9 Things to Stop Buying When on a Budget

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Starting your monthly budget off right is a bit challenging if you are new to budgeting. These nine things to stop buying when on a budget proved to help me eliminate useless spending. It cut down most spending and allowed me to put more money towards paying off debt.

Things to Stop Buying When on a Budget

#1. Cable TV

With everything moving to the internet this should be a no brainer for some. Since being married, my husband and I decided we did not need cable. Instead we got just internet and subscribed to services like Hulu and Netflix. Since we were saving about a hundred dollars a month we made sure to get a decent upload and download speed that wouldn’t break the bank.

#2. Phone Landline

Like cable TV everything is moving to only cell phones. Why bother having a landline if you hardly ever use it? Sure, the cable company made it enticing with their bundle packages but we decided not to get a landline since we knew we weren’t ever going to need it.

#3. A Second Car

I know, I know. A second car is a must for some households but hear me out. Our situation is a little unique so this tip is for those unique situations. My husband and I both work from home so in reality we only need one car. For a while I was debating selling my small car and only keeping the one SUV we have. We wanted to keep the SUV active because ultimately it is safer to drive when toting around a baby.

Luckily, my car was paid off but it pained me to pay insurance on it every month when it was never driven. So selling it only seemed logical.

Well as life has happened it turns out we occasionally still need the second car. Our SUV has had some issues and we have needed my car while it is getting fixed.

So how do I save money you are asking? Easy. I turn the collision coverage of my insurance off on my car when I am not using it and park it in the garage. This alone saves me about $60 a month. Plus I’m not spending money on gas.

#4. Anything on Sale

So one of the things to stop buying when on a budget would be anything or everything that is on sale. I am guilty of this. I’ll be walking down an aisle and justify buying two packs of chips instead of one because it will be buy one get one half off. Do I need them? No.

Granted, don’t get me wrong. I’m not saying never buy sale items but just try to stick to your list of sales items verses impulsively buying items on sale.

#5. Useless Food

Speaking of buying too much chips, things to stop buying when on a budget would be food you don’t need. Items like a pack of Oreo’s or that candy bar you grabbed while waiting in line at the register. Impulse buying can be a BIG budget killer, especially on food that you absolutely do not need.

One way to help make sure you stick to a budget would be the Grocery Budget Makeover. This is an awesome program that helps reduce your spending on groceries.

#6. Eating Out

This shouldn’t come as a shocker. I can’t tell you how many times I have gotten my bill after going out to dinner and my jaw dropping at the total price. Even though I thought we were being careful I still get flustered when a bill might be over $35 plus tip when eating at a restaurant.

#7. Clothes

I’m not one to go clothes shopping that often but I know some love to shop! This can definitely put a dent in your wallet.

#8. Subscription Services

I know earlier I said that we subscribe to Hulu and Netflix and what I’m saying now sounds contradicting. Subscription services come in many forms. Anything from magazines or photo editing can be a subscription. I like to find free alternatives if they are available.

#9. Entertainment

I love going out to see a movie or going to concerts. The only problem is that they are so darn expensive. In my area movies start at $10 for a somewhat older theater and can go up $20 per person for nicer theaters. We limit ourselves on entertainment for this reason. If we know there is a movie coming out that we would love to see we make sure to include it in our budget. We just don’t go almost every weekend like we used to when we were dating.

Hope these tips give you a good idea of what might help your budget. Of course, if your budget allows you could always add some of these items back in. Let me know if you have any great ideas for things you have stopped buying.

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Kim Calderon

Kim is a wife and a stay at home mom who loves spending time with her little boy. She likes managing her home and seeking out ways to improve her way of living.

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