The Buy Nothing Rebellion Is Growing: 12 Things I Refuse To Buy Anymore

I’ve gotten to an age where I don’t want more stuff.

I’d rather have more money invested.

I want more freedom. I want less clutter. And honestly, I want fewer things demanding my attention.

And apparently, I’m not the only one.

There’s a growing Buy Nothing Rebellion—people pushing back against the idea that we constantly need to buy more, upgrade more, replace more, and keep up with whatever everyone else is doing.

And I’ve joined in.

Not because I don’t spend money. I absolutely do.

But I’ve become much more intentional about what deserves my money, my space, and my time.

Because here’s the weird thing I’ve discovered:

The less I buy, the richer I feel.

Woman sitting on a white kitchen countertop wearing a red short sleeve blouse and black pants while smiling at the camera in a bright minimalist kitchen with clean white cabinets light wood accents and completely clear countertops with natural light coming through a large window

12 Things I’m Not Buying Anymore

I’m not trying to become someone who never buys anything. I still love certain things, and I’m perfectly happy to spend money when something genuinely improves my life.

But I’m done buying things simply because they’re cute, trendy, new, on sale, or because someone convinced me that I need them.

Here are 12 things I’m not buying anymore.

Woman standing in a laundry room wearing a red ruffled sleeveless blouse and black pants while holding a white all purpose cleaner bottle and looking at it skeptically with shelves of colorful cleaning products behind her and a white washing machine and folded towels nearby with natural light coming through a window

1. Fancy Cleaning Products

I don’t need a different cleaning product for every surface, room, smell, finish, or imaginary problem in my house.

There are certain cleaning products that I like and that work, and I’m going to use those.

Honestly, Dawn Dish Soap and vinegar are able to get a lot of things really clean.

I’m not going to see a new cleaning spray at the store and think, Maybe this one will change my life.

Because let’s be honest, it’s still cleaning.

And I would much rather spend my money on something I actually enjoy than have 17 different bottles underneath my kitchen sink.

I’ve realized that a lot of these purchases aren’t really solving problems. They’re creating more things to store.

Rustic grapevine wreath hanging on a white paneled door with a wooden welcome sign featuring a black and white striped bow and burlap ribbon above the words welcome please remove your shoes with a small decorative floral accent in the center of the sign

Rustic grapevine wreath hanging on a white paneled door with a black and white polka dot bow and burlap ribbon surrounding a wooden decorative sign featuring colorful seasonal symbols including a green shamrock red heart white bunny black Christmas tree orange jack o lantern and brown pumpkin symbol

2. Home Décor Just Because It’s Cute

This one is especially true when it comes to seasonal décor.

Sometimes we might think something is cute and think, Oh, I need that.

But eventually, “that’s cute” becomes a house full of stuff.

And then you have to store it. Organize it.

Then you have to get it out, put it together, hang it up.

Then you have to put it away. Slide the bin under the other bin and the other bin.

And six months later, there’s another seasonal collection waiting for you at the store.

No thanks.

I have a few seasonal items I put out, but they literally take 5 minutes and I can store them all in 2 bins (all holidays, people).

I bought a larger artificial Christmas tree one year and it took quite a while to decorate it.

The next year an Amazon seller sent me a Christmas tree (because I’m an Amazon Influencer) that is a tall skinny tree. I ended up decorating that tree pretty quickly and decided to keep it.

I sold the larger Christmas tree I purchased at one of my yard sales and never looked back. I don’t want to spend hours putting up a Christmas tree and taking it down.

A couple years back I asked my niece if she could make me a minimalist wreath (she makes really cute fancy wreaths) and she said yes!

I love my wreath she made for me! It says ‘Welcome’ (and in smaller print, ‘please remove your shoes’). And I can switch out the ‘O’ in welcome for each holiday (like switch it to a firework for 4th of July, a tree for Christmas, etc.).

And guess what?! The items to switch out the ‘O’ with are Velcro’d to the back of the wreath. It’s an all-in-one wreath and I LOVE it. I don’t store multiple wreaths. I have one cute wreath hanging on my door that works for every single season.

I want my home to be comfortable and beautiful, but I don’t need to constantly change it because a retailer (or influencer) told me what my house should look like this season.

I don’t need more décor.

I need to enjoy the home I already have.

Woman standing in a bright bathroom wearing a gray short sleeve shirt while smiling and holding a white beauty product in her hands beside an open wooden bathroom cabinet filled with skincare bottles cosmetics makeup palettes and personal care products with a white marble countertop sink and large windows in the background

3. Beauty Products I Don’t Need

This is a big one for me.

I don’t constantly look for something better than what I already have.

Because there is always another serum.

Another moisturizer.

Another shampoo.

Another product that’s supposedly going to make me look younger, smoother, brighter, or more beautiful.

And if the product I already have works, why am I trying to replace it?

Sometimes I’m not buying something because I need it.

I’m buying it because I’m convinced there might be something better.

I’m just not interested in playing that game anymore.

I’ve found what I liked and I don’t want to waste time or money in an endless cycle of always looking for something better.

4. Souvenirs

When I was younger, I used to buy keychains all the time when I traveled.

I’d go somewhere and think, I need a little something to remember this trip.

But I don’t need a keychain to remember where I’ve been.

Now, occasionally, I’ll buy something that I’ll actually use.

For example, I might buy a tank top that I can teach Zumba in.

That’s different.

I’m not buying something simply because it has the name of the place I visited on it.

I’m buying something that serves a purpose.

Because I don’t really need a souvenir. Plus, I can always take a picture to remember the trip by.

I want the experience.

And I’d rather have the memory than another drawer full of little things take up space.

Woman standing in a bright bedroom wearing a white short sleeve shirt and olive green shorts while holding a beige linen button down shirt and an olive green long sleeve shirt on wooden hangers with a neatly organized wardrobe filled with neutral colored clothing behind her and natural light coming through a large window beside the wardrobe

5. Things That Require Too Much Maintenance

I’ve also become much more selective about things that require a lot of upkeep.

Clothes that have to be dry cleaned.

Things that need to be hand washed.

Items that require special cleaning.

Things that have to be constantly polished, maintained, repaired, or carefully handled.

I don’t want my possessions to become my job.

As I’ve gotten older, I’ve started valuing convenience more.

If I have two shirts and one needs to be dry cleaned while the other can go straight into the washing machine, guess which one I’m reaching for?

Exactly.

I want the things I own to make my life easier—not create another chore.

Woman standing in a bright kitchen wearing a black short sleeve shirt and olive green pants while smiling and holding a metal kitchen utensil beside a large wicker basket filled with fresh red orange and yellow tomatoes with colorful kitchen gadgets including fruit slicers vegetable cutters and kitchen tools spread across the countertop and natural light coming through the windows

6. Kitchen Gadgets That Solve Problems I Don’t Have

I’m looking at you, avocado slicer.

I don’t need a specialized gadget for every food that enters my kitchen.

That’s not to say I don’t have any.

I did just purchase a tomato corer (which also works on strawberries).

This one makes sense for me because I have a garden.

And when my garden starts producing tomatoes, I don’t have three tomatoes.

I have a bazillion tomatoes.

So a tomato corer actually solves a problem I have. And that I can use it with strawberries from the garden as well, even better.

And that’s the test I want to use before buying these kinds of things:

Do I actually have the problem this product is supposed to solve?

If the answer is no, I don’t need the gadget.

Woman sitting on the floor in a bright organized room wearing a red short sleeve shirt and black pants surrounded by woven storage baskets clear plastic organizers clothing books kitchen utensils and household items while holding an empty clear plastic organizer and looking at it skeptically with open shelving visible in the background

7. Organizing Products to Organize Stuff I Shouldn’t Own

This one is almost comical when you think about it.

We buy too much stuff.

Then we buy containers to organize the stuff.

Then we buy labels to organize the containers.

Then we need bigger containers because we’ve bought more stuff.

I’m done with that cycle.

If I have so much stuff that I need an elaborate organizational system to contain it, maybe the answer isn’t another organizing product.

Maybe the answer is, I need less stuff.

Sometimes the best organizational system is simply getting rid of things.

woman in her 40s sitting on a couch with a laptop on her lap smiling at the camera

8. Upgrades Just Because a Newer Version Exists

I’ve had my phone since 2020.

And I’m perfectly happy with that.

If my phone works, does what I need it to do, and isn’t causing me problems, why would I replace it simply because a newer model exists?

I did buy a new laptop last year—but that was because my previous laptop had lasted nine years and eventually gave me the black screen of death.

That’s a legitimate upgrade.

There’s a big difference between replacing something because you need to and replacing something because a company released a newer version.

I don’t need the newest thing.

I need the thing that works.

Woman sitting on a beige sofa in a bright living room wearing an olive green long sleeve shirt and covered with a cream knitted blanket while reading a book with a television on a wooden console a large potted plant floating shelves and tall windows in the background

9. More Subscriptions I Don’t Need

All the time, friends will tell me about a TV series they’re watching.

“You HAVE to watch this show!”

And I’m like, I don’t really watch TV series.

So I’m not going to sign up for another streaming service just because everyone else is watching one particular show.

Because here’s the thing:

I don’t even enjoy doing that.

Why would I pay money every month for something I don’t particularly enjoy just because somebody else enjoys it?

And I think this applies to so much more than subscriptions.

Sometimes we see other people enjoying something and assume we should be doing it too.

But you don’t have to.

You are allowed to say, “That’s not something I want.”

And keep your money.

Woman with long brown hair wearing a black short sleeve shirt and olive green pants standing in a bright kitchen while holding several charging cables and looking at them with a thoughtful expression beside an open wooden drawer neatly organized with charging cords remote controls batteries electronic accessories and small household items with a white countertop and large windows in the background

10. Duplicate Items

I’m not going to buy backups of everything just in case.

If I already own something and it’s working perfectly, I don’t automatically need another one sitting in a drawer.

Sometimes it does make sense to have a few duplicates.

For example, I have a charging cord for my MacBook that I keep in my travel bag.

And I’m okay with that because it makes my life more convenient.

I don’t have to remember to pack it every time I travel, and it’s not creating a bunch of clutter.

So I’m not saying duplicates are always bad.

I’m saying I’m not going to buy a backup of everything just because I might possibly need it someday.

If it makes my life more convenient and doesn’t create clutter, I’ll consider it.

Otherwise, no.

Woman standing in front of an open wardrobe wearing a black long sleeve top and black pants while smiling and holding two clothing items on hangers including a colorful floral blouse and a cream linen button down shirt with several neutral colored jackets and sweaters neatly hanging in the wardrobe behind her and natural light coming through a nearby window

11. Clothing I Don’t Really Want

This one is a little tricky because I’m not someone who never buys inexpensive clothing.

I’m not going to pretend that I am.

But I am becoming much more intentional about what I buy.

I’m moving more toward cotton and linen and away from buying a bunch of polyester pieces that aren’t going to last as long.

I want fewer clothes – that I actually like wearing.

And I’m not perfect at this.

I still make purchases that aren’t perfect.

But I’m getting better at asking myself a few questions:

Would I still want this if it weren’t on sale?

Am I actually going to wear it, more than twice?

Is this something I’ll want a year from now?

Increasingly, I’m looking for quality over quantity.

I don’t need a closet full of clothes.

I need clothes I actually want to wear.

That I feel comfortable and confident in.

Woman sitting in a beige upholstered chair beside a white dresser wearing a cream sleeveless top and beige shorts while smiling as a pink portable fan blows her long wavy hair in a bright bedroom with a neatly made bed large windows framed botanical artwork and green houseplants in the background

12. Things I Can Get Free

This one is a little different for me because I’m an Amazon Influencer.

Because of the work I do, sellers will sometimes send me products I request.

If there’s something I genuinely need or want, and I know a seller who carries it, I’ll reach out to the seller before I buy it.

Why would I spend my own money if there’s an opportunity to get the exact thing I need through the work I’m already doing?

But there’s an important distinction here.

I’m not going to take every free thing.

Free clutter is still clutter.

If I don’t need it, want it, or have a use for it, or won’t be able to sell it, I don’t need it simply because someone will give it to me.

But if it’s something I was already planning to buy?

Like a portable pink fan I don’t have to plug in that I can take to Zumba, take camping and put where ever I want because it’s been over 100 degrees for past month now…

Absolutely. I’m going to look for a way to get it through my business first.

And if you’re interested in becoming an Amazon Influencer yourself, check out this post about getting started as an Amazon Influencer.

Woman sitting at a wooden dining table wearing a white and burgundy striped long sleeve shirt and black pants while holding a small item and looking at it surrounded by wrapped gifts opened packages torn wrapping paper a large donation box and household items in a warmly lit living room with plants lamps and a window in the background

I have a Bonus for you: Clutter Disguised as Gifts

I want to add one bonus because I think this is something a lot of us struggle with.

Sometimes clutter comes into our homes disguised as a gift.

A friend gives you something for your birthday.

Someone gives you something for Christmas.

And you genuinely appreciate the person.

You appreciate that they thought of you.

You appreciate their generosity.

But maybe you don’t actually like the thing (it happens, if we’re being honest).

Maybe you’re never going to use it.

Maybe it doesn’t fit your home.

Maybe it’s just going to sit in a drawer for five years.

I’ve had to learn that being grateful for a gift doesn’t mean I have to keep the gift.

I can thank someone.

I can appreciate their kindness.

And then I can decide what I’m going to do with the item.

Because once someone gives you a gift, the exchange has been made.

It’s yours to do with it what you’d like.

You don’t need to feel guilty about donating it, giving it to someone else, selling it, or getting rid of it if you’re not going to use it.

The gratitude belongs to the relationship.

The stuff doesn’t have to stay in your house forever.

And I think that’s really what this Buy Nothing Rebellion is about for me.

It’s not about never spending money.

It’s not about depriving myself.

And it’s definitely not about refusing to buy anything I enjoy.

It’s about becoming much harder to sell to.

I don’t need something just because it’s new.

I don’t need something just because it’s cute.

I don’t need something just because everyone else has it.

And I don’t need something just because somebody told me it will make my life better.

I get to decide what deserves my money, my space, and my attention.

And the older I get, the more valuable all three of those things become.

Because sometimes improving your life isn’t about adding more. It’s about finally deciding what you don’t need anymore.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Buy Nothing Rebellion?

The Buy Nothing Rebellion is a pushback against the constant pressure to consume, upgrade, and purchase more things. It’s about becoming more intentional with what you buy and recognizing that you don’t have to participate in every trend or marketing message.

Does buying less mean you have to be a minimalist?

No. You don’t have to become a minimalist or stop buying things you enjoy. For me, buying less is about being intentional and making sure the things I purchase actually improve my life.

How do you stop buying things you don’t need?

I try to pause before making a purchase and ask myself whether I actually need it, whether I’ll use it, and whether it will make my life better. I’ve also found that simply waiting before buying something can eliminate a lot of impulse purchases.