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Yahoo
5 days ago
- Lifestyle
- Yahoo
Don't Waste Your Money on These 5 ‘Essentials' That People Have Lived Just Fine Without for Years
Social media has shortened the time it takes for consumer fads that appear out of nowhere to fully entrench themselves into consumers' lives. GOBankingRates recently looked at some of the more wasteful of these out-of-the-blue 'essentials,' and invited Mary Clements Evans, an accredited behavioral financial professional, bestselling author and founder and president of Evans Wealth Strategies, to suggest money-saving alternatives. Check Out: Read Next: Skincare Routines for Kids Children and adolescents have turned skincare into a hobby. The most zealous are the 'Sephora kids' obsessed with expensive products and elaborate skincare routines. Not only are many of the products a waste of money, some contain ingredients that can damage young skin. 'Any good dermatologist will tell you that the best thing you do for your skin or for your children's skin is to keep them out of the sun,' Evans said. 'A good tube of sunscreen will cost you a fraction of skincare routines, and last a long time.' See More: Meal Kits Meal kit subscribers like the convenience of selecting recipes, then having the ingredients delivered to their doors. But despite claims that the kits save money by reducing waste, they're actually quite pricey — often $11 or $12 per meal under some of the most popular plans. 'The great news is, most large supermarkets have so many things that are partially prepped for you,' Evans said. As a working mom, Evans prepared food in large batches because it didn't cost much more to make 12 servings as it did to make four. 'You save yourself a lot of money, and now you don't have to prepare dinner a few nights a week,' she said. Bachelor and Bachelorette Trips Brides and grooms used to celebrate their last days of singlehood with a party or a night on the town. Now, bachelor and bachelorette trips are increasingly common, and they're stretching the budgets of brides and grooms as well as their attendants. 'I think people need to ask themselves: What is the best part of being with friends? I know with my group of girlfriends, it's just being in each other's company, talking, laughing and having a good time,' Evans said. 'If you get together for a party in someone's home, that can be just as memorable as going someplace.' She added, 'It might not sound as exciting when you post on social media, but having money in the bank is really exciting.' Fitness Trackers People are using fitness trackers to collect data on everything from heart rate to steps taken, calories burned and the length and quality of sleep. Maintaining healthy habits is a good thing. But obsessive monitoring doesn't necessarily provide more benefit, and it can cost a small fortune in expensive devices and subscription fees. 'Keeping yourself fit is not just healthy, it's a way to save money,' Evans noted, but she acknowledged that most people aren't taking action based on all of that data. 'Only buy one [tracker], that has the data that you will really use. Don't pay for data you don't use.' Designer Water Bottles Remember when you only drank water if you were actually thirsty, and you drank it out of a plain old glass? As awareness about the importance of hydration has grown, water bottles have become as much an accessory as a way to carry fluids while you go about your day. Name-brand bottles easily cost $30 or more. 'The return on the investment comes from drinking the water, not from what the outside of the bottle says,' Evans said. More From GOBankingRates Are You Rich or Middle Class? 8 Ways To Tell That Go Beyond Your Paycheck This article originally appeared on Don't Waste Your Money on These 5 'Essentials' That People Have Lived Just Fine Without for Years Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
11-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Tariffs May Spike Back-to-School Costs in 2025 — Here's How To Save Big
Back-to-school shopping might put a bigger-than-usual dent in families' budgets this year, thanks to trade tariffs on essentials such as clothing, school supplies and electronics. Read Next: Explore More: But you can avoid much of the impact by shopping sooner rather than later and pulling out all the stops to save money. Here's how. 'For many back-to-school items, we are not experiencing the impact of tariffs — yet,' Mary Clements Evans, founder and president of Evans Wealth Strategies, told GOBankingRates. 'Upon the tariff announcements, many of the large retailers stocked up on goods at pre-tariff costs. You can see evidence of this from the increased traffic we had in the ports,' Evans said, referring to the sudden increase in shipping container volume early in the spring. Once that inventory is depleted, retailers will have to pay the higher costs, at least some of which will be passed onto consumers. Evans expects that to happen in time for back-to-school shopping. 'If you see a sale for items you need later this year, buy them now,' she said. 'Don't wait in the hopes that you will get a lower cost.' Consider This: Evans also recommends bargain shopping, acknowledging that it can be time consuming but noting it'll be worth it this year, and not only for big-ticket items. 'Use this process for shoes, clothes and school supplies. Many small savings will make a big difference,' she said. Here are more strategies you can use for maximum savings on back-to-school shopping. Shop stores that have frozen or rolled back prices. Target is carrying over its 2024 prices on back-to-school items. Dollar General recently cut prices on 1,000 items for a summer-long promotion that will also include digital coupons and other specials. Use cash-back shopping tools. Cash-back shopping websites like Rakuten, Ibotta and Swagbucks save you money with cash-back rewards for purchases on sites you already use. For example, Rakuten's partner sites include Adidas, Aeropostal, Groupon and Nike, so you can stack savings if those retailers are offering deals. Add money-saving coupon extensions to your browser. Browser extensions like Capital One Shopping automatically look for coupons while you're shopping online. Ask AI. Try asking Claude, ChatGPT or another AI tool to find back-to-school coupons, coupon codes and other discounts for items you're looking for. AI can also recommend less expensive alternatives to items you're considering buying. Try new brands. When shopping for back-to-school, more than three-quarters of parents buy the same brands each year, according to the 2025 Back-to-School Forecast Report from Inmar Inc. Consider shopping outside of your comfort zone to find better prices. Ignore the hype. The Inmart report also found that parents' purchase decisions are heavily influenced by social and creator content, and also by their kids — who, in turn, are influenced by social media. Ignore the influencers and focus on what's practical and realistic for your family. More From GOBankingRates Mark Cuban Says Trump's Executive Order To Lower Medication Costs Has a 'Real Shot' -- Here's Why This article originally appeared on Tariffs May Spike Back-to-School Costs in 2025 — Here's How To Save Big
