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.
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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.”
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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.
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This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: Don’t Waste Your Money on These 5 ‘Essentials’ That People Have Lived Just Fine Without for Years
