Twenty-Five Things I Don't Buy Anymore

Over the years, I have simplified many things in our household. We work on having a minimal-ish home where we are content and not overwhelmed with things. We also try hard to eliminate waste, and while we are not at zero-waste, we practice a near-o-waste policy. There are definitely more than 25 items that I do not purchase anymore due to different reasons, but twenty-five seemed like a good number for today’s blog post. Maybe I’ll expand it to fifty or one hundred at some point! The following list of random items I don’t purchase anymore is either due to finding an alternative that works better or is more eco-friendly, it is cheaper not to purchase it, or I have zero use for the item(s).

Affiliate links are used in this post.

In the Bathroom

1 | Makeup

I have my selection of favorite nail polish shades, but other than that, makeup is on the non-purchase list. I stopped buying it years ago, opting for a better skincare routine, and have not looked back. 

Related Post: What Happened When I Quit Makeup

2 | Makeup Wipes

I don’t wear makeup anymore, so I wouldn’t need these anyway. A good facial cleanser, and argon oil (and maybe some reusable cotton rounds) are all one needs to remove makeup, though!

3 | Shaving Cream

Instead, I use the same soap I already use in the shower. I’ve not noticed any difference in the shave since I stopped buying shaving cream, and honestly, it saves me a step in the shower, saves me time, and saves me money (wow, that stuff got expensive when I looked last!). You can always make your own if you feel you can’t live without it. 

4 | Single-Use Feminine Hygiene Products

All for the menstrual cup and period panties! It feels amazing not to throw feminine hygiene in the trash. The only exception is postpartum when cups are not usable.

Related Post: I Switched to a Menstrual Cup. Here’s What Happened.

5 | Hand Soap

Seven years later, I still make my own! It’s so easy and saves on single-use plastic (and money!), not to mention we are better able to avoid fragrances and other harsh ingredients that are commonly found in cheap hand soap. 

In the Office

6 | Wall Calendars

Unnecessary, in my humble opinion. I choose to use a digital calendar (and planner!)

7 + 8 | Pens and Pencils

I have so many of these, especially from conferences and from my teaching days. I’m pretty sure I can go a very, very long time without buying another pen or pencil. So I won’t! I’ll also mention that I’ve transitioned quite a bit to digital planning, so I haven’t used pens and pencils in quite some time. My husband is relieved, I’m sure. 

9 | Physical Books (with a few exceptions)

If I want to read a new physical book, the library is right around the corner from me. Everything else is a digital ebook or audiobook! The only exceptions to purchasing books are books that will be reread or referenced. If we don’t reread it, we pass it on to someone we think will enjoy it. 

10 | Notebooks

Another thing I have an overabundance of from my teaching days. I don’t need to purchase a notebook for a long time, and I’ve honestly been making the switch to digital notebooks, so I don’t think more will be much needed!

In the Kitchen 

11 | Vegetable Broth

Once I started making vegetable broth from collected scraps. I have not looked back. Not only is the price tag worth it, but it also does not take much time to make it - especially when I’m using my Instant Pot. The flavor is richer, and even my husband can tell when the homemade stuff is used. 

12 | Bottled Water

We choose reusable water bottles. And we may have a slight obsession with them - especially glass water bottles (I love this one from Amazon!)! We do have non-glass water bottles that are more practical for activities like camping, hiking, and going to the beach, though.

13 | Sparkling Water

We decided to get a SodaStream (check it out on Amazon here) because I am obsessed with sparkling water. I was tired of all the plastic bottles involved in satisfying my craving, and the SodaStream has been a fantastic tool to have in our kitchen.

14 | Plastic Tupperware

Instead, I reuse glass jars or purchase glass containers. They’re heavy but so worth it, and I’ve had no problems freezing or storing them. It’s gotten to a point where I can tell just by the taste that something was stored in old Tupperware. If you can’t use glass, there are other alternatives, like tin containers, that are great (and light) for activities that aren’t glass-safe! You can always upcycle any current plastic Tupperware you own for all kinds of uses!

In the Closet

15 | Scarves

I used to have an obsession with scarves. Obsession. I had boxes of scarves when I went through them all, and it was becoming a problem! My husband even recently remarked that I constantly wore scarves when we first met and started dating over a decade ago. I finally downsized to a few favorites (and I’m talking, a maximum of three scarves) a few years ago, and I have not purchased a scarf since. It does help that it’s not overly cold in Maryland, but even so, I’ve realized that having just a few in a cold place will do the trick for me.

16 | Disposable lint roller

With a cuddly cat, lint rollers are necessary for us. Reusable lint rollers work great (like this one), are less flimsy, and don’t fill up landfills so quickly.

In the  Supply Closet

17 | Fabric Softener

Aside from the plastic containers that add up from buying it, fabric softener is not good for your clothes. I stick with a sustainable laundry detergent (please, not a homemade one) to keep our laundry clean.

18 | Dryer Sheets

These are essentially fabric softener sheets for the dryer. I have some, but they were gifted, and I’ve never used them! They are not compostable or recyclable, so they need to be disposed of. I’ve also researched and found that they contain potentially harmful chemicals and the fewer chemicals I can have on our bodies, the better. Instead, I use reusable dryer balls made of wool (like these ones). They work well, catch lint, and are compostable. I find that a set lasts me years!

19 + 20 | Disposable Swiffer Duster/Broom 

Instead, I have a washable duster (similar to this) that goes right into the wash when full and I use a normal broom and mop (this is my favorite mop, by the way). A microfiber cloth and cleaning solution also works fantastic for dust. 

21 | Disposable furnace filters

We have a washable furnace filter that we switch out every couple of months (here’s a similar one). It works great, and there are no more trips to the hardware store to buy new disposable ones. 

22 | Scent boosters for the laundry

Why add more chemicals when not necessary? I’m sensitive to perfumy smells, anyway, so this has never been a product for me.

23 + 24 | Plug-ins or Air Fresheners

Again, more unecessary chemicals.

In the Nursery

25 | Disposable cloth diaper liners

I never understood what the point of disposable liners was, though I understand why parents would want to use them! When I found out about reusable fleece liners (I use these), I was here for it. They work great for us!

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Are there things you don’t buy anymore? Let me know about it in the comments!

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Save Money on a Road Trip

Road trips are so much fun! Especially when they’re with the right people - or person! I cannot tell you how many miles of highway we’ve covered over the last ten years, but it is a very high number. We’ve become pretty good at road tripping, and even better at saving money while doing it. It took a little trial and error, but here are our tips so that you don’t have to go through that part. Let us know at the end what your best road trip money saving tips you have!

Set a budget

The first step in saving money for anything is setting a budget - an exact amount that you can spend, or should not spend over. When we budget for road trips, we consider how many miles we will be traveling to decide on how much to allot for gas, and how many days we will be taking. Another thing to consider is whether you will be driving your own car, or renting a car, and what the possible charges for that will be (don’t forget to look if the company limits your miles!).

Prep your own snacks for along the way 

Not only will prepping your own snacks save you money, they will save you time as well! If you’re anything like me, you’d probably like to save the money you allotted for eating to eat out once getting to your destination rather than doing it along the way. Prepping easy, and healthy snacks will keep your prices down and save you time along the way that you would have used for stopping and ordering and the like. Another plus? You can use this opportunity to pack healthy snacks that will keep your energy up!

Use gas buddy to find the best gas prices on the road

Since you have to buy gas anyway, why not do a quick 10-second check to see where you can get the best deal along your route? It’s sometimes worth it to check prices along the way! I use an app called Gas Buddy to find the best deals around me frequently, and it has definitely paid off at times.

Consider alternate lodging along the way

Rather than staying in a nice hotel along the way, consider alternate lodging. Do you know a hospitable friend in the area you could stay with? Are you a camper? Oftentimes setting up a tent along the way is inexpensive. What about AirBNB? The possibilities are pretty much endless.

Get the most out of your gas 

Before you leave, make sure your tire pressure is where it should be to get the most out of your mileage. Using cruise control also helps!

Consider Parking

Scout out the parking where you are going. I can’t tell you how many times I hadn’t even thought of that and found out parking was a crazy amount of money when I got there. Look ahead of time and see if you can find cheaper or even free parking nearby. Once, we got to our destination and the parking was OUTRAGEOUS. Some planning ahead would have saved us a headache.

Avoid getting a ticket

Avoiding traffic tickets will save you big bucks. Make sure to follow all road signs, including speed signs and traffic lights on your road trip. Be familiar with the rules of the road where you are going, as they do sometimes vary!

Calculate Tolls

Don’t forget about tolls! You may want to consider using a toll calculator to estimate how much you will be spending on tolls. Be aware that some tolls are now cashless and require some kind of tag transponder to avoid a surcharge. It might be worth it to get the system required where you will be traveling. Another option is to avoid tolls all together. You can make sure your settings in Google Maps avoid tolls to do this.

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What are some ways you save money on road trips?

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How we paid off $92,170.21 of student loans in 4 years

We are finally debt-free! Well, not entirely. We do have a mortgage, but it doesn’t seem like debt since we would be paying rent if we didn’t have one. But anyway. I’m talking about student-loan free! I actually had a goal to have it completely paid off by the time I was 30, and I made it with over a year to spare! 

I had student debt of $92,170.21 CAD (about $70,600.00 USD) in loans. I didn’t really want to make this a “how-to post.” Instead, it’s a “how-we” post. I’m just sharing how we were able to get $92K plus interest (yikes...so.much.interest) paid off in 4 years and one month (on small incomes!). I don’t think we celebrate these things enough, nor talk about them nearly enough. I feel like this was an accomplishment in my life - finally paying for the education I got, so hence the post. 

A little bit of background: I would have never taken so many loans had I been educated on them. They told us about credit card debt in school, but never about student loans. Anyway, you already know I took them out. When that six month grace period was over and we needed to start paying loans back, I was not able to work. Because we were living out of the country, I was not allowed to submit that I was unable to work to hold off the interest incurring. That was a huge bummer, but we sucked it up, and started making payments - freshly married and living on one small income. Exceeeeept, they weren’t really payments. We were only able to afford barely above minimum payments, which meant we didn’t get any principal paid off. Year two rolled around, and I was finally able to work, however, I was barely making enough for groceries, so not much changed in the paying back area. I finally got a full-time job after that, and we knocked them out in 2 years after that.

So what did we do?

Well,

We faced the numbers

I feel like student loans are made complicated when it comes to paying them back. I mean, I could not get a straight number on the statements they were sending. Setting up a login so that I could see everything in depth and even making a few phone calls to the loan agents made life so much easier easier. Sure, it wasn’t pleasant seeing that huge number on the computer screen, but once we knew exactly what it was and what the numbers broke down into (principal, interest, etc.), we could come up with a solid plan. Using a loan calculator helped us make a goal and set how much we would need to pay off each month in order to succeed. That also was a little scary considering the salaries of a private school teacher and a pastor are already tiny, but we buckled down and accepted it.

We paid well above the minimum

Minimum payments are kind of a cruel thing. You basically pay the interest and don’t really end up paying anything off after months and months - even though you swear money is going in some kind of pot. Unless you are paying above the minimum, you are really not paying off the loan. My student debt was actually broken between 3 separate entities and during our repayment time, we always paid above the minimum for all three loans. How? Well, 

We lived off one income

Once I finally started working, about 85% of what I made (after tithe and charitable donations) went into paying off loans. On top of that, a percentage of what the husband made also went towards loans. So nice of him, considering he had zero student debt. That meant that we continued living as we always did - on one very small income. And it meant that we were putting almost $3,000 into our loans each month. I’m so glad we had this opportunity - it definitely gave us a leg up.

We Used the Debt Avalanche Method

As I mentioned, my student debt was from 3 parties. We took an evening to do some intense math and decided to pay off the one with the highest interest first, while still putting some into the other two. It just happened to be the largest one. Sure, it took a while, but after that, it was easy to knock out the other two in that descending order as well. We had also looked into the snowball effect, but for us, doing the opposite was better, since we were determined anyway. Plus, we hated that we were paying so much interest and wanted to minimize it as soon as possible.

We budgeted

A budget was key to paying off loans quickly. With two full-time incomes, it was tempting to put the extra money toward something else instead, but we both knew we wanted freedom from the debt that was just getting larger the longer we took to pay. There was one point that we started paying a little bit less in order to save up for a downpayment on our house, but we maintained paying over the minimum payments, and by that time, the largest $40K loan had already been paid off. A budget that allowed us to save a bit was necessary. We had to get creative sometimes to stay within budget, but that’s another post for another time. 

We did not incur more debt

Aside from the mortgage we got in year four, we refused to take on more unnecessary debt (of course, the mortgage was not unnecessary but more on that in a different post). For example, instead of buying a car from the lot with a payment plan during that time, we saved up for one year and purchased a used vehicle with cash instead. This saved us a lot and our car has served us well! Another thing we used was a credit card with cashback. We have never paid interest on our credit card because we never spend more than we actually have. As a result, cashback really is cashback, and we took advantage of that.

We took advantage of bonuses and gifts

Christmas bonus? Loan. Birthday cash? Loan. You get the idea. The extra amounts earned or given we were able to put in helped speed up the process of knocking the loans out. 

We celebrated wins

You had better believe there was dancing involved when we hit milestones in our repayment journey. We pumped ourselves up and celebrated - because how dang exciting is getting closer (and actually seeing that you’re getting closer) to your goals!? Extremely.

We gave

We are fully of the opinion (and I think fact) that God takes care of us when we are faithful. We decided from the very beginning to be faithful and return a 10% tithe on everything we earned. There were so many times the numbers in our bank account didn’t make sense; it seemed like we had more than we should many times. And it still is that way. Jesus’ math doesn’t make sense sometimes, but I am grateful!

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Did you take out a student loan? How did you approach paying it off when the time came to do so?

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Save Money During the Holidays

It cannot be denied that the holiday season is likely our most expensive season. With all of the extra gift-giving and parties, our budgets can easily become overwhelmed if we are not intentional in approaching the holidays with them in mind. Here are some ways you can save some money during this special time of the year.

Set a budget

Setting and committing to a budget is key (and the first step you should take!) when saving money during the holiday season. Make a list and stick to it. Obvious things to consider are gifts and food for parties or potlucks, but don’t forget to budget travel expenses or decor as well!

Consider wrapping alternatives

Yes, the trendiest and cutest wrapping paper is adorable, but consider cheaper alternatives. My personal favorite is plain brown wrapping paper that costs a fraction of what the shiny wraps in the store cost, plus is recyclable and highly customizable and versatile! It’s kind of like a good closet staple you can dress up or dress down. (I love this brand from Amazon)

Consider secret santa

Is your family on the larger side? Even if it’s not, why not suggest Secret Santa for your gift exchange this year? Set a monetary limit for everyone, and draw names to determine who you gift to. This way, you don’t have to get everyone a gift, everyone will still get one, and that number will get a nice line in your budget.

Practical or Homemade gifts

Make sure you gift practical gifts - not gifts that will be thrown out after you leave. Practical sounds so unromantic and unfun, but if you make sure you get your recipient something they will love and appreciate, you’ll have the peace of mind knowing your money was spent well. You could also opt for a homemade gift that can add a special feel to the recipient.

Related: An Aspiring Minimalist’s Guide to Gifts

Decorate simply

No need to go crazy with decor during the holiday season. Sometimes, less is more. Decorate creatively, using what you already have, DIY-ing things, or bringing the outdoors in.

Choose inexpensive traditions

There really is no need for crazy expensive traditions for the holidays if you are trying to save those dollars. Some of my favorite family traditions are inexpensive, like baking cookies, driving around to see light displays, or reading books by the fire...the list goes on!

Don’t be fooled by “sales”

Sometimes sale prices are not actually great sale prices at all. Don’t be afraid to do some comparison shopping and price watching. One store’s sale price might be a larger amount than another’s. Pro tip: the sooner you know you will purchase something, the sooner you can start price watching too!

Start saving early in the year

The earlier you start saving for the holidays, the more you’ll have once the time comes around. So start saving early! One way to do this is to have a set amount to put aside each month that you will be able to use come November.

Just Say No

Learn to be selective. You do not have to go to every single holiday potluck, gift exchange party, or cookie swap you are invited to. 

Cut back on nonessentials

When you know there will be extra expenses, you may want to cut back on nonessentials like your daily latte or that cute little do-dad you just haaaave to buy. The one that will probably be collecting dust in a few weeks anyway.

Use rebate apps or websites

Take advantage of rebate apps and websites that can help you save extra cash on items. I use these all year for groceries and other purchases, and the extra money I save goes towards the holidays anyway!

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How do you save money during the holiday season?

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How We Cut Down Our Grocery Bill Without Cutting Down on Food

The grocery budget. The bane of my existence. I know I can’t be the only one who struggles with the whole grocery budget thing, so I decided to share today about how we cut down our budget without changing our diet.

A few years ago, our grocery bill was pretty much through the roof. For only two people, we were sure spending quite a bit on groceries. Naturally, the bill would be even higher in months like December (Christmas parties galore!) and July (Camping trips, anyone?). We knew we had to make a change and fast.

After we paid off the first third of our student loans back, we decided it was time to really be tight with our grocery budget and we have thus far been successful. In fact, our way of looking at our budget has simplified altogether as a result of this and managing and saving money has never been easier. I decided to focus on the grocery part of things today. Stay tuned for a budgeting post!

What Is Included in my Grocery Budget?

For us, “grocery” includes anything that we eat and any other expendables such as toiletries (shampoo, soap, etc.). Basically anything you can get at your local grocery store that is a necessary consumable for survival. So if you have kiddos and choose to buy diapers, that would fall under that category, and for a cat, food and litter would also fall under this category.

How Much is in my Grocery Budget?

For our budget, our rule of thumb is $100/month per person who lives in our house. You will probably want to consider pets as well as they have food and waste needs as well. We count our fur baby as half a person at $50/month and we never actually end up spending that much on her. This keeps things SUPER simple, because you’re only thinking about one number to stay under per week!

Being Strict About Shopping

In order to keep this realistic, it is EXTREMELY important that you only go to the grocery store once a week, or once every two weeks. Have you ever noticed that every time you go to the store you end up dropping anywhere between $30 and $50 a time? Yes. That is why you need to be strict with yourself and only go once a week.

I get it, you might run out of milk or something. So write it down, and go to the store and ONLY BUY MILK! Keep those blinders on!

Writing lists also helps you use coupons effectively if you do that to save money.

Related: How Not to go Broke From Buying Groceries

Make A Meal Plan and Shopping List

This is key if you want to stick to the once a week shopping trip. That one time a week trip needs to be guided by a strict shopping list. I get it, you forget to write things down sometimes, but try to visualize everything you will need for the week as you plan and write the grocery list down. Then, when you go to the store, stick to it! We also keep a running shopping list on our fridge. So when we run out of things like ketchup or salad dressing, we can add it to the list quickly and easily.

Related: Confessions of a Meal Planner

Shopping Our Kitchen

Every few months, we make it a point to shop our kitchen for our meal plans. This essentially means that we try to use up everything in our pantry and freezer before buying more. I know that a lot of people like to keep a fully stocked pantry, however, sometimes this leaves you prone to buying too many duplicates or forgetting what you have. We make sure that our pantry is laid out in a way that we can see everything we have when we open the door. We use clear glass containers so we can see the amounts of everything we have as well. We use up our things before adding them to the list.

By doing this, we have also been able to take better note of what items we use more than others and know what we need to write down on the list. Some items are only bought once for an experiment or special event and never needed again.

Related: Confessions of a Meal Planner Part 2

Eat A Lot of Fresh Produce

Getting in your share of veggies actually helps you keep your budget down! Targeting fruits and vegetables that are in season is really great for your budget, and your body as well! Processed food - especially the plant based kind - can be pricey!

Related: 10 Apps and Extensions We Use to Save Money

Making/Growing Our Own Staples

I’ve learned how to make a few of our staples which has cut down on our grocery bill. Bread is the one that has saved us the most so far, since my husband likes heavier bread being from Europe and all. Things like ketchup and almond milk cost about the same to make as to buy (I’ve done the math and it’s true for our area unless the ingredients are on sale).

I know a lot of people who save a lot on their grocery budget by growing their own food! We haven’t done this yet for ourselves since I have a black thumb...

Shop Sales Strategically

Buy more of your staples when they are on sale, and avoid the sales of things you don’t generally eat - unless you have it on your meal plan or know for sure you will eat it. I’ve seen the tendency of people to buy things simply because they are on sale, only to have them go to waste later!

Having Fun and Being Positive

We allow ourselves to have a few splurges a month (like a pint of our favourite vegan ice cream that costs way too much!), but the best thing to keep in mind is not that you are restricting your budget, but that you are creating a way of life that keeps you mindful of everything you spend and everything you eat! It’s a good thing-trust me.

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Controlling your grocery spending can be hard to do, but I believe in you! Reduce your spending and increase your savings! It will be worth it.

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