Five Things I Don't Buy Anymore

These few months have been tough for breadwinners. In light of the rising prices here in the Philippines, most moms have a hard time staying within budget. And when money is tight, we really have no choice but to buy the basic essentials and veer away from non-essentials.
Hirap kaya mag-budget!

So while we're on the budgeting subject, I  want to share a few things i stopped buying. I decided not to spend money on these anymore. That's because one,  they're way too expensive and  two, I opted to make them myself and three, i can;t justify the cost anymore.

Pancake mix, waffle mix or cake or cookie mixes  

I dabbled into baking a few years back. Then I discovered that a kilo of flour is just around
Php 60. This makes a dozens of pancakes already, as opposed to prepackaged pancake mix. Sure, pancake mixes are more convenient but they cost way too much. A small box of pancake mix costs around Php 30, that gives you about 5 regular sized pancakes. Sure, it takes a few more steps in the morning and more bowls to clean, but for me, the savings is worth it. I think going the home made route is better for us since we eat pancake for breakfast almost everyday.

I don't buy the ready mix cookies and cake as well.  If you have the basic baking ingredients in your pantry, like flour,  baking powder , vanilla extract, you can already learn to make cake and cookies! No need to buy the overpriced cake mixes anymore. Plus i get to nurture by love for baking.

Premarinated meat  

For the sake of convenience, meat companies sell pre-marinated meats like chicken teriyaki, pork barbecue or meat cutlets. They jack up the price because they're selling convenience. I stopped getting these meats and just tried do my own marinates.  All it takes is a few minutes online and discover several recipes for marinates, which can save you big bucks.

Note pads

I was doing some decluttering last month and i got shocked at how many small notebooks have bought and totally forgot about.  It's been my habit to bring one notepad where ever i go so i can list down my ideas as they come. Many of these notepads just ended up on my office desk and left  unused for years! So for now, no more buying notepads.
I need to use up what i have on hand first.

Small wallets,  coin purses or toiletry kits 

I have a few more  of these stuck in my drawer. These purses and bags were pasalubong  from a friend's get away or corporate giveaways from an event i attended.  I figured i might as well use them up rather than spending around Php 250 on these non-essential items. I'd rather spend of food. 

Costumes

This comes as no surprise since i am an avid DIYer. I refuse to burn my hard-earned cash on costumes for Linggo ng Wika or Halloween. Planning to make the costume takes a few days from  our already busy schedule. But nothing beats that feeling when you personally made your son's. I know there will be times when DIY won't work anymore, like when they need to wear barong or suit. So while i can still do it, i plan to make more DIY projects for my son.

For some diy ideas for your child, check my previous post here

So there, just some of the few things that i decided not to spend on anymore.

Happy saving, mommies!