30 things I no longer spend money on

Things I've owned and regret, things I have and no longer need and things that just makes zero sense in my current life...

Becoming more streamlined in terms of fashion, interior decor and lifestyle is very much a current trend. While this does seem to very much of the moment thing, there are many advantages to this.

No doubt the biggest advantage of becoming more streamlined is one of finances. By minimising the amount of things you own, you have a clear inventory of what you have and what you need and are less likely to out out and buy two more of something you have already, tucked away somewhere deep within your closet.

While decluttering is a great way to minimise the amount of things you own, not buying some items in the first place is an even greater way of getting a much more streamlined life.

Here are 30 things I no longer spend money on

Why 30 I hear you ask? It's cause I'm in my 30s and thirty is such a nice, round number, so I say why not thirty?

1. Nights out

Even when I was in my 20s, I did not particularly enjoy going to night clubs. Loud music, strangers getting so up close and personal, having to dress up just to be validated by strangers who know nothing about me and finally to be the only person in my group to be ID-ed even though some of my friends were a lot younger. Nights out were nothing short of a stressful situation for me and yet, it felt like it was something I had to do to 'fit in'. The older I have become, the happier I am in just saying 'no' without feeling guilty. I don't enjoy a night out and so this is something I won't be spending my money on.

2. Alcohol

I've never enjoyed the taste of alcohol. I don't understand the point of it. I do understand the point of saving my money instead and spending it on something I do enjoy.

3. Perfumes

In my 20s, I accumulated a lot of perfumes. Some were gifts and some I had bought myself. As much as I love perfumes, the way they make me feel more confident and how pretty the different bottles are, I have promised myself no more perfume until I have used up some of the perfumes in my existing collection. I am pleased to say I have been strong and not bought anything new since making this rule for myself. I am also pleased to say that since making this rule, I have used up about 5 bottles of perfume.

4. Graze Boxes

I once bought something from BooHoo and I received a 'free trial' for a Graze box. To get the free box, I needed to sign up and provide them with my bank details. The first box was free but I would be automatically subscribed to their boxes. I wasn't committed to any kind of contract and I could cancel at any point. I initially felt bad to cancel so I just kept paying and Graze kept sending me boxes of snacks I didn't really enjoy. Eventually, I levelled with myself and agreed that this was a waste of money for me and went on to cancel my subscription with Graze.

5. Magazines

With the rise of the internet and sites such as FaceBook, Pinterest and Instagram, there seems to be very little point in going out and buying a paper magazine. I actually cannot remember the last time I bought a magazine.

6. Nail Polish Remover

I will be the first to say my hands are hardly ever manicured. Every now and again, I will get my nails painted but once the paint starts stripping off, I will let nature do it's thing and let the nail polish chip away. I don't care if my chipped polish offends anyone (really, why should it?!). To me nail polish and nail polish remover are both pretty damaging for the nails so by not using nail polish remover, I am reducing the damage I am causing to my nails. At least, that's what I am telling myself.

7. Online streaming subscriptions

I don't have a Netflix account or an Amazon Prime account. In fact, if it's an online paid subscription of any kind, I don't have an account for it. Partly to save money and partly to save time. I get so addicted to a good app and so I have consciously decided to refrain from getting an online subscription of any kind.

8. Pens

Over time, I have accumulated so many pens. Ball point pens, Bic pens, company promotional pens, black pens, blue pens, even a green pen. You name the pen and I probably have a pen of that sort. So I am not going to be buying any more pens until I have used up every last bit of ink from every single one of my pens. This could take at least a decade or so.

9. Notepads

Like pens, this is another stationary item I have a lot of. There is something so therapeutic about making notes using pen to paper. However, over time, I have a lot of notepads. Some of the notepads are only partially used. So, another rule I have made for myself is to use up all the notepads I have, including the unused pages in old notepads before buying anything new.

10. Dental floss

I still have fixed retainers on my bottom teeth so traditional dental floss won't cut it for me. Instead, I use a waterflosser which I swear by.

11.Bottled water

No explanations needed for this one. I live in London. The tap water is safe and clean to drink and it's far better for the environment than drinking bottled water. I don't even get the hype over bottled water.

12. Gym Membership

After I started being honest with myself, I have come to realise that I will only get 10% use of any gym membership so there is really no point in joining a gym. If I do want to get some regular exercise in, I can go for a walk or watch one of the many exercise tutorials on YouTube. I no longer need to spend money for work out.

13. Baking Sheet

I have a beautiful baking tray which I use instead of using baking parchment paper. I love baking but I hate waste of any kind so this baking tray is everything to me. I love it.

14. Headphones

I have about four headphones, courtesy of old phones I've bought and one unwanted gift from an ex (or as I like to call the 'ex', my mistake- more on that another time though). I no longer have the need to buy any headphones so that's another thing I no longer have the need to spend money on.

15. Compact mirrors

There was a time when it would be a norm to gift a beautiful compact mirror. I've given so many of these to the special women in my life (mum, aunts, sister). I've also been given a few of these myself. I also have a few company promotional compact mirrors. It's safe to say I will not be buying any more small compact mirrors.

16. Safety pins

I've got a system for my safety pins which has meant I no longer need to buy any more of them. I keep all my safety pins in an old candle jar. It's a small pot and lives in my bathroom cabinet. Since putting all my safety pins safely in their jar, I no longer lose them and therefore I do not need to buy them. Yay!

17. Fashion belts

There was a time when belts were really fashionable. You could get belts in different colours and sizes and styles. I feel like now the Gucci belt is still a big deal. I've grown out of the belt fascination and no longer need to buy this.

18. Overpriced skincare

Prelockdown, I would go into shopping centres (think Westfield or Selfridges), living my best life, when some sales rep for a beauty brand that I never heard of could approach me to tell me that my skin was damaged and the only thing that could save me was their overpriced skincare, costing way more than I would ever want to spend. I've been burnt before and have been swayed to buy products I don't like. Now if anyone tries to sell me overpriced skincare products, I simply tell them that it is more than I am willing to pay and for something that is so highly priced, I would like to do some research, such as read reviews, etc.. This is a fair point and they cannot force me to buy products I never knew of before my shopping trip.

19. SD Cards

Tired of having a lot of SD cards and trying to find one that has enough memory or the one that has a specific photo from a specific trip taken a few years ago... so now I only have the one SD card and I upload my photos and videos straight away so I do not need to deal with the hassle of multiple SD cards.

20. Umbrellas

In the UK, pretty much everyone has a foldable umbrella. The weather can be unpredictable and it's best to not get caught out. I've had a few mistakes over the years where I have bought cheap umbrellas from the Pound Shop, thinking I was being savy with my money. I was wrong. Pound Shop umbrellas do not last. They are poorly made. I now have the perfect umbrellas, which means I no longer need to buy any more brollies.

21. Hoodies

I have two hoodies. Those two hoodies are all I need. I did not buy either of the hoodies. One was from my sister and the other was from an ex of an old work colleague. Both hoodies ended up with me and I love them both.

22. Keyrings

Just the way that compact mirrors were a very normal gift item to receive so were keyrings. These were also great promotional items too and so I now have enough keyrings to last me a lifetime and I no longer need to buy anymore.

23. Envelope and stamps

I will still need to go to the post office every now and again but not enough for me to buy a whole wad of envelopes or stamps. I will just pay for these as and when I need to but these are items I no longer feel the need to buy.

24. Gym clothes

I don't workout enough to justify buying gym clothes. The times that I do work out, I use the gym clothes that I bought years ago (back when I had more faith in myself!). Also loungewear makes for great gym wear.

25. Socks

I bought a pack of socks years ago from Primark and it was all I needed. I don't understand when people buy socks regularly. Also, the last couple of socks I received were gifts, so definitely something I no longer spend money on.

26. Hats

I hate feeling bundled up in the winter. I feel the heat more than the cold so when it comes to the winter months, I am more likely to cover my head with a scarf than a hat.

27. Oyster Card

Ever since lockdown (March 2020), I got rid of my oyster card. I have used public transport a handful of times since. Instead of getting a new travel card, I am now just using my debit card to do contactless pay as I go. Eventually when things get back to some sort of normal, I may get a new travel card, but till then the Oyster Card is abandoned by me.

28. Trendy Clothes

Although my style is far from classic and my wardrobe is not neutral, I am also not one to do trendy fashion. I like what I think looks good, despite how it looks to others or even how it looks like on me. The way I see it, we only have one life and if I let fashion trends dictate what I wear, then will I ever get to wear what I truly want to wear? So not buying trendy clothes is another way I get to save a pretty penny.

29. Charger

I am sure by this point, we all have several chargers that can be used for several of their devices so no longer need to buy this.

30. Potpourri

A few years ago, I would regularly buy potpourri. I loved the way it looked and the way that it smelt and how it made the hallway look so bright and welcoming. However, after a while they start to lose their appeal. They get dusty. They don't smell so good anymore. They are no longer welcoming. I also lost the patience to continue buying bowls of potpourri so that is something I no longer spend my money on.