10 Things I Stopped Buying To Save Money

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(Last Updated On: November 14, 2018)

Let’s face it. We spend a lot of money and time buying things that we don’t really need. Things that actually do more harm and than good. I used to buy so many products because I love trying new things. Now, I’ve learned to avoid buying things that are absolutely unnecessarily in order to save money. Below is a list of the top 10 things to stop buying (to save money):

Related: How I Save Thousands of Dollars Per Month By Living Frugally

1. Pillows

I stopped sleeping with pillows! Why? There are many medical benefits to sleeping without a pillow. You allow your head and back to rest in a more natural position and reduce strain caused by having an elevated head. Also, your skin can improve since pillows trap dust and other impurities.

I’ve found that since I’ve ditched my pillow, I’ve been getting much better quality sleep. When I’m travelling and there are pillows on the bed, I always move them aside (i.e. on the floor) to get a better night’s rest.

How do I maintain a good night’s sleep? I sleep with a gel eye mask. Since ditching my pillow and using my eye mask, I’ve gotten the best sleep I’ve had IN YEARS.

Related: Where To Put Your Money: 5 Things Not Worth Saving Money On

2. Paper towels/napkins

Personally, I think it’s a big waste of money to buy paper towels/napkins just to wipe your mouth with and dry your hands with. At home, I use toilet paper instead. It works out to be a lot cheaper. And for paper towels, I usually use an anti-bacterial microfibre towel which is more absorbent, reusable, and fast-drying.

Related: How I Saved Over $11,000 Living Abroad As A Student In Switzerland

3. Bottled water

I don’t drink alcohol, and whenever I eat out, I always order water.

In North America, tap water is free and most restaurants will bring tap water automatically to the table. However, in many parts of Europe, the restaurants expect you to pay for bottled water. They get very upset with you if you ask for tap water. For example, in Italy and Spain, they flat out refused to serve me water unless I paid for a bottle.

I am not a fan of buying bottled water due to the growing plastic pollution problem – I don’t want to contribute to the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. Also, I believe that water is a basic human need and that it should be free. If the tap water is safe to drink, why spend money on bottled water?

My favourite refillable water bottle that I carry with me everywhere is the
S’well Insulated Stainless Steel Water Bottle. It keeps hot liquids hot and cold liquids cold. On top of all that, it’s super stylish. I always get compliments when I use this bottle. Also, I’ve had the bottle for over 2 years and it’s still in great condition. I’ve even dropped it a bunch of times but you can’t see any dents or scratches on the bottle 🙂

If you don’t like the idea of drinking tap water, you can get a water filter. This is the same one I use at home.

Related: 17 Quick & Easy Ways To Make Money In The Peer-To-Peer Marketplace

4. Snacks

I have a high metabolism and I find myself snacking every 20-30 minutes or so when I’m bored. I used to buy convenient snacks (Ritz, etc.) but it was costing me a fortune. You end up paying more for the packaging than for the food itself!

Now, I just prepare my own snacks and use my own tupperware to be more environmentally-friendly. These 4-compartment snack box food containers are perfect for mixing and matching my favourite snacks 🙂

5. Makeup

I used to wear a modest amount of makeup. I couldn’t leave the house without applying some foundation, eyeliner, mascara, and blush.

However, my skin is quite sensitive, and I found that the more makeup I was applying, the more acne I was getting. It was a vicious cycle. The more acne I was getting, the more makeup I would apply.

Finally, one day, I decided to ditch all of my makeup. I felt liberated. My acne slowly went away and now I have the clearest skin that I’ve had in my entire life.

By not wearing makeup, my confidence has increased tremendously. I feel like I can conquer the world. And I’m proud to say that I haven’t worn any makeup for the past 3 years!

I also find that men tend to find women who are confident very sexy. I haven’t had any trouble attracting men even without wearing makeup (because my confidence radiates).

Related: The Full-Time Student Blogger Who Earns $10K A Month From Side Hustles

6. Facial cleanser

As mentioned above, I used to have very bad acne. I tried everything from high-end department store products to Proactiv (which worked but is a bit expensive). At times, it seemed like the expensive products were a bit too harsh for my skin and was actually irritating it even more. I also hate the idea of paying so much for a facial cleanser that is just going down the drain.

Then, for a few years, I was using Cetaphil (as recommended by my doctor) and I saw some great results. Cetaphil is a gentle cleanser and perfect for removing makeup at the end of the day.

Ever since I stopped wearing makeup, I now only use water to wash my face. I normally have oily/combination skin but I find that by only using water, my face has become less oily.

Related: 6 Things That Are Actually Cheaper In Switzerland

7. Travel-sized toiletries

In my opinion, travel-sized toiletries are the biggest scam. Sometimes, you end up paying more for a tiny 50mL bottle than you would for a bulk, family-sized bottle.

Sure, these travel-sized toiletries look cute but I am not willing to pay the premium price for them anymore, especially when they only last me one trip. What I do now is either use old containers (old pills containers work quite well too). Alternatively, you can purchase empty travel-sized bottles and then fill them with the products you need to last your trip!

Related: My Net Worth Report – April 2018 – $765,059

8. Tampons/pads

I stopped using tampons and pads because they’re inconvenient, messy, and non-environmentally friendly. I am so grateful that I discovered the Diva Cup (a menstrual cup). It’s changed my period forever. With the Diva Cup, I no longer have to worry about leaks or getting TSS (toxic shock syndrome). [EDIT]: Read more about the benefits of menstrual cups in this post!

At $30, Diva Cups last for 10 years, so if you do the math, it actually works out to be a lot cheaper to use a Diva Cup than tampons/pads ($5 per month x 12 months x 10 years = $600).

Also, with less stains, I end up spending less on new underwear as well. This leads me to my next point…

Related: Period Products That Don’t Break The Bank: Everything You Need To Know

9. Sexy underwear

I stopped buying sexy underwear. When I was younger, I used to obsess over buying cute and pretty underwear in a bunch of fancy fabrics. However, as mentioned above, I have pretty sensitive skin, and these “cute undies” were giving me irritations. Not fun.

Now, I just wear plain, cotton underwear. They’re not sexy, but I am also not trying to impress anyone. I feel the most comfortable in this underwear, and much sexier than I did when I was wearing “sexy underwear.”

Related: How To Live Without A Credit Card

10. Cute pyjamas

I used to buy cute pyjamas. Now, I just wear old clothes instead. I can’t justify spending the same amount as I would on clothes just for something I’d only wear to bed. Again, I’m not trying to impress anyone with what I wear when I go to bed.

Recycling your old clothes as sleepwear is also more sustainable and environmentally-friendly!

Related: How My Immigrant Parents Retired In Their 40’s and How It’s Affected My Life

Key take-aways

There are so many things that we spend money on without realizing that it’s a waste. Here is a list of my top 10s (makeup, toiletries, sexy underwear, pillows, etc). What are yours?

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