Things I am NOT Spending Money on in 2023

Lately this year, I have been binging on Youtube videos about frugality and money-saving/earning lifestyles. I found a lot of these inspiring and informative. In particular, I liked watching the lists of all the things they have stopped spending money on and decided to write one for myself. I have a lot of stuff that I have collected over the years. I have downsized and sold some stuff to combat the price of living though.

Whilst I don’t consider myself to be a minimalist or a truly frugal person, I have found that these videos have helped me save some money and I feel more control with my fianances. I am now spending money on only the necessities and things that bring me joy. Some if the stuff in the list were featured in my original post on Medium.

Bras

Cheaper alternative: use the vests I already got.

I don't like wearing them. It’s hard to find one the right size and they can hurt. You may hear a lot of people say the best time of the day for a woman is when they take their bra off. Why should I torture myself to fit in with this? I wear vests as they are much more comfortable. I get told that I have to wear a bra or my boobs will sag down to my knees as I get older. Everything falls apart when you get older, it’s just a part of growing old. They’re overpriced. For the price of a good bra, I can get a week’s worth of groceries. I have a lot of vests and one old Sparta bra that are still fully functional and will last me another good couple of years.

Sugar

Cheaper alternative: Not having it at all!

I don’t see any point in buying sugar. For me, buying sugar is throwing money away. The food industry puts sugar in everything because it’s cheap and makes food tastes better and longer. I believe that artificial sweeteners can be just as bad for you as sugar. Even the low-fat foods and protein milkshakes that are advertised as being healthy… have just as much (if not more) sugar than a packet of doughnuts. Sweet Death: How Sugar Is Making Us Sick by ENDEVR has made me grateful that I don’t buy pure sugar.

Salt

Cheaper alternative: Not buying any in the first place

This is the same reason I don’t buy sugar. Salt is already added to a lot of food. And the body only needs a small amount of salt. It’s in everything, so I don’t see the point in adding salt to my food. Instead of buying salt and sugar, I can invest in herbs and spices such as turmeric, cinnamon and paprika. Herbs and spices are very cheap and because you only need a sprinkle at a time, they last for ages.

Fast Fashion

Cheaper alternative: Wearing what I already have, thrift stores and hand-me-downs.

I have a lot of beef with the fast fashion industry. Where do I even start? From the terrible treatment of sweatshop workers, exploitation of developing countries and the lack of recycling oppurtunities means that unwanted clothes end up destroying the environment. I am making a new year resolution not to buy any clothes in 2023. Why? Because I got given some nice clothes for Christmas and my birthday. Also, the clothes I already have are perfectly wearable. In fact, it may be time to do another wardrobe clearout soon.

Monthly Subscriptions

Cheaper Alternatives: Only pay for what I use, using free versions, don’t get duped into free trials.

I am not buying any subscriptions in 2023. I already have Netflix and Apple Cloud storage, which I do actually use. My family use my Netflix more than I do, but I can use my aunt’s Disney Plus account if I want to stream something there at her house. I don’t need any music subscriptions because for me it would be a waste of money as I just listen to the same music over and over again. There’s loads of places I can access music for free like Spotify’s free service, the radio and even YouTube.

My monthly subscriptions atm include:

Netflix - £10.99

Gym - £26 (I go once or twice a week and when the outdoor swimming pool is open, I use it much more). At the moment, I’m breaking even.

Apple Cloud Service - £2.49

Writers Guild Union - £16.50

Writers magazine subscription - £9.99 (Quarterly)

I am actually considering cancelling the Union and magazine subscription so I have more money saved. The writing magazine has been awesome, and I have been able to get some work featured there, but I have found more value and information either online for free or with in-person writing groups. I have already cancelled my Medium premium and when the Vocal one expires, I don’t have any plans to renew it.

Ready Meals and Take Aways at home

Cheaper alternatives: Cooking at home, dinners at friend‘s houses, buying from local markets, and buying the items to cook from scratch.

The average ready meal and takeaway meal can cost between £5-£15. In some areas it’s double. I can get my weekly shopping for less than that, and if I only pick the basics and reduced stuff, I can make my weekly shop cost less than £5. When I do my weekly shopping my goal is to get no more than 10 items and to spend £10 or less. Sometimes I go over, but most of the time I can manage.

The exception I am willing to make for this rule is when I am out of town with some friends, but I think my plan is to pick up some porridge and soup at the groceries and have it at the hotel.

With all this in mind, I hope to have saved at least £1000 between January and December next year.