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Honestly, I just got tired of the money going out and nothing to show for it.
I took an honest hard look at all the things we were buying and how much we were spending. The amount of money going to things that ended up in the garbage as waste or as entertainment and time out was high. Way too high.
As a family we needed to crack down on our spending and our wasting. We invested in Dave Ramsey’s Total Money Makeover and made over the way we were spending money.
We looked at how we were budgeting and where the money was going and how we could live more frugally. We wanted to be able to live the life we wanted to lead, not the life of constant payments.
7 Things We Stopped Buying That Saved Us Over $750 A Month:
1. I love coffee but, my once to twice a day latte fix was wrecking our budget. I stopped buying my morning and 3 pm coffee pick me up in exchange for bringing my own coffee to work using our travel coffee mugs. We invested in a great coffee maker and amazing coffee that helped me kick my latte fix. This change saved us $120-$150 a month.
2. We stopped eating out so much. When you eat out or order in two to three times a week it adds up. We opted for easy healthy meals at home and freezer meals which saves me a huge amount of time after a long day at the office. This change saved us approximately $320 a month.
3. I stopped buying my husband lunch supplies! I honestly stopped buying deli meats and buns. I stopped buying sandwich supplies. Why? My husband works 12 to 15 hour days on the road or on sites and he just wasn’t eating his sandwiches. I was tired of the food waste. So I bought what I think is the most amazing, lunch container ever. I bought my husband a lunch box oven and this thing has saved us so much money and wasted food. Now instead of sandwiches my husband is eating hot soups, stews, warm leftovers, pastas and whole meals for lunch. We save about $80 in deli supplies a month and wasted food. But we win in return. My husband gets a warm lunch, leftovers are eaten, no food is wasted and everyone is happy.
4. Our son has Celiac and we were spending $180 on specialty quinoa breakfast muffins a month. It was the only thing he would eat for breakfast besides toast. Honestly, I was glad he was eating and they were quinoa based muffins with no sugar added so they were healthy but they were expensive. I tried recipe after recipe. Gluten free flour and recipes are hard to work with. We finally found a great muffin recipe and our sons food palate expanded to include other gluten free, dairy free foods.
5.We cut back on paper products like napkins and paper towels. I keep one roll of paper towels handy for when we have guests. Otherwise we now use cloth napkins which are great. Using cloth napkins cuts down on the waste and they are just simply nicer to use. I also purchased cloth towels for cleaning up messes and everyday uses. This change saved us about $25 a month which is minimal but it adds up and the change saves so much on waste.
6. We cut back on the entertainment opting for no spend weekends, staycations and cheap dates. We opted for more frugal but fun things to do like hiking, picnics in the park, family game nights and coffee and conversation. You can live very well with less and still be happy. You may even be more happy.
7. We stopped buying stuff to impress people. We bought things we needed and things we would use. The amount of money saved doing this alone is limit less. Don’t buy stuff to impress people, it isn’t worth the money or the time. Save the money, invest in you and your future.
These seven items are just the tip of the ice berg of what we stopped buying once we took a good hard look at where we were spending our money. Together as a couple we set a budget and gave every dollar a job. We set financial goals, we communicated. You can save money, even if it looks like you can’t. Dave Ramsey’s Total Money Makeover can show you how to better manage your money so you can reach your goals and live the life you dream of living.
Have an amazing day,
Cynthia
Saving & Simplicity
