Over the years I have learned many lessons but some of the biggest and the ones I remember the most were always financial.
Growing up my parent’s taught me the importance of saving for the future. But as I grew older I also wanted to indulge in a lot of things, especially travel. I don’t believe in cutting out ALL the fun things to save for the future and believe that you can have a happy median. I have to able to use a lot of the advice my parents gave me mixed with some knowledge I’ve learned over the years to live.
A lot of the knowledge learned included looking at my own finances, and see the areas where I should stop wasting money and I wanted to share them with you.
So here are ‘8 things you should stop buying now’.
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- COFFEE (Starbucks, Dunkin, Peets)
This was the hardest one for me to cut back on and maybe for you as well. I loved to stop by Starbucks on my way to work or coming back from lunch for a pick me up. But in the end, you are wasting so much money at these places. Invest in a good coffee maker at home and only go pick up coffee for special occasions
2. Uber Eats/ Grub Hub
Stop paying so much for food delivery. Cooking at home not only saves you money but the meals can be much healthier as well.
3. Subscription Box
Do you really need another subscription box? Most of the time you may not use half of the products they give you. It may feel like a great deal initially but if you throw half of the products away then it’s a waste. Save your money and just buy what you need.
4. Membership Fees
Cancel anything you don’t need. I use to be in the group of people who would sign up for a gym membership at the beginning of the year, go for about 3-4 months, and then fall off the wagon. If you are in the group as well cancel that gym membership if you’re not going anymore, cancel that monthly car wash if you’re not leaving the house that often, and cancel that magazine subscription your no longer reading.
5. Make up and Skincare
Do you really need 10 tubes of mascara, 7 eye shadow pallets, and 5 different moisturizers? OK, that’s probably an exaggeration for a lot of you. But I hope you see my point. Yes, makeup and skincare products do take some trial and error to find the right fit for you, but once you find what you love stick with it. Makeup and skincare can be very expensive and with the 1-3 year shelf life you may be throwing away more money than you think.
6. Fast Fashion
Being in trend can be important to some people, but wearing fast fashion can add up. Many times fast fashion also comes with bad quality pieces that end up in the trash and now so does your money. Instead of fast fashion invest in quality pieces. It’s better for your wallet and the environment.
7. Costume Jewelry
Stop buying cheap jewelry that starts to rust after a couple of wears. If you are a big jewelry lover (I am), invest in quality jewelry that will last. Instead of $20 earrings that you may wear 3 or 4 times before you have to throw them away, save for that $200 pair of gold earrings that will last you 20+ years.
8. Buying Things to Impress Others
The biggest things and the most important thing are to stop spending money to impress other people. You don’t have to wear the same thing, eat at the same restaurant, or vacation in the same location. If you are surrounded by people you have to try and ‘impress’, find new friends.
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And there it is. 8 things you should stop buying now. What are some things you have been able to cut back on?
-Antoinette
All thought and opinions are my own. I am not a financial advisor.
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