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

[early30smum]

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…

Amazon. It’s too easy just to click and buy. But this month I’m trying a tip I read on here - give yourself a fixed amount of “fun money” and fritter it (or not) however you want. Once it’s gone, it’s gone. It’s definitely made me more mindful about the little 5 quid spends here and there…

things from fancy bakeries. I’m on the no money part of maternity leave and yet I can’t stop buying them. I live near an amazing one that people queue for ages to get into and spent £20 there the other day without thinking.

I am having to travel more often now and have started taking flasks of coffee and packed lunches when I am travelling. I still treat myself to a Costa cooler when it is warm and I don't want to give that up.

No idea how people afford this now!

A point about coffee out - I don't drive so days out for us usually involve being able to get coffee for me and toastie for DCs. It gives us somewhere to stop that's warm and dry with a clean toilet before the long bus journey home. The cost of this is now crazy so it means less days out, unfortunately. Its not at all desirable to picnic in Scottish horizontal wind and rain.

Vaping and monjaro. I can’t believe I even started vaping what a dick.

I don't have small things I could give up that cost a fortune. I spend a lot on my two cats (200-300 a month) but they are hugely important to me, so no small thing. I look forward to when I 'graduate' therapy as this would save me 300 quid a month. Not a small thing either, but that's an expense that will eventually go and I look forward to having that extra money.

Paying £4 for a tiny brownie or slice of cake in a coffee shop when I could go to the supermarket next door and buy a whole cake for the same price...or make one at home.

Im trying very hard to give up bottled water. I travel a lot and often need a drink on the go. Am appalled by how expensive a bottle of bloody water is these days plus I feel awful about the plastic and then end up carting it around looking for a recycling bin. Have refillable bottle and take it with me and try to get it refilled where possible. Am slightly depressed by how few water fountains there are around in the UK.

First class train ticket on my morning commute. That's about £2200 a year compared to 2nd class (according to the current conversion rate). But I work on the train and have a fairly long commute.

Followed by non-essentials like holidays, eating out, dance classes, gym membership, our cleaning lady.

Buying skincare without getting a tester beforehand (aka online). And buying skincare and makeup before checking what I already own.... 😅(<= I have told myself to stop doing this and it seems to be working. Mostly.)

Addiction, unfortunately...

Buying yarn. 🧶

Eating out
Coffees out
Clothes (the excess of what I need)
The cats (not really)

🥑🥑 I eat a lot of them, and have an expensive food outlay. It is something I prioritise, but could save money, by buying, and eating cheaper food.

Weekend lunches out. DH and I have got into a routine of going to get lunch out almost every Saturday after we have visited my elderly parents. It's not unusual to get lunch out on Sundays as well. Nothing extravagant but it adds up.

I was going to ditto that, but it’s probably not more than £30 a month* and everything I make is for a particular charity so I’m not giving it up. I do my own nails and rarely have a takeaway coffee.

*I order from Wool Warehouse, where I can see all previous orders from the past couple of years so could tot it all up, but I’m not going to!

I was drinking lager.the big boxes of 10.since I've given up my sleep has improved 100% too.wejust come back from an overnight stay in our caravan and id hit the lager/spirits on arrival and keep going.this time I was alcohol free for the first time ever!

Me too. My house is full of it!

Well done @Dogaredabomb - I’ve never smoked but my friend is always fighting to stay off the fags - I hope you can stay off them too!!

I could not give up the gym. I need it to stay strong and healthy. Otherwise how will I work into old age?

Could give up my pets. But won’t.

Socialising is a big one. I should at least halve that. Stay home and study.

Same here! But if I buy a case for home then I drink far too much of it. I don't want to add up how much I spend.
I did give up for a year, but I've succumbed again.

We once paid the grand sum of 5p for an almost dead plant, OH felt sorry for it and as it was Good Friday we thought we could resurrect it. 15 years on it's still going strong!
He had form for feeling sorry for random plants etc., he once bought the last Christmas tree late on Christmas Eve so it wouldn't get thrown out, cue a mad rush to search unused decorations and lights but it was lovely.
Can't believe the amount of money spend on this thread though, I feel positively puritanical.

Yeah, those as well, but I'm on a medically restricted diet, avocado is something healthy that I can actually eat. So cutbacks will have to be elsewhere.

House magazines. I can't stop myself buying the latest editions of things like 'Your Home' and 'Ideal Home'. They are SO expensive and it's not as if I'm going to be doing any of the things they suggest, my house is too small for a start. But I work in a supermarket right opposite the magazine rack, and I can feel my palms start tingling when the new mags come in on a Tuesday...

I buy nice whisky (admittedly quite expensive upfront but often a gift) and drink sparingly and without a mixer so quite affordable when compared to drinking a few bottles of wine each week (and better for my waistline!)