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Cost of living

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Original poster

What do you waste money on?

217 replies

Rollerskaterabbit · 13/01/2014 09:40

This year I'm trying to identify what I waste money on and try and stop it!

For me the biggest wasters are shop bought coffees and pre packaged foods!

OP posts:

noddyholder · 14/01/2014 14:40

Same encyclo can't pass a coffee place Also buy a lot of cosmetic crap although have cut down a lot

atthestrokeoftwelve · 14/01/2014 14:54

jimijack I am the same- I run a tight budget, have a healthy savings accoount, small mortgage , no debt. We eat well go foreign holidays, I just really resent frittering money away on rubbish.

atthestrokeoftwelve · 14/01/2014 14:56

minipie
"Well I like her to look nice, especially now she's older. She looks dreadful in some colours and styles and wonderful in others."

I can't imagine any baby looking dreadful because of the style or colour of their clothes.

All babies are beautiful and I sure yours is too- no matter what she wears.

Style and colours were very unimportant for my babies- and for me.
As long as they were clean, warm and comfortable.

JugglingBackwardsAndForwards · 14/01/2014 15:02

We have less money coming in than we did so have been cutting back on things, and noticing previous waste more .... just the other day I was thinking what a waste of money my cupboard of vitamin pills and other expensive supplements is (not that big a hoard, but still, a shelf full)

Have also cut back on magazines, which are very pricey and never really say anything new/live up to expectations

But personally I'm still a fan of good tomatoes and charity shop finds

Since working in Oxfam one summer I always think what a Win/Win thing charity shops have going on

minipie · 14/01/2014 15:05

Oh I knew I'd get pulled up on that twelve Of course she is beautiful to me no matter what she wears but she is very pale (red headed, pale eyelashes etc) and some colours make her look a bit ill from an objective perspective.

We'll have to agree to differ on whether style and colours for babies are important or not.

Creamycoolerwithcream · 14/01/2014 15:10

Minipie, I know what you mean. I used to be like that when my 3 were babies and toddlers. I was the the same with matching baby equipment for their bedrooms too.

JugglingBackwardsAndForwards · 14/01/2014 15:13

I have a red-headed dd too minipie (now 14) and I think it's fair enough to say that some colours suit their colouring so much better than others.
Bright pinks can be terrible (for her, IMO) but the other day she was wearing a new blouse I picked out for her in those bright "summer" colours of turquoise and white (I forget the others - it was a checked shirt) and she looked gorgeous!

I think generally people do waste money on clothes, make-up, and fashion in general - I'd rather spend what we have on experiences on the whole.

minipie · 14/01/2014 15:19

Ah glad I'm not alone creamy! My baby equipment is all second hand/basic from Ikea though, I don't really care what the baby furniture looks like. Just the baby

atthestrokeoftwelve · 14/01/2014 15:22

I didn't buy any baby equipment- only a car seat.

minipie · 14/01/2014 15:23

YY Juggling, bright pinks and purples are not good, which writes off a lot of baby girl clothes. Pale muted pinks are great though, as are most blues and greys (especially pale grey). And surprisingly mustardy yellow suits her too.

wordfactory · 14/01/2014 15:23

Difficult question, in that I'm sure I buy things (a lot of things) that seem like a waste to them, but I don't think so.

Of the things that I buy that I know full well is just daft ; parking tickets. I get far too many. Christmas gifts. I buy far too many. Oh and not using vouchers!

Creamycoolerwithcream · 14/01/2014 15:23

I used to love all the outfits hanging up on tiny hangers. Sad I know.

TeacupDrama · 14/01/2014 15:57

wasting money to me is buying things you do not need or want ( a shopping habit / retail therapy) or use

it is not waste to buy organic chicken instead of basic though it might be a luxury some can not afford but to me if you throw it out uncooked or uneaten that is waste however much your income

waste is accumulating bank charges because of forgetting to settle bills rather than because you are robbing peter to pay paul and can't help but go overdrawn sometimes

it would be waste to have a large garage bill because you filled up with petrol not diesel but not for wear and tear

noseymcposey · 14/01/2014 16:06

I sometimes think I waste money on food/drinks out etc but the reality is you have to live your life.

I waste too much money parking at the station car park (£6.00 a day) instead of parking further away and walking to the station. It's a 25 minute walk though and doesn't always appeal.

Agree with Teacups definitions of waste too.

(And some of the posts on this thread sound a little sanctimonious to be honest!)

LightTripper · 14/01/2014 16:12

I was adamant that my LO (due in April) would NOT be pink... but then my lovely SIL gave me two big bags of baby clothes which are in good condition and very nice, but 95% pink, so I guess I will be having a pink baby after all :-)

I think my biggest wastes are probably coffees. I didn't have any during the first few months of my pregnancy due to feeling so vile, and now having got out of the habit I don't really feel the need, even now I am feeling a bit better. Honestly a cup of tea made for free in the office is just as good, or a 10 minute walk around the block with a friend if I need a break - there doesn't have to be a coffee at the end of it.

A few wasteful spends I have managed to pretty much get rid of. I used to be bad with sales shopping (buying clothes that I thought "would come in useful" and then ending up giving them away with the tags still on). I've now learned to only buy things I really really like, even in the sales - otherwise they will just never be the thing I choose to put on in the morning. I also used to buy a lot of books that I never got around to reading: have just about managed to can that too. I get more than I can keep up with just as presents! I also got in a bad habit of taking cabs a while ago: which is fine but you end up taking it for granted. Now I am back in the public transport habit, and when I do take a cab it feels really luxurious and I appreciate it properly.

Some of the best value for money spends in my view are the things that are expensive up front but you can use them for ever. For example we have really nice wine glasses (which were a gift) and I REALLY enjoy using them every single time (obviously not for wine at the moment - sobs). We just bought some new cutlery (having finally got fed up with our 20 year old student plastic handles!) and decided to get something nice on the same basis: hopefully we will be using it for 20 years, and something like that can bring you proper pleasure every day - it's a bargain when seen from that POV. My bedroom furniture is the same (until I have to move it - weighs a bloody tonne!)

It's always the cheap disposable stuff that I seem to regret...

BriarRainbowshimmer · 14/01/2014 16:23

Chocolate and snacks, sneakily bought and eaten alone and miserable. No more of that, I'm on day 4 of being sugar-free

umiaisha · 14/01/2014 16:27

I am generally quite frugal, but like a splurge in Topshop, tea and cake out, expensive handbags and having my nails done fortnightly, although I do have a lady who does this for me at home much cheaper than at the shop.

I do my weekly shop at Waitrose which some think is extravagant, but somehow I spend more when I go to Tesco! We also like quite expensive holidays and eat out as a family a lot , but we don't drink or smoke and rarely go out in the evenings now.

I have given up my magazine handbag and will walk for miles to avoid paying for parking too!