5 Things I No Longer Buy As A Minimalist

I thought it would be helpful for people who are beginning minimalism to see some of the things that I’ve stopped buying, so I made a list with a few of those products.

I also wanted to mention that this is not meant to make you feel bad about anything that you still buy, or haven’t stopped using yet. Everyone may have a slightly different definition of minimalism and that’s okay!

Home Decor

To be fair, if I find decor at the thrift store that I really love I’ll usually still buy it. However I try to stay away from excessive amounts of decoration for my home.

One thing I love to do is decorate primarily with wall decor like posters and pictures, that way I can still add personality to each room without it feeling too crowded.

Subscription Boxes

When subscription boxes first came out I was obsessed with them. Getting things in the mail is so exciting and it gave me an opportunity to basically send myself a present every month.

While they’re fun to have, they create a lot of waste from the sample sizes and filler items that they come with. If you also consider the carbon emissions from shipping, it ends up being a non-sustainable choice

Makeup

In high school I would wake up super early every morning to put on a full face of makeup! The products not only created a lot of waste, but lead me to spend tons of money.

If you don’t feel comfortable going makeup free, there’s some eco-friendly brands that have started using low impact packaging and ingredients . Or you could try going a couple days a week without it so that your products last longer.

Fast Fashion

If you’re not sure what fast fashion is, think of stores like H&M and Forever21. They’re constantly moving products in and out of their stores to “keep up with trends” when in reality they just want to make more money by selling what they tell you is in style.

The Fast fashion industry not only harms the environment, but often uses unethical labor practices to keep the clothes cheap.

While it can be hard to avoid cute and inexpensive clothes, I remind myself of the real impact of the products and choose a thrift store or resale app instead.

Niche Use Tools

Finding a gadget that does a specific (and usually annoying) task is tempting, because its often advertised in a way that makes you think you need it.

“As seen on TV” products are a great example of this, and you can probably picture the exaggerated commercials right now.

Even though you think you’ll use it all the time, the products will probably rarely be used. Meaning its a waste of resources and your money.

There’s many other things I’ve stopped buying, but I felt that these were the most common items. If you want to begin minimalism, eliminating these products is a great start!

You can also check out my other article on living a minimalist lifestyle if you want to learn more. Have a lovely day!

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