10 Purchases to Avoid to While Saving on A Budget

Nov 22nd, 2018
Curtito Team

Everyone goes through situations in life when the regular home budget gets really tight. Whether it is a high paying job that you decided to quit, or a new addition to the family, or relocating to an area with higher living costs, the reasons for being on a budget could be aplenty. While it may seem like your savings are going to take a hit when you are on a budget, there are ways to ensure it doesn’t go significantly low, and that you could still have most of the elements of an acceptable lifestyle. One of the ways to boost your savings in such scenarios is to stop buying things that you really do not need. Not sure how to single those purchases out? Here is a guide that could help you.

1. Avoiding Being Brand Conscious Could Result in Significant Savings

If you are one of those who have a favorite brand for every single item they use, starting from a pair of jeans to the bag of potato chips, it might be time to rethink about your shopping strategy. The next time you go to a store for any household purchase, remember to not head straight to the aisle that stocks your favorite brand of cookies, but instead walk around and check out other lesser known brands that are probably less expensive. Many a times, you would be surprised to see that there is no significant drop in the quality of the item even considering how less you had to pay for it.

2. Homemade Cleaning Supplies Are Inexpensive and Healthy

It is common to spend a fortune on cleaning supplies every month for different purposes. Certainly everyone (at least everyone who believes in a normal sense of hygiene) owns cleaning soaps/liquids for the kitchen, the bathroom, the cabinets, and so on. You could save all of this money spent on such cleaners by making your own supplies. Creating these solutions is neither difficult nor time consuming, and of course, it comes with an added bonus of being healthy, for you know exactly what goes in as ingredients.

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3. Cutting Off the TV Cable Connection Is the Smartest Way to Save

You might be shocked if someone asks you to cut off the TV cable subscription, as television forms a basic source of entertainment in a common man’s life. It doesn’t have to be so hard, though, because technology has advanced beyond TV cables. Subscription websites such as Netflix or Amazon Prime make sure you get the same level of entertainment as the TV, without burning a hole in your pocket.

4. Buying Larger Portions Is Always Cheaper

This requires a bit of planning, but once you start doing it, it becomes a headliner for your savings. Gather up a list of all the items required in the household that are used on a regular basis. For all the items in the list that are available in bulk at the store, buy them in bulk. It might seem like you are spending a lot of money buying a larger container of shampoo or a bigger box of cashews, but when you compare it with repeatedly buying the same items in smaller portions, you will see a significant difference in your total expenditure.

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5. Dining at Home Reduces Those Unwanted Restaurant Bills

Eating out may sound tempting, but if you really want to boost your savings while on a budget, you might want to cook and eat at home more often. For those long days and tiresome weeknights, the refrigerator and the microwave are your best friends. Cook in bulk whenever you can, and you will not be fooled into dining out as long as you have your freezer stocked up.

6. If Coffee Is Your Weakness, Invest in A Coffeemaker

You could be one of those who simply cannot get their day started (or progress) without that timely cup of coffee. It could be your poison, but don’t let it burn a hole in your wallet by always ordering coffee on the go. For coffee lovers, investing in a good coffeemaker is a simple solution to saving up all the money they would otherwise spend on coffee-to-go’s every single day, probably four or five times a day.

Hamilton Beach FlexBrew Coffee Maker is a good option to buy. It comes with Single Serve & Full Coffee Pot, Compatible with Single-Serve Pods or Ground Coffee. It is available on amazon.

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7. Avoiding Non-Reusable Items Could Save More Than You Think

If you take a quick look around the house, you are sure to find several items that are not reusable. For example, the paper towels in your kitchen. For most of the uses, these can be replaced by kitchen cloths, and let us face it, the environment is also going to thank you once you make the switch. Another example is crates of bottled drinking water that you might be tempted to buy, which could be avoided by investing in a water purifier.

8. Getting Showy Items for Social Acceptance Should Be Avoided

Do you really love the new couch that your sister’s neighbor purchased, and want to get one for yourself, too? Rethink before making such decisions. Buying things to show off in front of other people might get you momentary happiness, but sooner or later you might see something even better that someone else possesses, and the list to buy showy things just keeps piling up. Buy things because you need them, not because you intend to make the whole world jealous.

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9. Purchasing Items Serving Multiple Purposes Is A Clear Winner

A lot of times consumers get boggled by the product advertisements, and end up buying two different things serving two different purposes, when one of them could have adequately served both the purposes. A good example of this is shaving gel. A conditioner could very well substitute for a gel, and it definitely serves well for its original purpose, as a conditioner. So, there you have it. You get to kill two birds with one stone, and end up killing a third one, your unwarranted expenses.

10. Getting Only What You Need Prevents Impulse Buying

This one is true for every big or small purchase. Before going to any kind of store, figure out what you really need, and make a list of items if possible. Once at the store, stick to the list on your paper or your mind. Avoid window shopping, and purchasing anything out of the blue or under a totally random thought.

Savings Need Planning

Once you have decided to save up, it does not matter what your income is or how low you are on your household budget. What truly matters is how well you plan. Initially, cutting down on some of your seemingly favorite items might be difficult, but like everything else, you would definitely get used to the change, and once you do, you might not even remember what it was like to live extravagantly. Savings of any kind do not happen randomly, they require effective and constant modifications to your lifestyle.

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