16 Everyday Things I Don't Buy As a Minimalist

1. Travel

Travel used to be a big expense and we have found different ways to save money on that and one of the ways is to stop buying hotels. We do Airbnb because it’s affordable and there’s always a kitchen so we don’t have to eat out three times a day when we’re traveling.

We also buy tickets with travel rewards by signing up for different credit cards that have huge signup bonuses. We stopped buying meaningless souvenirs when we travel. A picture is much more important. 

2. Expensive supplements

I used to take a pre-workout, a post-workout, and sometimes a mid-workout creatine supplement plus a bunch of different protein powders. I have stopped buying almost all of that. I have narrowed that down to a few things I’ll have every day, like a multivitamin or a green drink and maybe a meal replacement. 

3. Investing in things I don’t understand

I have lost thousands of dollars because I used to think I was smarter than I actually am. I stopped trying to pick odd stocks, crypto things, or weird investments.

Instead, I use a Roth IRA inside my Webull account and I only invest in things like index funds like the S&P 500. I invest in things I understand like real estate and YouTube.

4. Promotional stuff

I used to be a sucker for sales. I’ve decluttered many things I bought for 70 percent off. There’s nothing wrong with saving money on things you need. But I stopped looking at tempting sales. You can go broke trying to save money!

5. Memberships and boxes

There are so many different subscription boxes–from makeup to video games to books–and all of them just send you a bunch of crap that you normally wouldn’t buy.

6. New baby clothes and toys

We get new baby clothes as gifts but we buy secondhand or exchange baby clothes with other parents. The same thing goes for toys. Kids tend to be the excuse to either spend money or to have a messy house. It’s up to you how much money you spend or how clean your house is.

7. Expensive phone plans

Since I discovered Mint Mobile I haven’t spent much. It’s premium wireless service on the nation’s largest 5G network and plans start at $15 a month and unlimited at $30 a month.

8. New technology

We are cautious about getting the newest iPhone or MacBook. We use things until they literally do not work anymore. We don’t do anything for status.

9. Expensive gadgets

I consciously stay away from expensive Apple Watches, iPads, or headphones. I don’t want to be on more technology.

10. Expensive streaming services

The more of these I have, the more likely I will be on them. If there’s something I want to watch, I will sign up for the free trial, watch it, and end the trial. It’s saved us a lot of money.

11. New cars

Buying a new car is one of the worst financial decisions you could make. The car loses 10 percent of its value once it’s off the lot and another 10 percent the first year.

We have owned Toyota Corollas, Honda CRVs, and Honda Civics for cheap, reliable transportation. I used to have a flashy yellow car that I was using to get attention, which was very unhealthy.

12. Presents

Presents are a scam–you’re forced to buy things for people that they don’t really need. Instead of exchanging gifts for family holidays, we spend time together. If we buy a gift, it has to be something someone needs.

13. Seasonal decorations

We buy a Christmas tree and put on a few decorations. Having fewer seasonal decorations makes the holidays less stressful because we’re not caught up in the need to decorate and undecorate. It also keeps the clutter down in our home.

14. Excessive home decor

We used to fill our homes with decor but we are more conscious about our home. Most things don’t make the cut. The photo of my family I took myself and framed means more to us than any other decoration.

15. New furniture/appliances

You can get dented and dinged appliances at the back of Lowe’s or Facebook Marketplace where wholesalers sell new but dented appliances for 70 percent off.

You can’t even see where the ding is! We’ve done this with furniture, too. I feel worse about expensive things getting scratched than if I paid less for the same thing that may already have a tiny flaw.

16. Brand names

People spend way more on items just because it’s a name brand. This goes for clothing and coffee. Starbucks may be convenient but you’re spending a lot of money for a similar quality product that you could get at a small, less expensive coffee shop.

Instead of buying name-brand clothing for hundreds of dollars more, I now get things that fit me better and preferably do not have a logo, which is hard to find when shopping!  

Things I don't buy

I hope seeing all the things I don’t buy anymore helps you see where you can cut back. There’s so much freedom you gain when stopping the buying cycle on these things.

Let me know in the comments if you see where you can stop the money leaks and where you can stop buying things you don’t need.