Take a mental picture of your place and you will see a lot of things you don’t use. They come in all shapes and sizes: some things were used a couple of times but then put aside out of sight; others weren’t used at all because they turned out to be unnecessary after all; things that have been replaced by better ones or on their way out of date. Really, we could have saved a lot of money if we only knew this in the first place!
Gym memberships bought at a discount
We might have meant well when we bought them, but never got round to actually visiting the place. It is fine to be fit, especially having saved something like $700. But if you want to work out and really save, why not go for free trials or use Meetup to find local free sports classes. Also, you can unearth plenty of video classes on YouTube.
One-task kitchen devices
Many suchlike small cooking devices seem mighty useful when you run into them in a store, and it is nice thinking of making fresh quesadillas of an evening, but how often did you use them? If you have a big kitchen appliance it is usually able to perform all these functions, too. Small devices are apt just to be left standing around and require cleaning from time to time.
Brand cleaning products
There are a number of cleaning products that could be knocked together at home instead of going out and forking out dollars for a brand jar. You can do a lot with a few tips and common-type home chemicals. For instance, baking soda, some vinegar and hot water can do the same job that Drano can; and then you make a similar mixture to pour it in a spray bottle and use it as a cleaner. What’s more, homemade cleaners and compounds will go easier on your health.
Cloths and rags
These items can be purchased for a cafe or a commercial kitchen, but at home, you will always have some textiles that are worn, stained, or old and can be used as rags of any size you might need. Store them for this purpose instead of throwing them away.
Summer enjoyment
As you see people on the social sites splurging on fun stuff in summer, remind yourself that you don’t have to show off by throwing good money on entertainment accessories. It is so easy to make a blow-out affair out of your vacation. A staycation may serve the purpose of resting just as well as an expensive journey, and you will be able to spend more on personal pleasures, day trips, and inviting friends for delicious meals and enjoyable evenings out.
Indulging the lottery
The lottery is always a choice between awareness that you are not going to win and a tenuous hope of raking in a fortune. People do get taken this way in spite of the statistics that say that your odds run to 1 in more than 150 million. While it is a definite wash-out, money spent on lottery tickets throughout the States adds up to $90 billion and more.
Shoes for the baby
It seems to be a good forethought and they are cute, but your tiny one will be likely to resent them and baby shoes will be moved about until finally misplaced. You would do well not to approach the shop window in the first place.
Scented trash takeout bags
Maybe frequent disposal of trash is such a tedious chore that we need to have scented bags to counteract the stench – although they cost almost twice the price of common trash bags. In fact, you won’t have any smell if you take out the garbage regularly. Especially smelly items can be deposited in plastic bags and thrown out at the first opportunity.
Magazines in a store
If you have a pile of magazines on your desk, take a minute to add up the money wasted. If you felt like perusing one at the store check-out, you could as well step over to the local library and get a few for free. On the other hand, if you are a regular peruser, know that a subscription will cost you less than a dollar per issue instead of $4 or more in the store.
Cameras
What is the point of having a digital camera and tote it around if you already have one in your smartphone? Modern sophisticated smartphones have powerful cameras, storage enough for many shots and videos as well as special features for taking and treating your video material.
Unusual body scrubs
You can come across interesting (and expensive!) body scrubs that will put you back $100 and more any time. But have you thought of making body scrubs at home? Come to it, you can make them as exotic as you like. Mostly what you will need is brown sugar, salt, and honey – and for about $2 and a little work thrown in you have a nice scrub and saved over $60 and spared yourself lengthy scouting in a store.
Chopped and sliced fruit and vegetables
Purchasing whole fruits and vegetables will cost you a lot less than picking up pre-chopped ones. While whole onions will cost you less than a dollar per pound, you will have to pay about $4-5 for the same quantity of chopped onion.
Gift wrapping
A holiday or a birthday is coming? You are busy buying gifts? Know then that gift wrapping draws an amount of more than $3 billion from the wallets of Americans year after year. So if you find a way to get around this expenditure you will be a richer individual (and become more eco-friendly besides)! Old posters, pictures, even old maps, and magazines can make an interesting wrapping sheet; sew on a bow on top and you are ready. A fabric look will also come in nicely for which you can use an old towel or any unusual piece of cloth. If you need containers, look through the jars and tins in your kitchen. A few minutes can make your gift look really special.
Vitamin supplements
There have been studies to show that multivitamin pills, mineral supplements and suchlike are not as salubrious as it is made out. It may seem to be a trifle to buy a packet of vitamin additives – until you learn that all these supplements are bought and sold at the rate of $5.7 billion every year. It will come cheaper to reinvent your diet to ensure the intake of all necessary nutrients from your meals.
Plates and cups for one time
Buying paper plates and cups that you won’t have to wash afterwards doesn’t come to much, but month by month the expenses keep growing. You pay for a ceramic thing only once and then go on using it while in this case you throw your money away after just one event. They are not environmentally friendly, either.
