^{by Rob Kerby, Senior Editor}

If your family is struggling financially right now, author Crystal Paine says that one simple way to save money is to simply buy less -- or to stop buying certain items altogether. "We’ve found that there are many items that  aren’t really necessities for our family and we can easily do without them," she writes. "Here are 7 things we don’t buy." She's a self-proclaimed minimalist and stay-at-home home who has written a new book, The Money-Saving Mom's Budget.