The Moment I Realized We Were Overspending
I didn’t wake up one day and decide to stop buying things. It happened quietly, after a grocery run where I looked at the receipt and thought, “Parang ang konti ng nabili ko, pero ang laki ng total.” That was my wake-up call. As moms, we often buy out of habit, convenience, or love — not because we actually need something. So I started paying attention. Not obsessively, but honestly. Over the course of a year, I noticed patterns, and when I finally added everything up, I was shocked by how much money we were quietly losing.
The Things I Stopped Buying (Without Sacrificing Our Family’s Happiness)
The first thing I stopped buying regularly was random grocery “extras.” You know the ones — snacks no one asked for, new sauces we never finished, drinks we already had at home. I didn’t eliminate treats completely, but I limited them to one or two per grocery trip. That single change saved us around ₱800 to ₱1,000 a month, without anyone feeling deprived.
Next were impulse online purchases. Sale notifications used to control my decisions. Now, I pause for 24 hours before checking out. Most of the time, I forget about the item — and that tells me I didn’t really need it. Over a year, avoiding impulse buys easily saved us ₱10,000 or more.
I also stopped buying “just in case” items for the kids. Extra school supplies, toys, and clothes bought ahead of time often ended up unused. Instead, I buy when there’s an actual need. Surprisingly, this didn’t make life harder — it made it simpler. Less clutter, fewer expenses, and more intentional spending.
Coffee outside the house was another big one. I love café coffee, but I realized how often I bought it out of habit. Switching to home-brewed coffee most days saved us around ₱1,500 to ₱2,000 monthly. I still enjoy coffee dates — just not every day.
How Much We Actually Saved in a Year
When I finally added everything up — groceries, online shopping, food deliveries, and impulse spending — the total surprised me. We saved roughly ₱25,000 to ₱35,000 in one year just by stopping unnecessary purchases. No drastic budgeting. No extreme sacrifices. Just awareness and better habits. That money went to emergency savings, school needs, and moments that mattered more than things.
The Biggest Lesson I Learned as a Mom
What I stopped buying gave me more than savings — it gave me peace. Less financial stress. Fewer “Where did the money go?” moments. And a stronger sense of control over our household finances. I learned that budgeting isn’t about saying no to everything. It’s about saying yes to what truly matters.
If you’re a mom feeling overwhelmed by expenses, start small. You don’t have to stop buying everything at once. Just notice. Track. Pause. You’ll be surprised how much space — and savings — that creates.
