This year, we plan on keeping it minimal and intentional. We want to be mindful of our purchases to make sure we aren’t spending unnecessarily. If you want to save more money in 2021, then perhaps you could also stop buying some of these things! Here are some things we won’t buy to save money in 2021.
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I have already made a list of 10 Things I No Longer Buy as a Minimalist. This post however, is more of what my husband and I don’t plan on buying as a couple.
The year of 2020 really opened up our eyes on how uncertain things can really be. While my husband and I are fortune enough to not have been effected drastically, we still experienced a decrease in our income.
This year, we plan on growing our emergency savings a little bit more, plus continue to save for a home. Buying a home has been a great goal of our that we started saving for two years ago. Living minimally has made such a positive impact on our ability to save!
Related: 10 Things to Stop Buying to Live Minimally
Here are some things we won’t buy in 2021 to save money, reach our financial goals, and continue to live minimally!
1. Haircuts
Both my husband and I used to go to the hair dresser (barber for him) to get our hair done. While it is nice to have a professional do our hair, it can get pretty pricey! Both of us have simple haircuts and styles, so we decided that this year we would skip on getting our hair done.
Instead, we are learning to cut our own hair at home. My husband purchased some hair clippers and I now give him a hair cut at home!
As for myself, I have just been giving myself a blunt hair cut with some face framing to keep it simple. I just use a comb and some hair cutting scissors.
2. Vacations & Trips
This year we will keep it the same as last year in this area. No vacations or trips. We are fine with that given that the pandemic is still happening and not all places are fully opened.
Personally, I really did want to take a vacation or at least a mini trip, but we decided to wait until next year for money saving purposes. We got used to not taking trips in 2020, so we figured we can do the same in 2021.
To be completely transparent, we are planning on moving to another state around summertime so that will count as our trip! I am actually very excited and looking forward to that.
3. Gifts (For each other)
My husband and I both decided that we would skip out on giving each other gifts this year. We still plan on giving gifts to family members and friends for birthdays and Christmas. Neither of us really needs anything so we are fine not giving each other gifts.
This doesn’t mean we won’t make our birthdays, Christmas, and other special occasions feel, well special! We can still give each other our time and give gifts that aren’t monetary.
4. Takeout
During 2020, we didn’t get much takeout at all and we plan to not get any at all during 2021. I think it will be a fun little challenge for us!
I already make most our our meals at home, but this will just take it an extra step. We decided we can still enjoy homemade delicious meals that are healthier and more cost effective. Anyone else up for this challenge?!
5. Gym Membership
Sadly, our gym went out of business during the 2020 shutdown. While we were sad and missed going to the gym, we got creative and started doing a lot of home workouts!
We decided we didn’t really need to go to the gym to stay healthy and maintain our current fitness levels. In fact, it has forced us to get outside more to go on runs and walks! We both love to weight train so we do have some dumbells (a pair of 20 lbs and a pair of 10 lbs is all we use) at home along with resistance bands. I use the resistance bands a lot more because they are a game changer for booty workouts!
6. Extended Warranties For Electronics
Although I don’t see us purchasing any electronics anytime soon, in the case that it does come up, we won’t be purchasing any warranties along with it. In our experience, we never end up using it. Also, most companies already give a one year warranty on their products, so in the case that your electronic items breaks or fails, you can call the manufacturer directly.
Like I said, we don’t plan on buying any new electronics, but you never know when you might need a new phone or printer (which we use a lot), etc.
7. Coffee
We also have decided to stop buying coffee (from a coffee shop!). Of course, we will still be making coffee at home because my husband needs at least 2 cups a day! Personally, I don’t drink coffee or any caffeinated drinks but this will apply to tea, smoothies, or juices! All these beverage we will still be making and having at home. It might not seem like a big deal, but after doing some calculations, we will be saving around $50 per month!
These are some of the things we won’t buy in 2021 to save money. What will you stop buying in 2021 to save money? Maybe you could also stop buying some of these things for the year and see how much money you are able to actually save!
Want to learn other ways to save money and make more money? Here are related posts where I share tips and tricks to save more money, practice money minimalism, and reach your financial goals!:
- Minimalist Money Habits to Practice
- 7 Easy Side Hustles to Make Extra Income
- How to Save Money on a Low Income
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Happy Saving!
Sincerely,
Denise XOXO
