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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

What’s one small thing you could give up that would save you a LOT of money long term?!

382 replies

early30smum · 10/08/2025 22:12

Coffees in London are around £4 now. I definitely don’t get one myself every day, but between me and my husband we definitely average out at spending this per day just on coffee. We just worked out, spending £4 a day on coffee every day, is almost £1,500 a year. Just on takeaway coffee. Insane. Over 20 years, that’s just under £30,000…

OP posts:
ThreenagerCentral · 10/08/2025 23:28

My child is pretty small…. 😂

Tallisker · 10/08/2025 23:26

Actually my Land Rover is quite big…

thatsthatsaidthemayor · 10/08/2025 23:26

My husband is giving me up.

Unexpectedlysinglemum · 10/08/2025 23:26

Limmers14 · 10/08/2025 22:28

Recently gave up a cleaner (£100 a month) and stopped getting my nails done regularly (£45 every 3 weeks).

Money saved from a cleaner is going into parental leave savings - we’re doing IVF, positive manifestation over here.

A small thing I could give up which would save money is probably Pilates? I could do it at home with a free online class and save £80 a month haha

Good luck with ivf! Don't give up Pilates

Tallisker · 10/08/2025 23:26

Yep, wine.
My Land Rover 😬

Jamfirstest · 10/08/2025 23:22

Diet Coke quitters -it helps if you cut down on sugar in general and level off your insulin spikes. Also remember the 10 hour effect of caffeine so you can only have it less than 10 hours before you go to bed. Every day you forget and miss the window is progress.

FortheloveofCheesus · 10/08/2025 23:22

Lunch out at work (pret, itsu, even a cheap meal deal is a fiver now).

I need to suck it up and accept making a quick sandwich or salad of a morning, or bulk cooking a pot of soup and freezing it in portions. I think i can make a basic lunch for £2 a day, so save £3/ day, 3 days a week in office, 46 weeks a year.... over £400.

Not getting up early enough to walk to the station and driving/parking. £8 a day. 3 times a week, 46 weeks a year. Over £1000.

shellyleppard · 10/08/2025 23:19

Lego botanical sets.... I'm 56 and addicted 😁😂

FrodoBiggins · 10/08/2025 23:19

First class train tickets. It's just so nice

Wynter25 · 10/08/2025 23:18

gottakeeponmoving · 10/08/2025 22:39

Wine

Same

Ryeman · 10/08/2025 23:17

Vinted. But i do sell on there as well.

boysmuminherts · 10/08/2025 23:15

I could probably clean my own home and save £1300/year. Yikes!

healthybychristmas · 10/08/2025 23:13

Cynic17 · 10/08/2025 22:40

Buying books on Kindle. I don't keep a count, but I'm sure it's easily £50 a month.
But I consider it money well spent for so many hours of enjoyment, plus many are read more than once.

Your local library will have free e-books. If you pay for Amazon Prime then you can borrow from the prime library as well.

YYYDlilah · 10/08/2025 23:12

I've only bought from Vinted once, and I do use my purchased item.

OliviaBonas · 10/08/2025 23:03

Vinted would be so hard to give up. Their homepage is so intuitive and knows what you want to buy even more than you do. They make it so easy. I’m addicted to selling on the site too. I’ve listened to podcasts on Vinted and it’s designed to be addictive.

zaazaazoom · 10/08/2025 23:03

FurForksSake · 10/08/2025 22:19

Ooh where to start…

mounjaro
my cleaner
fizzy Drinks.

We got rid of our cleaner 18 months ago and are now spending 10 days in Croatia on the savings that we never would have done. Well worth it for me.

Ultravox · 10/08/2025 23:02

Wine.

OliviaBonas · 10/08/2025 23:01

early30smum · 10/08/2025 22:22

Oh this is amazing! I gave up Diet Coke for 5 months and it was great, have started again now though. And what’s more annoying is I waste more money on buying it individually as I try not to have it in the house in bulk. Please update one day on how much you save!

Show quote history

Thank you! I’ve been wanting to do it for ages and know several others who have with no regrets. It’s early days but I’m fairly confident I’ve cracked it.

YYYDlilah · 10/08/2025 23:01

I have Ebay parcels I've not even opened and ones I bought but forgot about. Same is true of charity shop books and CDs. I have curbed my spending on 'too cheap to not buy it' purchases.

feebeecat · 10/08/2025 23:00

Vinted
The kids
The husband.
pets.
If I gave up the last three, the first one wouldn’t be an issue 🤔

Biffsboys · 10/08/2025 22:58

Wine 🙈

ChocolateCinderToffee · 10/08/2025 22:57

Buying stuff in the village shop.

losssohard · 10/08/2025 22:50

The kids

Sunshineandgrapefruit · 10/08/2025 22:48

Vinted. Don't get me wrong. I have got some lovely stuff and bargains but also spend a fair bit on things that didn't fit/ were not as expected/ wrong colour etc etc. And I have far too much now. Need to instigate a one in one out!

SoUncertain · 10/08/2025 22:47

When my dog passes I don't think we'll get another for a while, partly due to expense. He's worth it but I daren't calculate his costs over a year!