Fresh fruit out of season
Like many Americans, I was never taught to shop with the seasons. The grocery store has almost everything available all year around, so why not have blueberries in Winter? Well, disappointment is an incredible teacher. I’ve tried blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, blackberries, oranges….they are all either completely flavorless in Winter, or they’ve travelled such a far distance to get to me that they are moldy before I even get them home!
Did you know that a study from the University of California found that frozen fruit often had a comparable if not HIGHER nutritional value than its fresh counterpart? (A) Winter fruit smoothies are saved!
Holiday decorations
I know this makes me sound like a total bummer, but hear me out!
- We already have a few decorations, and we reuse them every year.
- We have limited space in our apartment, and decorations take up A LOT of space. Just the Christmas tree is half our storage closet!
- Decorations find us! Grandmother gets everyone custom tree ornaments for every big occasion; we have one for the year we got married, Echo’s first Christmas, etc. Echo also makes ornaments at school every year, often with precious photos of her I love to revisit every year.
- Decorations almost never come to mind when reminiscing about holidays past. Perhaps decorating the tree, but shopping for and putting out little signs that say “Trick or Treat” or ceramic Easter bunnies? Not really. But hiding Easter eggs, decorating Christmas cookies, or trick or treating? Those are memories worth investing in.
Books
I am not suggesting you not read! Quite the opposite actually. Using your local library is a fantastic way to save money and have a constant flow of interesting new books coming into your life.
I prefer physical books over e-readers, but they take up a lot of space and it’ll often be years before I want to revisit the same book. Finally, by supporting your local library, you’re also helping to support safe places for kids to gather and precious resources being distributed for free to your community.
Disposable k-cups
To be honest, I’ve never truly indulged in these and never will. I received a Keurig as a gift about 10 years ago, and immediately purchased a refillable k-cup. It works just as well to make a single cup of coffee, and my choice of coffee never has to be restricted to Keurig-approved brands. Not to mention that crazy amount of plastic waste.
I also like to try indie and local coffee brands, and grind my own beans to maximize flavor, neither of which are usually available with disposable k-cups.
Makeup wipes and cotton pads
If you want to know why I don’t use makeup wipes, just watch this:
You’re welcome.
On a non-satirical note, wipes and cotton pads are a ton of waste and don’t even work well. The best option to remove makeup is a double cleanse with an oil then a cleanser.
BUT I understand that sometimes we just absolutely cannot be bothered, for these moments of weakness I grab a Make Up Eraser and micellar water and they work incredibly well! (BIODERMA, not Garnier – it’ll dry out your skin.)
Hair tools
My hair is thick, frizzy, curly and dry. It took me years and years of trial and error to figure out how to do my hair in a way I like.
It’s too easy to be seduced into trying things I WISH worked on my hair (but won’t.) Hair rollers? Not strong enough. Those overnight curling hair bands? I don’t even want to talk about how that went…
Similar to many areas of life, anything outside of my normal routine is shopping for my fantasy self, and not my real self – and why fix something that isn’t broken?
Non-microwavable and dishwasher safe dishware
This should be self-explanatory, get that s**t our of here. A mug I can’t reheat my coffee in? A plate I can’t reheat leftover pizza on, and then have to wash BY HAND!?
There are some things I’m willing to do, like choosing a different shaped wine glass depending on the wine, but I WILL not be tiptoeing around a dish that can’t even deal with hot water.
Fabric softener and dryer sheets
My mother used fabric softener until we fell on hard times. Once we stopped using it, other than a lovely smell, I could not tell the difference. In fact, I’ve seen multiple articles on how fabric softener can reduce the absorbency of your towels, and the sweat-wicking properties of your exercise clothes. (B)
When it comes to dryer sheets, no one likes static cling, but wool balls are an excellent alternative. They’re affordable, available everywhere, and work just as well. I’m still using the same ones I’ve had for around 10 years now.
Body lotion
Other than my hands and face, the skin on the rest of my body just doesn’t get that dry. I used to buy the Bath and Body Works lotions that matched with the body washes, and even though I loved the scents, they were addressing an issue I just didn’t have. I inevitably never used them.
Body lotions were another one of those purchases for a future self that didn’t exist. If it doesn’t address a need, the drive to use them just isn’t there.
Citations
A. Bouzari A, Holstege D, Barrett DM. Vitamin retention in eight fruits and vegetables: a comparison of refrigerated and frozen storage. J Agric Food Chem. 2015 Jan 28;63(3):957-62. doi: 10.1021/jf5058793. Epub 2015 Jan 13. PMID: 25526594.
Thriving is a Strong Word 
Leave a comment