4 Things Decluttering Has Taught Me I Should Never Buy Againfeatured

If you’ve been following my blog in recent weeks you’ll know that I’m having a major decluttering marathon at home. I’m getting rid of stuff left right and centre in a bid to simplify my life and be that little bit more minimalist. While sorting through my room today I realised that there are certain things I own that I never need to buy again. And that realisation felt really good!

Cheap jewellery

I never need to buy cheap jewellery again. Obviously I don’t really need to buy jewellery at all, but I’ve realised just how pointless and wasteful the cheap stuff can be. You know that phrase ‘you buy cheap, you buy twice’? Well, that definitely is applicable to jewellery!

Looking through my jewellery box I couldn’t believe how much crap I’ve accumulated over the years. Most of it was either broken, tacky, rusty, or the type of thing I’ve worn once and will probably never wear again. I’m talking bright yellow skulls hanging from gold studs and stretchy wooden bracelets decorated with colourful pictures of Jesus.

Enough’s enough! I need to stop hoarding this crap. I’ve thrown the damaged pieces away and have placed those that are in reasonable condition in a small box ready for our next car boot sale.

A small selection of jewellery remains. It includes:

• Family heirlooms
• Necklaces and rings that Jake has bought for me
• Bracelets I’ve made myself using buttons I’ve thrifted from charity shops

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Excess make up

I never need to buy excess make up again. Again, technically I don’t need to buy make up at all, but it’s the excess stuff that sits festering in our bedrooms that I personally believe does the real damage.

Yesterday I threw away all my cosmetics aside from a concealer, foundation and powder. I’ve said goodbye to several mascaras, a handful of lipsticks, a couple of eyeshadow palettes and various tubs of half-used liquid foundation.

The truth is, I barely wear that much make up anyway and, as I opened a lipstick I haven’t touched for at least a year, I found myself asking “do I really want to put this on my face?”

I felt pretty wasteful getting rid of it all, but it’s probably crawling in bacteria and there’s no point in clinging onto stuff I’m never going to use. I shouldn’t have bought it in the first place!

I like the fact that it may be a few months before I feel the need to buy a mascara or lipstick again. And from now on, when I do go make up shopping, I’m going to be really careful about what I buy. I’m not going to succumb to 3-for-2 offers unless I need all 3 items and I’m not going to buy the same thing in several different colours. This may sounds daft, particularly since I don’t even like make up that much anyway, but it feels kinda empowering having just one small make up bag with the bare essentials in it.

DVDs

I never need to buy DVDs again. While I know there are people out there who wouldn’t dream of getting rid of their collections (hello Dad!), I’ve realised that for me, there is simply no need for them.

I don’t know about you but for a long time I’ve clung onto an extensive DVD collection with this silly idea in my head that when people visit and see my eclectic taste in movies they’ll be pretty impressed. But I’ve come to realise that really… no one cares! Each DVD just sits there collecting dust and going unwatched.

Thanks to the likes of Netflix and Amazon Prime, DVDs are gradually becoming a thing of the past. So I’m getting rid of all mine - even my favourites. Is there really any point in hoarding a ton of DVDs on the off-chance I find time to watch them again? I’d be better off borrowing them from the library or watching them online.

I know that for some people, DVDs can be a cost-effective alternative to going to the cinema. So if DVDs are your thing and nothing will stop you from purchasing the latest releases, that is of course okay. For me though, they’re starting to feel like a waste of space.

Books

I never need to buy books again. I’m pretty sure I will buy books again, cos I’m pretty weak and sometimes temptation gets the best of me when I spot something I want on Amazon. But I’ve realised that thanks to libraries, book swapping initiatives, and generous friends with huge book collections, if I tried really hard I could probably get away with not paying for another book in my life. Even my local doctors’ surgery has a bookcase in the waiting room along with a sign telling people to take what they want.

It’s kinda sad when you think about it. Most of the books we buy from Amazon or Waterstones just sit on our shelves unwanted and unloved and used as nothing more then decorations. I’m oh so guilty of this myself.

So for now, I’m imposing a temporary book-buying-ban until I’ve read all the books I already own. Once I’ve finished working my way through my towering bookcase of knowledge, I’ll think twice about impulse purchases and will look out for second hand books instead.

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Despite this blog post’s dramatic & click-baity title, I realise I haven’t technically committed to giving up anything in this post. I’m so flakey! But I found it interesting how much junk I’ve bought in recent years that I really don’t need. In moderation, it’s all fine. And if any of the above things are your passion, that’s fine too. But I think it’s easy to get carried away and buy things that we’re never going to use just for the sake of it.

I don’t need an extensive make up collection - I only have one face and there are only 365 days a year in which to decorate it.

I don’t need a huge DVD collection either - am I really going to watch the same movies over and over again when Netflix is regulary updated with amazing TV shows?

If you fancy embarking on a decluttering mission too, think of the image below when deciding whether to keep something or not: