Minimalism looks different for everyone. But at its heart minimalism is about eliminating things that are not of value in your life. And a lot of people, myself included, will tell you Minimalism is life-changing. It is still overwhelming to begin with. I understand, because I have been there.
Mostly because we live in a material world and have been taught that more possessions equal more happiness. But that’s not true. Minimalism will help you identify what’s truly important to you. And it will help you in focussing your time, energy and money towards things that actually matter. Practicing a minimalist lifestyle helps you be more intentional with your life.
Now, the things is, maybe you have heard all about it and you do want to give minimalism a try. But you have no idea where to begin. And going Marie Kondo on your entire house and getting rid of half your material possessions seems daunting. So you’ve been putting it off.
In this post, I have complied a list of 10 things that a Minimalist would never buy. This will give you a fair idea of where you can begin. Because the most important and the easiest step towards Minimalism is to stop buying new things. Decluttering comes later and takes more efforts from your end.
10 Things a Minimalist would never buy:
#1: Trendy clothes:
If you want to try Minimalism and if you want to practice a minimalist lifestyle, trendy clothes are your worst enemy. Trends come and go and you’re left with those trendy clothes that looked good for a season or two, but you don’t wear out anymore. Mostly because it’s not socially acceptable to, haha.
But maybe also because you never really liked those clothes to begin with. And you just bought them to jump on the trend because you wanted to look *cool*. Even though those clothes make you feel really uncomfortable. Remember those low waist jeans? Yes! Ewww, right?
SO you’re better off staying as away from trends as possible. Instead invest in clothing items that you absolutely love and will get a lot of use out of. I highly recommend building a capsule wardrobe in which everything goes together with everything. And you’re not standing in front of your closet, wondering why you have nothing to wear even though you spent hundreds of dollars on all those cool clothes.
#2: Doubles or Duplicates:
Doubles or duplicates are things that serve the same purpose. And a minimalist would never buy doubles or duplicates of a thing that they already own. But it’s not as easy as you’d think it is. Especially when it comes to things like coffee mugs, stationery, kitchen supplies (tools etc) and dishes etc.
Coffee mug obsession is real and it’s so easy to buy new ones because there are always cute designs in stores and they’re so cheap. And you feel like you’ll be missing out if you don’t buy that new coffee mug. Even though you still have more than it’s legal or more than the space you have.
And yes, you do not really need 2 toasters, no matter how cute the new one is. You don’t even toast your bread that often, let’s be honest. So before you buy anything ask yourself “Do I already have something that serves the same purpose?” If the answer is yes, then you know what you need to do. Not buy that thing (if that was not clear LOL).
#3: Purses, shoes:
A minimalist would never buy purses and shoes when they don’t need them. You certainly do not need two very similar looking black clutch party purses. Neither do you need two nude heels. You get the point right?
When it comes to purses and shoes, again, investing in good quality pieces makes a lot of sense. Because they last you for a really long time, instead of getting 5 cheap ones that break every now and then. They are such a waste of your money and they just create more clutter around the house.
#4: Home Decor:
Do you ever go to target just to get groceries but come home with cute cushions, a few vases, a plant and a new throw? You see where the problem is? These stores are designed in such a way that you end up shopping for things you don’t actually need. And just because something is less than $20, doesn’t mean you should buy it.
Home decor, especially the ones that you shop on a whim, never does you any good. It doesn’t normally go with the rest of your decor, and you probably don’t even need it. Moreover, having too many little items end up making your house look cluttered.
#5: Collectibles:
Collectibles are the height of consumerism. Collecting material possessions that is supposed to bring your joy? No thank you. Honestly though. Collectibles are such a waste of money and over time they add up as clutter. And this problem could start right with kids. I still remember how one of my class mates used to collect barbies. I never saw the value in collecting things just for the sake of it. When you can’t even play with the barbie or bring it out of it’s box. So worthless.
But the problem is much bigger. Often times people start collecting things as a hobby. And while it’s good to have hobbies and here are 9 reasons you must have a creative hobby. Collecting things as a hobby sounds like such a waste of money. I remember watching an episode of Marie Kondo on Netflix and a man had collectibles stacked to ceiling height in their guest bedroom. Imagine how cluttered and chaotic it makes their house look.
#6: Things that don’t bring them joy but are on sale:
How often do you buy things just because they’re on a sale. Sales are designed in such a way. They make you forget the actual value of something because you’re always looking at the relative value of anything. You see a 50% off sale sign and your brain immediately tells you to buy it because you see the price dropped from 100 to 50. While the real question should be, even if something’s costing 50% of what it initially did, what value does it have for you?
And a minimalist knows never to buy something just because it is on sale. Sure we do not have anything against sales. In fact I often wait for sale season to buy things that I’d been eyeing for a while. But never would I buy anything just because it’s on sale.
This is especially true for clothing. i see a lot of people going crazy over sales. They often end up buying trendy clothes in these year end sales. The clothes that are clearly out of fashion or trend by then. And that end up in their closets, just to be worn once or twice. I’d rather buy a clothing item for full price but knowing that I really love it and that I’d wear it over and over again.
#7: Single use items:
I am not saying every minimalist is conscious about sustainability and being eco friendly. But buying things that will be used just once just doesn’t make sense. Like no matter how much I want it, but buying a costume just for a halloween party doesn’t make sense to me as a minimalist. Neither does buying party decorations that can’t be reused make sense.
I personally feel that they create so much waste and also are such a waste of money too.
Here are all the single use things that you could avoid buying:
- Single use party decor
- Single use costumes
- Single use straws and serving dishes on kids birthday parties
- Christmas decor that won’t do well with being stored
- A heart shaped cake tin just for valentine’s day
- Disposable plastic items
- Plastic bags for groceries
You get the point. There are tons of alternatives to single use items and you’re better off with the alternatives as they’ll more likely save you the money in the longer run and are environment friendly too.
#8: Souvenirs:
I used to buy fridge magnets from every place we travelled to. it was just a thing we started when we started travelling as a couple. but over the years. they make my fridge and hence the kitchen look really messy and cluttered. And they no longer bring me joy when I see them every time I open my fridge.
So O had to declutter and let them go. And I no longer buy souvenirs just for the sake of it. Instead we have photos and videos from the place, that work perfectly well in preserving those memories. There is no real need for souvenirs anyway.
#9: DIY Supplies:
I am one of those people who get their hands on a Pinterest inspired DIY project but never finishes it. If that’s you too, you need to stop buying more DIY supplies for projects that will never get finished. Sorry to break it to you. I decluttered my DIY and crafts closet a long time back and haven’t bought a single craft supply after that. I also decluttered all the unfinished DIY projects because they used to stress me out, LOL.
#10: Watches and accessories:
Pretty similar to buying collectibles. Watches and accessories are just fancy collectibles. You don’t really need 10 different watches. I have one that I wear on the daily and one that is a bit fancier.
Same goes for accessories too. Do you really need 5 pairs of sunglasses? I mean they’re just doubles/duplicates like we discussed in #2. You already have something that serves the purpose. You don’t really need to buy more just because they are in-fashion at the moment or because every one on social media is wearing them.
And that’s it. 10 items that a Minimalist would never buy. So if you want to start minimalism or if you want to be more minimalist this year, then stop buying these things. Not buying more stuff is probably the best step you could take towards starting your minimalism journey. If you’re looking to deep dive into the world of Minimalism and decluttering, here are more resources for you:
How to declutter & spring clean your entire house
Easy decluttering tasks you can do in 10 minutes
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