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15 Things Our Family Doesn’t Spend Money On

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Those of you who have been readers for awhile know that we are frugal. We do everything we can to save money because my husband is a South Dakota teacher – the lowest paying state in the nation. And I left my school administration position to stay home to raise our son. Yes, our cost of living is lower than some states, but we still need to find ways to save money. That’s why today I want to share a list of 15 things our family doesn’t spend money on.

Here are 15 things our family doesn't spent money on. #15 might surprise you! And we threw in one extra just for good measure!
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1. Dry Cleaning

I couldn’t tell you the last time I went to the dry cleaners. Oh wait…for my wedding dress. But, prior to that, I really have no idea when I took a garment in. I simply don’t buy things that need to be dry cleaned. For starters we would have to drive 30 miles just to even find a dry cleaner, but I also don’t want the expense.

2. Credit Card Interest

I’ve had the same credit card since 2004 when I was in college. During that time I’ve paid a grand whopping total of $16 in interest. There was one month where I was paying rent, paying my mortgage on the house I no longer lived in, and had a lot of medical expenses from a hospital stay. If I paid off my entire credit card bill that month I was afraid I might not have enough to buy groceries, so I left a small balance. It turns out I would have had enough money. That was early 2010. Six years later and that dumb little $16 bill still bugs me!

3. Cable

We gave up cable in March 2014. Actually, I’ve only had cable a combined total of four years since high school graduation. It’s not something I need, so I save money. This is the one thing we might actually pay for again in the future. My husband really loves his sports, so he misses it. We’ll see what the future holds, but for now we don’t spend money on it.

4. Laundry Detergent

We quit using commercial laundry detergent in late 2015. This one little change saves our family about $400 a year. Now if you’re thinking, “Ewww! They don’t wash their clothes,” you couldn’t be more wrong. 😉 We still wash our clothes, but it’s using chemical free, homemade laundry detergents. Yes, our clothes are clean. No, we don’t stink. 🙂

5. Fabric Softener

We don’t use fabric softener. We stopped this in mid-2015. Now we use vinegar. My husband hates the smell of vinegar, and he has no complaints about it. There are just so many toxins and chemicals in fabric softeners that we gave them up. You can read more about that here.

6. Dryer Sheets

 If you checked out that link above you read about the dangers of dryer sheets. Now we use wool dryer balls instead. I used this tutorial and love them!

7. Commercial Cleaners

We stopped using commercial cleaners in our home. Seriously! No more dusting cleaner, all purpose cleaner, or anything really. Now I just use Thieves Household Cleaner. (See how I use it here.) Plus we love using borax for soap scum. (Read more about that here.) I also use some vinegar and other natural products. I was very skeptical at first, but they clean really well!

8. Landline Telephone

I know this is getting to be more and more common, but my husband and I do not have a landline telephone. Well, actually we have to have a number due to the way our internet provider has everything set up – but we don’t use it (and it doesn’t cost us anything). I actually got chewed out by an older lady here in town a few months ago because she had been leaving messages for me and I was “rude and not responding”. When I explained to her that we don’t even have anything but our cell phones in our house she was more than a bit shocked!

9. Gym Membership

Andrew and I don’t spend money on gym memberships. There actually is a small gym in our town of 800. We went there for a few weeks, but we couldn’t tell the difference. We do much better since we bought our own copy of Insanity. It’s super tough, but the results are worth it! {If you have bad knees you might want to consider something else.} I also love Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred. It’s short, sweet, and you also see results.

10. Haircuts

We stopped paying for haircuts in late 2015. This one little trick saves us over $300 each year. You can read more about what we do by clicking here.

11. ATM Fees

I’m not sure the last time I paid an ATM fee. We know where we can go to get cash without that extra charge, and we always make sure to get cash before we head out of town. Those few extra dollars at each stop add up quickly, and we don’t need that added expense.

12. Music

I couldn’t tell you the last time my husband or I spent any money on music. Between our Amazon Prime account, the radio, and all the music you can listen to on YouTube – we have plenty. Why spend money on other songs and CDs when we can get all of those for free? If you want to learn more about using Amazon Prime for music, click here.

13. Books

We haven’t bought a book in quite awhile. When we do, we check for cheaper alternatives instead of having to buy them new. But I know we haven’t spent any money on new books in at least six months. When we can get so many free downloads for our Kindle through Amazon and utilize our local library, it seems silly buy books – especially at full price!

14. Movies

Since our Amazon Prime package comes with Prime Video, we really have no reason to buy or rent movies. They have a HUGE selection we can watch for free. If you want to learn more about how you too can get free videos with Amazon Prime, click here.

15. Work Commute

This one is not for everyone. However, my husband and I live just two blocks from his place of employment – so he walks to work each day. I work at home, so I have  no commute! We’ve been fortunate that this has been our situation for the past four years. If I calculated how much money we have saved, I’m sure I’d be doing a happy dance! Yes, our situation is unique, but I’ve known plenty of people we carpool to work to save money, and I even dated a guy who rode his bike ten miles to work each day (each way!). So while this bullet might not be for everyone, it’s definitely an option for some.

16. (BONUS!) Kids’ Clothing

I didn’t feel entirely right about putting this in as something we do not spend money on because we do. However, we get our money back on kids clothing. We buy very little, if anything, new. Instead we visit a lot of thrift stores (particularly when they have awesome bag sales going on) and rummage or garage sales. Our intent is to resell our son’s clothing when we are sure we are done having children. We have already sold a little bit to consignment stores, and we always get at least a few dollars per garment – often as much (or sometimes more) than what we paid at rummage sales. So while this may not be a money making venture for us, it at least helps us defray the costs of our child’s clothing. Look around in your area to see what garage sales might be taking place, what bag sales your local thrift or secondhand shops may have, and what consignment stores buy back gently used kids items. It might save you a lot of money in the long run!
Here are 15 things our family doesn't spent money on. #15 might surprise you! And we threw in one extra just for good measure!
This post is linked up with A Mama’s Story, Classical Homemaking
Those are the 15+ things our family doesn’t spend money on. I’m sure this list will change and grow over the years as our family’s needs change. However, we are always on the lookout for ways to save money, which you can read more about below.
 

Comments

  2. Petra says

    Thank you! We do almost all the same. I still byu some cleaners and laundry detergents – but since I am also couponing a lot cost less then $1 sometimes even free.