Money can be a stressful, awkward topic, or it can be a straightforward one. It all depends on your mindset around it. Avoiding your finances isn’t the answer.

I love learning about personal finance. So, today I wanted to go through some things you should stop spending money on (or so much money on).

It’s really just a blog post to get you thinking about where your money is going, and maybe where you can cut back.

I’ve taken the liberty to split these up into “budget” categories. And there are so many other things you can spend or not spend money on. This is just a sample list to get those brain juices of yours flowing.

Housing

+ a house/apartment you can’t afford (or barely can)

- can you downsize, move to a different part of the city?

+ decor/furniture

- pinterest makes you want to throw everything out and buy all new things

- get creative and thoughtful about what you fill your space with

- thrifted, second hand are great options

- shop around and buy for longevity

+ leaving lights/electronics on

- small but it adds up

+ keeping your air/heat too high

- if it’s 90 degrees outside and you have your air cranked so high that you have to wear pants and a sweater inside you can probably turn it up a few degrees

+ one use/disposables

- this one doesn’t really have a category, but if you’re using paper towels, dryer sheets, plastic utensils or paper plates seriously consider using a reusable, more sustainable option (you’ll save a lot of money too)

Food

+ eating out

- duh, we know this one adds up, but it’s such an easy way to cut back on how much you’re spending

+ getting coffee

- $5 drinks every day adds up quickly, even though at the time it doesn’t seem like much

+ bottled water/soda/drinks in general

- once again, adds up quickly, carry around your own reusable bottle

+ overbuying groceries/ letting them go to waste

- this is just a lack of planning, don’t go shopping without a well thought out list made from what you actually plan to cook for meals that week.

Personal

+ getting your nails and hair done

- do your nails at home

- go to a cheaper salon

- stop dying your hair

+ clothes

- buy second hand

- adopt a capsule wardrobe

- minimalism is a beautiful thing

+ gym/class membership

- I’m not saying don’t work out, but why do you have a gym membership you don’t use?

- I love love love hot yoga, but I can’t afford that shit

+ makeup/hair products

- I used to work with this girl who was always worrying about paying for her rent, groceries, you name it, but then would show up with toiletry bags full of expensive makeup from Sephora

+ not taking care of your teeth/health

- eat healthy, brush and floss

- yeah there things outside our power when it comes to our health, but there’s so much that is preventable by what we eat and do with our bodies

Entertainment

+ subscriptions you don’t use

- you’d be amazed how many things we are subscribed too

- is there a way you can go in on a netflix subscription with a friend or family member?

+ cable

- we don’t, and have never owned a TV, cable is expensive

+ alcohol/going out to bars

- I don’t enjoy the bar scene anymore anyways, but working at a bar I was amazed with how much people would spend on going out every single weekend

+ going to the movies

- is there a cheap movie night in your town, ours is Tuesday

- rent a movie at home, or one you already own

+ concerts

- I’m not a big concert goer, but this is another thing that’s an obvious cut for me

Transportation

+ buying a car you can’t afford

- yes, most people need a car to get to and from work, but there are so many people that get rid of a car that they’ve already paid for to start paying for a new car loan to keep up with everyone around them

+ paying too much for travel/flights

- do your research, check out all your options between driving, flying, trains and buses

- keep you eyes out for a good deal

+ snacks/food while traveling

- I always try to pack some snacks and food when I travel (I’m always hungry), as well as a reusable water bottle

- If you wait to buy food at the airport or at a gas station, it’s probably neither cheap or healthy

There are so many ways you can cut back on your spending, many of which I didn’t list here. I think it’s just good to assess your finances and where your money is going regularly. And when you have the cash flow to splurge, go for it. But I’ve known so many people that are living beyond their means and that really stresses me out.

How do you cut back on your spending? What are some things you’ve stopped spending money on?