25 THINGS I DON'T BUY 💸 (HOW I SAVE MONEY & SPACE)!!!

Getting your finances under control is tough! I still struggle with impulse shopping, but I'm much better than before. Slow and steady, dollar by dollar, you CAN save your way to financial freedom - it starts with saying "no" to the items that you don't really need.

00:00 Introduction
00:52 Kleenex
01:39 Paper Towel or Napkins
02:09 Bulk Groceries
02:50 Bulk Aluminum Foil, Sandwich Baggies, Plastic Wrap, etc.
03:45 Bottled Water & Juice Boxes
04:29 Greeting Cards
05:20 Kitchen Gadgets
06:15 Spa Services
06:57 Name Brand Clothing
07:58 School Pictures
08:58 Art & Craft Kits
09:35 Hello Fresh Ad
10:38 Disinfecting Wipes & Lysol Spray
11:29 A BUNCH of different cleaning supplies
12:28 New Cars
13:31 New Furniture
13:55 Expensive Jewellery
14:16 Lottery Tickets
14:40 Cable or Satellite TV
14:53 Repair People
15:45 Party Supplies
16:22 Souvenirs
17:15 Newspapers & Magazines
17:40 Alcohol
18:33 Extended Warranties
19:31 Spend to Save
20:56 End Story

Podcast Channel on Youtube: @ClutterbugPod

[queeniesmith]

I am 62 and have learned the hardway that the bells and whistles are unnecessary fluff. My life is simple and frugal, debt free and a rather nice nest egg is a peace of mind that is priceless.

[lauriem]

I purchase my mom gifts that are experiences now (instead of physical items) like local tickets to a play or musical, comedy show, or a concert. I buy her two tickets so her and a friend can go. Instead of it being a surprise, I have her pick out her favorite ones. I’ve done this for almost ten years, and she really loves it!

[JastaAdventures]

We have a rice cooker, we love it, I bought it for $15 or $20 ten years ago, I have used it 2-3x/week and it’s a workhorse in my kitchen. So if you do the math, this appliance has cost me approximately .02 per use(not counting power) for a super simple, set it and forget it, no fail experience. It is definitely not gathering dust at my house!

[familytablet]

Greeting cards are 2 for $1.25 at dollar trees. I love getting cards! I love looking at my kids handwriting thru the years.

[kelleywilliford]

I hired new photographers to take my kids' senior pictures and I highly recommend everyone do the same! They were so excited for the opportunity, such hard workers, and truly appreciated some money in their pockets. Not only did I get excellent photos at a great price, but I loved the chance to support local entrepreneurs!

[andreahazen]

This video was very validating for me... I now feel wise instead of cheap! The only deviation from your list is when my family goes somewhere special, we buy a Christmas ornament as a souvenir. Every year when we put up our tree, we relive our family trips. It's become a family tradition, has saved a lot of money and avoided a lot of clutter.

[mariaobrien]

I couldn't agree more with you with this list. Especially the souvenir subject. My husband is big on souvenirs until one day we got 2nd hand clothes from his sister's kids for our son and as I was unpacking the bag of clothes, there were all the T-shirts he bought for them with the tags. NEVER WORN! He looked at me and said; "You were right, I shouldn't spend money on souvenirs". Felt bad for him, but he learned his lesson. If the souvenir is not for you, don't spend the money on someone else.

[charlenephillips]

My issue is finding things on sale and wanting to “save” money. However, now I ask myself “Do I have room to store it?”, “What would happen if I don’t buy it?”
This has helped a lot!

[alexandra]

As someone who is a huge sufferer of allergies, I thought I couldn’t live without Kleenex. A few years ago, I switched to handkerchiefs. Best thing I ever did. When we think about it, if you go back years ago, our grandparents had to live without all of these things and they lived just fine.

[karenprinz]

One thing we do when we travel is buy one Christmas ornament. 12 years and counting into our marriage and it’s a joy to see all our travels on our tree.

[eileenharrison]

Here in the UK if you say “something has fallen off the back of a lorry” it’s slang for stolen 😂

[ashleyjean]

I agree with everything BESIDES the self care stuff. As a single mom - I work my butt off. I never ever used to do it but it’s not something I regret - it makes me feel GOOD and it’s the one thing I do for ME. I get my hair done every three months roughly and I love it.
I don’t do nails or anything like that but I’ve taught myself to do my own. Feeling put together when I work two jobs and go to school and am my kids only parent is something I think is okay.
I do school pictures because growing up my parents wouldn’t and it made me really sad! I would never have told them that, but it always made me feel poor and less than. Same with yearbooks. I get the cheapest package and he loves it. I could listen to you talk all day. Such an inspiration

[extravaganteagle]

Thank you for promoting local photographers!! As a Professional Photographer, it really makes sense to have families do all the pictures at once and in a location they love!
As always, I love all of your videos.

[dianetesta]

Souvenirs, I buy soaps made from whatever the local scent is. Lavender in France, lemon in Italy, olive oil soaps from Greece. No clutter and I get to relive a special moment.

[deltahana]

Our household couldn’t function without Kleenex! We have terrible allergies and nose-blowing is a year-round thing for us. Some of your suggestions I agree with, however, some things, like party supplies & cards, just bring joy. It definitely depends on the love language of the recipient.

[mindymakanui]

I keep a basket of rolled washcloths in the kitchen near the table that we use as our napkins. they work so much better than paper and no waste. My husband often uses them to clean up messes, which used to bother me because they sometimes get stained, but they're just cheap little towels that I move to the rag basket if they get stained. And I appreciate his help in the clean-up! A pack of 18 washcloths costs about the same as 1 or 2 rolls of paper towels.

[Ann-vrqr]

I dont use a ton of paper products, but always nice to have that papertowel when a dog throws up or you need to clean up something equally as gross.
My dad, instead of buying a card for someone, adds $5 to a gift. I just love it! I will get myself a little treat or use it as a tip for someone instead of having a card from him sitting on the table for a week that then goes in the trash.

[pinkshamrock]

Very interesting. I agree with you on most everything. Except bulk groceries and water. I'll tell you why. Emergencies. The only bill that is not set in my household is food. And there have been numerous times where there were medical bills, car repairs, the PANDEMIC, any emergency that came up where money was scarce... or weather was bad and food trucks didn't make it to the grocery stores, or people panic buying and stores were out of everything. Having bulk items saved us. And we didn't have to worry. PEACE is invaluable. Yes, it can be hard to store. But if you look for hidden areas like under beds, it can be done. Getting creative. And we organize it so we are constantly rotating the food so it does not go bad. Dried goods that last a year, vacuum sealing meats... learning how to make my own bread and other bakery items... that has helped our family so much and ended up saving in the long run. Because if there is an emergency, grocery stores will hike up their prices. Again... PEACE in knowing I am prepared.

[margorgogo]

Thrift stores, yes! Cloth napkins, yes! Not buying in bulk, yes! Giving up an occasional massage, nope. :)

[trex]

You don't buy kleenex because you don't have allergies. If you did, you'd be buying kleenex.