Metamorphosis 2: The Road to a Minimalist Lifestyle: Things I Stopped Buying

It has been more than a year since my husband and I made a decision to simplify our lives. It will be apt to say that the pandemic accelerated the process. We spent time at home under the community quarantine mandate and saw life from an entirely different lens. We trimmed down the amount of possessions that has accumulated and tempered the volume of new purchases, sort of a 1-in-1-out.

We yearned for more free space. I felt that as we freed up physical space, my mind also felt cleared up!

I read about Minimalism and realized that this lifestyle beckons to me. Since then, I committed to take baby steps to simplify our lives, focus on those few important things in life that matters most like pursuing Hygge-like state and enjoy life by living with less. Less is more!

My husband and I were never big spenders to begin with. Yet, as we consciously commit to simplifying our life, we became more critical of the amount of possessions we tend to accumulate.

So here goes... the list of things we have either (1) stopped buying or (2) have bought less and less of, as well as stuff that I have reduced significantly since pre-pandemic days.

(author's note: This article does not intend to impose lifestyle, concepts or point of views to anyone.)

Clothes

I adopted the capsule wardrobe concept. I came to know about the capsule wardrobe concept four years ago where, you need only a few staple pieces of clothing that can be mixed and matched to create different looks. I kept few classic pieces that can be worn for special occasions. I don’t buy trendy styles that will go away after few seasons. In the simplification process, I have given-away (yes, you read that correctly!) tons of pre-loved clothes. The first to go were the clothes that I no longer wear, no longer fit me and no longer fits the lifestyle I now prefer to enjoy. My closet is no longer packed with clothes that I will probably wear once in a blue moon. I have either given them away to friends, donated to charities or to the people around the village.

Magazines/Books

I haven’t bought glossy magazines for many years now. The popular editions moved to an electronic edition which can be read for free. I gave away novelty hardbound books to friends who may find joy in reading them and they can pass it on too if they so desire. Much of our voluminous children’s book sets and toys were donated to a church in the province which runs a small village library. I still have few more books to give away this year.

Club Store Membership and Shopping

Prior to the March 2020 lockdown, I am glad we did not renew our club store membership which we only use maybe twice a year max. I realized that we only end up buying stuff in bulk which will take us months to consume ever since we have also downsized our food intake. These club stores also have an abundance of sugary stuff which are technically, unhealthy.

Latest Phone Model and Plan

I own an efficient but outdated android phone model which I will continue to use until it finally breaks down. I am not compelled to upgrade for every new model that comes along. I don’t spend thousands on mobile plan either. I own the cheapest post-paid plan and my phone is not on 4G on-demand, hence I am not glued to the phone when I am out. This allows me to live and enjoy the moment. FB-posting can wait.

Jewelry

I invested in few decent pieces and set of classic jewelry, which I use for very special occasions. I don’t need to collect several more of them. In fact, all the recent jewelry I received were gifts and heirloom pieces handed down to me.

Watches

I have several watches but, save for the smart watch which I used for running/training, I have never bought a single watch over the years. My watches came from the company which I used to work for -- from work anniversaries, company milestones, year-end tokens.

Trendy Shoes

I have never been a shoe person. I prefer few reliable pairs of footwear that are comfortable and versatile. These days I prefer to wear sneakers or flats when going out. I keep a pair of (not so) high-heeled shoes for formal occasions and leather boots for travelling (which will not happen in the near future).

Bags

I gave away and raffled off lot of bags last year including few designer labels. I kept most of the designer bags which my teenage daughter had her eyes on and a few more which I use for work and weekends. I received several new bags, given to me as gifts. I also have sisters in the US and Europe as my bag sponsors 😊.

Bottled Water

Everyone in our family owns a stainless steel water flask which we fill up with our own water and bring it with us when travelling. That must be at least 100 bucks saved and less plastic bottle to pollute Earth!

Plants

The pandemic gave rise to the plantita/plantito bandwagon. Our garden is home to a wide variety of plants and flowering plants over the years. My mother and mother-in-law also cultivates wide assortment of plants which spared us from having to shell out hundreds, if not thousands for a plant collection. We converted part of our lawn into a vegetable plot. It was good source of bonding time for the family and one that our children can help nurture.

Extra Credit Cards

Hubby and I only have one credit card each. I don't intend to own more despite offers of lifetime free card fees, and just stick to managing one card, which I rarely use to begin with! I discarded several loyalty cards which does not add value and only take up space.

Sports Apparel/Runners’ Singlet

I have few reliable sets of running apparel which have been tried and tested in several long runs. On top of that, we have collected singlets from the running events we’ve participated when life was still as we know it. We have given away most of it by now since we really cannot use all of them on a daily basis.

Multiple Cosmetics and Face Care

I will admit that I used to be guilty of owning several types of cosmetics. I have downsized my cosmetics to the ones I knew I would often use. Same with face care, I stick to one brand at a time.

Hair Stuff, Nail Polish

None of us require a strict hair care regimen other than the basic shampoo and conditioner. I use nail polish only when attending special occasions (like weddings) but for day to day living, I prefer to just keep the nails colorless and free from chemicals which make them brittle and sallow.

Perfumes

I am allergic to perfumes. I end up with a serious case of migraine for fragrances that are too over-powering. I bought a perfume that is compatible with my olfactory system, and that is it.

Apps, Subscriptions and Over the Top Plans

I only download apps that are free. I don’t spend on any subscription when the world wide web is teeming with free applications, free e-books and reference materials, pod casts etc. My mobile plan is the lowest plan from the grandfathered era of plans. We kept our cable TV subscription but never upgraded our plan (we bought the cheapest). We don’t subscribe into Netflix, Hulu or the likes. I am pretty sure I am missing out watching few good mini-series but it is not a regrettable loss on my part. At least, I don’t have to lose sleep over some marathon viewing. I’d take extra hours of sleep any day, thank you.

Home Decoration Stuff

We stopped buying home and seasonal decorations. We kept the art works and pictures of our children from travels and got rid of the old, broken decorations. Last Christmas, we did not put up the usual 7-feet tree and all its trimmings and invested in good Christmas lights instead to still keep the ambience festive.

Gym Membership

We invested in a country club membership in 2014 with a very reasonable one-time club share fees where the entire family can use all of its facilities forever including the gym. Hence, no need for separate gym membership.

Expensive Coffee (and the seasonal sticker collection)

We used to be a frequent customer of coffee shops during weekends. At the onset of the pandemic, I have decided to limit my coffee intake to once daily which is reserved for our 4PM afternoon family snack time. Along with it, I was able to curb my compulsion for coffee on those few occasions where we are not at home. Last December, I no longer have to force everyone in the family to drink these sugary concoction so that I can collect stickers for a planner! I bought myself a functional but much cheaper artsy planner for 2021.

Notebooks

This is a tough one. I loooove notebooks. But my daughter had a lot of notebooks from her junior high with unused pages because they started using power point-based lessons and Google classrooms. And so I decided to reuse them for my work, where I need two notebooks at a time.

Sale!

I have never been one to shell out thousands and spent hours scouring the online shopping as if my life depended on it. I shop online for things we need and could not find at the usual shopping channels. And prior to the pandemic, I don’t jump into the mega-sale bandwagon and end up with things I don’t need just because well, they are on sale.

Other Gadgets

The mobile phone already doubles as camera, note taker, e-wallet, e-book keeper and so on. I don’t need any other gadget to make life complicated than it already is. I don’t bring battery pack – if it is a life and death situation, they can call hubby or Kyla if my phone is dead (which doesn’t happen coz I don’t use it much when I am out).

Extra Food We Don’t Need

We keep a grocery list and stick to it. Our food menu revolves around set of dishes that is being rotated. By doing this, we have a staple set of meat, vegetables and fruits to buy. Granted that while bigger packs are more economical, we don’t buy food stuff in big sizes that we cannot finish prior to its expiration date. We keep our pantry stocked sufficiently in case of crisis, but not overstocked to the point of inviting over-eating.

As they say, “Less is More”. Living with less material stuff meant more time to make memories with family, more time for doing fun things together at home and relishing every moment of your life as time melts away. More time for Hygge.