Frugal Living YouTuber Kate Kaden: 20 Things I Stopped Buying To Save Big

Kate Kaden is a popular YouTuber who posts frugal living tips to her 50,000 followers. She is a single mom to a son and loves sharing tips on how to save money.

In one of her videos, she listed 20 things that she stopped buying that helped her save money. Here they are.

Kaden said she used to have a leased car; but, after following Dave Ramsey’s money advice, she realized that having a leased car might not be the best financial option. So, she saved an impressive $20,000 in cash and bought out her leased vehicle. Now, she enjoys life without a car payment.

Kaden admits she used to be wasteful when it came to using paper towels. She said she used to wash her hands, grab a wad of paper towels to dry them and toss them in the trash. She says she still buys paper towels, but she is much more aware of how she uses them. 

To dry her hands and clean, Kaden says she uses kitchen towels and microfiber cloths instead.

This is a very common bill to cut when you’re trying to save money. Kaden says she doesn’t miss it at all. She uses a Fire Stick with her TV to access different apps. Her brother also shares his Netflix account with her.

Kaden is the first to say she’s not a vegetarian; but, in order to save money on groceries, she doesn’t buy a significant amount of meat each week. She said the meat she mainly buys includes turkey, rotisserie chicken and, of course, Dino chicken nuggets for her son.

Kaden said she used to buy a lot of freezer meals, which are convenient and save time. But, she said they are expensive and packed with sodium. So, these days, she goes without.

If you love magazines and books, it can be easy to overspend on them. Kaden loves borrowing books from her mom, brother and the local library. She said she usually doesn’t read books twice, so there’s no reason to keep physical books on her shelf.

Although Kaden used to buy tons of clothes when she was younger, these days she doesn’t spend money on them, unless it’s to buy a couple of new pieces in the spring. Instead, she donated bags of clothes to Goodwill and cleared out her closet.  

Every Christmas, Kaden gets gift cards to the movies, and that’s what she uses to go see them. Other than that, she considers going to the movies a special occasion and doesn’t do it regularly.

Kaden said she enjoys staying at home, playing games and hanging out. If she does go out of town, it usually is to visit her family in Florida.

As mentioned previously, she uses her brother’s Netflix account, so this is not part of her monthly expenses.

Living in Maine, Kaden said her tap water is great, but she acknowledged it might not be that way for everyone. Even though her family often drinks bottled water, she doesn’t. 

You won’t find a big variety of beverages, like orange juice, Snapple or soft drinks, in Kaden’s fridge. One way she saves money is to purchase only milk and no other drinks.

Manicures are another expense Kaden cut out. Before she had her son, she used to get her nails done all the time and enjoy spending her time at the salon. Today, she says, she just clips her nails short and paints them at home occasionally.

Unless there’s a “caffeine emergency,” Kaden said, she’s not buying Starbucks or Dunkin coffee. She absolutely loves buying coffee out, but she gets it only when using a gift card.

Anyone with young kids will tell you that going out to eat with them isn’t always enjoyable. Kaden said she treats herself to dinner out every now and then, but she mostly eats at home and maintains a budget of $50 per month for buying food out.

Kaden enjoys using one backpack purse that works perfectly for her. Although she used to buy purses all the time, she said she no longer feels the need.

Kaden realized she has plenty of jewelry, and there’s no need to buy more. She said sometimes she gets jewelry as gifts. She uses her iPhone to tell time, so there’s no need to wear a watch.

Kaden said she pays $10 a month for her gym membership, and it works great for her. 

Kaden said she used to think the more fruits and vegetables she bought, the more she would eat. The truth is she always ate the same amount each week. So, she stopped buying excessive produce.

It’s so easy to buy tons of sweets at the grocery store. Kaden said she used to buy a ton of them, like double-stuffed Oreos or fudge. But, she said she often visits her mom or grandmother, and they always have a sweet treat to enjoy. So, she doesn’t keep them in stock at her home.