After going through 90% of my belongings and decluttering about 30-40% of it all I decided I still had no need to buy quite a few things for 2023. Now, that is barring some sort of catastrophe or natural disaster, which I’m really hoping doesn’t happen in the upcoming year. I wanted to create a list of things that will be either a No Buy or help me continue with the Low Buy habit.
MY LIST
I searched through cabinets, under sinks, in every nook and cranny and I realized that I will no longer be needing to buy toothpaste. Not even the travel size ones! Once I discovered this and determined this to be my ‘Win Number 1’, I wanted to go through my house and inventory the rest of my belongings. Here’s what I will no longer need to buy in 2023:
- Toothpaste and toothbrushes as well as dental floss
- Facial moisturizer: Thankfully I don’t have sensitive skin. For a while there I was on a roll trying different moisturizers and buying whatever was the next best recommended thing for my sahara dry skin. I live in a desert climate and felt that I deserve to treat my skin to a lot of moisture. Needless to say, there is plenty since the marketing geniuses of the world clearly have an inside track to my buying habits! These will all get used up this year, for sure.
- Makeup: I decluttered all my makeup last fall. Discarded mascara that smelled funny and lipsticks, too. I have minimized my makeup down to the essentials that I value, trust, and those which are consistently used in my routine. I only have one mascara right now so I will replace that when it’s empty but I will not be accumulating more than one.
- Shampoo and conditioner and hair care products: I have enough, ’nuff said.
- Deodorant
- Soap: both body soap and liquid body wash
- Shoes: I have too many. After my big decluttering last year where I got rid of over 25 pairs of shoes, I still find myself feeling like I should do a second round. For now, the only shoes I see needing to replace will be my pickleball court shoes since I wear those 3x a week and once the soles wear to flat, they become slick on the court and I will need to replace.
- Hosiery or socks
- Bras or sport bras
- Yoga leggings: This is another category which needs to be further decluttered. I still have too many. Working from home since the pandemic has given rise to a plethora of yoga pants. I have no need for more!
- Sunscreen: I bought a lot last year and we have quite a bit to use up. Sunscreen does become expired or ineffective (or so I’m told) so I am going to try to work through what we have on hand for now.
- Body lotion: This is a big one. Every room of my house has bottles of lotion half empty. My goal is to use them up before buying anything new.
- Hair care items, in general. That includes hair ties, brushes, headbands, bobby pins, hair spray, volumizing sprays, dry shampoo, etc.
- Perfume: I rarely wear it and I have plenty of what I do own.
- Room freshener sprays
- Books: The library has free downloads or books, if I need them. Although, I’m not a huge book reader, I do have a few I still need to get through before I even need to visit a library. And, the internet has great resources, blogs, and other informative places for me to spend my time reading if I need.
- No more camping gear: NADA. This is a big one for me! We are avid outdoorsy folk. Camping and hiking is our weekend pastime and I am always looking for a better backpack, a sturdier camp mattress, or a new shelter for the campsite. We have so much stuff and I know we have everything we need. The last REI coupon I got in the mail, I threw it out before even looking at the website. Then I patted myself on the back, pulled the coupon out of the trash, and then tore the coupon up so as to completely avoid temptation. Some new habits are harder to follow and this is one that gets me all the time. So far so good this year! I’m really hoping I hold steady for the next 10 months!
- CLOTHING: This is a big one and the main reason I decided to do a low buy year. I am constantly lured by the newest and cutest piece of clothing, thinking that somehow it will magically make me cuter. Umm, I’m getting older every year and clothes aren’t going to make me younger despite my best efforts and wastefulness. I have pared my closet down so much over the last year, by about 40%. I feel really good about what I have and I know I still have more than I need.
- Kitchen gadgets: Last year I bought an air fryer and a rice cooker and some supplies to make homemade kombucha. I really don’t see me needing any other gadgets for cooking. I have one frying pan that might need to be replaced but I think it will make it through the year.
- Candles: I have a few in the cabinets that are brand new and a few others around the house. I need to burn what I have before buying any new ones. I have deleted all email lists for those kinds of products.
- Cleaning products and disinfectants: I am working on using up what I have under the sink and in the laundry room. I am hoping to move to homemade and natural cleaners in the future. I can pretty much guarantee that I won’t be needing to buy any cleaning products this year.
- Handbags and purses. Another large category before I decluttered and I sold a few of my collection on resale sites. No more! I kept a few smaller bags that are easier to clean out and have some perceived usefulness.
- Houseplants or flowers, even if I kill the houseplants I have now!
- Nail polish. Another category where I have plenty!
- No facials: I plan on doing my own facials at home. I purchased a few acid peels and skin care items last year that will come in handy during this no buy year.
- Food delivery: I never really get food delivered anyway, but that also includes grocery delivery. I had calculated how much I was spending in Instacart during the pandemic and it was averaging $60 a month!
- Wine and alcohol (well, mostly wine): I quit drinking a few months ago for health reasons. Last year, though, I was probably spending about $50 a month on wine.
- Office supplies: I have pens, paper, printer paper, staples, tape, etc. I don’t foresee needing anything further.
- Decor, decor, and decor! I love decor. I am often perusing websites looking for inspiration to enhance my living space, to make my couch more cozy, to freshen up the look of a bathroom or wall space. Not this year. I’m gonna have to pass.
- Last on my list (which I know could be longer but, in an effort as to not bore the reader, I will stop here): Eyeglasses. I usually go to the optometrist once a year and then wind up getting a new pair which runs me around $250. My insurance covers a lot of the cost so I justified it. I am now the proud owner of about 5 pairs of prescription glasses even though my actual prescription hasn’t changed over the years. I really don’t need another pair when I have a pair for the car, the kitchen, the bedroom, the office, and the living room!
TO SUMMARIZE
It’s amazing how enlightening it can be to evaluate your belongings and really appreciate what you own. What you have can be gone tomorrow. The truth is, stuff is just stuff. It doesn’t make you smarter or more patient or a better friend. It helps you create an image of who you project into the world and I think, now that I’m in my 50s, I feel comfortable with who I am and with the image I present and carry to others. I’m never going to buy $200 skincare. I can barely remember to put on basic moisturizer in the morning. I’m a simple person. I’ve tried to convince myself to buy into trendy makeup, skincare, hair care, nail salon offerings, and so many other image enhancing accoutrements. Over time, though, I have reverted back to simplicity. Practicing a low buy mentality feels like a natural progression for me. I fell prey to marketers and their tactics on and off through the years. It’s not that I don’t like nice things or expensive things. I just know that I won’t use them to their fullest or I’ll be wasteful with it because I’m just not as attentive to taking care of my things or caring to take care of ‘things’. And, I’m finally realizing that it’s OK to be a non-consumer, to scale back, to declutter, to reevaluate my spending and how I choose to invest my hard earned money, and to where I choose to invest my time. Maybe you can find inspiration to do the same? Thank you for following me on this journey!