More things I stopped buying

Lots of people are not buying things these days. 

I really like reading and watching videos of people who used to be maximalists and now live out of a backpack: I find them really inspiring because I too used to be not very mindful at all when it came to shopping, but I’m now on a journey towards conscious consumerism and owning fewer possessions in general.

So after my latest post on things I no longer buy, here are some more things that I haven’t found the need to purchase in a wee while.

• Perfume
  I’ve owned quite a few perfumes throughout my life, and never used any of them. This is definitely an item that belongs to my Fantasy Self. They wear perfume every day and leave an intriguing scent trail wherever they go. But I don’t. I sometimes use a roller that was gifted to me and is made with essential oils, but I mostly forgot that I even own it.

• Essential oils
  I’ve bought essential oils for years, originally for burning purposes and later on for making my own products (like toothpaste or deodorant), as well as to add to my baths. However, after doing some research, I found out that essential oils are actually pretty unsustainable to produce, wasteful, and potentially dangerous (see what my friends Hannah and Liam from The Rubbish Trip think about this matter here). So now I’m using up what I have but I won’t be repurchasing essential oils in the future.

• Clothes hangers
  I just have so many. I’ve actually been decluttering them since moving into Sid as I only have a few clothes that need hanging. Also, I find that the fewer clothes hangers you have, the less you’ll be tempted to buy new clothes, simply because you would have nowhere to hang them.

• Shirts
  My friend Son once told me: even a toad would look good in a shirt. Shirts are classy and sexy - on other people. Not on me. Well, they might be, but they are also uncomfortable, not practical, and hard to style (of course this is my personal opinion). I own two shirts and I hardly ever wear them because I don’t know how to move in them. I’m going to wait and see if I wear them next summer and if not they will be gone.

• Lingerie
  Sorry, all my partners, but this is not worth it. When it comes to undies, I go for comfort. And there’s no way I would own an underwire, push-up bra just to look sexy for five minutes and then having to worry about storing it. I don’t like the idea of owning things that I don’t use often, and honestly I feel way sexier and more confident in things that are comfortable and don’t make me feel awkward.

• Shampoo
  I haven’t used shampoo in years. I only use conditioner on my unruly curls, and it’s been working wonders so far.

• Subscription services
  Not that I’ve ever been too much into subscription services, but I’ve definitely spent money on apps, on apps with in-app purchases, I have done the first-week-free-trial thing, and I do have Spotify. Currently I am stealing my partner’s Netflix account but I I never really watch it, I wouldn’t spend money on it myself, and if he changed the password without telling me I would still live a long and happy life. Spotify is the only monthly subscription I find worth having (I have tried not having it but I went back and re-subscribe as I do use it every day).

Are any of these items essential to you? What have you stopped buying? I’d love to hear from you!