21 Things You Should (Probably) Stop Buying After Turning 60
Turning 60 doesn’t mean slowing down, it means getting sharper about what stays in your life and what needs to go. At this stage, every dollar should work harder, not just disappear into habits that stopped serving a purpose years ago.
A recent study shows that 80% of U.S. households with someone over 60 are financially struggling or at risk of instability. That alone should raise eyebrows. It’s not about being cheap, it’s about protecting what you’ve worked for.
In this list, we’ll break down things that quietly drain your money without adding real value. Think subscriptions, gadgets, habits, and purchases that once made sense but now cost more than they’re worth.
Keep reading and start trimming the waste for good.
Table of Contents
Expensive Clothing and Fashion Trends
Chasing the latest styles doesn’t just drain your budget, it clutters your closet and creates stress around staying “in.” After 60, comfort, quality, and durability beat trends every time. A well-fitted jacket or pair of shoes that lasts a decade is more useful than a flashy outfit you wear twice.
Fast fashion is designed for impulse, not long-term wear. It’s time to shift to timeless pieces that fit your lifestyle, not the latest ad campaign. Decluttering your wardrobe can simplify your mornings and cut way down on unnecessary spending.
There’s no point in paying more to impress people who aren’t even noticing.
Tech Gadgets and Upgrades
The newest phone or tablet isn’t going to change your life, especially if the one you have still works just fine. Tech companies make billions convincing people they need the latest model, even when last year’s version still runs smooth.
Instead of upgrading just because it’s available, focus on taking care of what you already own. Most updates are minor and don’t justify the price tag or learning curve. Basic functionality is more important than shiny new features.
Save your money, skip the hype, and only replace devices when they truly stop pulling their weight.
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Magazine and Newspaper Subscriptions
The days of coffee-stained newspapers stacked by the door are long gone. Most content now lives online, usually free or at a much lower price. Keeping print subscriptions can feel nostalgic, but they often turn into unread piles of paper and auto-renew charges you forget about.
Digital alternatives are easier to manage and take up no space at all. Plus, they’re more eco-friendly and give you access to content wherever you are. If you’re still paying for five print publications and reading none, it’s time to unsubscribe and reclaim your money and your space.
Fancy Kitchen Gadgets
That spiralizer you used once? Still taking up room. High-end kitchen gadgets promise faster meals and easier prep but usually end up gathering dust. At this stage, cooking tends to get simpler, not more complicated.
You don’t need a tool for every dish. A few solid essentials, like a reliable knife and a good pan, get the job done. Let go of the clutter and only keep what you actually use.
Fewer gadgets mean more counter space, easier cleanup, and money saved on things that were more gimmick than game-changer.
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Gym Memberships
Paying $60 a month for a gym you don’t use isn’t helping your health, or your bank account. There are better ways to stay active that don’t involve unused keycards and annual fees. Walk around the block. Follow a free workout video online. Try yoga in the living room.
The truth is, most fitness goals after 60 can be met without a commercial gym. Community centers or simple routines at home offer real value without the drain. If your gym card hasn’t seen daylight in weeks, it might be time to cancel.
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Premium Cable Packages
Cable companies still hope you’re not paying attention to your bill. Between hidden fees, extra channels you don’t watch, and promotional prices that quietly disappear, cable ends up being one of the easiest ways to waste money every month.
Streaming services cost less and give you more control. You pick what to watch, when you want, without paying for fluff. A Roku or smart TV can replace a clunky cable box in a single afternoon.
Ditching cable doesn’t mean ditching entertainment. It just means cutting the cost of watching the same shows for way less.
Trendy Diet Plans
Low-carb this, keto that, it’s a revolving door of “breakthrough” diet plans promising everything but delivering little. These programs often cost hundreds in subscriptions, special foods, or supplements. After 60, nutrition needs to be about long-term health, not quick fixes or online trends.
Real results come from consistency, not gimmicks. A simple, balanced approach with whole foods is easier on your body and your budget. If it sounds too trendy, too complicated, or too expensive, it probably is. Save your money and stick with what actually works for your health.
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High-End Beauty Products
Anti-aging creams, miracle serums, and luxury skincare promises rarely live up to their price tags. Most of the results come down to consistency, not cost. Simple routines built on proven ingredients like retinol or vitamin C deliver better outcomes than $200 jars of mystery goop.
There’s nothing wrong with taking care of your skin, but you don’t need a drawer full of overpriced products to do it. Drugstore brands often use the same active ingredients as their luxury counterparts.
Swap hype for effectiveness, and your wallet will thank you. Aging gracefully doesn’t mean chasing youth, it means making smart, lasting choices.
Impulse Buys and Sale Items
That “limited-time” deal isn’t saving you money if the item wasn’t needed in the first place. After 60, it makes more sense to buy intentionally instead of chasing markdowns that end in clutter. Every unplanned purchase eats into savings and adds stuff that often ends up unused.
The habit of justifying a buy because “it was on sale” is expensive in disguise. A quick pause and honest question, “Do I really need this?”, can stop the cycle. Fewer purchases lead to fewer regrets. Better to spend on what brings value than waste money on items that collect dust.
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Extended Warranties
Retailers push extended warranties hard because they know most people won’t ever use them. Products already come with built-in coverage, and if something breaks after that, it’s often cheaper to fix or replace than what the warranty cost in the first place.
These add-ons are built for fear, not function. A better move? Keep a little cushion set aside for repairs and skip the extra coverage altogether. That way, your money stays in your hands unless it’s actually needed.
More often than not, those warranties expire unused while your money could’ve been working elsewhere. Don’t let sales tactics rob your common sense.
Bottled Water
Paying for something that’s basically free makes less sense the older you get. Bottled water isn’t just overpriced, it adds up fast and piles on unnecessary plastic waste. A solid reusable bottle and a simple water filter do the job better for pennies on the dollar.
Staying hydrated matters, but there’s no reason to pay a premium for a convenience that’s easy to fix at home. The packaging might look clean and fancy, but it’s still just water. Small change, big impact. Ditching bottled water is a quick win for your budget and the planet.
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Home Decor
Decor trends shift faster than the seasons, and keeping up gets expensive quickly. After 60, it’s time to simplify. A calm, functional space beats one filled with rotating décor that needs constant updating.
Instead of adding more, think about subtracting what no longer brings joy or serves a purpose. Choose timeless pieces with meaning instead of impulse items meant to fill a corner. Less visual noise makes a home feel peaceful, not bare.
Clean spaces and cleaner budgets go hand in hand.
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Luxury Vehicles
That high-end badge on the front grille comes with maintenance costs, higher insurance, and steeper depreciation. After 60, reliability matters more than prestige.
A dependable vehicle with good mileage, solid safety, and a smooth ride beats the flash of a sports car with repair bills the size of a mortgage payment. Flashy cars impress strangers for five seconds, then the payments stick around for years.
Comfort and practicality go further now. Choose something that gets you there without draining your bank account or stressing every trip to the mechanic.
Expensive Jewelry
After 60, it’s not about wearing status, it’s about wearing what feels right. Expensive jewelry often stays tucked away, too valuable for daily wear but not meaningful enough to reach for regularly. The price rarely reflects the true utility.
A few simple, elegant pieces go a long way and often hold more personal value than flashy items that never leave the drawer. Plus, downsizing jewelry means one less thing to insure, worry about, or pass on without a plan.
Focus on pieces that tell your story, not ones trying to tell someone else’s. Sparkle doesn’t need to come with a five-figure tag.
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Trendy Hobbies
New hobbies can be exciting, but the trendy ones usually come with gear, subscriptions, and lessons that rack up fast. What starts as curiosity ends in closets full of unused equipment and monthly charges for stuff you barely remember signing up for.
Before jumping into something new, ask if it’s really a long-term interest or just a temporary distraction. There’s nothing wrong with trying new things, but you don’t need to spend hundreds just to test the waters.
Stick with interests that fit your lifestyle and your budget. Some of the best hobbies cost next to nothing and still bring real joy.
Bulk Groceries
Buying in bulk seems like a smart move until food starts spoiling before you can use it. Eating habits tend to change after 60, and those family-size packs don’t always match what’s on the plate anymore. Wasted food is wasted money, plain and simple.
Smaller, more frequent trips allow for fresher meals and fewer expired items ending up in the trash. Stocking up used to be practical, now it just leads to overstuffed pantries and freezer-burned regret. Buy what you’ll actually use. That’s where the savings are.
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High-Maintenance Landscaping Plants
Gardening should be relaxing, not a constant battle with weeds, wilting flowers, or plants that throw tantrums without daily care. High-maintenance landscaping demands more water, more time, and more money to keep looking “just right.”
Low-maintenance, native plants often thrive with far less effort and cost. They adapt better to local conditions and still keep the yard looking sharp. Less trimming, less stress, and more time to actually enjoy the space instead of constantly working on it.
A well-planned garden shouldn’t feel like a second job.
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Branded Cleaning Products
Big brand labels charge a premium for things that vinegar and baking soda can do for pennies. The marketing is slick, but the results are usually the same. Most household messes don’t need a $7 spray bottle with fancy scents and shiny packaging.
Store brands or homemade solutions often match the performance without draining your budget. Swapping just a few of these out can trim down monthly expenses fast. Plus, fewer chemicals in the house isn’t a bad thing. Clean doesn’t need to be complicated, or expensive.
Lottery Tickets
The odds are awful, and the habit is costly. A couple of bucks here and there turns into hundreds over the course of a year, money that never sees a return. The dream of a quick jackpot is tempting, but it’s not a retirement strategy.
Instead, that cash could build an emergency fund, buy a stock, or even just pay for something useful. It’s not about killing all fun, but regular ticket purchases rarely make sense. Hope isn’t a plan. Skip the scratchers and focus on moves that actually move the needle.
High-End Kitchen Renovations
A full kitchen gut job sounds fun until the bill hits. Marble counters, custom cabinets, and designer appliances are nice to look at, but rarely offer a solid return at this stage. If the kitchen works, spending tens of thousands to make it “Pinterest perfect” doesn’t always add value.
Small updates, like lighting, paint, or better storage, can improve the space without a second mortgage. The goal is comfort and function, not resale hype.
Don’t burn money trying to impress guests who only show up twice a year. Keep it practical, and the savings stay where they belong.
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Concert and Event Tickets
Live shows have gotten pricey, some now cost more than a weekend vacation. Between the ticket, fees, parking, and overpriced snacks, one night out can wreck a week’s budget. The experience is great, but the price tag isn’t always worth it.
Local events, small venues, and free performances can still deliver entertainment without the hit to your wallet. Staying connected to music and the arts matters, but not at the cost of financial peace. Shift the focus to value instead of scale. Great memories don’t require VIP access.
Smarter Spending After 60
Hitting 60 isn’t a reason to hold tighter to old habits, it’s a chance to spend with intention. The goal now is to keep more money in your pocket and put it toward things that actually matter.
Cutting out these common expenses doesn’t mean giving anything up, it means choosing better. Less waste, less stress, and more room for what adds value. Small changes now can stretch retirement money further than most people think.
Spend smarter, live better, and let the rest go.
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