What do you not buy anymore to save money?

[heartbroken22]

What's the alternative?

Stopped buying Mcvities Digestives and get the M&S own brand now, they taste the same and are 80p a packet.

We rarely used to buy brands to start with and now don't buy any.

We don't buy garlic bread as a snack either it was just wasted. I want to focus on less snacking and more eating 3 good meals per day breakfast lunch and dinner.

Some good tips on here. I guess we could stop eating takeaways regularly and plan better. Leave the restaurants to birthdays and celebrations.

With clothes I do tend to wear them out until I get bored of seeing them which is a lot. I'm really minimalist with what I have. But I might have a look on Vinted. Also kids can do with wearing their clothes out and maybe I can buy less. We don't really have pyjamas but wear comfy stuff even the kids.

I don't really have my haircut. But kids do every season ish maybe we could do it at home or try the trainees at a college.

We could perhaps instead of going a lot of places like zoos, theme parks etc in the year try a local 'holiday' once a year.

I'm going to stop buying fabric conditioner and only buy one cleaning product too.

I also think it's better to get the ingredients and make something you like rather than basic takeaway/restaurant food that is overpriced.

Laundry powder/detergent we already used to use less. I'm going to see if there are any cheaper alternatives.

I'm finding Asda and Sainsbury's getting expensive than the others at a higher rate.

Fish from the fishmongers is expensive but we already do buy frozen fish. Might look for a different type. The problem is we already were frugal with money not it's just harder.

Do you guys give the basics a try? The just essentials and everyday essentials etc.

I'm doing the same as everybody else, not drinking, not eating out often etc but I am sad how it's changing the face of Britain. All these small businesses offering services are just going out of business now. Pubs are empty, the high streets are dead. It's just a shame.

I hardly buy new clothes now unless i need to replace something, with working from home I don't need nice work clothes anymore.

Gym membership cancelled as they never recovered to pre-pandemic opening hours/facilities etc.

No craft magazine subscriptions anymore, I have more than a lifetime of cross stitch and knitting patterns already. This is partly for environmental reasons as magazines seem to have so much plastic crap as 'free gifts'.

My main sacrifice is not being able to save as much. Hoping to move house in the next few years and had planned on doing it without a mortgage but kind of resigned myself to needing a small mortgage in later life.

Takeaways coffees and lunches mostly

Dramatically fewer restaurant meals and takeaways - more meeting up for drinks or coffee or in each others houses

I still eat higher end ready meals but look for more deals and am much stricter about using food up even if we don't really feel like eating that. More frozen veg and fruit. Swerving farmers markets

Reducing expensive exercise options

This is one of the reasons I hate eating out, aside from the ridiculous cost and the fact I can probably make it at home. It’s even worse as a vegetarian; they put bloody sweet chili sauce on everything. I’m not allergic to chili per se, but my mouth has a ridiculous overreaction to the smallest amount.

No fabric softener
Takeways
No snacks and coffee in cafes when shopping

Very rarely buy clothes from the high st shops. Mainly shop at online stores like Cider and SHEIN - i'm not a huge fan as it's cheap fashion nut I can't afford the High street prices (Unless its Tesco's! LOL)
Also stopped my Sky TV and all TV subscription services. Just use freeview now. I do watch Apple TV occasionally as my BF has that but apart form that I just watch free to air TV.

Takeaways. We only did it about once a month, but it was circa £60.

Lifestyle magazines- I stopped a year or so ago- saving about £18 a month.

I have not had my hair done since October last year. I used to have an annual haircut, so it was not a huge expense, but no longer. I am probably going to our local hair training college- it's £14 for a cut and colour.

New clothes- I bought some summer frocks a few weeks ago from Amazon - end of season- under a fiver each.

I go to the pub about once a weekend. I am having one drink, not two. No meals.

We turned our hot water off last year. We have an electric shower so can have showers, but that's it. Heating is turned on only when we need it- 17 degrees is the limit.

We are actually in top 10% of earners. So we always think if we are counting the pennies on our income then it must be a true disaster for others.

I hardly ever buy myself new clothes and if I do it's either second hand or cheap from Primark. I've stopped buying expensive fragrance. There are other options or dupes which smell just as good. And I've started buying most of my make up in Primark. Their foundation, blush and mascara is just as good as mid range brands such as L'Oréal and Maybelline. The one thing I won't scrimp on is my 24 hour lip colour though.

Have definitely cut meals out at night and takeaways. Tend to have weekend breakfasts out instead which still feels nice to do but cheaper.

Clothes- I rarely buy new clothes

Hair colour- limit myself to twice a year at hairdressers and do a home top up between each time

Books- I love books and we have a really great second hand stall on our indoor market that I use-

TV licence/sky/virgin.

One car, no eating out or takeaways, swapped Sky tv for a Roku stick (do pay for Netflix multi-user though, Disney and Amazon). Take thermos flask with coffee or hot chocolate when we go out (the children love this!). Packed lunches regardless of weather (can be eaten in the car!).
try to keep to x1 online shop a week and just do really small top-up shops

Got rid of Sky as all I was watching was Freeview channels anyway. Rarely eat out unless it's a special occasion or I have a voucher or discount code. All my clothes have been second hand for years anyway! And I always wait till I'm home for a coffee- £4.50 in Costa, my pods are better.

I think it is shame though we can't have the little things. Soon the only businesses will be supermarkets, banks and energy firms as that's all we will be able to afford to buy!

Meal deal lunches
Fast fashion

Buy own brand beans and own brand cereal.

buy own brand washing powder.

far less alcohol (maybe a bottle a month rather than one in every single supermarket shop).

I gave up on a weekly slice of cheesecake for myself, DH and DD from a little bakery near us. Also gave up getting my dog groomed bought, bought clippers for £15 off Amazon and do her myself. I save 1100 a year just by doing those two things.

I gave up buying a lot of snack foods like Muller yogurts, as they are just getting too expensive and they are a want, not a need. Also, not snacking and taking the time to make something if I am hungry has been a lot better for my waistline!

I gave up buying new clothes years ago and buy everything bar underwear on ebay. I dye my hair with henna and I don't have any beauty treatments. I do like to look after my skin and hair but everything is done at home, rather than a beauty salon, like dermaplaning.

Ditto new furniture - I prefer to buy second hand and paint book cases etc, to make things fit in. Sofas etc, also second hand. I got a gorgeous squishy two seater sofa for £60 the other day! Like a PP, my thrill is from getting a bargain!

I have given up on Indian takeaways, sadly. I used to love them but I find the one good place near us (we live rurally so not a lot of choice) is triple the cost of the Chinese takeaway, which is also very good. I don't see why and I can't justify it. I have given up completely on fish and chips. It used to be an occasional treat but it has become far too expensive.

Magazines - I have a terrible weakness for interior design magazines (nosiness, I think!) but I follow my favourite magazines on Instagram now and subscribe to their free newsletters. Saves over £20 a month!

Fresh scallops. I LOVE seafood but the last time I went to the fishmonger they were £2.50 each! So now only frozen ones.

Lunch and coffee out. I work from home and used to love getting lunch out a couple of times a month but tbh, even with the cost, I just prefer to stay home now. I think I am just getting grumpier!

Cinema - We love movies as a family and used to go if we even remotely fancied a film but it has become so expensive that we have to really think carefully now if it justifies the ticket price. A rom com - we will wait for it to be streamed on TV, but Gladiator 2 has to be seen on the big screen!

cut down on subscriptions
stopped buying everything branded
meal planned/shopping list
limit takeaways
eBay for clothes

I have always bought mostly supermarket own brand items so my food shop hasn’t really changed. I’m annoyed I haven’t been able to save there. I have cut out Netflix, audible and BritBox (when it was still a thing). I don’t get coffee out as often as I used to, maybe once every 2 or 3 weeks now. If stopping at the services I don’t buy anything at all. We don’t have takeaways anymore, except the occasional fast food, maybe every couple of months. I haven’t bought any compost for the garden this year. I would usually mulch all my flowerbeds and could easily spend £200 on compost to do this in autumn and then again in spring. I ran out of perfume in September and haven’t replaced it as waiting for Christmas. I wear my glasses more often than contact lenses. I haven’t replaced some items of clothing / footwear in the last year or so. I don’t have a lot anyway and would usually replace things that were worn out or damaged 2 or 3 times a year, ie if Mango had a sale I’d go through my wardrobe to cull the crap and replace with similar items while 70% cheaper. I’ve just been getting rid of stuff when it’s had it and not replacing it. I’ve stopped buying a lot of people birthday and Christmas presents 😞

As many people on here, I can't remember the last time I bought clothes from a clothes shop. eBay, charity shops and the supermarket when things are on offer.

Takeaway coffees. I enjoy sitting in and enjoying one with a good book from time-to-time, but I'm not going to a coffee shop to buy one when I can grab something at home.
Alcohol. Used to spend a ridiculous amount every year in the pub and on bottles of wine/spirits to drink at home.
Eating out. We've probably cut this by 80% over the past couple of years.

I dont dye my hair or get haircuts or buy new clothes.

I also cancelled Spotify and my gym membership.

Laundry scent booster
Bottled water
More than 5 things a week from Sainsbury's
Ready meals, unless desperate for time
Salad
Frozen peas
Fish
Branded coffee
Branded cereal
Cling film

You don’t have to stop buying presents. You can get more creative. If you buy a digital product from Etsy, for example a poster, you could always reprint it etc. It’s worth it in the long run because you can print it at home or a printing service and the recipient can decide to frame it how they choose.