If you’re looking to save yourself some money, one of the first places to start is your home. There are many things you probably don’t need but see yourself putting money into. Cut down on your spending by avoiding these 17 items today.
Floor Cleaners
Why use a branded floor cleaner when your dishwashing soap is there? As The Spruce shares, a mild dish soap solution works perfectly on the floors, especially when it isn’t overused. So you’re smarter with your money this way, instead of opting for unnecessary, single-purpose branded floor cleaners with usually inflated prices.
Paper Towels
They may seem like the perfect solution to your surface cleaning needs, but paper towels are the least economical option you can go for. You use them every day, and they eventually get pretty expensive in the long run. It’s best to opt for fabric that can be washed and reused over and over again.
Single-Purpose Electronics
No, we aren’t talking about your TVs or your refrigerators. Instead, you’ll want to avoid spending money on unitaskers like popcorn poppers, egg cookers, and chicken roasters. You’ll probably only use them once in a while, and they eventually take up valuable kitchen space. Microwave ovens and air fryers are multipurpose appliances that will do just fine.
Robotic Vacuums
It’s cool to have a robot cruise around your home and do the carpet cleaning for you. But what you may not know is that robotic vacuums only lightly skim over the surface of your carpets. They leave the deeper parts still riddled with microparticles like dust, mites, and hair, which can get musty and allergenic over time.
Detox Juice Cleanses
One of the best (or worst) things you should stop spending your money on now are detox juices. Thomas Sherman, professor in the Department of Pharmacology at Georgetown University, explains to the Washington Post that “there is no credible science that detox diets do anything more than what all extreme caloric-restricted diets also do.” In essence, you’re just wasting hundreds of dollars on flavored water.
Bottled Water
Bottled water doesn’t just do long-term damage to your pockets; it also pollutes the environment. You’d want to opt for tap water instead. Yes, tap water may look a bit unhygienic to you. But if you add a filtration system to it, you’ll have the same quality as their bottled counterparts. It’s an investment that pays off in the long run.
Pre-Cut Fruits
They save you the time that would’ve been spent chopping apples and watermelons up, and it’s because of this single reason that they come with a higher price tag. You sacrifice more money for fruits that have lost some nutrients and a part of their lifespan sitting on the store shelves.
Fabric Softeners
Fabric softeners only make your clothes feel softer to the touch and nothing more—they don’t make them any cleaner, and they definitely don’t make them any more durable. They even damage clothes with spandex and are one of the few items you can get rid of without even feeling any loss.
Expensive Printer Ink
The Washington Post shared research that shows expensive, name-brand inks aren’t any better than their cheaper counterparts. This means you can save money on ink without any worries. Also, most of your documents will be handled digitally anyway, so why splurge hundreds of dollars on a printer as a whole?
Expensive Workout Items
Whether you buy a 15-kg dumbbell for $20 or $100, it still weighs the same and helps you build or lose the same body mass. All you have to do is get yourself an amazing workout routine and follow it diligently. Spending more money on in-home workout equipment is the last thing you should do.
Chemical Drainage Cleaners
Unless you don’t mind having to fix your pipes more regularly than you would like, it’s better not to use chemical drain cleaners. This is because these cleaners are typically made from harsh sulfuric and hydrochloric acids, as well as sodium and potassium hydroxides. These generate heat when mixed together and gradually burn away your pipes during cleaning sessions.
Unnecessary Subscriptions
Maybe Netflix helps you unwind after a long week of work, and Hubspot keeps your business intact. However, you want to get rid of subscriptions that you don’t really have any use for. Ads can be annoying, but paying for a service with no other value than removing ads isn’t the best financial move.
Carpet Powders
Carpet powders are awesome solutions to quickly take care of spills and other accidents on your carpets while leaving a great scent. The lowdown for them is that regular cleaning products like water and vinegar do just about the same job without leaving stains, attracting dust, or putting children and pets at risk of harmful chemicals.
Supplements
Americans spend billions on supplements, which are just what they are—proteins or vitamins that compliment your daily dietary intake. They don’t serve you as well as having a balanced diet, and Havard Health even shares that they may not come with any ounce of benefit at all. They’re only necessary if there’s a specific prescription from the doctor.
Coffee Pods
There are arguments about whether coffee pods are safe for the environment, with research from Quebec saying they are and experts reiterating that they aren’t. Nonetheless, one thing is certain—they are more expensive than buying your coffee beans raw. They’re unnecessary if you could just take that extra time out to grind the coffee beans yourself.
Air Fresheners
Okay, we know what you may be thinking. How can you take care of that odor in your home and keep your indoor air smelling clean? Well, it’s better to look for what’s causing the odor in the first place than mask it with potentially harmful, money-depleting chemicals that worsen your air quality.
Aesthetic Towels
Your towels won’t wipe you any drier or stay cleaner for longer, no matter how decorative they look in your bathroom. You’re just paying extra for nonfunctional aesthetics, and this isn’t what you need when you’re looking to save yourself a few bucks.
More From Planning To Organize
18 Common Behaviors That Will Make People Lose Respect for You