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Whether you are interested in simplifying your life, saving money, or reducing your waste, I am here to help you identify 10 things to stop buying to live minimally AND save money. You could probably do without or replace most if not all of these things.
Why Minimalism?
Living minimally for me is about cutting out clutter, reducing waste, and living more simply. Saving money has also been a great side effect of buying less things! Having too much stuff can cause clutter, stress, and prevent you from having mental clarity. By buying less, you save time, money, and potentially a headache.
I decided to stop buying a lot of things and live minimally three years ago when my husband and I decided to go tiny. By tiny I mean we live in a fifth wheel trailer full time! Not only has this provided us with so much freedom, it has also saved us a TON of money.
If you are thinking of going minimal, here is a list of 10 things to stop buying to live minimally and save money. You don’t have to fully commit yourself to all 15 things if it feels overwhelming. Just start with a few things and build yourself up. Or perhaps there are things not on this list that you know you can cut out of your life. Do what works for you, everyone is different and we all have our preferences.
1. Makeup Remover Wipes
There are several reasons why you should stop buying makeup remover wipes:
- They are single use; terrible for the environment
- They are harsh on your skin
- They don’t do a great job at taking your makeup off
Makeup wipes are a huge waste as they are a single use item. If you wear makeup often or even every day then you are going through these like crazy. They are also harsh on your skin because you are pulling and tugging at your it in order to wipe the makeup off. This can lead to redness, scratching, and irritation. And finally, they do a poor job at actually removing makeup. Yes, there was a time when I would use makeup wipes and think I was good to go to bed without washing my face afterward. You should ALWAYS wash your face after using a makeup remover because they don’t get everything off.
Instead of using makeup remover wipes, you can opt for miceller water, squalene oil, or an oil based cleanser. I like to use the squalene cleanser from The Ordinary. You can simply massage it on your face to break down makeup and dirt and use a a washcloth to gently remove it. Make sure you go in with a good cleanser afterwards! I like to use the foaming cleanser from CeraVe, as it is gentle and great for most skin types!
2. Experimental Makeup
Let’s face it. We love the thrill of buying something, we use it once, and we never touch it again. A big category of this for many people is makeup. You either buy something because someone on social media recommends it or you love walking around Sephora or Ulta just to see what you can buy. I have been there. Sure it’s fun to experiment with makeup, but the reality is that we are spending time, energy, and money on this experimental.
Now unless you are a beauty blogger, you really don’t need a ton of makeup. Stick to the basics and find what truly works for you. This includes finding what you like and what looks good on you, because everyone is different! If you already have enough makeup, stop buying any unless it’s a replacement. This will free up some space in your makeup bag and make it so much easier to get ready in the morning. If you have a huge makeup bag full of unused makeup or even expired products, consider decluttering some of it. Remember that makeup does expire and you don’t want to put that on your skin!
3. Full Price Movie Tickets
I am actually shocked at the amount of people who still pay full price for movie tickets, but then again I am more frugal than a lot of people. If you are someone who enjoys going to the movie theater frequently, consider going on discounted days. For example, in my area we have $5 Tuesday, which is a great deal compared to the regular $11.75. If you are also paying for friends, family, or your date, that amount can add up quick. Only going to the movies on the discounted day has saved me quite a bit of money. I also go less often overall; only when it’s a movie that I am really excited about and not just for the sake of going.
4. Nails
Okay, I know I’m really hitting you with a lot of personal care/beauty related items, but getting your nails done often gets expensive real quick. If this is something you are willing to give up, you can save a good amount of money in the long run.
If you like having your nails done, consider learning how to do them yourself at home. You can give yourself a gel manicure by buying a UV light lamp and some gel nail polishes. Remember, you are trying to go minimal so only pick colors that you know you love and will use over and over again. I purchased my UV LED light lamp from Amazon along with a kit of 6 neutral color nail polishes. It’s really not that hard (and trust me I am very clumsy!) and it’s also quite therapeutic!
5. Razors & Shaving Cream
This one might not be for everyone. Before you freak out, I’m not talking about quitting hair removal altogether, just quitting buying disposable razors.
Shaving
Let’s start with disposable razors. Besides the environmental pollution plastic disposable razors create, they also cost you a lot of money as you are constantly replacing them. This means that you probably also buy more than one a time, creating clutter and taking up space. So how is this solved? Like me, you probably don’t want to pay all that money to go get waxed, as that is pretty pricey itself!
Have you ever heard of a thing called a safety razor? Yeah, me neither…until recently anyway! Safety razors are made from stainless steal, making them durable for many years. If they happen to break, they are completely recyclable. The only thing you need to worry about switching out is the blade, which is still kind of wasteful, but a lot less really! If you really want to stick to shaving while going minimal, I suggest making the switch. I recommend this one from Ecoroots, as it has great reviews and a great price point!
Now as for using shaving cream, I find that using bar soap, body wash, or even hair condition works just fine! You really don’t need shaving cream.
Epilating
If you are looking for a cheaper solution that doesn’t involve shaving, is low waste, and you have a high pain tolerance, I would highly recommend epilating. I have been epilating for a full year now and WOW did it change my life! This is my preferred method of hair removal because shaving gives me razor burn and my hair would be back SO fast.
An epilator is essentially a little machine with a ton of tweezers that mechanically grasp multiple hairs simultaneously and pluck them out. Shaving doesn’t get you hair from the root like waxing and epiltating do. Epilating is also SO cheap because all you do is buy an epilator one time and it should last you a very long time. Many epilators also have warranties on them, so you should be set for a while!
Now, I know you’re thinking I’m crazy because you can’t imagine how you are going to stand the pain of multiple hairs being plucked from your legs or armpits or wherever else you might remove hair. But trust me, it only hurts really bad the first time and it’s SO worth it. If you’re interested in trying an epilator, I use this one from Phillips. Sure, it might cost more than a pack of razors, but it’s a one time purchase and you don’t need to keep buying blades! If you are looking to cut back on waste and live minimally, stop buying disposable razors and shaving cream.
6. Excessive Skincare Products
I don’t have much to say on this as it is pretty similar to makeup products. The essentials when it comes to skincare are:
- A cleanser
- A moisturizer
- A sunscreen
- And an exfoliant
Personally, I like using a chemical exfoliant rather than a physical scrub, but that’s totally up to you!. Bringing it back to the basics with your skin care not only works wonders on your skin, but on your wallet! Not to mention that you will also eliminate clutter from your bathroom cabinet, and isn’t that the main goal here?
7. Dish Sponges
Ah, dish sponges, another product that is terrible for the environment. Am I the only one who think sponges are totally disgusting? All I can ever think about is all the bacteria growing on them.
I have not used dish sponges for two years now, and I haven’t missed them! Instead, I use silicone dish sponges and a kitchen scrapper to scrape off pots and pans when needed. Silicone sponges are more environmentally friendly, last longer, and do not grow as much bacteria as traditional sponges.
8. Fast Fashion
Fast fashion is something that is very appealing to many people because of the very low price point. Fast fashion companies, such as Forever 21, H&M, and Nasty Gal, all use cheap materials and labor to mass produce trendy pieces of clothing. Not only do these clothing items not last very long, they go out of style real quick too. The biggest issue with fast fashion is the unethical practice of cheap labor and harmful environmental effects. If you are looking to live minimally, stop buying fast fashion.
I would suggest quitting fast fashion altogether and shopping from more sustainable companies such as Everlane and Aritzia. These are just two of my personal favorites, but a majority of my wardrobe is actually thrifted. If you don’t enjoy thrifting and don’t want to pay the high price point, I would highly recommend online second hand shopping. I love shopping and selling on Poshmark and Ebay for gently used clothing and giving it a second life!
Paying up for sustainable clothing is like making a long term investment because you are buying higher quality, timeless items that will last you for years to come! If you thrift your wardrobe pieces more often, then you aren’t even paying the high price point and you are doing a great thing for the environment!
9. Decor/Seasonal Decor
Home decor is one of those categories that just slowly creeps up on you when it comes to clutter and spending money. You go to Target for toothpaste and leave with 8 candles, a mug, new rug, and a whole bunch of knick knacks because you just had to have them right?
It gets even worse when we bring seasonal decor into the picture. Let’s be honest, you don’t need to decorate for Valentine’s Day, Easter, 4th of July AND Halloween right? Okay, maybe you do need to decorate for Halloween. Personally, I choose a couple of my favorite holidays/seasons and only decorate for those. Even then, I keep the decor simple and minimal.
When it comes to house decor, I just don’t really even do it. I purchased a few things that I really loved, such as a few plants and some candles AND that’s it. Keep in mind that I live in a very small space so for you this might be a little different. I would recommend only purchasing decor that will serve a purpose and that you don’t already own. For example, I have a candle in my living room and one in my bathroom and I only buy replacements.
Having less clutter and knick knacks gives you so much mental clarity and makes it so much easier to clean because your surfaces aren’t covered in decor! Just stop buying so much decor and live minimally. I promise you will have more mental clarity and save money as well!
10. Cable Subscription
Cable subscriptions can go well over $100 per month and most times you aren’t even using it to it’s full potential. There are so many alternatives to cable, such as Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Video, and many more. You could save a ton of money by just cutting your TV subscription and switching to a streaming service that offers what you like to watch.
Watching too much television also takes up so much of our valuable time and mental space! Consider cutting back on how much time you spend in watching television and put time and energy into other areas of your life.
If you are trying to live a healthier lifestyle, check out my blog post on 10 Healthy Habits Every Woman Needs to Start. I really believe that living minimally and simply can play a great role in living an overall healthy, stress free life!
