I used to think saving money meant saying "no" to everything fun. No coffee runs. No dinners out. No cute things.
That mindset lasted about two weeks before I cracked and bought a $5 iced latte out of sheer rebellion.
Here's what I learned instead: saving isn't about cutting everything you love. It's about noticing what you're spending on that doesn't actually add anything to your life.
When I sat down and really looked at my past purchases? Oof. Thousands of dollars on things I didn't even remember buying. Let me walk you through what I stopped — and how much money came flooding back into my bank account as a result.
Table of Contents
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Small Changes That Saved Me Over $11,000 a Year
- 1. Eating out for every meal
- 2. Cable TV and streaming services
- 3. Saying yes to every social plan
- 4. High-end makeup from Sephora
- 5. Overhyped skincare products
- 6. Unhealthy "healthy" foods
- 7. Prepackaged grocery store meals
- 8. Too many clothes
- 9. Impulse buys at the grocery store
- 10. Magazine subscriptions
- 11. Random knick-knacks
- 12. Costco avocados
- One Final Thought On Saving Money
Small Changes That Saved Me Over $11,000 a Year
1. Eating out for every meal
My husband and I used to dine out for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Almost daily.
When we finally added up the numbers, I nearly choked on my $13 lunch salad. We were spending over $34,000 per year as a couple on food. That's not a typo. Thirty-four thousand dollars.
Breakdown looked something like this: $8 for breakfast and tea, $13 for lunch, $15 for dinner on weekdays. Weekends cost even more. It felt "normal" because everyone around us lived the same way.
Normal doesn't mean smart.
We started packing lunches and cooking at home. Not every meal — we still go out and enjoy ourselves. But we cut back enough to save over $11,000 in a single year. That money went straight into investments. For more tips on keeping food costs low, check out our guide on how to slash your grocery bill without sacrificing quality.
If you're not sure where to start with meal planning, try a simple service like The $5 Meal Plan (they offer a free 14-day trial). Learning to cook at home changed everything for us.
2. Cable TV and streaming services
I didn't think our $55 monthly cable bill was a big deal. Neither was the Netflix subscription.
But here's what hit me: I was spending five hours per day watching HGTV renovation shows. Five hours! That's practically a part-time job, except I was the one paying for the privilege.
Those hours made me feel sluggish and unaccomplished. I'd look up from the couch, realize the whole afternoon had vanished, and feel worse than when I started.
So I cut both cable and streaming.
Suddenly I had hours of free time. I channeled that into starting this blog. And that blog? It now makes over $20,000 per month. What felt like "giving up" entertainment turned into the best career move I ever made. If you want to do the same, here is a step-by-step guide on how to start a blog and make money.
I'm not saying you have to cancel Netflix. But ask yourself: what could you build with those hours?
3. Saying yes to every social plan
For years, I said yes to Thursday night drinks, Friday dinners, and weekend brunches. Partly because I wanted to see my friends. Partly because I felt weird saying no.
Those outings cost money — but they also cost energy.
Instead of joining every casual hangout, my husband and I started spending that time hunting for rental properties. We'd meet with our realtor over coffee, research neighborhoods, and discuss investment strategies.
Our friends thought we were crazy. Some laughed. Most didn't understand why we'd skip "fun" for "work."
Years later? We built a seven-figure net worth from nothing. We came from low-income families and had student debt. Compound interest and consistent saving did the heavy lifting — but saying no to draining social obligations gave us the time and money to start. If you are also struggling with balances, you can learn how to save money and pay off debt simultaneously.
Now those same friends ask us for financial advice.
4. High-end makeup from Sephora
This one hurt at first. I loved wandering through Sephora, testing pretty things, leaving with a little bag of happiness.
But here's what I realized: I didn't look or feel any prettier with expensive makeup on my face. The $24 mascara didn't perform better than the $8 drugstore version. The fancy eyeshadow palettes sat unused while I reached for the same neutral shades every day.
I still splurge on two things: foundation and skincare (since those go directly onto my skin for hours). Everything else? Drugstore all the way.
My current favorite mascara is Maybelline Colossal Curl Bounce in Very Black. Costs about $8. Works beautifully.
When I do shop at Sephora, I use Rakuten to get cash back on every purchase. It's free and takes two seconds to activate. Small thing that adds up.
5. Overhyped skincare products
I wasted so much money on expensive serums and creams that promised miracles and delivered nothing.
The truth? No $200 face cream can fix bad sleep, chronic stress, or a diet full of sugar. I learned this the hard way after years of searching for magic in a bottle.
Here's what actually works (and most of it is free):
Wear broad-spectrum SPF 50+ every single day. Rain or shine. Winter or summer. UVA rays don't take breaks, and they're the main cause of skin aging.
Get 7-8 hours of sleep. They call it "beauty sleep" for a reason.
Manage your stress however works for you — exercise, meditation, deep breathing, whatever.
Eat real food. Sugar damages your skin through a process called glycation, which literally ages you faster.
I still use some affordable products: The Ordinary's Retinol 0.5% in Squalane (about $8), Mad Hippie Vitamin C serum, and cold-pressed natural oils like squalane or rosehip. But the expensive, heavily marketed stuff? Gone.
My skin actually looks better now than when I was spending $1,000+ per year on fancy products.
6. Unhealthy "healthy" foods
I used to be that person buying "organic" dark chocolate-covered nuts and "all-natural" trail mix, feeling very virtuous about my choices.
Then I read the ingredient labels.
Hidden sugar everywhere. Refined oils. Preservatives. These products weren't healthy — they were marketed as healthy. Big difference.
I stopped buying packaged snacks entirely. Now I stick to whole foods: bananas, apples, carrots, hummus, sweet potatoes, avocados, raw unsalted nuts.
If I want something baked, I make it myself. That way I control exactly what goes in. It's cheaper, healthier, and honestly tastes better.
7. Prepackaged grocery store meals
Those grab-and-go pizzas, pre-made lasagnas, and frozen "healthy" bowls seem convenient. And compared to restaurant takeout, they look like a deal.
But they're still more expensive than cooking from scratch. And they're often just as unhealthy as regular fast food — clever packaging doesn't change what's inside.
I learned to meal prep for 5 days at a time. Sunday afternoon in the kitchen, and suddenly I have lunches ready all week. No decisions, no temptation to buy something expensive, no waste.
This single change saved me thousands of dollars and reduced how often I needed to see a doctor. Healthy food is cheaper than medical bills.
8. Too many clothes
My closet used to be overflowing. Clothes with tags still on. Trendy pieces I wore once. "Sale" items that weren't really my style but felt like a bargain. To clear out your space and make some extra money, try these ways to turn clutter into quick cash.
And yet? I wore the same five things every week.
So I created a capsule wardrobe — about 40 high-quality pieces that all work together. Neutral colors, simple silhouettes, things that actually fit and feel good.
Now when I shop, I ask: "Will I wear this 30 times?" If the answer is no, I don't buy it.
I spend more per item but way less overall. And getting dressed takes 2 minutes instead of 20.
9. Impulse buys at the grocery store
My husband loves grocery shopping. He also loves wandering aisles aimlessly, grabbing whatever looks interesting.
We ended up with rotting vegetables, expired sauces, and mystery items neither of us remembered buying. So much wasted food. So much wasted money.
Now we make a meal plan before we shop. We write down exactly what we'll eat for the week, list the ingredients, and buy nothing else.
No more impulse purchases. No more food waste. Our grocery bill dropped dramatically, and we actually enjoy our meals more because we planned them intentionally.
10. Magazine subscriptions
I signed up for home dΓ©cor magazines thinking they'd give me budget-friendly decorating ideas.
Instead, they were basically catalogs. Beautiful photos of expensive furniture I couldn't afford, with no actual advice on how to achieve similar looks for less.
I was paying money to look at ads that made me want to spend more money. That's ridiculous when you think about it.
Now I use Pinterest and follow DIY bloggers who share actual budget-friendly solutions. Free. Helpful. And nobody's trying to sell me a $5,000 sofa.
11. Random knick-knacks
You know those cute little things at the checkout counter? A $5 notebook with a funny saying. A $10 tiny plant in an adorable pot. A $3 keychain shaped like a avocado.
I bought so many of these over the years. They seemed harmless — just a few dollars here and there.
But a few dollars here and there adds up to hundreds of dollars worth of clutter that doesn't add any value to my life.
Here's a mindset shift that helped me: treat every dollar you save as a "worker." Invest that dollar, and it grows into more dollars. Those dollars grow into even more. That's compound interest, and it's how normal people become millionaires.
Before buying a $5 knick-knack, I ask: "Would I rather have this object, or five workers that will multiply for years?"
The workers always win now.
12. Costco avocados
This one's specific, but I know I'm not alone.
I eat an avocado every day — healthy fats are amazing for your skin and body. Costco used to have beautiful avocados worth buying in bulk.
But lately? Black and stringy inside. Unripe for weeks, then suddenly rotten. I got tired of throwing money into the trash can.
Now I buy avocados from my local grocery store when they go on sale. Better quality, less waste, and honestly not more expensive when you factor in how many Costco avocados I was throwing away.
Sometimes bulk buying isn't actually a deal.
One Final Thought On Saving Money
Saving feels restrictive when you focus only on cutting back. I get it — I've been there with low income and student debt, wondering how I'd ever get ahead.
But here's the thing: there's a limit to how much you can save, but no limit to how much you can earn.
While you're cutting these expenses, also look for ways to bring in more income. A side hustle. A blog. Freelancing. Selling things you don't need.
That combination — spending less and earning more — is what actually builds wealth. It's what took me from student debt to a seven-figure net worth. Not deprivation. Not extreme frugality.
Just being intentional about where my money goes, and making sure as much of it as possible is working for me instead of vanishing on things I don't even remember buying.
What about you? What's something you've stopped buying that made a real difference in your bank account?
