15 Things I No Longer Buy as a Minimalist

This article contains 15 things I no longer buy as a minimalist of five years. Check out what I value and what I decide to live without.

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Where It All Started

When I started my minimalist journey 5 years ago my main goal was to declutter and go through all of my belongings.

Once I accomplished that, I just loved the feeling of a clean and organized home. Then I made a decision to be really selective on what I bring into my home in the future.

Throughout the years I realized how much stuff is unnecessary and I wondered why I bought some things in the first place.

Now I appreciate different characteristics of items I decide to bring into my home. I value quality and sustainability and those are my two main deciding factors when I want to buy something.

15 Things I No Longer Buy

Here is the list of only 15 things I no longer buy which I thought might be interesting to you.

There are much more items I no longer buy as a minimalist and I might share them with you at a later time. 🙂

1. Trendy clothes

Throughout the years I realized what I like in my clothes and experimented with capsule wardrobe to see what kind of clothes fit me best but still look elegant. I appreciate the timeless fashion and complimentary silhouette. Now I only buy clothes that fit my body type, fit the rest of my closet, and that are made of quality and sustainable materials.

I know those will last for years in my closet and I won’t get bored by them. I just love the look of effortless, but elegant fashion and trendy clothes no longer fit the bill.

2. Video games

I used to buy video games and spend hours playing them. One day I just decided to cut this bad habit because it was eating my time. I deleted all of the video games I had and I no longer spend time or money on them.

3. Books

If you are like me and love reading, you know how much space books take in your home. I love the look of a home library, but I didn’t want to buy new books anymore just to read them once.

I kept only my favorite books as home decor, and now I borrow new books from the library. Libraries are such a great place!

4. Perfume

I am a woman of routine so I have used the same perfume for the longest time. Everybody in my life knows that and I often get it as a gift for the holidays. So, I always have a backup and it has become sort of a tradition to receive my favorite perfume as a gift. Purposeful gifts are the best!

5. Jewelry

When I was younger I used to buy cheap jewelry just to have more of it. Now, my thinking is completely different. I kept only high-quality jewelry which is mostly gifts from loved ones.

On an everyday basis, I wear only my engagement ring and a watch I got as a graduation gift. Those items have huge sentimental value for me and I don’t have any need to buy new jewelry.

6. Newest gadgets & appliances

When it comes to technology, my mindset is really simple. Use it until it’s broken beyond repair.

I really see no purpose in buying the newest gadgets and appliances while the old ones work perfectly fine. This habit is just too wasteful for our environment.

7. Notebooks

I have to admit that I still use notebooks from my college days (10 years ago). My mom bought so many new notebooks each start of the school year for my sister and me that we are still using them. Once I use all of them I will invest in a reusable notebook.

8. Beauty treatments

Even a couple of years ago, when I was already considering myself a minimalist I spent a lot of money each month on different beauty treatments. Don’t get me wrong, I loved them and I still do. But I realize they cost me a lot of money and for now savings are more important to me. So I decided to do all those things by myself and now I have a frugal spa routine at home.

9. Plants

There is absolutely no purpose in buying houseplants when you can get them for free. I exchange plant cuttings with my mom, sister, and friends and we propagate them into new houseplants. That’s sustainability at its best!

10. Gym membership

Gym membership is something useful to have, I admit. For years before the pandemic hit I used to go to the gym regularly and it was something I thought I would never cut from my budget.

Since the start of the pandemic I exercise at home, and I even invested in some gym equipment. I just love the fact that I don’t have to go anywhere to exercise and that I don’t have to wear cute clothes because nobody sees me!

11. Plastic containers

In recent years scientists found out that plastic containers can leach harmful chemicals into food. I don’t know about you, but I don’t want chemicals in my food. So I no longer buy plastic containers. I still use old plastic containers I had from before, but when I buy new ones I buy glass containers.

And I never heat food in plastic containers in the microwave!

12. Exotic foods

Similar to clothes, throughout the years I realized what kind of foods I love to eat.

Although I never considered myself a picky eater, I noticed that when I experiment with food and try more exotic foods that I never like them.

Now I have a number of meals I eat on a regular basis and that’s the food I buy. If I decide to experiment with food I go to a restaurant and try something new. At home, I stick to the tried and true recipes.

13. Tea

I am a coffee person through and through. I still drink tea, but those occasions are really rare. I decided to no longer push myself into the tea habit only because it’s healthier. I know what I like.

If I wish to drink tea I have a few options of homemade tea at home. Tea is really easy to make, you just have to dry herbs, flowers, or fruit of the flavor you would like to have.

14. Home decor

My home contains only meaningful decor. Every piece of decor (and I think I have a lot for a minimalist) has its own value to me and my partner.

I inherited a lot of crystal dishes, vases, chinaware, and art pieces from my grandmother and my fiance’s grandmother and those are the pieces of home decor we have at our home.

15. Souvenirs

As someone who has traveled a lot in the past, I sometimes wonder why I bought so many souvenirs. I know I wanted to have them for memory, but now I only keep them in a box because I don’t like the way they look in my home.

Also, I bought so many souvenirs for my family and friends but I don’t see them displaying them in their homes. Those are not their memories, so they don’t have the need to receive souvenirs from other people’s travels.

Interested to see things I still buy as a minimalist? Check it out here.