Category: Low Buy

Posted in Low Buy, Minimalism

Things I Don’t Spend Money on

Posted on by teresamunoz91

I am on my journey to minimalism and becoming debt free, here are things I don’t spend money on. Some are things that I used to spend money on and others are things that I never bought because I didn’t see the appeal in them.

  1. Pop toys – I used to buy so many pop toys, i think at one point I had almost 50 pop toys or maybe even up to 80. I was obsessed with trying to collect them. I no longer buy these because they might only be $10 each but they add up. I kept a few of them and now my 3 year old plays with them.
  2. Hair products – I don’t do much to my hair, all I need is shampoo and hair conditioner. I probably spend maybe $50 a year on hair products
  3. Newest electronics – I only buy electronics when the ones I have no longer work. I never understood the need to upgrade a phone or smart watch every year. It seems wasteful to me, bad for the environment, and I can use that money for better things.
  4. Beauty procedures like botox, fillers plastic surgery – I am at the age where people start doing botox and doing things to their faces to look young. I am not judging people who do that, but that’s not something that I plan to do.
  5. Hair cuts and hair services – I get a haircut maybe once a year or every two years. I don’t go and get my hair done because that’s something that isn’t important to me.
  6. Nails done – I’ve never gone to get my nails done. Having nails done has never been for me and the kind of jobs I’ve had. I paint my nails once in a while, but don’t go to salons.
  7. Starbucks – Another thing i don’t understand is the people who go to Starbucks every single day. I probably go to Starbucks maybe one or twice a year.
  8. Lularoe leggings – Many years ago I had a collection of about 30 Lularoe leggings. The biggest reason I stopped buying them is because they are an MLM and I don’t support them. Another reason is that they are pricey and not the best quality.
  9. Makeup – I don’t wear makeup, I used to wear eyeliner but after the pandemic I became very lazy and just like to wakeup, brush my teeth, put on sunscreen, and head out the door.
  10. Water bottles – I like taking my reusable water bottle, so much better for my wallet and the planet.
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Posted in Low Buy

Low Buy October Challenge

Posted on by teresamunoz91

I did ok in September financially, but I feel like I can do even better this month. Last month I spent about $430 on groceries, most of that was junk food and not necessities. I made it my goal in October to only spend $300. I also spent way too much on mobile games, almost $30, which isnt so bad as previous years. I would normally spend $50-$70 a MONTH on mobile games. What a waste of money. I once spent $300 on Candy Crush a few years ago. I quit playing after that. My main goal is to be intentional with my spending. Not only do I want to save money, but I also want to declutter and prevent more stuff from coming in my house.

Rules

  1. Limit spending in Target
  2. Limit spending on Amazon
  3. No using credit cards
  4. Limit spending in Walmart
  5. No new clothes
  6. No new soaps or skincare products
  7. No buying junk food from the grocery store
  8. No buying cereal, cookies, or drinks (I have too many at home)
  9. Use up what I have in the pantry and freezer
Posted in Challenge, Low Buy

Update on My Low Spend Year

Posted on by teresamunoz91

I am 2 months in to my low buy year and I am doing just okay. I am not doing as awful as previous years, but I am still buying unnecessary things unfortunately. I would give myself a C for now.

One good thing though is that I have cut back on buying things for my business. Last year I spent close to $4,000 on supplies like fragrance oils, mica, clays etc. A lot of it wasn’t even necessary. I bought so many ingredients that I can’t even remember what they were for and they have just been on my shelf all this time.

I have only bought myself one clothing item and it was a tshirt that I bought for the Knott’s Berry Farm Peanuts Celebration. I have bought my daughter 3 shirts, which isn’t too bad. I think I should definitely be able to get through March without buying her anymore clothes or myself. Though I might us shirts for Knott’s Berry Farm Boysenberry Festival, if they are cute.

I have done a good job of not buying soap or whipped soap. Last year I bought way too much and ended up giving away so much of it to my local Buy Nothing group.

I have also bought some books from the library. I think I have spent about $20 total, which isn’t much, but each book was 25 to 50 cents, so I ended up buying a lot of books. To be honest, i don’t have much space for them, but I couldn’t pass up the good deals and had to add them to my collection of books. I think I have somewhere between 600-800 books from my childhood collection.

Next month I will try to be more intentional with my purchases. Target and Amazon are two places where I have spent too much money, so my goal is to cut back on shopping there.