I rarely buy things now that my home is comfortable. I don’t need more cushions for my sofa, or a new decor on my shelf. I have enough clothing to get me through all the seasons – for many years.
Here are 9 things you can do to reduce your costs:
- Don’t buy designer clothing, bags, shoes or goods, unless you’re getting quality that you’re looking for. For instance, I used to buy $10 shoes which hurt my feet and back. Now I spend $60 on shoes that has good support. However, I don’t go buying $300 designer shoes. Also, sometimes, you just need to look for things that ‘look’ well designed. I bought a bag for $20 and a few people thought I bought it in Italy. My clothes are usually in the $20 range, and jeans from $15-40.
- Avoid brand names (unless necessary)
- Buy replacement brands like No Name from Loblaws, and Shoppers’ Life Brand
- Go to dollarstore heaven chains: Miniso, Mumuso, Oomomo (formerly Daiso), Dollarama, Dollar Tree. It’s amazing what you can find in these stores!
- Collect coupons, vouchers, reward points or buy through sites like Groupon*
- If you’re a book lover, stop buying books and get them free from the library
- Thriftstore: although I donate quite a bit of stuff, to be honest, I’m not a huge fan of buying from second-hand stores. Still, I have bought a few items for a good price.
- Bring your reusuable shopping bags whenever possible. This works for me if I’m going by car as I always leave a few bags in my car, but those fabric bags can be quick bulky to keep in your purse. So I will usually keep one plastic shopping bag in my purse. If you’re at a mall, and you get one bag from one shop, refrain from getting more bags from the other stores if the items you buy can fit in your first bag.
- If it’s an item that you normally don’t use, ask friends if they will let you borrow them, ie. camping tent, snowshoes, drills, iron & ironing board. There are also apps you can use to rent from strangers for a fraction of a price for more expensive items
*If you sign up and make a qualifying purchase, I am eligible to receive Groupon bucks (store credits).
Let me know how you try to cut down on waste with shopping! I’d love to know!
