What are the things you've stopped buying?

 I no longer buy

perfume (contains harmful phlalates and gives many people headaches)

 fabric softener (also contains phlalates and isn't truly necessary)

cotton balls (I use some toilet paper with mineral oil/vaseline to remove eye makeup- I guess I could use a soft rag)

clothing (people give me what they no longer want and I alter it)

plants (I have a friend who constantly gives me cuttings)

furniture (we find a lot of good furniture put out with trash here in New York City)

notepads (I cut up junk mail and envelopes to make my own, but I don't use those plasticized receipts that contain BPA- yuck)

music (I listen to free CDs from the library, the radio or just enjoy silence more)

books, magazines (I reread books I already have, read free books/ezines online, and request books from the library)

expensive trail mix (we mix our own)

canned goods (contain BPA, now I make lots of dried beans and I buy them in bulk at an Indian store)

soda (contains carcinogens and truly unnecessary)

 I'm sure there are many more things I've stopped buying.

We also reduced dramatically:

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meat (I'm vegetarian, and my husband is semi-vegetarian)

juice (only buy it for guests)

paper napkins and paper towels

cleaning supplies (make my own, except I buy Comet/Ajax from the dollar store)

bread (store bought bread no longer appeals to me)

boxed cereal (we just pour boiling water over plain oatmeal and add lots of good stuff)

packaged junk food (we try to eat a piece of fruit or a handful of nuts instead)

postage (we only send cards to people who send them to us and we prefer free email)

decorating items (this quickly becomes clutter)

and lots more

There are several items on our list of things we've stopped buying or buy in drastically reduced quantities:-

• Ziploc type bags - we used to reuse them, then I stopped buying them totally, switching to reusable plastic containers instead
•  Cleaning products- I disinfect nearly every thing with diluted bleach in a garden spray bottle.  Baking soda is used instead of abrasive cleansers. Diluted vinegar for glass cleaning
• Disposable napkins, plates, paper towels etc. - bought lots of cloth napkins from the dollar store, as well as microfiber cloths to slash paper towel use.
• Cotton balls - old cotton socks are used to removed nail polish, cheap washcloths for makeup removal.  I keep a few cotton balls for first aid use.
• Reading material - I prefer non-fictional material anyway, and I can find lots of free useful articles on the internet
• Granola bars - DD13, a competitive swimmer, used to snack on granola bars a lot.  Now we've got her munching on granola cereal in reusable plastic containers. Same nutritional value for less money, no excess packaging
• Gift wrapping supplies - Satin ribbon (reusable and elegant) replaced curling ribbon, boxes & bags are saved from gifts we've received.  I use fabric gift bags as well
• Convenience foods - freezing leftovers/ excess food for subsequent "meal emergencies" is far more economical
• New clothing - Most of my recent new-to-me clothes were thrift store purchases. 
• Body wash - back to bar soap; no bottles to recycle

I'm sure there are other things I've forgotten. I'll post them if and when I remember

all good ideas...

 I especially like the idea of cloth gift bags!  Much more special and uses up our extra fabric we have lying around!  We still have lots of wrapping paper here, but once that's used up, I want to switch to fabric.  I'll probably make lots of unique pillowcases or something.

This winter with the exception of one pair of boots, I haven't had to buy/replace winter gear yet with the mild winter.  My mom gave us two pair of stretchy gloves, and not having to worry about subzero temps and kids being cold has saved money so far.  We get hand me downs, yeas, but as soon as knees go on snowpants, I replace, and if coats don't wash and get clean looking, I replace.  It is about a third of our clothing budget for the year to get set for winter weather. I am hoping we don't get blasted, I am sure we will have tons of snow coming, but if we can avoid the super cold I am done buying seasonal clotthes this winter.

Dont buy laundry detergent anymore. 

Tracy, Im with you .,It has been a werid winter.  We havent bought salt to melt the ice yet.  Not used the snow blower either. Babs

I'm not aware of anything that I've stopped buying, per se. I will buy what I need, if it's at a good price, whether it's brand name or generic. I like knowing there are a few extra bottles of dish liquid, laundry detergent and toilet paper in the pantry. 

 The only thing we don't buy is frankenfoods/soda, but that is because GD can't handle them.  She has to have whole & organic foods and drinks.

I don't but that many paper products because I got melamin dishes on clearance for bar-b-que and other outdoor meals.  Its easy to have3 everyone scrap and put in the dishwasher.

This may sound really strange, but I try to live a mindful life.  One part is that everything must be eaten at the table (stops a lot of couch potato eating) and I think food looks more appealing if the table is nicely set.  In keeping with that, I just prefer the look of cloth napkins for our meals.  I think we are a little more aware of our manors too

Postage - I hope it will alwaysw be needed.  I think a handwritten thank you means more than an email, but maybe that is due to my age.

I do have stores and businesses that I do not use, but that is due to their corporate policies, not prices.

I think food looks more appealing if the table is nicely set.  Grame, thanks for that reminder.  So true!  I really need to do that more often.  We eat in front of the TV way too much.  I can't recall when was the last time I made a candlelight dinner for DH.  I know when I did that in the past, he said, "I could get used to this!"

 Often I have to eat by myself, but I have a friend who used to tell me when I was single that it's so important to set a nice table for yourself.  We are worth it!  Will I really change?  I don't know.  Our dining room table becomes a drop off point for mail and all kinds of clutter.  Ugh.

budgetwise:

I'm not aware of anything that I've stopped buying, per se. I will buy what I need, if it's at a good price, whether it's brand name or generic.

 

I agree.  I generally avoid impulse buying, because I rarely use such items fully... every once in a while I will try something different that looks interesting, but other than that I buy what I need.  If I stop using a particular item, I stop buying it.  I do look for reusable alternatives to disposable items - for example, I bought some microfiber dish cloths and stopped using paper towels almost entirely, but I keep some on hand for particularly messy jobs.

 

budgetwise:

I'm not aware of anything that I've stopped buying, per se. I will buy what I need, if it's at a good price, whether it's brand name or generic. I like knowing there are a few extra bottles of dish liquid, laundry detergent and toilet paper in the pantry. 

Good deal there at least your stocked there me I run around with my head cut off if I didn't have the dish soap so Im learning to buy a bottle or two more hey they got palmaliv at dollartree if that is near you if not then use ajax they do ok until you get a coupon for the stuff you do like so good deal budget