Things you used to buy but now you don't need to

[booksandnooks]

I used to buy coloured card for my children to draw on and make things with, now I just use the card in cereal boxes.
-paper- i just save letters for them to use the other side!
We were about to spend god knows how much on more module pots for seedlings, until I saw a video on YouTube where someone uses toilet paper tubes! Genius!
I used to buy lettuce bags and spinach bags for salads. Now I have a long plant pot on the windowsill and I havent needed to buy any for 2 years. So easy and grows all year round, same with spring onions!

Things I never missed once I stopped buying it
-foil
-cling film
-baking paper
-kitchen paper
-craft items from hobbycraft or poundland. I save so much money from making things with the kids instead of buying it all. I would never do that now! And the craft time we spend making the craft supplies is so much more fun than the actual activity we end up doing

has anyone got any more?

Emma Bridgewater stuff. £20 for a mug? Did I have more money than sense?!

Sanitary protection (age)
Cat food / litter (sigh, but apartment layout impractical for allergic partner and we're both a bit wonky with balance)
Floppy discs (including the hard ones!)

All types of skincare - wash, moisturiser, scrubs, masks etc. My (oily) skin is exactly the same now, if not better. Just use bar soap when I'm in the shower.
Promoted by some research I read into their effectiveness (none!) and ingredient comparisons between £ and ££££ products. You guessed it - same shit, different bottle! All you really need is water.

Panty liners almost every day. During lockdown I switched to moisture wicking knickers and have been irrationally angry that most women’s knickers Re so flimsy as standard.

Angelica I was/am as sceptical as you, given the 'model is wearing a blouse @ £2559' shite publication I read the article in.

Give it a try.

Make-up/eye make-up remover. Last year I bought a pack of 'Erase Your Face' cloths and, with a bit of water, they get rid of all traces of make-up. Even waterproof mascara.

Courgettes. Pretty sure I saw someone else had given up but I might have misread. My children and husband moan too much when I cook them.

Gosh, this thread is making me feel quite bad actually. I'm not yet 30 and I feel that upon reflection I am actually tending to increase the multitude of things I buy and use rather than decreasing in any areas! Which is definitely food for thought.

The only things I can really think of are CDs, DVDs, paid-for downloaded music, chewing/bubblegum, strapless bras but only because the last like 5 times I've tried to find one I have failed to find a good fit, face wipes - I use micellar water and eye makeup remover with cotton wool now, long socks...

@speakout

sanitary protection? what like always dailies? because I am adding that to my list too now

Yes menopause.

Bliss.

Hate to disappoint you but you may need to start buying panty liners again soon (or even tenalady) as your bladder control deteriorates.....

Houses

Disposable foam scourers and sponges for the kitchen. I have coconut husk scourers and washable bamboo clothes instead now. The coconut husk scourers last forever with a bit of sterilising now and then.

Child care. Once they were all in proper school it felt like I had a massive pay rise.

Magazines
Make Up Wipes
Fabric softener.

Packs of flatbread/naans. I just mix plain yoghurt and self raising flour together until its kneadable. I was about to throw out some sour milk (just turned not lumpy) when my friends mum told me to use it to bake scones. They were delicious and it's still something I do.

Batteries. That's just technology marching on, everything has its own rechargeable battery now. Even the smoke detector has a 10-year-life battery (and they should be replaced after 10 years anyway).

Disposable food storage, mostly. I got some glass containers I use for batch cooking now, tomato dishes don't stain them like happens with plastic.

Books - love books, but have since become a kindle convert.

Shaving foam - just use shower gel after seeing it recommended in mn

Concert and theatre tickets - due to Covid (plan to start booking shows again soon)

Stamps - hardly post anything now

tinned salmon
lamb
joints ( meat that is)
bar soap
shower wash- just let shampoo wash over me

@Ericaequites

Condoms-I’m a lesbian now.

Wine (may have been replaced with gin though)
Coffee
Bottled water
Quite a lot of veg (am sharing an allotment with someone who doesn't like getting grubby)

Bin bags
Sanitary protection
Cling film
Shower gel

Tights

Havn’t needed to be office smart for a year

@JeanneFrench

I guess if you use a mooncup or Thinx style underwear or go through the menopause then you don't need tampons or sanitary towels anymore.

..or you've been sterilized. Worked for me on just about every level.

@BikeRunSki

Tights

Havn’t needed to be office smart for a year

I don't think I've bought a pair of tights in over 20 years 😁

Washing up sponges ( now use cloths which I then boil wash)
Vegetable plants, grow the lot from seed
Bagged salad
Kindling ( chop my own)
Spring onions
Fabric softener ( soft water area and ignore Dh moaning about the towels plus fabric softener here is not good quality unlike in the UK - Persil is available and reasonable price)
Ear plugs ( just tell DH to stop whining and he generally does .... and he sleeps in spare room due to his snoring)
Petrol ( walk or cycle to work, fill up once every two months if that)
Bottled water ( filtered water tap fitted and have a soda stream for my fizzy water addiction)
Jam ( plums are plentiful so make pots of jam in summer)
Tomato relish, vegetable soup ( Dh prefers homemade so it’s easier and cheaper to make our own)
Bread ( found an amazing no knead recipe which takes 5 mins to put together and is better than the now useless breadmaker and a lot cheaper)
Wine ( dh health condition meds mean he can no longer enjoy, I decided to give up )

I line all my roasting dishes and trays with foil - saves washing them

@tulippa

Nappies.

Wait 40-50 years. They'll come back around, just bigger.