Over the last few years, I intentionally stopped buying some things that I know I do not need. Once I realized I could live without these things and that there were more financially wise options, I stopped buying them. Being a minimalist has helped me put my money into things and activities that I enjoy rather than spending it on accumulating unnecessary things.
If you are trying to save money, writing out a do-not-buy list could be a perfect starting point for you to stop overspending. Here are ten things I no longer buy, and I hope sharing mine inspires you to get started.
1. Credit card interest charges
If a credit card has interest charges, it is a no-no for me; I would neither take it nor apply for it. The only credit card I have business with is a balance transfer credit card with zero interest rate. They are zero-interest rate credit cards for you to spend and pay back or the ones you can transfer existing balances to. You should look out for them if you have not done that before. They are the best way to borrow money without paying interest on it.
2. Memberships I do not use
I know a lot of us are guilty of having memberships that we do not use. Paying for a membership that I am not likely to use is one thing I have stopped doing. If there is a membership I am about to get, I ask myself genuinely if I would really use it. Unless it is a service or product I will use on a daily basis, I no longer spend money on them.
I remember I once joined the gym in my office with a three-month payment plan. The first month I was going and being consistent, but the second month, I skipped plenty of sessions because I hated going. In the third month, I didn’t show up at all. I concluded that going to the gym was not my thing.
I prefer to go for long walks or work out at home. Your own membership may not be a gym; it may be a magazine you do not read or memberships that you do not use. Stop paying for them.
3. Parking tickets or fines
This is not something you make a purchase for, but you may end up paying for it if you are not careful. There was a time I used to get parking tickets every month because I used to park anyhow without reading the notice or trying to understand the parking signs.
Usually, I would not look out for parking signs, jump into any free parking space, and end up paying for a ticket. I no longer allow myself to be a victim of this. Now, when I see a free parking spot, I ask the store I am going to or the apartment I am visiting if the parking is actually free.
4. Amazon prime
My money no longer goes to amazon prime because there is rarely anything I want to get from Amazon that cannot wait for the next 24 hours. Personally, there is no benefit for me using amazon prime.
I looked at it over the last few months and decided I do not need to give Amazon my money in that particular way. It is bad enough that I shop too much on amazon but do I need their prime? No!
5. Shop and café coffees
I used to like the latte, cappuccino, and macchiato made in cafes but not anymore; instead, I now make my coffee at home. I have all sorts of special reusable cups that I can use to make coffees at home. You can even get lovely little coffee machines that can make you different kinds of your favorite coffee at a much cheaper rate than you will get at a coffee café.
6. Health and fitness products
I’m referring to protein shakes, fitness powders, ginseng, pre-workout and postworkout powders, and so on. There was a time I was always buying all these things, mixing and drinking them while expecting a summer body. Lol.
I am not saying they do not work because I know they work for some people, but the last set I bought expired in my cupboard because I did not use them. I have decided I can lose weight and get fit without using health and fitness products.
7. Kitchen gadgets I do not use
I used to like the idea of buying kitchen gadgets so much that I got caught in the web of buying and buying. But after sitting on a prime spot on my kitchen cabinet for a few weeks, these gadgets go into the cupboards, and I totally stop using them.
I am not saying you should not buy gadgets, but buying the ones you do not use is a waste of your money. If a bread maker will make life easier for you and you are sure you will use it a lot, feel free to buy it. But for me, even a rice cooker rusted away in my kitchen cupboard because I found out I am a girl that prefers her rice cooked in a regular pot.
8. Bottled water
Bottled water is such a scam, and I prefer to fill my bottle from home with a reusable bottle. You can even customize your bottle with a print-off sticker of your name or whatever you want to put on it. That one pound does not have to go to bottled water every time you are thirsty.
9. Mobile phone contracts
I was a mobile phone contracts girl for a long time. Every two years, I go to the phone providers, they give me a contract for a brand new phone and Simcard and all that. I don’t do that anymore. If there is nothing wrong with my phone, I keep using it.
I am currently on a sim-only contract that costs about 10 or 15 pounds. Once the phone packs up, I buy whatever phone I can and put my sim in it. I no longer spend my money on phone contracts that cost me 30 to 40 pounds monthly for the next two years. I don’t need a new phone every two years.
10. Impulse and unplanned purchases
Impulse purchases are unplanned purchases you make because something caught your eye on Instagram or because you are just moody and want to make yourself feel better. I do not make those purchases anymore.
Now, I build a basket online and leave it for weeks until I am sure that it is something I can afford. I do not make impulse purchases until they can fit into my budget and I can buy them without it impacting my budget negatively.
What would you be adding to your do-not-buy list?
I hope you have enjoyed this post.
Until next time,
All my love
Ronke O.