STOP Wasting Money on These 25 Things in 2025!

You know that moment when you check your bank account expecting to see a little cushion and instead you're left thinking, where did all my money go? It's a gut punch feeling and trust me, I've been there more times than I'd like to admit. But here's the thing, sometimes it's not about those massive reckless spendings. It's the little sneaky habits, the ones that seem harmless in the moment, but add up over time, they quietly chip away at your goals. Heading into 2025, I'm flipping the script on myself. I'm making a promise to myself to stop wasting money on things that don't align with my values or my future. I've put together a list of 25 things I'm not spending money on in 2025. Some might surprise you, they surprised me, and a few might feel a little too close to home. Here's the kicker, the last item on my list, it's a challenge, even for me, and I'm the one setting the rules. So stick around as we break it down into six different categories, from the sneaky spending traps to the habits we all need to rethink just a little bit. This isn't just about cutting costs, it's about making room for what truly matters to us. Saving for retirement, creating joyful experiences, and maybe even discovering the freedom to pursue a few dreams along the way. I'm cutting out trendy clothing, or I'd like to hope that I will. Fast fashion is tempting, and I wish I could say that I've chosen those timeless, versatile pieces, and they get more wear and save money over time, but that's not the case. I try. I wish I could say that instead of chasing trends, I try hard to invest in quality basics that pair well with everything and last for years. That's always my goal. However, any tops, blouses, or sweaters that I purchase to wear on YouTube, well, it's a tax write-off. So in my head, I justify buying these things by saying I need them for YouTube, as I wouldn't buy a bright pink sweater otherwise. I'm going to try harder. I'm no longer buying a new purse for every season or special occasions. I went through a phase, a designer handbag phase, Michael Kors, Coach, Louis Vuitton, Kate Spade, and then I went through a phase of switching out my purses for every season. I wanted to have a cute purse for date night or a new purse for a wedding. Now I'm just not doing that anymore. Instead, I lean into practicality, and now I have three to four purses. My everyday backpack, my big navy crossbody, a smaller crossbody, and a dress-up funeral and wedding type clutch. Now let me show you why I love this little backpack. It's got sections for everything. When my husband and I go out for coffee, I keep our little coffee koozies in here. The coffee koozies that you get at a normal Starbucks or Barnes and Noble are terrible, and they don't work. If we happen to forget our own takeout-to-go coffee mugs, I have these just in case. There's so many pockets. I have this zipper pocket. It doesn't hold anything. I have an extra pocket. And then there's this zipper pocket that I have for things like hand sanitizer, Tums, lips gloss, ibuprofen, anything that I might need. I'm one of those people that everybody knows if I have this backpack, I probably have what you need in it. I've also been asked that while wearing it on my back, if it worries me that somebody might try to steal something, to unzip it or snatch it or bump into me and steal my wallet. And honestly, that's not a worry for me, not in the area that I live in. If I were to go to a trip to a bigger city where there's more people, I might choose to wear a different type of purse. My navy crossbody, I love. It has a zipper on it. I'm also considering upgrading that navy crossbody to something that has a strap that you can't cut. I've seen these on Amazon and other YouTube travel content creators. They've talked about these straps that can't be cut. Great for travel. I'm giving up on single-use or event-specific outfits. Gone are the days of buying a dress just for one wedding or holiday party. I'm perfectly fine with wearing what I have in my closet and I'm okay with wearing the same outfits in multiple photos. A friend of mine was telling me how she bought this really amazing outfit for her Christmas party. The pants were sparkly, sequined, and so much fun. The top was a white top with little black bows on it. Now here's what happened. She ended up with a crazy, ridiculous nosebleed as she was getting ready for the party and was not willing to wear that beautiful white blouse just in case she had another nosebleed during the party, which meant she couldn't wear that awesome outfit. Ditching the dry-clean-only clothing is another thing that I'm not spending money on in 2025. I don't have the time, energy, or money to maintain clothes that need special care. Choosing machine-washable fabrics is a practical way to save on cleaning costs while still looking nice and put together. Because I'm nothing if not practical. Even when I was shopping thrift store shopping with my mom last month, I was paying close attention to the tags. Not willing to spend money on something that's not machine-washable. So making sure that that really great sweater that I bought was machine-washable and not dry-clean-only was very important to me. Life's too short for complicated laundry routines. No more matching pajama sets in 2025. I used to splurge on cute matching pajamas, tops and bottoms, but now I just repurpose my comfy old t-shirts and shorts or leggings. They're cozy, free, and don't make me feel guilty if I spill coffee on them during my morning routine. I'm done with air fresheners and candles. Air fresheners and good candles are pricey, and honestly, I think they sort of stink. I would rather open a window or simmer some cinnamon and cloves that smell even better. Sprinkling a little essential oil from my friend Gretchen over at Adirondack Aromatherapy is my backup in case there's an odor that I can't get rid of in the house. Most store-bought air fresheners are full of chemicals too. So the switch saves not only money, but I feel like it's healthier for my home. Ditching the plastic wrap and plastic bags are a must for 2025. Now, I've not purchased plastic wrap in almost 20 years. I'm much happier putting something in a jar or a bowl with a lid. If you still want a cover, swapping out plastic wrap for reusable beeswax wrap is a great alternative. Not only are they eco-friendly, but they also last a long time and they're reusable, which saves money in the long run. Plus, they're kind of cute. Who knew food storage could be so fun? They have some with these cute little bees on them. Adorable. This year, I want to get better at not using zip bags. It's one area that I've become a little relaxed about and I just want to do better. I'd much rather use a glass container. Okay, let's talk about seasonal tableware now that the holiday season has wrapped up. I don't need a plate for every holiday or season. A neutral everyday dish works perfectly year-round. It's less to store and less to spend money on. Now, if you want to jazz up things for an occasion, I'll add a colorful napkin or a DIY centerpiece, but my dishes are white corral. They go with everything and I have a pretty cloth holiday napkin for Christmas and for Thanksgiving. I actually have some dishes that are downstairs that I've used seasonally that I rarely use. I think I'm going to sell them. Those single-use cleaning wipes are so last year. Now, I got into the habit after the pandemic of buying Clorox cleaning wipes. Well, the natural equivalent of the Clorox cleaning wipes, the seventh generation cleaning wipes, but I'm not going to do that anymore. I'm going back to my Norwex cloths or a rag and cleaning spray. It's time to get back to basics for me. They work just as well, if not better. No more junk drawer gadgets in 2025. Those little impulsive buys, those gimmicky tools or life hacks that end up taking up space in the junk drawer. I realize they don't add value to my life and I usually don't work as promised. This year, I vow to only buy tools that I truly need and use regularly. Now, here's an example. I bought an outlet that has remote control on it and I couldn't even remember why I bought it. Gone are those days. I'm sure I can find a use for it, but it feels like a waste of money because I don't even remember. I'm not buying spices this year. I have so many spices, so I'm vowing to not buy anything new. I'll just use up what I have before buying any more. If something calls for onion powder and I'm out, but I have two jars of garlic powder, I'll just use that. Now, it might change the flavor just a little bit, but I don't think it's going to be anything drastic. I need to use these up before they all go bad. No more cereal in 2025 either. I used to buy cereal every week, but nobody seems to be eating it anymore. We would much rather have eggs and maybe some bacon or sausage. We do have oatmeal in the house, but gone are the days of cold box cereals. Those meal kits are not worth it. I'm not a fan of cooking, as you know, if you've been around this channel for a hot New York minute, but it's time I changed my mindset a little bit. I've been buying some meal kits this year and I get the appeal of meal kits. They're very convenient and some are really yummy, but the cost per serving just doesn't make sense. And some of them are more complicated than doing anything from scratch. Cooking in bulk and freezing portions is way smarter way to save time and to save money. It also gives me full control over ingredients and flavors. So again, back to basics for me. And no flavored waters. Those bottles of flavored waters are so overpriced. You can easily infuse your own water with lemon, cucumber or mint, even some berries, and it just tastes even better. Or just drink it plain. It's a small change that is easy on the wallet and the environment. And if I want a little more flavor to my water, I like those stir squeezable water enhancers. I'm not buying salad kits anymore. Those salad kits are convenient and a great way to eat a little bit healthier. But buying lettuce and topping separately costs half as much, if not more. Now I know I can prep it all at once and make enough salads to last through the week. It's just as easy, far more budget friendly, but it does take a little bit more time. Now I'm also done with souvenirs from trips. I used to feel like I needed a physical memento from every vacation, including buying for the grandchildren. But now I just focus on taking great photos instead. Or like my friend Becky is doing, consider short video clips and adding them to a social media platform like Instagram as a virtual scrapbook to share with friends and family, as well as look back for yourself. Memories mean more than knickknacks cluttering up my shelves. And if I really want a keepsake, I'll opt for something practical or handmade by local artisans. Full price movies and snacks, I'm all done. Now I love the movies. But in all honesty, I only go a couple of times a year. Except for the movie Wicked. I've seen that twice in the movies. Now, if you also love the movie Wicked, please give me a pink heart for Team Glinda or a green heart for Team Elphaba. Or one of each if you can't decide. I loved the movie and I can't wait for it to come out on streaming so I can watch it 10 or 20 more times. But I refuse snacks at the theater. I did that once this year and was reminded at the ridiculously overinflated price of popcorn. When I do go to the movies, I go in the afternoon when it's cheaper and bring my own snacks. I'm no longer buying paid warranties on appliances. I stopped paying for extended warranties because the manufacturer already covers most appliances for at least a year. Instead, I researched the brand with great reliability and put that warranty money into a savings account for repairs. Plus, if you don't already know this, my husband can fix just about anything. And if he can't, I'm okay with calling a repair guy. I'll just use the money that I put aside for that specific purchase. I'm not paying for budgeting apps. I've tried a couple and I've decided that I'm stopping paying for budgeting tools with hefty fees. I've tried a lot of them and just prefer my own budgeting planner more. I'm just going to stop trying other things and just stick with what works. If you want a free copy of my budget planner, I'm going to leave a link below. It's free, digital, downloadable copy that you can use to help manage your money better. I'm not paying for estate planning packages that I don't need. Now, we had our will and all of our estate planning done this year. And so I'll not be continue paying for anything else. There's no need for a monthly fee. Some places like to charge you a monthly fee for this or any other complicated planning moving forward. While estate planning is super important and I would actually say essential, I've learned that not all packages are worth the cost. I only paid for what was truly necessary, like a simple will and trust and all of the health proxies that we needed. And I avoid upsells that don't fit my actual needs. It's about being smart and not overpaying. Now, I won't pay for overdraft protection fees or bank fees. Keeping an eye on my account balance is so much easier and cheaper and smarter than paying for overdraft fees. Most banks have alerts that you can set up to notify you when your balance is getting low. And that has saved many from unnecessary charges. Gone are the days of paying expensive banking fees. I've actually switched to a credit union so that doesn't happen anymore, both for business and personal. Monthly maintenance fees, ATM fees, or paper statement fees? No, thank you. Stick to banks or credit unions that offer free accounts and avoid fees by managing transactions carefully. Why pay the bank to hold your money for you? Tax filing expenses. We're no longer paying a premium tax filing fee. Instead, as a part of business bookkeeping service, we're able to save money come tax filing time. This is going to save us some substantial money during that time. I got lucky when finding a company that will not only help me with my business side, but also my personal side. They are not charging me come tax filing time. So this is a win-win all the way around. One service that will do everything for us, saving us substantial money come January. Unnecessary life insurance policies are not part of our 2025 plan. We do not have life insurance policies. I know this may be a little controversial to many people, but I feel like once we reach a certain age that we can self-insure and not worry about paying out of pocket each month for a sum of money that will come when we die. It's better for us to take that same money and invest it into something else. So when our spouse passes, we have that money available. We're fine. We have all of our bases covered. No more greeting cards. I've given up sending greeting cards out for every occasion. Now, I still send them at Christmas time because it brings me joy. But for birthdays, I'd rather give friends and loved ones a quick text or a phone call or just meet up for coffee to celebrate their special day. On super special occasions, I really like sending flowers. Like if it's a 75th birthday or a 50th birthday, I'd rather send flowers. There's no more alcohol for casual consumption going on here. Cutting out casual drinking saves me money and calories. A glass of water with lemon or sparkling water scratches the same itch, especially when we're going out to dinner, without costing more than $10 a bottle. Plus, I feel healthier and more energized. I'm not a drinker. And this is something that I'm just going to continue not doing. I finally got to a point this year where I can say, no thanks, I don't drink alcohol. And honestly, I don't miss it at all. Just the opposite. I feel much better. I'm all done with over-the-top holiday gifts. The pressure to buy expensive gifts is real. But I've learned that experiences and practical items are far more meaningful. Now, I've tried to pare down gifts every year. And I've been pretty successful at it. I would much rather get together with friends for coffee or breakfast, rather than gift-giving, as I just talked about with those greeting cards. Now, I have three grandchildren, and over-the-top gift-giving isn't the worst part for me. Even though there seems to be a little competition with the other grandmothers, I choose not to take part in that silly game. But it's the wanting to gift them things on a regular basis that I have to practice some self-control in. So far, I focused on experiences, and I really enjoy that the most. I love spending time with them. But I feel like as they get older, that might be a little bit more challenging. We'll have to cross that bridge when we get to it. They are where my spending will struggle within the 2025 year. I'm just going to make sure if I feel the need to give, then it's going to be things like the baby formula, the wipes, the snacks to take to school or eat at home, fruit that's on sale, for example. Cutting back on these items isn't just about saving money. It's about spending intentionally and simplifying my life and focusing on what truly matters. What could you stop buying to save money this year, reduce stress, or reach your goals a little bit faster? Trust me, those little changes do add up in a really big way. And if you're looking for more shopping secrets that save you money, watch this video next.