7 Things I Won't Buy Anymore

More and more I'm embracing minimalism. I try to buy what I need, not more than what I need. By owning less we can reduce clutter, simplify our lives, and gain freedom from having to work just to pay the bills. Living in Manhattan where apartments tend to be small helps me shop mindfully, but I too must resist temptation sometimes!

7 Things I Won't Buy Anymore Include:

1) Shoes & Clothes Like a Fashionista - Once upon a time I bought a motley of fashion-forward shoes and clothes that struck my fancy. Now I'm into a less is more mindset. I have a capsule of classic clothes that I wear over and over. Even my gala clothes I wear time and again. As long as I look polished, coordinated, and appropriate, I no longer care if I wear a dress multiple times. Outside of show business or a public person who delivers televised speeches, do people really remember what we wear? Probably not, and if so I really don't care if they do! 

2) Makeup Like A Fashion Model - When applying makeup I go for a little razzle-dazzle but overall I keep my cosmetics fairly natural. I strive to look my best, but I no longer experiment or try to create different looks. The best version of me (lines and all) is fine. Fortunately, superb drugstore brands like Maybelline, L'Oreal, Milani, and Drew Barrymore's Flower are examples of high-quality makeup that make spending on pricey luxe labels totally unnecessary today. I have more lipsticks than I remember buying so I plan to use up my lip colors before buying more.

3) Toilet Seats Like a Town & Country Socialite - I stopped overspending on a toilet seat. I keep it basic by buying the simple but adequate white wooden toilet seats from Home Depot. When workmen enter my bathroom and scratch the paint off my toilet seat by carelessly setting their toolbox on it, replacing it with a factory-new toilet seat is cheap. A basic, inexpensive wooden toilet seat looks great and lasts if you don't abuse it.

4) Sweets & Junk Food Like a 20-Something Year Old - I avoid the middle aisles of a supermarket and I rarely keep bags of my weakness -- salty food-like substances such as corn chips, tortilla chips, or potato chips at home. When out and about, I'll eat a portion of French fries or potato chips, something less likely to happen at home where family sizes of nacho tortilla chips torture me until the bag is empty!

When it comes to candy and sweets I'll have a portion outside of the home. As a rule, if I want cake or French fries at home I must make them from scratch myself. It takes more effort and you have to wait to eat them.

5) Cleaners Like a 20th Century Housekeeper - I clean mostly with white vinegar and water which I mix and keep in a spray bottle. I use the vinegar mixture to mop floors and treat most stains on rugs or upholstery. I scrub my toilet and bathroom fixtures with 3% hydrogen peroxide (which kills germs without removing the varnish off of surfaces like toilet seats). White vinegar combined with baking soda dissolves soap scum. Bleach, Ajax, and Bartenders' Friend are for periodic heavy-duty cleaning. I mix ammonia with water to make my own Windex to clean mirrors and glass. For food spots on clothes, I use dishwashing detergent containing OxiClean. These basic cleaners take care of most household jobs as effectively as more expensive commercial cleaners (which also come in fewer ounces so you must restock more often).

6) Gold Jewelry Like a Multi-Millionaire - This is more my fantasy than a former reality😁. Nonetheless in the past, I bought some fashion jewelry and was more tempted by fine jewelry than I am today. As with clothes and shoes, I have a capsule of fine jewelry and never buy fashion jewelry. The price of gold has risen so much that we no longer get enough for our money. We're charged an arm and a leg for flimsy gold chains and thin bangles. Just say no -- pass on buying expensive skimpy pieces. It's not good value for the money!

7) The Latest Gadgets Like a Techie - I keep my laptops, iPads, and cell phones until they cough and die. We'd go broke trying to keep up with updated gadgets. Every 6 months a new version comes out. As long as what I own works, I continue to use it. After it coughs and dies, I thoroughly enjoy owning the latest faster computer ... for what seems like 15 minutes before a newer model replaces it. Therefore I give up on keeping up!

I'm committed to becoming as much of a minimalist as makes sense. I like simplifying my life and capsule buying in every area of life. We only need enough, not more than enough!

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