How I Save Money Tip #1: Don’t Buy Things That You Won’t Use

I’m republishing this from a few years ago, because I’m going to add to my series of blog posts entitled “How I Save Money”.  This will be a semi-regular series of posts detailing one way in which I’ve saved money for my family.  I’m going to try for each Monday, but we’ll see how it goes.  Each tip will be my own experience, but something that you can easily replicate in your own money-saving journey, if you so choose.

Tip #1: Don’t Buy Things That You Won’t Use.

You would think that my #1 Tip would be using coupons, right?  WRONG!  The biggest waste of money, in my opinion, is using it to buy something that you won’t use/eat/wear/whatever, even if it’s a really good deal.  It’s not a good deal if it’s something that you don’t use.

Before I purchase an item, I make sure that it is something that I will eat/use/wear or that someone in my family will eat/use/wear.  For clothing purchases, I make sure that it is of high quality, and that the item is something that goes with other items in my closet.

This tip goes for buying gifts too.  I don’t buy anything for anyone that they won’t eat/use/wear.    There’s nothing worse than getting something that you won’t eat/use/wear.  Right?  What are you going to do with that?  Where are you going to store it and not eat/use/wear it?  This is why I mostly give gift cards, but I make sure that they are for a store that the recipient really likes and will use.  Amazon Gift Cards are my favorite gifts to give, because they are easy to buy, are delivered right away, and the recipient can buy literally anything on Amazon.  I personally love gift cards to my favorite stores as gifts, but then again, I love to shop!  It’s the gift of shopping!

If you have stuff you don’t use/eat/wear, someone else will use/eat/wear it!  Do the KonMari Method and get rid of stuff!  Sell it on Facebook Garage Sale Groups or Craigslist!  Donate it to a local charity and count that toward your charitable donations if you file Itemized Taxes.  All of those bring in cash for that item that won’t happen if its just taking up space in your closet.

I personally don’t have space for things that I can’t eat/use/wear.  Parting with my hard-earned money on an item that I won’t eat/use/wear is a waste!!  I’m very particular how I part with my money.  That is why not buying things that I won’t eat/use/wear is my #1 Tip for How I Save Money.

This tip is kind of harsh, and it’s supposed to be.  It’s the most important.  That’s why it’s #1.  You’ll save a ton of money just by following this one tip alone!

This series is going to be fun!  I have some great ideas for things that you can do to save money that you may not even be thinking of yet!  Let me know what you think, or what you’d like to see as a future tip!

Want More Money Saving Tips?

Follow me on Instagram for more money saving tips every day! Also, check out all of my easy, actionable money-saving tips in my post 15 Easy Ways to Save Money!