10 Things I no longer buy (and what I buy instead)

There is a middle ground between being deep into consumerism and being a full out minimalist. I cannot say that I am a minimalist but I do try my best to curb my consumerist habits and over-spending.

In my attempt to do this over the years, I have been able to make some switches to things that are not only more eco-friendly but are also budget-friendly.

Here are a list of things I no longer buy and replacements (if any). Scroll to the end if you want to see/shop the products mentioned!

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1. Makeup Remover

I no longer buy makeup remover. I know given this ongoing pandemic, makeup is less and less of an issue for many of us. However, I do wear makeup during days I have video appearances. Even when I was going into the office and I would wear makeup, I was not purchasing makeup remover because there are just so many great options out there that you can use as an alternative.

Personally, on days that I wear mascara or eye-makeup I use coconut oil to remove it. I have used many different cleansing balms out there and find that coconut oil works just as well and is something many of us already have in our homes.

In conjunction with the above and on days where I am wearing face makeup I will use a reusable remover cloth (basically a microfibre cloth designed to remove makeup). There are so many dupes out there for the makeup eraser and they work so well! I have a few that I purchased from Miniso (I have seen the same types of cloths sold at Shoppers Drug Mart and Dollarama). These all do the same thing. You just use water and it will gently and effectively remove all of your makeup.

Of course, this does not replace the need to wash your face with a cleanser but it just such a great job at removing makeup.

2. Cotton rounds

I no longer buy cotton rounds. I used to buy cotton rounds all the time for toner, to remove my makeup and for nail polish removal. I purchased some reusable cotton rounds from amazon about 2 years ago and have not gone back. I use these for makeup removal sometimes and will also use these for applying toner. It’s so nice to be able to wash and reuse these.

For my nail polish, I have been doing shellac nails exclusively for the last year, I have purchased a small bag of heavy duty disposable cotton rounds, I cut this up into fours and use it to soak my gel polish off (with my reusable nail clips). This overall method has been working really well for me and I only need one and a half disposable rounds to do both my hands which is amazing cost per use.

3. Nail Polish

I used to have a huge nail polish problem. At one point, I was purchasing nail polish and then coming home and realizing that I already had the same colour. Currently I purchase 3-4 colours a year and I exclusively do gel/shellac which means I do my nails less often and also use up bottles a lot less often. I really only use regular nail polish on my toes and my at home pedicures will usually last about a month.

I also used to buy dark colours in an effort to participate in the seasonal colour trends. I have since accepted that I gravitate towards more neutral colours so I have purged and tossed all the deep jewel tones and kept all the pastels and soft colours I prefer. I know thats lame and boring but I always regret it when I paint my nails a deep colour. In other words, what I’ve learned is know what you like and know your preferences.

Another thing to note is that I generally stopped buying regular nail polish altogether. I have enough to last me years plus (I am very much a gel polish girl).

4. New Shampoos

I have stopped experimenting with shampoos. I have used the same shampoo (and matching conditioner) for about 3 years now and because I only really wash my hair 2-3 times a week a large jumbo sized bottle will last me the entire year. I know this is controversial and people think that you need to switch up shampoos so your hair doesn’t get too “used” to a certain shampoo but I have tried others and they never work out for me.

I generally purchase shampoo and conditioner once a year. I will also generally purchase a clarifying shampoo for those times I need a scalp detox.

5. Plastic straws

I am a big proponent of drinking out of a straw. I would always purchase those colourful plastic straws from Ikea but since I’ve gotten into reusable straws I have not gone back. I recommend the glass ones as you can see the debris inside for cleaning. Straws are a great way to save your teeth from staining from coffee and tea (and red wine).

6. Underwire bras

I stopped using underwire bras in law school. As a small chested girl and one that has been working from home for almost the entire year, I rarely even wear bras let alone underwire ones. I am more about comfort these days, if I have to wear a bra I have a number of soft no-wire bras that are comfortable. I also stopped buying bright colours (I only ever buy nude and black these days).

7. Manis and pedis

I have survived years without getting my nails done at all. When I do get my nails done it is usually right before a trip/vacation or when I have an event and I am in a pinch (these occasions are rare occurrences and maybe happen 1-2 times a year). I have always been pretty good at doing my own nails and have collected tons of nail polishes throughout the years. Now that I have really curated my taste in polishes and solidified my preference for shellac/gel polish I have learned to do my nails perfectly at home.

This takes time and practice and I cannot do it with the speed that the salons are able to (of course since I can only do one hand at a time). When salons re-open I will likely get the occasional mani/pedi a couple of times a year but generally this is something I no longer spend money on regularly.

8. Bottled Water

I have not purchased bottled water in YEARS. I always have a number of water bottles lying around. The larger the better – larger bottles generally don’t need to be refilled as often. In terms of materials, plastic bottles are my least favourite but they are the best for travel (ie. for having in your purse when on the go), I generally prefer stainless steel bottles or glass bottles. Stainless steel and glass don’t carry smells and are more easy to clean. I like stainless steel bottles because they are less fragile and more resilient for a butter fingers like me.

9. Brita filters

If you saw my post about my best and worst amazon purchases of 2020, you would have seen that my water filter has been one of my best purchases of 2020. This has eliminated the need for our Brita jug. We now have more space in the fridge (where we stored our Brita) and I am more motivated to drink water now that I know I can get it straight out of the tap rather than filling up a Brita and waiting for the water to trickle down (how annoying). Another plus is that the water filter systems generally do not have to be replaced as often as a Brita jug.

10. Bath Loofahs

Lastly, I no longer buy regular loofahs. If you’re a washcloth person, I highly recommend these exfoliating mitts that you can get from Amazon. These mitts are fast drying and are easily machine-washable. Regular loofahs usually fall apart in their 4-week lifetime and are meant to be replaced often (which is wasteful). These exfoliating mitts have really been a game-changer because it leaves my skin soft and allows me to gently exfoliate each time I take a shower! I’ve had these for over a year but I think there are probably better versions of this item on Amazon. 

These are 10 things that I no longer buy and what I buy instead. Let me know if you’ve made any replacements to your routine, stopped spending on a certain item and if you’ve been able to replace these things with reusable items!