I always have fun reading “X things I no longer buy” posts because they often give me a lot of ideas on how to save money or manage my money better. So I thought it’d be fun to share my list.
Now, my reason for not buying these 25 things is not just because I want to save money. My primary motivation is the environment — I want to stop stuff from heading towards a landfill. I want to stop using plastics that will pollute the environment. Saving money is a significant side benefit.
Before I buy something, I ask myself:
- Do I really need this?
- How will this impact the environment?
- Can I get a more sustainable, environmentally friendly alternative?
1. Special occasion clothing
If I have a special event to attend, I will just whip out the same evening dress that I’ve worn for every special occasion I’ve attended. It is in a classic style, so I don’t have to switch it up all the time.
2. New clothing
Fast fashion is incredibly damaging to the environment, as my interview with Adam Minter, author of Secondhand and Junk Planet, reveals. So, instead of buying new clothes, I often go to thrift shops or “bundle shops” to get what I need. I also buy basics so they can be mixed and matched easily.
3. New furniture (unless there are absolutely no alternatives)
When I moved to my unfurnished apartment rental this year, I shopped in Carousell for secondhand appliances and furniture. I also shifted some furniture from my old apartment, which I had rented out fully furnished or took castoffs from friends and family. Some of my furniture is over 15 years old!
4. Decorations
Plastic flowers, statues, beautiful vases … unless they have functional uses, I don’t buy them.
5. Music CDs and Movie DVDs
I mean, honestly, do they even sell them anymore? I used to buy a lot of them. When I first cleared out my apartment so that I can move to Australia, I had hundreds of music CDs and DVDs. I ended up donating them all to a charity. When streaming services like Netflix and HBO Go came online, I stopped buying them completely. Renting my movies through these platforms is good enough for me. And I listen to music via Spotify, though I only use the free version.
6. Souveniers
You won’t get any knick knacks from me if I travel abroad. But I’ll probably you gift you with the country’s unique cookies, chocolates and other edible foodstuff. And if you’re my relatives, probably lots of vitamin bottles from Australia!
7. Things that are just on sale
Black Friday, 11.11.11 sales just pass me buy because I find nothing on sale appealing. Unless said thing is something I’ve been eyeing for a long time.
8. Single use appliances
I once watched a humorous TikTok video where a woman showed how an expensive kitchen thingamajic … could cut your bagel in half. Another TikToker responded by demonstrating how a US$1 bread knife could do the job just fine and with less cost! A lot of our devices are like that thingamajic. When my slow cooker died, I got an electric pressure cooker instead. It can not just make soups and stews, one can even make bread in it! So, when I buy a kitchen gadget I ask myself — can I use this to do more than one thing?
9. Bread
Speaking of bread — I no longer buy loafs of bread because I make my own. It’s easy to make them, although it can be time-consuming. I usually make a big loaf that will last me about two weeks (I eat little bread). And it costs me only RM1! The bread I make tastes way better than supermarket loaf bread — it’s the same quality as those fancy loafs of bread you see at bakeries, if I might say so myself.
10. Plastic containers or tupperwares
Not gonna lie, I used to collect them. Exactly why, I’m not sure. These days I rely on glass jars and containers — either bought or recycled, or my favourite hack: silicone bags, to store my foodstuff.
11. Gift wrap
I recycle my gift wrap. When someone gifts me with something, I keep the giftwrap and use them to wrap presents later.
12. Physical newspapers and magazines
I still do read newspapers and magazines, however. I subscribe to a service called Scribd which allows me to read hundreds of magazines from around the world. For local news, I rely on their websites. However, I keep a lean information diet so I don’t really want to be overwhelmed by daily news, preferring periodicals and long-form journalism such as those by Time magazine.
13. Greeting cards
Seriously, I just drop the person a call or go out for coffee with them if I want to celebrate their birthdays or special events. It’s far more rewarding.
14. Leafy vegetables
Because I grow my own. I have a ready supply of Brazilian and Malabar spinach and sweet potato leaves growing in my two apartment balconies. I have herbs such as Thai basil and Bird’s eye chillies too. These veggies are just enough for me, though I plan to add lettuce and pak choy to the garden soon. I only buy vegetables that take a long time to grow, such as brinjals, ginger, potatoes and cauliflower.
15. Makeup and perfume
I mean, I barely used makeup during pre-pandemic times because they felt so uncomfortable on my skin. The most I bought was a tube of lipstick and eye shadow. Even then, these end up expiring, barely used. These days I just buy coloured lip balm. At least it’s multi-functional!
16. New books (usually)
As a book lover, I cannot say that I never buy them. Some days, though rare, I go weak in the knees for a freshly released non-fiction or a fantasy novel with a gorgeous cover and indulge. Most days I just buy secondhand books or rent romance books from my friend at Lovely Ever After, or read them from Scribd.
17. New trendy bags and purses
Unless my current ones have holes, I’m not buying the newest style on the block.
18. Fancy, pretty shoes
I’m ferociously practical about my footwear. I buy pricey but very comfortable shoes that will not give me foot problems. That means I don’t wear heels or stilettos or any other fancy strappy thing.
19. Collectibles
I used to collect movie posters and frame them up. Yeah, no more. I no longer collect things that do not have a functional purpose. I don’t even keep my books. The moment I read them, I sell or give them away.
20. Expensive phone plans
I work at home mostly, so I don’t need much phone data. So, I have a cheap phone plan — about RM42 per month and it’s more than enough.
21. Disposable sanitary pads
I stopped using disposables when I had a severe allergic reaction from one of them. I now use reusable cloth pads. Admittedly, it’s a lot of work to maintain them, but it’s way more comfortable than disposable sanitary pads and I no longer have allergic reactions. Plus, it’s better for the environment!
PS: Menstrual cups scare me. True story — my friend “lost hers” and had to go to the emergency department to fish it out! Uhm, it’s okay, I’ll use cloth pads, thank you!
22. Newest gadgets or electronics
I’m one of those weird people who buys older gadgets at a shop for a good deal. (Hello, MacBook!) I don’t believe in upgrading my devices until it crawls into a corner and die. My smartphones are usually hand-me-downs from my gadget-loving Dad, and I have a 10-year-old Panasonic flat screen TV.
23. Gym memberships
I mean, I really love group exercise classes — Body Combat, Yoga, Body Pump. That’s the only reason I join gyms because I really prefer to work outdoors. But I can never seem to make it in time for the right class. And then there’s this whole pandemic thing which makes gym memberships an unnecessarily risky and expensive expense. I do miss my group workouts, but I’m a terrible gym goer most of the time, so I’ve decided to just work out at home and walk around in the outdoors.
24. Pedicures and manicures
I have a great aversion to people doing my nails. I’m very sensitive to touch/pain, especially my feet, so I rather do it on my own. And my body has a way of reacting to the stimuli — I once nearly kicked a pedicurist in the face! Trust me, you don’t want to give me a pedicure.
25. Cryptocurrency
I bought some Bitcoin and Ethereum as an experiment, but the more I learn about the environmental impacts of cryptocurrency mining, the more uncomfortable and guiltier I became. Being a rebel at heart, I like the idea of decentralised finance, and I believe in the blockchain technology. I am also envious of the gains one can get from buying cryptocurrency.
But with wars being fought over oil dominance, coal mines restarted to power up crypto mining and climate change worsening every day… I just cannot, in good conscience, contribute to an ever-escalating problem. I get that by investing in the Vanguard Total World ETF (VT), I’m probably indirectly investing in crypto or other environment-destroying companies anyway. But even if the environmental reasons don’t bother me, I personally don’t think cryptocurrencies are good investments — they are far too volatile for my risk appetite, and with only 10 years to go before I Coast FIRE my way to full retirement at 65, I don’t have the time nor the money to play around with volatile, risky crypto.
Things I’m trying NOT to buy
Mineral water
I know I should bring a water bottle with me whenever I go out but I keep forgetting! Exasperating.
Plastic bags
I lived in Adelaide for three years, a state that had limited the use of single-use plastic bags. In all the three years that I was there, I forgot to bring my shopping bag 90% of the time. I’m much better now — I have two fold-up bags in my carry-on at all times. But, I still forget them sometimes.
Plastic takeaway containers
It was tough to do this during the MCO / lockdowns when we had to order food from Grab or Food Panda all the time. The amount of plastic boxes I accumulated….
Expensive indulgences that I STILL buy
Expensive body washes and soaps
I have a thing for nice-smelling body washes. Especially those by Jurlique, Aesops and L’Occitane. I buy one bottle just to pamper myself once in a while.
Luxury hotel stays
Instead of flying off to a distant locale, I prefer to stay in luxury hotels, pampering myself and indulging in exotic buffets. That desire has gone down somewhat since I moved in to my apartment, which feels like living in a resort a lot of times, but I still indulge a few times a year.
So that’s my list! What is yours?
Elizabeth Tai 