If your goal is to cut expenses, say goodbye to these 7 purchases

When I worked as a financial analyst, I routinely audited budgets that were “tight”—until we zoomed in.

The big surprises were never just the mortgage or car payment; they were the quiet, habitual buys nibbling away at cash flow.

If you’re ready to keep more of your money without living like a monk, start by parting ways with these seven purchases. I’ll share a few simple swaps and a handful of mindset shifts that make it all stick.

Let’s dive in.

1. Daily convenience drinks

What’s your default pick-me-up—barista coffee, bottled iced tea, energy drinks, or those sparkling “wellness” cans? Add them up. Even modest daily runs easily cross triple digits each month.

When I trained for my first trail race, I started making coffee at home to time it with my runs. That tiny habit stuck. I still love café coffee, but it’s become a treat, not a reflex.

Two easy tweaks:

• Brew at home and upgrade the experience: a reusable tumbler, a splash of oat milk, cinnamon on top.

• Batch the fancy stuff: designate one or two café days per week so you savor them.

As Benjamin Franklin warned, “Beware of little expenses; a small leak will sink a great ship.” This is one of those sneaky leaks.

2. Subscriptions you don’t actually use

Streaming platforms, premium news, fitness apps, cloud storage, “free trial” add-ons—subscriptions multiply because they’re designed to vanish into the background.

The trouble is, background spending becomes baseline spending.

Quick reset:

• Open your phone and card statements for the last 90 days. List every recurring charge.

• Circle what you used at least four times this month. Keep those. Pause or cancel the rest.

• Create one “subscription day” every quarter to reassess. If you miss it, that’s your reminder to simplify further.

Pro tip from my analyst days: if you truly can’t cancel because you “might” use it, put it on a prepaid card with a capped balance. The moment it runs out, the service pauses—that gentle friction forces a decision.

3. Brand loyalty when generics do the job

Do you automatically reach for name brands? Sometimes they’re worth it (I’m picky about running socks). Often, though, the store brand is functionally identical—especially for pantry staples, over-the-counter meds, baking basics, and cleaning supplies.

Try a split test:

• Pick three staples you buy monthly (olive oil, oats, laundry detergent).

• Switch two to high-rated generics for a month; keep one name brand as your “control.”

• Note differences in taste, performance, and cost per use. Repeat only if the premium wins on value—not just vibe.

Remember, “Price is what you pay. Value is what you get,” as Warren Buffett has said. The trick is evaluating the value for you, not the person with the coupon blog or the glossy ad.

4. Automatic tech upgrades

New phone every year? Latest earbuds because the case changed color? Upgrades are engineered to feel urgent, but genuine gains (battery longevity, camera leaps, reliability) happen every 2–4 years for most of us.

A few guardrails:

• Adopt a “skip cycle” rule: only upgrade after at least one major generation, ideally two.

• Pay for repairs when they’re under 40–50% of replacement cost. It’s the quietest form of savings.

• If you do upgrade, sell or trade in the old device immediately. Holding drawers full of “backups” is just cash gathering dust.

From my financial seat, depreciation loves impatience. Stretch the life of what you own and your savings rate jumps without feeling like a sacrifice.

5. Fast fashion and trend chasing

Impulse scrolling + free returns = overflowing closets and underwhelming outfits. The cost isn’t just cash; it’s decision fatigue and a persistent “nothing to wear” feeling.

A reset that actually lasts:

• Define a 10-piece “weekday uniform”—tops, bottoms, a jacket, and shoes that mix and match.

• Choose one signature item that makes you smile (a ring, scarf, or hat). When that itch to buy hits, upgrade this category mindfully, not your whole closet.

• Implement the One-In, One-Out policy. If something new arrives, something leaves via donation, consignment, or resale.

I used to save “special” pieces and overuse the cheap ones. Now I flip that: I wear my best on repeat. Strangely enough, I buy far less when I allow myself to enjoy the good stuff I already own.

6. Delivery markups and takeout fees

Food delivery can triple the final cost: menu markups, platform fees, tips, and small-order charges. I love the convenience as much as anyone after a long run or a Sunday spent in the garden, but making it routine is a budget buster.

Try this trio:

• Batch cooking, light edition: Roast a tray of vegetables, cook a pot of grains, prep a protein. Mix and match into bowls all week. Low effort, high payoff.

• Takeout without the platform: Call the restaurant and pick it up. You’ll often save fees and support them more directly.

• A house “rescue meal”: Keep frozen dumplings, jarred sauce, or a premade curry paste on stand-by. You’ll be eating in 15 minutes—faster than the driver.

As noted by Dave Ramsey, “A budget is telling your money where to go instead of wondering where it went.” Delivery fees are a classic “where did it go?” line item.

7. Extended warranties and add-on insurance

At checkout, it sounds smart: “Protect your purchase for just $39.99!” But many extended warranties duplicate coverage you already have (manufacturer warranties, credit card benefits, or consumer protections).

The math usually favors the seller, not you.

A calmer approach:

• Read what your card already covers (damage, theft within a window, extended manufacturer warranty).

• Self-insure small risks. Set aside a mini “repair and replace” fund. When something breaks within that coverage window, you pay from the fund—not from emotions at a checkout screen.

• Buy coverage only for catastrophic, low-frequency, high-cost events (health, auto, home, disability). That’s what insurance is for.

In my analyst spreadsheets, extended warranties were reliable margin boosters—for the retailer. For consumers, they were rarely the winning play.

How to make the savings stick (without white-knuckling it)

Cutting these purchases is easier when you design the path of least resistance:

• Automate a “found money” transfer. Every time you cut or cancel something, set a recurring transfer for that amount to savings or debt payoff. If you cancel a $14.99 subscription, move $15 on the 1st of each month. Label it with the why: “No-Delivery Fund” or “Italy 2026.” Your brain loves a story.

• Use a friction ladder. Make pricey choices slightly harder (delete saved cards from retailers, turn off one-click checkout, remove delivery apps from your home screen). Make frugal choices slightly easier (keep a grocery list app on your first screen, store your go-to recipes in a pinned note, pre-load your coffee beans and filters the night before).

• Decide your splurge lane. You can have anything, just not everything. Maybe you keep café coffee but cut tech upgrades. Or you keep your running club app and ditch two streamers. Where will you gladly spend? Name it. Fund it.

• Measure what matters. Track your monthly savings rate or debt principal reduction instead of obsessing over “no-spend” perfection. Progress beats purity.

A quick reality check

You don’t need to eliminate joy to reduce spending. You’re just turning down the volume on auto-pilot buys that add little to your life.

Keep what you truly value and trim what you don’t even notice—beyond the notification on your statement.

And if you slip? Welcome to being human. Review, reset, and keep going. The goal isn’t deprivation; it’s alignment.

If you start today, which one will you drop first?