Inside: Learn common things minimalists don’t buy or own to simplify their lives and homes.
In today’s world, the temptation to buy stuff is everywhere.
If you’re trying to embrace a minimalist lifestyle, it’s important to resist the perceived need those advertisements create.
Instead, prioritize owning the essentials and knowing how to say “no” to the rest.
But how do you know what to indulge in and what to avoid?
While every minimalist has a slightly different vision of what’s truly essential and what isn’t, there are a few common things that most minimalists don’t own.
If you want to live a simpler, more minimalist lifestyle, here are a few guidelines to consider following.
What are some things minimalists don’t buy?
Even though I don’t consider myself a minimalist, I share many of the same values. Minimalism is all about simplicity and the idea that less is more.
By focusing on the things that truly matter and bring joy, and getting rid of the rest, we can live a less cluttered and more fulfilling life.
So, what are minimalists not buying to keep their lives and homes simpler? Here are 14 of them.
1. Minimalists don’t buy knick-knacks and needless decorations.
Some people find joy in decorating every square inch of their space with tchotchkes, knick-knacks, and other bits of home decor.
But minimalists? They would rather avoid the clutter that tends to accumulate when you take a “more is more” approach to home decor.
Instead of covering every shelf and surface with stuff, minimalists take a more thoughtful approach. They may opt for a single vase of fresh flowers instead of an assortment of picture frames and figurines.
And instead of collecting endless seasonal decorations to spice up your space and celebrate every holiday and shift in the weather, they choose to keep things simple, with versatile decor that’ll bring them joy all year long.
By resisting the temptation to excessively decorate, minimalists create a space that embraces calm and tranquility.
An added bonus? It’s much easier to keep things clean and dust-free.
2. Minimalists try to avoid buying fast fashion.
Over the years, fast fashion has become the go-to way to dress for many people.
And in some ways, it’s easy to see why. It’s affordable. It’s accessible. And it makes it relatively easy to keep up with the latest ever-changing trends.
It’s also an easy way to wind up with an overwhelmingly large wardrobe – and contribute needlessly to waste as that fast fashion rips, tears, and falls apart quickly.
Instead, minimalists extend their ‘less is more’ philosophy to their wardrobes and declutter what they no longer wear. They keep well-made, timeless pieces that offer versatility.
Minimalists are selective when buying new pieces. Those looking to save money and increase sustainability often shop at second-hand stores for clothing.
Minimalists opt for quality over quantity.
3. Excessive pairs of shoes.
A 2023 survey found that the average American will own 256 pairs of shoes during their lifetime, at a cost of $14,640 (source).
While various sneakers may be trending, most minimalists opt out of constantly buying new shoes just to change up their style.
Instead, they choose to declutter shoes that no longer fit or that they don’t wear and focus on their favorite pairs.
Does that mean that they don’t care at all about style? No. Again, it’s about focusing on quality over quantity.
4. Minimalists often don’t own physical media.
Many of us grew up in homes filled with physical movies, music, and books. Depending on when you were born, you had stacks of VHS tapes or DVDs.
Records, tapes, or CDs were the only way you could listen to your favorite songs without hoping you’d get lucky and catch them on the radio. And your bookshelves were probably full of books that you’d only read once, collecting dust ever since.
Now? All of that media can be saved and accessed digitally. We no longer need entire pieces of furniture dedicated to storing those CDs and DVDs.
Streaming services allow us to watch our favorite movies and shows and listen to our favorite songs with the touch of a button, and e-readers eliminate the need to keep stacks upon stacks of books around our homes.
And while some people still insist on buying physical media, it’s one thing that minimalists often categorically skip to have less stuff in their homes.
5. Minimalists don’t typically buy single-purpose kitchen gadgets.
There’s a kitchen gadget out there for virtually everything.
Avocado slicers. Apple corers. Garlic presses. The list goes on. For every task and item you can find in your kitchen, someone’s created something specialized that helps you prepare it.
But none of those things are really necessary. You can slice an avocado, core an apple, and mince your garlic with a single, multi-purpose tool – a good kitchen knife. So why buy all of those other things?
Instead of filling their cabinets and drawers with unnecessary kitchen gadgets, minimalists stick to the basics: versatile appliances, sturdy pots and pans, must-have utensils, and just enough dishes.
A minimalist kitchen that’s stocked with the essentials and well-organized makes cooking easier and more enjoyable.
6. Minimalists don’t own many duplicate items.
Sure, you can have more than one of something… but there’s a fine line between ‘just enough’ and ‘way too much.’
Some people like to keep lots of extras on hand – an endless pile of extra towels and dishcloths, six different sheet sets, a box filled with duplicate cords and cables just in case you ever happen to need them someday.
A stack of ten plates in the cupboard, more pairs of jeans than you could wear in a month, four different lotions in the bathroom…the list goes on.
But why?
Instead of owning all that stuff, minimalists prefer to minimize duplicates and focus on owning fewer, higher-quality items – a couple of good bed sheets, enough towels to get through the week, quality dishware, and clothes.
While they could overfill closets and cupboards with extra stuff simply because the space exists, they choose not to because they know they don’t need to.
7. Minimalists don’t buy lots of cleaning supplies.
There’s a product out there that swears it’s designed to clean everything – your stovetop, your kitchen sink, your hardwood floors, your mirrors, your toilets.
But you don’t really need all of that.
Instead of splurging on endless sprays, wipes, and solutions, many minimalists know that you can stick to minimal, versatile products and great cleaning tools to tackle every area in your home.
Once you find what works for you, there is no need to continue trying out the new trendy cleaning products.
Minimalists focus on their favorites and don’t constantly feel the need to change things up.
8. Minimalists don’t purchase souvenirs on every vacation.
Minimalists tend to prioritize experiences and traveling to new places rather than acquiring more stuff.
One thing minimalists choose not to do when they go on vacation? Bring home souvenirs.
Minimalist travel focuses on packing light and being present in the moment. Taking pictures is a great way to remember places you have been and people you have spent time with.
But souvenirs? They can end up becoming clutter and are unnecessary baggage.
While taking something home once in a while may be nice, they focus on consumables rather than items that would sit out collecting dust.
9. Minimalists don’t make impulse purchases.
Another thing that minimalists do their best to avoid? They don’t get sucked into impulse purchasing.
Minimalists learn how not to get lured into buying something just because it’s on sale.
They’re intentional with shopping and are careful about what items they choose to bring into their home.
This saves them from experiencing buyer’s remorse often and helps keep clutter at bay while saving money in the process.
Minimalists put practices in place to help them avoid impulse purchases, such as waiting for a predetermined amount of time before deciding whether or not to buy something.
10. Minimalists don’t buy typical gifts.
Minimalists have learned how to be intentional with their purchases and are careful not to add clutter to their homes.
In doing so, they’re also aware when buying gifts that they don’t want to contribute to the clutter in anyone else’s home either.
Because of that, minimalists tend to give clutter-free gifts. They focus on consumable items or experiences that they think the recipient would enjoy.
Minimalists tend to want to receive these types of gifts as well, or may even opt not to exchange gifts during the holidays.
Does that mean they won’t buy you a different gift if that’s what you’ve told them you really want? No, but left to their own devices, people do tend to give the types of gifts that they’d enjoy receiving.
11. Minimalists don’t go overboard with skincare and beauty products.
We live in a social media culture where influencers are constantly trying to sell the latest and greatest skincare and beauty products.
Minimalists avoid getting sucked into continually buying the newest things out there.
Instead, they choose to focus on the products that work for them. While they may try a new product here or there, they tend to focus on clean ingredients and stick to their favorites.
They also don’t continually store products that they tried and didn’t like. Instead, they opt to give them away or throw them in the trash (depending on the product).
This keeps their bathroom from getting cluttered, making it easier to find what they need to get ready in the morning.
12. Minimalists limit one-time use & disposable items.
Another thing minimalists try to significantly limit is one-time use and disposable items. Some of the items in this category include paper towels, napkins, plastic wrap, single-use water bottles, paper plates, and plasticware.
Many minimalists are more eco-conscious and would rather use more sustainable alternatives.
Thankfully, there are a lot of great reusable options available, thereby reducing waste while also decreasing the amount of things that need to be stored in the home.
Opting for fewer one-time use and disposable items not only keeps more trash out of landfills, but it’s also a great way to save more money.
13. Minimalists don’t buy more storage containers.
Since minimalists focus on thoroughly decluttering before organizing, they don’t feel the need to buy many storage containers for all of their things.
They work with what they have first, and if a specialty storage container is warranted, they will purchase it, but it’s with planning and intention.
While it’s easy to get pulled into buying pretty containers rather than getting rid of more stuff, minimalists know that doesn’t solve the real issue.
Minimalists prefer to have fewer items to manage and therefore don’t feel the need for more storage containers, which can end up contributing to clutter.
14. Minimalists don’t rent storage units.
This may be the most obvious of the things minimalists don’t tend to purchase or own, but it would be a very rare situation for a minimalist to rent a storage unit.
When you’re intentional with the number of belongings you own and ensure that you don’t have too much stuff, the idea of renting an off-site storage unit is not likely to cross your mind.
Not only are they inconvenient, but they can be quite expensive and are typically unnecessary.
There may be a rare circumstance where it makes sense for a short period of time, but you likely won’t find many (if any) minimalists renting a storage unit.
Things I stopped buying
Decluttering was quite a learning experience for me. Through it, I learned how to be more selective with what I purchase.
I stopped buying these 15 things after simplifying our home, as they were creating clutter.
This year, I decided not to purchase these 26 things either because we already had enough or we simply didn’t need them.
Your lists will likely look a bit different from mine, which is completely fine.
The most important thing is to be mindful of what you buy. It will save you money and prevent clutter from accumulating in your home.
What would you add to this list of things minimalists don’t buy? Leave a comment and let me know!
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I don’t believe in religiously cleaning the inside of toilet bowls.
Why? A useless task.
? it does need cleaning!
If you don’t want to clean it yourself, buy a self cleaning smart toilet.
…Because of bacteria. Every time you flush, particles are released into the air and land on your toothbrush.
To avoid bacteria getting on your toothbrush you should keep it in the medicine cabinet.
reson top the toilet should be down before flushing, and keep the toothbrushes in cabinets
Yep. That’s why I always put the lid down before flushing.
What about eating, because it will be in the toilet bowl afterwards!
That’s gross! I hope I never have to visit you and use your bathroom. Not cleaning it just causes more and more buildup of all sorts of unwanted bacteria, feces germs and they do show up in your toilet bowl that you can see them.UGH
There are places that need to really work on their toilet bowls. Here in NM there’s alot of calcium, it can build up and it is hard to get out. Then theres places that have rust in their water. It will discolor your bowl aswell as your sink and tub.
Clean it once a week. Your waste is stinky and it will start to stink up your bowl if you don’t clean it. And mold grows under the rim if you don’t clean it on a regular basis. It’s one of the few things in your house you should clean more than others actually.
Agree, once a week without fail.
Gross, gina.
If you don’t clean toilet bowls often enough they can build up stains and even mildew.
does your bathroom clean itself
ew
That’s gross the toilet bowl harbors germs I hope you close the lid when you flush and toilet bowls hild ordor
gross and unhealthy
I’m like you. I only flush after a number 2. Let it marinate and save water.
if it’s yellow, let it mellow.
if it’s brown, flush it down.
you are inviting germs and uncleanliness…plus the smell
I’m a minimalist but I don’t tolerate uncleanliness. you probably reuse toilet paper
I’m a minimalist and I don’t use toilet paper. Ask an Asian why, wash don’t smear.
EEEWW!! That’s disgusting! 🤢
Streaming services, e-books, and so on all cost money, every time they are used. When you own a physical something, it’s yours to use when you want to, no extra cost. If you lose your income, you don’t have to give up on streaming services. Why wouldn’t you want the physical object?+
In Canada we can stream our national television and radio (CBC) stations for free, as well as any books we desire, through our public library system. All that’s required is a free library card. It’s simple to download the free apps.
These services are not free. You pay for them in your taxes. We have Libby & Hoopla free through our
Libraries which are supported by our taxes.
I’m in America, libraries make money on late fee’s but I’m going to look into that. what a great and useful app. there could always be a spot for donations.
My library doesn’t give a late fee unless six months over.
Here in the U.S. we do have free online “Libby” library service to request online books and magazines to read or digital to listen to, as well as music, all through your phone.
That’s a fantastic tip! i live in the US and we have wonderful libraries as well!That is fantastic that you have national tv with those services (the closest we have may be PBS, a nonprofit) but we have very beholder the the corporate welfare system in the US and are almost forced to buy from Amazon etc ps – all the toilet comments on this thread are wild!
Same here in Australia.
I totally agree, esp now that they’re dropping a lot of things they used to stream… over copyright issues and “for political reasons” (being woke, banning, boycotts, etc). I get mine from our library book sales for only a dollar per movie, books are 2/$1… supporting libraries is a bonus that way. I put them in those little envelopes and they take up very little room.
My e-books and audiobooks are a one-time payment, and even if I stop my subscription, I have access to them. it costs me a tiny trickle of electricity to download them, and use my device, but to me that is more than balanced by the lower cost of buy, and not having to store the physical item.
I agree. I collect my favorite DVD’s and CDs. These I can watch and listen to whenever. I don’t have cable. it’s a waste of money. As for TV, I only watch local stations. I’m content. I’ve saved a bundle by doing this.
I agree , but for special items. children’s books especially. favorite media you know you’ll enjoy again and again.
also, I library card is free
I agree and you can’t stream everything that you enjoy for example, music or old movies.
you can buy and own digital media.
I agree 100%
I love bringing out an old DVD of some of my all time favorite movies. Rereading a book that I own is also nice. I like being able to rely on my own things to keep me entertained.
agreed.
I won’t buy ultra processed foods like bags of chips and instant noodles etc. I also won’t buy excess foods where I cannot finish consuming, even though it’s cheaper to buy in larger quantities .
That’s a good idea, Bernard.
I have a lot of very nice fast fashion clothing. Not one single thing has worn out or fallen apart. Take care of your clothing, and you don’t have to spend a fortune.
Phyllis, very true about preserving clothing! I have had pieces for 15 years. If you dry clean or launder your clothes carefully, they will last many years without getting holes or fading.
Taking care of my belongings has been essential to me my whole life. I’m the daughter of a single mom. We did not have the money to buy new items once they were worn or damaged.
This is a hugely helpful article; I really appreciate you writing it!
I think I’ve got a pretty good take on minimalism (in theory, rather than in practice! – but slowly working through that…). But one thing that really stuck out for me was the single-use kitchen gadgets. I thought I was up to speed on what I already had, and what I could next figure on getting rid of.
But an apple corer?! Initially I thought that was pretty dumb – until I turned my thoughts on their head and approached it from the other side: how would I core an apple without a corer? I’d use a sharp knife. Sure, it’s not quite as effective (though the number of times I’ve cored an apple, only to have missed out the core entirely, you wouldn’t care to know!). But it does the job.
More to the point, it made me want to go right through my drawer of small, single-use gadgets and really reconsider how I could replace them by using just a knife instead. A garlic press is one item, for sure. We have two – my daughter and I prefer using different styles! – but in truth I almost inevitably use the flat of a knife to bash garlic anyway. (And my daughter now buys jars of garlic puree…)
So that’s my first (of many) takeaways from your article. If I imagine I only had a couple of good, sharp knives to carry out a task, what could I get away with not needing? I think I’ll hang on to the apple corer for now – but there’s a whole drawerful of other single-purpose items that are definitely up for the chop!
I am definitely a minimalist and I love it, I still think I own too much even with no clutter
I feel I would like to have less items in my lofe.at the same time I have so many items I don’t need. I just think of all the money I put into all this stuff in the past I just can’t bring myself to let go of what I have.
Look up the sunk cost fallacy. The money you spent on those things is gone, whether or not you keep the things. So stoppl worrying about spilt milk (money), get rid of the clutter, and set yourself free. (Just so you know, I speak from experience.)
Public Library!!!!
I love reading but books take up a lot of space and are heavy when they have to be moved. I decluttered 300 down to about 40. Now I just reserve them online, pick they up from the library when they become available and return them when I’m done.
im a professional organizer. this list is accurate. we like inner peace more than we like 10 half empty shampoo bottles.
every minimalist i know has a storage unit.
I don’t bother buying magnets that I see on refrigerator doors. They just look tacky.
That’s gross the toilet bowl harbors germs I hope you close the lid when you flush and toilet bowls hold odors. Cleaning a toilet has nothing to do with being a minimalist
Maybe she said cleaning the toilet bowl comment to get a reaction. What does it have to do with being a minimalis.
I don’t buy paper products, such as paper towels and kleenex, I do buy toilet paper. haha. Everything else is cloth and washable. Single use plastic water bottles are of the devil too.
I am enjoying bar shampoos and conditioners instead of bottled liquid product. Not only does my hair have less build-up, the reduced plastic makes me feel a lot better about contributing to the microplastic and nanoplastic disaster we are facing. More free space around the tub and in the shower, too!
We also don’t bring things into the home just because they are free. We don’t follow trends, buy trendy home decor items or have excess furniture.
wow I’m a millennial and every single thing she mentioned on this list that we don’t buy I buy 😆 I love cooking and I definitely have single-use kitchen gadgets, I have one that it’s only purpose is to make pretty little spirals out of citrus fruits, I also have another one that’s only for slicing apples. and I love it that way! I also will always buy a souvenir on every vacation I go on, as well as little knick knacks because I like to look at them and they remind me of the memory I made when I purchase them. I also have tons of shoes! I also have lots of duplicate items, I love my Dewalt vacuum so much I bought one for the garage and for the car and for the house! so I have three of those! I also have lots of storage containers that I used to put my food in and to put other items that I’m not using just yet like Christmas items or maybe pet supplies that I only use once or twice a year in. I feel like this is more of a gen Z list! 😆😆 oh I also have tons of physical media because my husband and I like collecting actual DVDs 🙃
Minimalists, not Millennials.
I consider myself a minimalist so this article intrigued me. It is correct. I don’t own our precise any of the 14 items the way it is described. Toilet paper is also our tissues. Rags are made from old T-shirts. We shop at St.Vincent DePaul thrift stores, and only when something is necessary. We rent our books and movies from the library. We homeschool with library books and the computer. life is simple, kind, humble and fruitful!