Money-Saving Ideas: 9 Things I Stopped Buying To Save Money

This post will share helpful money-saving ideas that you can use to save some cash.

Many of us struggle to save money but can’t figure out where or how to change our lives.

When it comes to money, I’ve realized that it boils down to self-discipline.

If you’re not disciplined enough, there are nearly not enough hacks that will help you.

You just have to habitually stick to your budget and follow through with your choices.

Of course, it is easier said than done.

I also struggle to stick to my weekly budget, but if there’s one thing I’ve learnt, as long as you’re determined, you can achieve anything.

How else could I start a business, save, and move to a new country to start my life over in less than 3 years?

If you have some primary goals you want to achieve that require money, then this post is for you.

I’ll share some cheaper alternatives you can explore to save cash here and there.

Don’t look down on these lifestyle changes.

You have no idea how much spare cash adds up over time.

9 Money Saving Ideas You Didn’t Know You Needed.

Saving large chunks of money at a time can be really daunting, to say the least.

The trick is to start small and slowly until you can build enough discipline to save up a large sum without blinking.

At least, that’s what helped me.

Buying stuff directly on Amazon

Everyone and their mother is OBSESSED with buying stuff from Amazon.

The other day, I discovered that you can find out how much you have spent on Amazon since your account was created.

Many people were sharing their results, and how much they had spent over the years was mind-blowing.

Personally, I hardly ever buy from Amazon because I believe it is mostly overpriced.

Instead, I bought from AliExpress and saved a lot of money.

AliExpress is based in China, where most of Amazon’s items are manufactured.

So, I get most things at a fraction of the cost.

I particularly love it when I see a brand selling an overpriced product.

More often than not, it is from AliExpress.

You might be concerned about the packaging brands use to markup the prices, but I don’t care because they will all be recycled anyway.

You might also be concerned about the long delivery.

Thankfully, they have worked on their shipping times due to the pandemic.

At the moment, they have a 10-day shipping program to the UK.

Try shopping from AliExpress for about a month, compare it with your Amazon purchases and see how much money you can save.

Here are more tips to save money on everyday items.

The latest brand new gadgets

I’ve never been an Apple, Google or Samsung fangirl.

I just like my gadgets to work and not give me problems.

I also know that these companies thrive in a capitalist society, making you continually spend money for no reason.

Except you’re on a phone contract or gifted, I see no reason to upgrade whenever a new release exists.

Even if you’re on a phone contract, if you can get a cheaper deal by buying it immediately, go for it.

Personally, I buy second-hand gadgets on eBay.

More often than not, there’s always a ton of people who want to upgrade their gadgets and sell them off.

I mainly prefer people who use their gadgets for work and want to upgrade, like graphic designers or software engineers.

They have great specs, and the gadgets are usually in excellent condition.

So far, I’ve gotten my iPhone, Macbook Air, iPad and Canon DSLR from eBay.

I plan to upgrade my iPhone in the next couple of months, but I won’t get the latest model.

Instead, I’ll trade in my current phone, add some extra cash and get a second phone with a slightly higher model.

This way, I save a lot of cash compared to buying a new phone.

Learn how to trick yourself into saving money.

Going to the hair salon

I’m happy that I haven’t visited the hair salon in almost three years, and my hair is thriving.

Whenever any of my friends find out that I style my hair, they never fail to remind me how much money I’m saving by not visiting the hair salon.

Obviously, the occasional visit is significant for self-care.

But weekly visits?

Nah. It adds up QUICKLY!

Instead, I buy all my hair tools and extensions from AliExpress and consult YouTube for tutorials.

Over time, I’ve honed my skills and mastered making hair look presentable.

Manicures & Pedicures

Like going to the hair salon, I also believe having manis and pedis every two weeks wastes money.

One of my favourite ways to combat this, one of my favourite money-saving ideas, is to get press-on nails.

During the last lockdown in April, I ordered a bunch of press-on nails from AliExpress, which were gorgeous. You never would have believed they are press-on.

Alternatively, you can get a complete DIY nail kit, learn how to do your manis and pedis at home and save some cash.

Again, this doesn’t negate the role of self-care.

You can absolutely have your nails done occasionally.

But it is worth considering reducing the frequency when it becomes incredibly regular and you’re struggling to save money.

If you’re struggling with bad money habits and you want to work on your Personal Finance this year, check out the Clever Girl Finance book.
It has helped me tremendously to build self-discipline and improve my finances.

Buying High-end/Designer brands

The other day, I saw on TikTok that buying the full price for any clothing item, including designer brands, is a waste of money.

I wasn’t even thinking about it, but it made so much sense how much money people waste when buying in-season clothing when those clothes will be on sale in the next few months.

If you’re looking to save money and have a high taste, you’ll find great deals in thrift/charity stores and TKMaxx.

I usually have a set monthly budget for charity stores to curb overspending.

This way, I can treat myself and not feel like I’m missing out by being too strict with my budget.

Check out 9 Ways To Save Money When Buying Clothes For Your Family.

Eating at restaurants

Yes, eating out is nice, but when you’re on a budget and looking to save some extra cash, you might have to cut down on frequent fine dining.

Again, check your bank statements to see how much money you spent and could have saved by not eating out.

If you are a foodie and think it will be hard to stop eating out weekly, create a budget and reduce it to bi-weekly.

After about 3 – 6 months, depending on how difficult it is to adjust, reduce it to monthly.

When it comes to lifestyle changes, it is more sustainable to start slowly.

Check out these Frugal living tips if you decide to choose that lifestyle.

Buying Daily Starbucks

The same applies to Starbucks. Get yourself an espresso machine and make your coffee at home instead of wasting money on overpriced coffee.

While spending, these things might not seem much until they add up.

It never lies if you don’t use any app to track your expenses or check your bank statements.

Again, this advice is for those who want to get serious with their money.

If you are in a financial position where you can afford to create a budget for Starbucks, go right ahead.

Here’s how to Save Money when Shopping.

Jumping on Beauty/Skincare/Lifestyle Trends

As a Skincare & Lifestyle blogger, this is quite a struggle because I always like to be at the top of my game.

This means I have to stay ahead of the trends that apply to me so I don’t come across as outdated.

But sometimes, jumping on these trends costs money.

While they can come in handy, and I can write them off as expenses, it feels like a rat race for attention.

Sometimes if my budget allows, I indulge in them, othertimes, i just ignore them outrightly.

I try to avoid jumping on trends as much as possible to save money, and it has worked so far.

Stacking Subscriptions

Another of my favourite money-saving ideas is cutting out subscriptions that cost me money.

The other day, I paused my Audible subscription because I had a few books I hadn’t listened to and just kept paying for them.

So, I paused it and cleared my library before resuming my membership.

I also did the same with my Scribd membership as well.

Every quarter, I go through my subscriptions and fish out anyone I’m paying for but am not actively using.

If I haven’t used it in four weeks or I don’t use it daily, it’s going!

These companies are making a killing from our forgetfulness and lack of discipline.

Don’t add to it.

In Conclusion,

I hope you found this list of money-saving ideas helpful as much as I enjoyed compiling it.

I’m not that strict, I promise.

I give myself some leeway most times.

But when I have a goal that involves money, I go hard!