Buying Things You Don't Need: 20 Things I No Longer Waste Money On

Buying things you don’t need is hindering your minimalism journey and leading you to spend money unnecessarily.

Living minimally has helped me distinguish between need and want. More and more I realize there are so many things I don’t need to buy. Here are some of the things I don’t buy anymore.

1. Style

To make things easy for myself, I pretty much wear all black all the time. I’ve stopped trying to chase style and keep up with trends. Even my socks are all black and they’re all the same socks, so I don’t have to worry about finding matches.

2. Supplements

Instead of stocking up on protein powders and supplements, I simply eat a healthy diet. I do drink a multi-vitamin powder every day because I don’t eat enough vegetables, but that one powder gives me everything I need.

I used to take tons of different supplements, for pre-workouts and post-workouts, but now I’ve found that a balanced diet eliminates the need for all those extra supplements.

3. Shoes

I do have shoes, but I used to buy them for fun every couple of months. I had multiple pairs depending on what I was doing.

Now that I’ve simplified my wardrobe, I wear a pair of barefoot shoes and sandals during the summer. I only have to buy shoes once every year or two depending on how much I use them.

4. Games

I used to play a lot of games, especially on my phone, and I would end up spending hundreds of dollars. Now I do not allow myself to keep any games on my phone because I know I can’t control myself.

5. Bottles of water

Instead of buying bottled water, I just use my non-disposable bottle. I fill it up before I go out and I take it with me everywhere.

6. Impulse purchases

It is way too easy to buy impulsively these days. That’s why I took Amazon off my phone.

I started keeping a list. When I think of something I need or want, I write it down on the list. This helps me take a beat before buying anything, and I’ve avoided accumulating things I don’t need.

7. Name brands

Switching from name brands can save a lot of money. I used to use Verizon for my phone plan, but now I’ve switched to Mint Mobile. I also switched my WiFi to a competitor of Comcast because it works just as well and is half the price.

11. Cooking spray

I used to cycle through cooking spray all the time. I switched to non-stick pans and I haven’t had to buy any cooking spray since.

12. Tupperware

We used to have tons of Tupperware and we were always losing lids. Now we got rid of all that and bought a set of nice containers.

13. Disposable pens

I used to use disposable pens and they added clutter to the house. Now I have a nice non-disposable pen. I never lose it because I only have one so I take care of it and keep track of it.

14. Gifts and toys

My daughter’s favorite toy right now is a cardboard box. My wife and I don’t buy gifts and toys. We spend that money on experiences instead.

15. Hobbies

I used to pick up new hobbies all the time and buy a bunch of gear to support the hobby. Then a month or two would pass and I’d lose interest and move on to something else.

Now, unless I’ve been sticking with a hobby for a long time, I don’t spend money on it.

16. Haircuts

My wife and I learned how to cut each other’s hair and now we don’t have to spend money on haircuts.

17. Junk food

We have stopped buying things that come in packages or pre-made. We try to stick with whole foods or make things from scratch.

18. Investing fees

Instead of hiring someone to manage my investments for me, I bought a book on managing investments so I could do it myself.

19. Coffee

I don’t buy coffee out. We have a coffee maker at home and we buy high-quality coffee from a local shop. It's delicious and still cheaper than big-brand coffee beans.