When it comes to saving money, it’s not always about hunting down the best deals. Sometimes, it’s about stepping away from spending altogether.
These are 20 real-life examples of things we stopped buying to save money — and honestly, we don’t miss them one bit.
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1. Expensive Hair Care
I cut my hair myself for twenty-five years. But, recently, I knew it was time to have a professional take care for my hair. Salon visits can be a major budget drain, especially if you’re going every six weeks.
I found a lovely lady at church who cuts my hair for just $15. I try to stretch appointments to every four months to keep costs down. On top of that, I’ve never dyed my hair, and neither has Larry.
That alone has saved us hundreds, possibly thousands, over the years.
2. Paper Napkins
Our youngest son works at a fast food restaurant. They give him a napkin every day with his free meal. He never uses the napkin. So, he brings it home for us. Because of this, we do have a nice selection of free napkins on hand. Even though they are inexpensive to buy, we hate to pay money for napkins.
We made the decision to switch to cloth napkins years ago. You buy them once, wash them, and reuse indefinitely.
3. Pre-Made Snacks
We pop our own popcorn, usually bought in bulk from a local Amish store. It takes minutes to make, tastes great, and is far cheaper than buying chips or packaged treats. Plus, we can add a few yummy toppings to create a personalized snack for each family member.
4. Dryer Sheets
There are many ways to reduce the cost of doing laundry. We use wool dryer balls or a dry towel with essential oils. This method reduces static, shortens drying time, and keeps our clothes fresh. Most of the time, we just hang-dry everything, which saves even more.
5. New Technology
We don’t chase the latest phone or gadget. Our iPhones are a few models old and still work perfectly. Buying refurbished or older models helps avoid unnecessary upgrades.
6. Cell Phone Plans
Speaking of phones, how about avoiding giant, monthly cell phone contracts? Here’s a fun fact. We’ve never paid for our sons’ phones or their service.
When our sons were young teens, they primarily wanted a cell phone to keep in touch with friends. We wanted our kids to have a working cell phone so we could easily call and text them.
So, our frugal-minded kids set out to find phone service for free. Their research led them to TextNow, our sponsor for this post.
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7. Disposable Water Bottles
We both use reusable water bottles daily. It reduces plastic waste and gives us a good visual for tracking hydration. Plus, it saves money over time.
8. Manicures
I watch YouTube tutorials and do my nails at home. I’ve only ever paid for one professional manicure in my life. There are endless DIY nail techniques online.
9. Pre-Made Salad Dressing
Homemade dressings are easier than most people think. With a few pantry staples like balsamic vinegar, maple syrup, and mustard, we can whip up any flavor profile.
10. Brand New Clothing
We shop at thrift stores for clothing and household items. It’s not only budget-friendly, but often you find better quality than at fast fashion retailers. We avoid overbuying by sticking to a list.
11. Makeup Wipes
I switched to washcloths instead. They’re reusable and gentler on my skin. One-time purchase, long-term savings.
12. Soda and Trendy Drinks
We don’t buy soda or trendy seasonal drinks. These items are expensive and packed with sugar, artificial ingredients, or just unnecessary extras.
Instead, we sip on simple beverages like water, iced tea, or herbal teas — all of which are more affordable and healthier.
13. Pre-Made Desserts
It’s always less expensive to make dessert from scratch. Puddings, cakes, and dessert bars are a few simple ingredients and don’t take long to whip up. I only make desserts for special occasions. When it’s a family gathering, I delegate dessert-making to others. It saves me time and money.
14. Brand New Books
We buy used, borrow from the library, or use sites like AddAll.com to find the cheapest used copy. Occasionally we get new ones, but that’s rare.
15. Lottery Tickets
We’ve never bought one. Instead, we invest in things with guaranteed returns. It’s less thrilling but more effective.
16. New Cars
We buy used cars in good condition. Our Prius has lasted us for years with minimal issues. Buying used avoids the steep depreciation of a new vehicle.
17. Car Washes
We wash our car at home. Even in the winter, as long as it’s above freezing, we do a quick sponge bath with warm water. It’s easy and nearly free.
18. Cable TV
We rely on free over-the-air channels and sometimes one low-cost streaming service. Our newer Samsung TV picks up tons of content. We never feel like we’re missing out.
19. Full-Price Groceries
We plan meals around what’s on sale. Here’s how we plan our weekly meals on a budget to make the most of loss leaders and markdowns. This single habit has slashed our grocery bill dramatically.
20. Health Club Memberships
We don’t pay for expensive gym memberships. We exercise at home or outside — walking, biking, and lifting small hand weights. Our son even uses Planet Fitness’s free summer pass for teens, which is a great seasonal option.
When it comes to things we stopped buying to save money, we focused on one, basic, strategy: Avoid Impulse Buys. We wait 48 hours — if we still want it, we reconsider. This cooling-off period has saved us from countless unnecessary buys. The key is putting up intentional barriers between seeing something and buying it.
Your Turn!
What are your things you stopped buying to save money? Drop your favorite frugal tip in the comments!
I never had a dryer and I am almost 75 years old now. So do I need one now?? I wash dishes by hand.
Well, I’d say maybe you don’t need a dryer, then. We’ve never had a dishwasher, either. My boys got used to washing and drying dishes.
Use cheap tea bags and make col tea for the summer and hot tea for the winter.
Totally agree. We adore tea, too.
Hi Hope and Larry,
Thanks for another great post. I wanted to share a few things we’ve given up to become more frugal and healthier:
• Diet Soda, or any soda for that matter
• premade snacks of any kind, like you we pop corn and add our own toppings
• We measure/weigh our portions
• Meal plan based on what we have in our stockpile. No longer buy full price items
• We hardly ever go out to eat as we just don’t enjoy it anymore, plus the fact that we have digestive issues, makes it easier for us to know what’s on our plates.
• We’ve always utilized leftovers, more now than ever.
• I stopped all magazine subscriptions, no longer buy books, I use the library instead.
• Not buying all hobby supplies until I’ve used or sold all that I have in my stash, I was out of control LOL I have enough to open my own store.
Thanks again
You’ve got some great frugal habits.
I rarely buy paper towels. I buy one package a year for dog messes. I use microfiber cleaning cloths. I use flour sack towels instead of paper towels to line my Tupperware containers where I store vegetables.I use I also don’t buy tissues. I use cloth handkerchiefs or toilet paper.
Great tips!
Sign up for bookbub. It’s a free book service, where you can get free books and books at a deep discount.
Wonderful tip! I’m unfamiliar with bookbub.
This is more for the “zero waste” crowd but I was tired of flushing money down the toilet (pun intended). I purchased a “portable” bidet and use flannel baby wipes in place of toilet paper. I honestly can’t say if I’ve saved much with this strategy but I just don’t see myself going back to toilet paper again.
Good for you. My mom has a bidet and really likes it.
Hi, Hope! Such great ideas! We do many of these, as well!
You know I love to travel! When I need specialty clothing items for travel, such as a snow parka or merino wool items, I have had such great luck on eBay recently. Latest win: $32 item instead of $110 at REI!
For books, I am a huge fan of using the Libby app to borrow ebooks from my local libraries, which are delivered straight to my Kindle.
When I want/need something new (to me), I head to Facebook and ask the members of my local Buy Nothing group. Last year, I was even able to borrow an adult-sized DINOSAUR SUIT for a fun prank on my young grandsons
I love so much that you borrowed a dinosaur suit for a prank. What I notice from your comment is that you try to make everything fun.
I bought an electric quality brand milk frother at a thrift store. I am a coffee nut and like unsweetened frothy lattes at home. I brew my own coffee which I get on sale in my 20+ year old coffee maker and put a thick foam of soy milk on top and feel like I am at an expensive coffee shop. I am an all day coffee drinker and could not afford to pay for these unless I make them myself at home.
I always count myself lucky being raised by parents who taught me to get by with less and still have a good life.
Our son has a hand frother and they love it.
I don’t use make up so don’t need the wipes plus save on make up. I cut my own hair to.
Hand wash dishes
Grow some veggies
Sew handmade gifts
Clean other people’s houses.
We make our coffee at home.
Sounds like you have some wonderful frugal habits that you enjoy doing.
I have sewn my weddingdress and would love to get some frugal tips for my wedding at church next year.
Congratulations!
I asked my kids. Here’s their advice for you: Make a complete list and then prioritize what is most important to you – spend more money on your priorities. For instance, photos were important to my daughter-in-law. (She’s a professional photographer). But, the photographer they wanted was way too expensive. So, they hired her for one hour to take “wedding photos” two weeks in advance of the wedding at the local botanical gardens. The day of the wedding, they hired a less expensive photographer for the day. So, they have the formal photos of the two of them that they absolutely love (My daughter-in-law said, “No regrets on that expense!”) and they also have lovely very nice photos of the day of the wedding, which cost them substantially less than they would have had to pay. They rented a park pavilion for the reception and made the “theme” garden party. It was very “woodsy” with a lot of natural decorations. They used some of our antiques for decor on the tables. Hannah hired a friend for a very nominal fee to do all the decorating. They had a small cake (which Hannah’s mom made) for cutting at the reception. And served the guests all sorts of pie. The guests LOVED the pie idea. They hired a small, locally owned Mexican restaurant to do a taco bar for the reception and served basic drinks out of big coolers. They had a ton of lawn games, which everyone enjoyed (including a HUGE wooden Jenga game). They hired a DJ – but just for two hours. That should get you started.