What have you given up only to find you didn't need it anyway?

[IamMummyhearmeROAR]

Spending a fiver every weekend on the newspapers. Not really missed any Big News and certainly don't miss the mess as my dh spreads them about the house

Glossy mags- full of ads and the same stories, most with little relevance to my life

Takeaways- cut down from once a month to a couple of times a year. My dh makes a mean curry and a great sweet and sour chicken

[Fluffycloudland77]

Yes to glossy mags. Mn is better and doesn't need recycling.

Brand names, especially animal testing companies like proctor and gamble, on cleaning stuff. Just not needed and aldi stuff beats it in which?tests anyway, so really what's the point in them

[learnasyougo]

Television.

We gave ours away, and at first I missed certain programmes, but only because TV constantly advertises itself. Once we'd ditched it for a while we didn't miss it (or don't know what you're missing). Truly brilliant programmes somehow filter through to your consciousness anyway (I mean you hear of/about them, not some hallucinatory experience). We watch about one tv programme a month (if that) on 4OD or iPlayer.

Then last weekend I was house-sitting at a friend's place and we had the telly on. 'Ooh, lovely treat, a bit of telly' I thought, but by the end of the day I felt grumpy and horrible. I realised that (if you're not used to it) the TV can be a bit like an annoying person who won't shut up. You never get to think your own thoughts because the TV is always grabbing your attention. You think you're interested but actually, you're just being constantly distracted. This goes tenfold for adverts.

So after that I'm truly glad we have no telly (but will have to get one for DS, soon. He's only a baby now but we think when he's school age he'll need to know who Peppa Pig and all that are).

[learnasyougo]

Fluffycloudland77 are Aldi cleaning products not tested on animals? I didn't know that. Good to know!

[TheFallenNinja]

Money

[Bluecarrot]

Tv for us as well. Though dd misses it but is happy enough with YouTube, iplayer etc.

Last year I got rid of over 20 car loads of stuff plus sold stuff on eBay and Gumtree. Other than big things ( the old playhouse for example) and a pair of kitchen tongs I can't really think of things that left the house. I really only realised the tongs as dad broke mine the other day. I've replaced it for £1.

I also have stuff boxed up as "maybe get rid of" and all but two have remained sealed, and these will all be going to the charity shop in August. I can't remember what's in them ( but have lists in an envelope taped to the outside of the box in case I do need to find something!

[GW297]

I have also renounced my newspaper and magazine habit and not missed it one bit. Also, takeaways as well as my M and S food habit, pre made sandwiches, parking in town...

[Fluffycloudland77]

learnasyougo, apparently not. They aren't BUAV approved for some reason but I've heard Germany doesn't test on animals for household proucts.

I'm loving the cheap dw tablets, I use half in each wash and they are better than tesco daisy powder. £2.69 for 50.

[WinningBread]

TV here. Don't miss it at all.

Although, it does mean I have to talk to DW more

[noisytoys]

Buying shoes. I gave all but 4 pairs of shoes away. I only have 2 feet, 4 pairs is plenty to cover all seasons / occasions and means I don't waste whole days trawling shoe shops

[YoungBritishPissArtist]

Yy to TV, newspapers and mags.

I stopped buying books and now borrow from the library. I find I read more now

Expensive face creams. I do OCM and aspirin face masks. My skin looks better than ever!

[PelvicFloorClenchReminder]

The car. It has been a fortnight off a year now, and we have managed just fine on foot and public transport - haven't been eaten by zombies once yet.

[YonicTheHedgehog]

Sky tv. We never had time to watch it and sneaky Sky put the price up by 50p here and 50p there so many times that we cancelled. This was years ago and we were the only ones without pay tv in our social circle and at work. Now I only know a couple of people who have pay tv.

[craftycottontail]

Alcohol - used to add £25 on to our monthly shopping bill getting whatever beer was on offer and a bottle of wine. Don't miss it! We get something like Pimms instead which is only around £13 and top up with cheaper lemonade.

TV - haven't had a TV for 6 years now, don't miss it at all and can catch up enough on iplayer / 4OD / Netflix to keep up with the office gossip!

Clothes - have taken up saving for nicer clothes e.g. good quality brands like Fat Face / White Stuff and save a fortune in buying cheaper throwaway fashion. Feel better dressed for it and wardrobe is paired down to less but better stuff.

Books - used to love 3 for 2 offers at Waterstones etc - now make more of an effort to get from the library or pay a 50p reserve fee for something I really want to read

[YoungBritishPissArtist]

Just thought of another one. I gave up squash, juice and fizzy drinks. Just drink tap water, tea and coffee now, both at home and out (also teetotal).

Cheaper and healthier.

[DublinDoll]

Fabric softener.

[noisytoys]

Tampons - use a mooncup
Laundry liquid / powder - use an eco egg

Saved load just with them two

[buildingmycorestrength]

Agree with tampons and magazines. I also don't buy books as much now...the odd one from a charity shop or occasionally new, but I'm just spending too much time on MN.

Hardly do booze in our house now.

Eating out is much much much much less often.

Take water and tea with me much more regularly now. Tea in a thermal mug to swimming lessons gets some jealous looks.

[RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie]

Books. I stopped buying new fiction (other than Stephen King) and only buy history books new. Everything else is from the charity shop or library. I will add cookery books to my Christmas wishlist. :)

Expensive face stuff - I just use Superdrug Vitamin E oil now and it is excellent.

Posh bubble bath and expensive toothpaste (Radox and Arm and Hammer do me fine).

[GW297]

Agree with fabric softener, alcohol and book shop books.

[chanie44]

Weekly magazines like now, new, closer etc. I used to buy then religiously. Now, I wait for my mum to give them to me, but I don't enjoy them half as much as I used to.

Liz Earle skin are. Can't really afford it anymore for what it is and my skin is doing okay without it.

[Pascha]

Sugar in black coffee. Much nicer without.

[JKSLtd]

Fabric softener.

Most new books, used to spend a fortune now rarely find the time to read much anyway and alphabet a big pile of 'to read' books waiting.

Would love to ditch the sky payments but not yet with the DC and I love having live pause.

Looking out for other ideas on here

[susiedaisy]

My exh

[susiedaisy]

Seriously though

Window cleaner.
Named brand washing powder.
Flowers for my pots in the garden this year as its not a cheap hobby!
A holiday.
Roast beef or lamb.
Going on my cousins hen weekend.

[superbagpuss]

buying lunch at work - packed lunch is just as good and saves so much money

paying for a gym, haven't put too much weight on - I hope .