.09 of electricity per month then it will pay for itself by the end of the 10 years with a profit. If you don’t see a difference then it won’t be worth it for you to make a full switch. But they’re about 40% to 80% more efficient (depending on brand) so it’s worth it to try it out.

        Reply
        • Wow, I had no idea they lasted for a decade! This is certainly worth investing. Thanks so much for the analysis breakdown. I’ll be sure to put it to good use 🙂

          Reply
    • Thats alot per roll for paper towels ,watch prices at those warehouses

      Reply
  • We’ve been slowly switching to LED bulbs too. The ones we buy last 23 years (you can’t help do the math at how old you’ll be when they expire). For me, in addition to the energy savings I calculate roughly a 4-5 year payback), the benefit is you don’t need to change light bulbs ever again! This is especially nice in the winter months when a light that is outside in the snow & ice goes out. No fiddling with opening/closing the fixture – and dropping the screw needed to close the fixture in a pile of snow!

    Reply
    • It’s amazing to think that lightbulbs can last for decades! Technology has come a long way since I was a kid 🙂 I actually read there is a company making energy-efficient, LED Edison bulbs. Saving money in style is right up my alley!

      Reply
  • I totally agree on this list! My husband used to buy paper towels and napkins when he was a bachelor, but now that I do all the shopping, I removed those items from our list to save money!

    I also stopped buying brand/new clothes and ALWAYS stop and think if I really need it. If I want to splurge, I go thrift shopping. I always find good deals there.

    Reply
    • Couldn’t agree more on the napkins and paper towels. They’re such a waste. And it’s better for the environment to use cloth alternatives anyway. It’s a win all around 🙂
      We’re working on the new clothes thing. We try to be creative and only buy when there’s a huge sale or if we have a gift card.
      Thinking before buying is a key ingredient on this journey. It’s tough to retrain your brain 😛

      Reply
  • I am one of those people that spend big $$ on family pictures! I think if I didn’t I’d regret it because you can’t go back in time . I am pretty cheap but that I just wont sacrifice unless I’m broke 🙂

    Reply
    • We all have things we value and spending money on those things is absolutely fine. For me, it’s our home. I am completely okay with dropping money on updating our home and making it look like it’s straight out of a mid-century modern magazine. I agree with you about pictures. I wish I were better at keeping them organized. Once the time is gone, it’s gone.

      Reply
  • I do have tissues in the house from the last time I was very sick and the tp wasn’t cutting it. I only have paper napkins because my mom bought them. I use paper towels as napkins. I don’t think I even go through a roll a month. I get the 12 pack with a coupon like 1x a year.
    Other than items specifically for our family trip – sun protective clothing, I’ve been very good about not buying new clothes. I asked for and got socks for Christmas so I can now take ones with almost holes out of rotation. My family listened and did not buy me clothes! I have too many anyway. I suspect near the end of the year I may need to replace jeans. I try for a rotation but several pair are from 2013, we shall see.

    Wishing everyone a happy 2017 full of not buying whatever you want. 🙂

    Reply
    • That is awesome! Sounds like you’re on FIRE! I love how you say you’re taking your older socks out of rotation. 🙂 One trick we use for napkins – cloth! We wash them with our laundry and it makes us feel like we’re eating in a fancy restaurant. Ahhh.

      Reply
  • So many great ideas!! I’m cutting down on clothes buying this year with a budget of $200 for clothes for both of us, and I expect to spend most of that on wear and tear stuff.
    Also, you mean people keep napkins and paper towels? What? We use paper towels as napkins. I never tracked how long the paper towels rolls last, but I’d say between 1-2 weeks per roll. We get ours from Costco, but I’m going to start using rags and see how that works out.
    Thanks for all the good ideas!!

    Reply
    • Of course! I’m glad I could give some ideas. It wouldn’t hurt to have a roll of paper towels on hand before going cold turkey 🙂 You never know when you’ll need to clean up a pet accident…unless you don’t have pets. We usually have a roll hiding somewhere, but we only use them for special circumstances. Daily stuff like cleaning the mirrors is done with our old t-shirts. Ha.

      Reply
  • I feel like we’re long-lost frugal sisters. My mother was visiting recently and was appalled that we didn’t have boxes of tissues everywhere and instead used TP. And a brand new car? I wouldn’t even know how to go about buying one. This is a great list and I dig your blog with a real big shovel.

    Reply
    • Thanks for making my day! Really! For the life of me, I can’t understand why people buy tissues! And they’re so expensive. NO WAY. EVER. Haha.

      Reply
  • Dryer sheets and laundry softener! Such a waste of money and terrible for the environment! I rarely have static cling issues, and if I do, I just rub lotion into my hands and run them on the underside of the clothing. (And we hang dry most of our clothing except towels, socks, and underwear.)
    Pre-shedded cheese. Run a block through the food processor and you saved a couple bucks, boom.
    “Body wash” which is just expensive and craftily marketed soap. (My best friend was appalled I don’t use body wash…you can buy bar soap or the more expensive version handsoap and its soap. Soap is soap.

    Reply

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