5 Things to quit spending money on in 2023 - Jessi Fearon (2024)

I know it’s no fun to talk about cutting back on our spending, but the reality is, sometimes, if we want to make our budgets work, we’ve got to cut back. I don’t believe that we have to forgo spending entirely or become some crazy cheapskates. But I do believe that we can see positive changes to our budget when we make a conscious effort to rein in uncontrolled spending. So these are just a few of the things to quit spending money on in 2023.

1. Coffee

Alright, I know that you just rolled your eyes at this one, but the reality is that this is one of the easiest ways to save money in 2023. Back in 2022, I was in a nutritional coaching group where we got to learn about the nutritional needs of our bodies. And one of the coaches in that group didn’t hold back. She plainly stated that if you’re having to add a bunch of stuff to your coffee just to be able to drink it, then you don’t actually like coffee. You just like all the other stuff.

And you know what? She’s right. If you’re constantly buying fancy coffee with many add-ins, you may not like coffee all that much. So maybe for you, the answer isn’t to “make coffee at home”, but maybe it is to forgo coffee altogether. Or maybe you’re like me. Back when I worked in the corporate world, I LOVED to hit up a Starbucks on the way to work. The coffee at the office was awful, and honestly, the coffee at home wasn’t great – but that cup of coffee from Starbucks? That was awesome. But you know what my issue was? It was that I was buying super cheap, horribly made coffee that I didn’t like for my home machine. And then I was expecting myself to have the courage to drink that yucky coffee at home instead of buying a decent cup of coffee. If you don’t like coffee at home, here are a few ideas:

• Clean out your coffee maker at least once a month.
• Try out different coffees until you find the one you like.
• Look up copycat recipes of the coffees you typically order out.

2. Alcohol

This is a big one. No one likes to talk about this, but we’ve got to. The whole “I’ve got to drink wine in order to survive my kids” thing that society keeps trying to sell us has got to go. It’s killing us, ladies. I know for me, during the Pandemic, my alcohol consumption went way up. And honestly, I didn’t think much about it. That’s how these things go, right? We aren’t necessarily conscious of what we’re doing. After gaining over 30 pounds and joining that nutritional group I mentioned earlier, I could no longer deny it. Alcohol was wreaking havoc on my life.

And you know what? It was costing us a lot of money too every week. So if you’re like me and noticed an uptick in your alcohol consumption or you’re drinking almost every night, it’s time to let it go. Trust me, your health, weight, and money will thank you for doing it.

And it’s hard. I don’t like admitting how hard it was to quit drinking, but it wasn’t easy. But it has, hands down, been one of the best decisions I’ve ever made in my life.

3. Snacks

If you’ve got kids, you probably just fainted reading that. I think you should quit spending money on snacks. But before you freak out, hear me out. I’m not saying never to buy your kids snacks ever; I’m just saying that you should think differently about the snacks. Instead of always buying potato chips, buy a giant bag of tortilla chips. You can pair the tortilla chips with salsa, humus, taco meat, and other dips. This increases the protein of the snack and thus means the snack goes further. After all, the key to staying full is to eat protein. Same with flour tortillas – you can smear these with peanut butter or hummus and make a roll-up for a snack instead of reaching for the empty calories that just leave you even more hungry later.

So instead of just spending a bunch of money on empty snacky type foods. Think differently about it – what can you buy that will help keep everyone full for longer? Another tip – give your kids a specific snack time once a day. That’s when they can go grab a snack. The benefit is that they will actually be hungry at dinner time because they won’t have eaten a snack 30 minutes beforehand.

4. Brand New Clothes

Did you know you can buy clothes secondhand? 😱 Okay, all joking aside – yes, you should try to buy clothes secondhand before buying new ones. I know that may come off as some hippy-granola thing to say, but the reality is it saves money and the planet. It’s a win-win. Of course, buying secondhand is not always 100% possible, but when it is, you should. I love to buy my and my kids’ clothes from places like Thredup, Uptown Cheapstake, Plato’s Closet, and our local thrift stores.

Did you know that many thrift stores support local charities? Yep. So before you buy new, try used first. Here are my best tips for buying used clothing:

• Check for stains (often, stains will come out with some elbow grease, but it’s important to know the extent of the damage to determine if it’s worth it or not).
• Wash the clothes before you wear them (most stores don’t wash them first, and many times, especially at a thrift store where they depend on donations, the previous owner didn’t wash it either before donating it).
• You can do a quick Google search on your phone for the item you’re planning to buy to see what the going rate for it is. You may be able to get a lower price if you find a better deal online.

5. Take Out/Dine Out

Okay, you knew this one was coming. But just like with coffee, I want to challenge you to think a little differently about this one than you may have before. I’m not saying you should absolutely never-ever again eat out. But I am saying to take an honest look at how much you spend on take-out/eat-out and groceries every month. Then look at how much you’re throwing out that’s gone bad or that no one ate every month. If it’s a lot, then something’s gotta change.

And trust me, as a mom of three kids, I totally understand what it means to be running around all over the place. You’ve got sports, dance practice, guitar lessons, and the list goes on. I understand that can make getting dinner on the table a challenge. So let’s talk.

If you went without takeout for the next week, how much would that save your family? If the answer is $100 or more, then guess what? You can take that $100 and invest in a pressure cooker. Why? Because they’re amazing! I can’t tell you how many times I’ve looked up and realized it was 3:00, and I had yet to thaw anything for dinner, and we needed to run out the door to karate practice. And this is where the pressure cooker comes into play. I’ve taken a fully frozen large pot roast and stuck it in my pressure cooker, and in less than 2 hours, we have a fully cooked pot roast ready to eat!

And guess what? Dinners do not have to be fancy. It can just be grilled cheese and tomato soup. It can even be hot dogs and mac and cheese. Get over thinking that meal planning has to be Thanksgiving-style dinners. Meal planning needs to be realistic for you and your family.

Okay, so what would you add to this above? Of course, you could give up spending money on many things in 2023, but the five above are what I believe are the most realistic for most families.

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