50 Things I Do Not Buy or Own | Minimalism

“Minimalism” looks different for everyone.

It’s not a one-size-fits-all kind of deal.

What a minimal(ist) life looks like for you will vary depending on your circumstances, current season of life, family situation, work situation, etc. And honestly there are some days where you buy things you do not need, or even want, and they end up getting resold or donated again eventually- this is okay. We don’t need to be rigid with our belongings. But we aim to ensure that the items we own are functional and purposeful- that we find some use in them- and that they bring us pleasure or joy in our lives.

Personally, I don’t buy a whole lot of anything.

If I’m not going to use something regularly, or I already have a sufficient amount of something to meet my needs (like shoes), then I am very selective as to whether or not I will bring an item into my possession. I’ve learned to recognize that when I start to say, “Oh, well I need _____”, that I don’t really need anything. I want things, and that’s fine, as long as the things I want will be used and loved.

That being said, I do already own some of the things on this list. But overall the items listed are items I don’t continue to buy on a regular basis (because why would I buy more blankets when I can really only use one at a time anyway), or they’re things I don’t/won’t use, or I really don’t own one at this point in time. Some of these things I have had and used in the past, and some I may have and use again in the future.

But as of now, this list covers the average and norm of what I currently don’t own, use, or buy as a minimalist.

APPAREL

• Fast Fashion: I do not buy fast fashion. You can read more as to why in my posts on the subject here and here. I buy my clothes secondhand, or from ethical brands and businesses if I need to get something new. This kind of covers all things clothes and shoes- most anything wardrobe related. But, let’s get a bit more specific.
• Swim Suits: I own one swim suit. I’ve owned multiple in the past, but with as little swimming as I do, I don’t need more than one. And it’s really easier this way because then I only have one option and don’t have to think hard about it. One swim suit is plenty- trust me. Just make sure it’s one that fits well and that you love.
• a Little Black Dress: I don’t own a black dress. I have had a few in the past, but again, I never wore them even when they were pretty casual. Black is just not my color, and if I ever need something for an event (as if) then I can borrow one or find a secondhand one online.
• Clothes: So obviously I do buy clothes. But not regularly. When I do, it’s typically from yard sales, and even still I’m very selective. I’ve just gotten to the point where most everything that I already have in my closet are pieces I love and wear often- my favorite pieces that I always reach for- and it just frustrates me having things in my wardrobe that don’t get regular wear.
• Workout-Specific Clothes/Gear: I do own activewear. But all the pieces I have I wear all the time, and are not things I can wear exclusively for exercise (I wear them for comfy lounge clothes and pjs). All the items I own I’ve had for years, and they’re still doing great- seriously, one of my pairs of leggings I’ve had for like…ten years. I’ve mended a spot here and there, but they’re one of my favorites. I just already have what I need, and so don’t buy more.
• Shoes: I own ten pairs of shoes, and they’re all pairs I love. I used to have way more, and was the person who had a new pair that I asked for every birthday and Christmas. But now, I don’t buy shoes just for the heck of it- even from yard sales. I may be in the market for a new pair soon because my Converse that I wear regularly are literally falling apart (again, I’ve owned them for like ten years) and so might like to get something to replace them- BUT again, wouldn’t need to, because the shoes I wear for running are great for everyday wear as well and would more than sufficiently serve the purpose.
• Bags/Purses: I don’t buy purses and bags. I have five or six that I use throughout the year, and that serve different functions. All but one is secondhand. Do I need five bags? Absolutely not. But I enjoy the ones I have, and I do use them.
• Accessories/Jewelry: I’m not a big jewelry person, and so don’t buy myself any. I own one necklace that I wear almost every day, about five pairs of earrings (that I hardly ever wear because my ears are crazy sensitive), one watch for everyday, and one watch for when I run. I don’t really do accessories anymore because my style has become simpler and so I don’t feel the need for all the different scarves and hair things like I used to have in high school.
• Belts: I own one belt. It’s brown leather and functional more than anything. Truly don’t need more, and so don’t have any others.
• Sunglasses: I own one nice pair of sunglasses. And honestly I hardly wear them. And I think I have two pairs of cheaper ones that have been demoted that I keep in my car just in case (the kind you’d take to the beach because you wouldn’t be devastated if they got swallowed up by the ocean). I don’t understand why people own dozens of pairs of sunglasses because again, you can only wear one pair at a time and you can’t truly love every single one of them- honestly, don’t you tend to reach for the same pari all the time?

HOME GOODS

• Candles/Artificial fragrances/Air fresheners: Fragrance is so bad for you I don’t even know where to start. You can watch the documentary Stink on Netflix to learn more, but these items are very toxic for our bodies. I’ve eliminated most every kind of fragrance from my life, and so have become quite sensitive to all forms of it- I quickly get a headache when exposed to fragrance (like, even scented trash bags). So needless to say, I don’t do “air freshener”. And I love candles, but I don’t buy or use them anymore because of the fragrance, and because most are soy-based (soy is an endocrine/estrogen disruptor- bad news- that we don’t want to be breathing). If I need to freshen up a space, I’ll use an essential oil diffuser, or open the window to allow in some fresh air.
• Kitchen Gadgets: I don’t need a special tool to help me peel an avocado, or a gizmo that allows me to microwave my eggs, or a vegetable slicer. Just…no.
• A KitchenAid/ Stand Mixer: I stir and mix most everything with a fork (sometimes my hands). In certain instances I will use my hand mixer but only if I know I can’t work up the necessary speed with my arm.
• Blender: Used to have one, stopped using it, got rid of it. Currently use a food processor.
• Home Decor: My taste is very simple and I don’t feel the need to have every inch of shelf space or wall space filled. That just gives you more to dust. So, I use the pieces that I have, and and happy with that. If something needs to be changed or replaced in the future, that’s fine. But I’m not one to go to Target and buy some new decor item every trip just because “It’s SO cute”. This includes blankets, pillows, knick knacks/tchotchkeys, wall hangings, vases, dishes, rugs…
• Mugs: I own two mugs. One I bought, one was a Christmas gift. I love and use both. I don’t need any more.
• Reusable Water Bottles: I typically drink my water out of a mason jar, but have a stainless steel bottle that I use as well. I take both with me to work so I don’t have to drink tap water. We do have one or two other bottles somewhere in our pantry, but keep those for long car trips and things like that. I love a cute water bottle as much as the next person, but thankfully I’ve curbed my impulsive purchasing in this area.
• Dryer Sheets + Fabric Softener: This relates back to the artificial fragrance. It’s just not good for these toxins to be on our skins and in our air. Aside from the fact that these products aren’t actually necessary. We use wool dryer balls instead of dryer sheets now, and have never used fabric softener.

TECHNOLOGY / MEDIA

• Home Security: I’m just not a fan. I don’t feel the need to know what is happening in and around my house every second of the day.
• Airpods: Personally, I think these are so silly. They look silly, and are SO expensive, and easy to lose. Plus, wireless just means more EMFs going right into your head and brain, which is not good for you at all.
• iPads: I do own a MacBook, but have never felt the need to have an iPad or tablet as well. It seems so unnecessary to me.
• New Phones: I am definitely not the person who upgrades every time there’s a new phone available. I have a prepaid phone plan, and have bought my phones used/refurbished the last two or three times I needed one.
• Phone Cases: I have one phone case- and it’s on my phone.
• Gadgets: I’m just not a tech person in general. I’m not for the home speaker system things (like Alexa), or really any all-in-one home system, or voice activated electronics. I’m not a fan of keyless entry on cars, or keeping all my records and banking and my whole life on my phone. I think that’s dangerous, even while it may be convenient for some.
• Apps: You should see how empty my home screen is on my phone. I have a handful of apps that I have loaded on my phone that didn’t come on there, and have actually deleted some of the ones that did. I don’t play games on my phone- I use it for texts and calls, and social media. I’m a paper and pencil kind of girl, and don’t feel the need to have an app to keep track of every little thing.
• Subscription Services: We haven’t had cable in our home for more than ten years. We used to have Netflix but cancelled it. We currently have Hulu, but don’t utilize it a whole lot. And we use AGTV (American Gospel Television). We don’t watch a ton of tv, so having a whole bunch of streaming services just doesn’t make sense.
• Movies: We have a small box of movies on DVD (we keep them in paper sleeves so they take up less room). We don’t buy every new movie that comes out. If we really really love a movie that we went to see in theatre, we may buy it, but other than that we can get stuff from the library.
• Books: I own maybe ten books. I’m more open than I used to be about the idea of owning books, but I’m very selective and only want to own books that I know I’ll read many times.

BODY CARE

• Mani/Pedis: I like going to get my nails done if someone wants to take me to do that for some occasion, but I have a hard time spending that money on myself when I know I can paint my nails for free at home.
• Nail Polish: I have like four different colors of nail polish that I rotate through, and don’t feel the need to have a ton of options to choose from like I use to. Honestly, I hardly ever paint my nails anymore, just because it doesn’t tend to last (especially when I am at work). And while I do still enjoy doing my nails from time to time, honestly I’m finding myself moving away from it, just because that’s one more source of chemicals and toxins (even though I use 9-free polish) that I don’t need going into my body. We’ll see.
• Makeup Wipes/Remover: I use a Makeup Eraser that removes my makeup with only water (see my blog post on this here). It’s super convenient and less messy than oily removers that make your eyes all goopy.
• Excessive Makeup: I wear eyeliner and mascara. While I have a powder foundation, I don’t wear it because thankfully my skin is nice and clear. I don’t buy extra makeup because I almost never use it. I do want to start learning how to do some nice eyeshadow, but that’s low on my priority list at the moment.
• Plastic Toothbrushes: One of the first swaps I made when I decided I wanted to reduce my plastic waste was switch to a bamboo toothbrush. I’ve been very happy with that switch. Plus you can compost the bamboo handle (you just need to pull out the bristles beforehand because that won’t biodegrade).
• Pads/Tampons: I no longer use or buy these feminine hygiene products because I am the proud user of a menstrual cup (I did a blog post all about it that you can read here).
• Razors + Shaving Cream: Most of the time I use an Epilady (some people call it an epilator) to remove body hair.
• Bath Bombs + Products: As much as I want to be, I’m just not a bath person. So I really don’t need any of these things.
• Perfume: This goes back to the fragrance thing.
• Hairbrush: I had a hairbrush until recently, but I threw it away because it was getting grimey and because I don’t really use it now that I know my hair is curly. I don’t plan on replacing it, because I do have a comb I use when needed.
• Sunscreen: I’ve never been a big sunscreen person, but now I never wear it. The sun is so good for our bodies and health, and sunscreens are full of chemicals and oils (PUFAs) that you don’t want to be putting on your skin- those are what oxidize in the light and cause skin damage. I did two blog posts all about this which you can read here and here.
• Hand Sanitizer: If my hands are dirty I will wash them. I’ve never liked the feel of sanitizer on my hands, and much of the time the smell is so strong it gives me a headache. Again, those chemicals are not something I want to be putting on my skin.
• Bug Spray: While I’m obviously not a fan of bug bites, thankfully even when I get them they’re manageable. I can’t stand the smell of bug spray, and- I know I sound like a broken record- they’re so full of chemicals, I’d rather just put more clothes on to keep the bugs off of me.

HEALTH

• Gym Membership: This is mostly because they’re super expensive. I do actually enjoy going to the gym to work out, but it’s hard to justify the cost. So for now I just do stuff at home, and run around my neighborhood.
• Workout Equipment: All the exercise “equipment” I own includes a yoga mat, running shoes, resistance bands, some hand weights, and a few workout DVDs.

FOOD + DRINK

• Precut/Preprepared Food: This food is so much more expensive. Honestly, I’d rather just cut it all up myself.
• Alcohol: I don’t drink, so this is a moot point.
• Coffee: Just don’t like the flavor. Sometimes I’ll have a cup with heavy cream, and like it hot or iced.
• Soda: I prefer water.
• Bottled Water/Drinks: When you buy bottled drinks, you’re paying more for the bottle than anything else. I just feel this is a waste of money and resources- all single-use items are just thrown away. It doesn’t take a whole lot of planning ahead to be able to easily avoid needing to use these things.

MISC.

• Impulse Buys/Sale Items: Don’t get sucked into buying something just because “it’s a great deal”. It’s marked down to make you think exactly that and to make you feel like you need to buy it because there’s limited availability and you never be able to buy it again (not true). You may be “saving” 75% from the original price of that item, but you save 100% of your money when you don’t buy anything.
• Souvenirs: I am not a souvenirs person, especially not for every trip I go on. These items almost always get enjoyed for the duration of a trip and then tossed into a drawer or box once you get back home. If a trip is special or I want something to remind me of it (other than a picture, duh) I may get a postcard or sticker, something small that won’t take up space. I think I have purchased two shirts on separate trips, but they were very unique and wearable in everyday outfits (ie. not neon pink with the name of wherever I visited across the back). I also have a couple keychains. But buying souvenirs is a ritual you will almost never find me participating in.
• Notebooks + Office Supplies: I love notebooks. And yes, I have a couple more now than I am currently using, for when I finish the one I’m in. I do pretty good about not buying notebooks until I need a new one. Thankfully I don’t accumulate this kind of thing anymore- it helps that I’m finished with school.

This Youtube video is what originally gave me the idea to do this blog post. I saw it for the first time a couple years back, and it was the first of Sarah’s videos that I watched, and now I never miss one. She puts out great content, and is the sweetest person and a beautiful sister in Christ. She has an entire Minimalism playlist with similar content that you can check out here.

I hope this list of things I don’t buy, use, or own as a minimalist has been inspiring to you to take a look at your own belongings and honestly consider what you do and don’t need and want.

It’s very freeing to come to a place of not always looking for something new to buy (and it’s startling to realize how often our minds do this even when we aren’t aware of it), to be content with what you have, and to show your belongings respect in the sense that when it’s time for them to be thrown away they will have served their purpose and truly, functionally cannot be used anymore.

I’m planning to be back soon with some posts about things I do own as a minimalist, and maybe even things I own more than one of. Let me know what you think, or if you have other ideas! Thanks so much for dropping by!

Until next time…