When you get older, you suddenly realize that some of the things you used to spend on just don’t make sense anymore. Whether it’s because we want to cut costs or because we just want to simplify our lives, there are plenty of reasons we give up these items. Here’s a look at ten items that I (and a lot of other boomers) are skipping these days and why. Less really is more!
Featured Image Credit: Pexels.
Fine Dining
Those fancy dinners out are a thing of the past for us. We much prefer cooking at home or even visiting the local diner because it’s just as enjoyable—and it comes without the huge price tag. We can also cook the meals just the way we like them so there’s really nothing to lose. Eating at home also means skipping the formalities!
Vacation Souvenirs
Speaking of vacation, buying a ton of souvenirs feels pointless now because photos & memories are the best keepsakes. What’s the point of spending when we can use our phones to capture any precious moments? At the end of the day, it’s the experiences and not the stuff that make travel worthwhile.
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Designer Clothing
The idea of spending a small fortune on the latest fashion seems pretty ridiculous to us because we care a lot more about comfort & durability. We’d rather find clothes that look good and last longer. When we’re building a wardrobe, less is quite definitely more and it’s a lesson that many of us wish they’d learned sooner.
Club Memberships
Golf clubs, social clubs—you name it, we’re rethinking it. The dues and fees add up quite a bit and it really doesn’t seem worth it anymore. There are many other fun & fulfilling ways to socialize that are nowhere near as expensive. Community events and getting together with our friends are as much fun as joining a club—and we don’t need to be as formal!
Seasonal Decorations
Many of us are skipping the seasonal decoration aisle but it’s not because we’ve turned into Grinches. No, we just don’t see the point in all that fuss and expense every few months. We’d rather have more timeless decor that looks good year-round or bring out a few favorite items we already own. Instead of decking the halls from top to bottom, we prefer simplicity.
Bottled Water
Regularly buying bottled water is just money down the drain and that’s why so many of us have stopped that routine. After all, it’s a lot cheaper in the long run to get a water filter or use a filtering pitcher. It’s also better for the environment. Instead of hauling tons of plastic bottles home every week, we can drink straight from the tap.
Pre-Packaged Snacks
Of course, pre-packaged snacks are convenient. But we’ve moved towards more homemade options because they’re a lot healthier and frankly, baking some cookies isn’t that hard. It also cuts down on the grocery bill and the amount of packaging waste. Those are things that we all can feel good about.
Supplemental Health Insurance
We’re also rethinking those supplemental health insurance plans because it turns out that we just don’t need them. A lot of them overlap with benefits we already have through Medicare so why pay for extra? We’d rather check out what coverage we already have before unnecessarily spending.
Branded Over-the-Counter Medications
Speaking of healthcare, we’ve realized that paying extra for a brand name is pointless when the store brand has the same ingredients. Generic over-the-counter meds work just the same and this can save us quite a bit over time. For everyday aches and sniffles, these ones are perfectly fine. We’d rather save the money for something that actually makes a difference!
Impulse Buys at Checkout
There’s something about getting older that makes it a lot easier to resist those impulse buys near the checkout counter. They’re just a way for grocery stores to make us spend more! So, we’re planning our shopping trips & sticking to our lists because we understand we don’t need those extra little things.
Disclaimer: This list is solely the author’s opinion based on research and publicly available information.
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