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?

@ShutUpAlex

I could not live without kitchen foil I use it every day!

What for? The kitchen foil every day. .

I don’t buy bottles of shampoo or conditioner. Sanitary stuff (mirena so don’t get periods) Bottles of soft drink (soda stream) Polish (just wipe with damp cloth) Cleaning cloths (cut up old clothes and wash them after use) Cheese (vegan at home) Humous or pesto (make it in 3 seconds) Bread. PJs (have so many pairs from when I used to fly business class lots )

@Blue5238

Intrigued to know what you use instead of baking paper... I use it to stop bread sticking to the pot I cooked it in. I reuse 10-15 times per piece but can't imagine doing without. Likewise foil for over roasts like slow cooked lamb? We only do a few times a year but what do you use instead?

I have a big oval roasting dish with lid, big enough for a large chicken. It works so well.,

Pastry, for years, because mine was shit.

Then I tried again and it was awesome, never bought it since!

To cut down on plastic waste and other junk clogging up the environment:
Shower gel - I use soap instead.
Washing-up sponges - replaced by cotton flannels cut in half, more hygienic too as you can put them in the washing machine.
Disposable scourers - replaced by cotton Scrubbies that last for ages, also machine washable.
DH swapped his disposable razors and bottles of shaving oil for a simple metal safety razor and shaving soap.

@quizqueen

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

What do you wash your hands with? 🤔

On the baking paper debate - you need Lakeland silicone sheets. Washable and reusable and the food just slides off. Still use baking paper to line the bottom of cake Tina, but that’s about it.

@TheLODstinkyunderpassAKATits

Magazines - I have an app called Readly on my tablet and get all my magazines and newspapers on there. DH and two friends also use my account so saves us a ton of money and paper!

I'd like to find a washable sub for cotton wool for removing eye makeup - can someone recommend anything?

Fluffy bed socks cut into squares. Or crochet them from cotton. Or buy them from home bargains.

Shower gel - I now use bar soap after reading on here that it leaves your fresher and less smelly. They were right.

Cotton wool pads - I have reusable bamboo wipes.

Small plastic bottles of water. I used to buy a tray of 24 quite regularly and am now shocked at the waste. Ditto plastic straws.

I use foil once in a while to cover a roast while it rests bit if something needs slow cooking I put it in a heavy tin or casserole with a lid.

I use baking parchment cases to line cake or loaf tins but as a PP said, the same case can be reused many times.

Greek Yoghurt - I make my own. It's probably no cheaper but it's delicious.

Baby wipes, we bought a pile of cheap flannels to use for wiping sticky hands and when we go out we take damp flannels with us in an unused make up bag.
Cling film, zip lock bags etc. I bought some lidded pyrex dishes and also reuse takeaway containers for leftovers.
Kitchen roll, just use dish cloths.
We do occasionally buy foil but we reuse it as much as possible and when it is really past the point of being used again we put it in the recycling.

Pear drops. I used to be absolutely crazy for them-both taste and smell(like nail polish!) . I gave them up about ten years ago as crunching them must have been bad for my teeth. Have never looked back.

Posh moisturiser. Discovered Aveeno moisturiser a couple of years ago and it's far superior to all the peptide/pro-retinol/ free radical swank brand bollocks. £12 from Boots for a massive tube that lasts for ages...

CDs/DVDs/Bluerays - bluerays were really only around for about 5 minutes weren’t they
Magazines
Disposable cutlery
And those things, that I can’t even remember the proper name for, but the thing you put in cameras and then handed over to get developed

A roast every weekend
mushrooms, current dc at home not liking them, until they do!

chewing gum, not good for you

Sexy knickers.

20+ years ago I was talking to a rep who specialised in baby eczema, and she said that we don’t need fabric conditioner, that there’s softener in your washing powder already. So from then on I’ve never used softener and my washing is fine.
That’s saved me some money, and it’s better for the environment.

Cling film for me too, I only ever used it to cover leftovers. I tried various plastic tupperware-type containers over the years, but they always ended up stained, especially from things like tomato-based sauces. Then I found some glass containers with proper sealing lids and have ditched the cling film for ever.

Face wipes - They were all the rage when I was a teenager. Now I just use a flannel or little realisable pads.
Women’s deodorant - DH and I just share.
Haircuts - I cut my hair with clippers during lockdown and it’s the best thing I’ve ever done.
Gym membership - Married a gym manager and realised I prefer outdoor exercise anyway.
Bags of spinach that inevitably go soggy in the salad drawer - I buy frozen and throw a couple of cubes in when cooking.
Eggs - We have chickens now.
Disposable nappies and wipes - Never used them on my own children but did when nannying.
Tampons and pads - Have used a menstrual cup since I was about 15.

Cling film - replaced with silicon lids in sizes that fit everyone of my bowls.
Sanpro - mostly replaced with washable. Still use tampons when out.
Cotton pads - replaced with washable ones.
Foil - never used it to begin with.
Plastic bottles - made the decision to try to avoid any foods etc in plastic bottles and if I couldn’t find it then to find refillable options. I’m half way there.

Sanitary products - menopause
DVDs, cassettes and vinyl
Fags

I use kitchen roll but minimally I also use washable dish cloths
Same for foil and cling film and baking paper
I might use them a few times a year, but I don’t use them wastefully.

I’m old and remember clingfilm and kitchen roll being advertised on tv as amazing new innovations! My parents didn’t approve really and I’m frugal so I suppose that’s why I’m still careful how much I use it

Sanitary protection - I have a moon cup and use cloth SP.
Wipes - I use cloth wipes
Toilet paper - well, I still always have some in, but the kids and I use cloth TP
Greek yogurt - I make my own in the Instant Pot.
I use re-usable/cloth sandwich wraps (they have a wipe clean part which is the bit which sandwiches are next to) and snack bags for packed lunches.
Shower gel and hand wash - we use soap bars.
CD's, videos (VHS!) and audio cassettes (remember them? My kids think they're ancient!!).
I epilate/IPL my legs/pits/bikini but for quick hair removal, I use a safety razor. The blades are MUCH cheaper, easier to recycle and work far better than the normal cartridge style razors that cost a fortune.

Proper saucepan lids. I got some of the silicone universal ones from Ikea, and use them rather than the fitting ones because they fit better in the draw, and I don't have to muck about finding the right one (Including in place of cling-film now I think of it, in the fridge on a bowl)

Vaginal lubricant - we use almond oil instead, and find it better in every way. Not for use with condoms or diaphragm though, because apparently oil can damage them.
Also almond oil is a good conditioner: comb it through your hair then wash it off.

Microfibres clothes last forever.
Actually I suspect most fleece material lasts forever too, they get a bit tired looking but I have never heard of a fleece garment actually wearing out!