In part two of Things I No Longer Buy, I’ll be talking about all sorts of things from shaving cream to disposable dishes. This post includes a snippet about “adult” items, although details have been avoided. Is there anything you are hoping to purchase less?

Body Wash

At one time my shower was filled with all sorts of scented body washes. As I became more sensitive to scents, I started to buy body washes less and less. Now there are two (LUSH’s Dirty and Tramp), both of which have been in the shower for a time since my fiancé is the primary body wash user. I have an unscented soap bar I’m currently finishing up.

Disposable Razors

The only time I use deposable razors is when I travel by plane. All other times, and when I’ve traveled without needing to fly, I use a safety razor. I’ve heard that several people have no issues getting on planes with their safety razors. You should be able to transport the body of your safety razor via your carry-on, but it’s ultimately up to the TSA officer as to whether or not you can. You could always place it, and the unwrapped blades, in your checked luggage. For more information on traveling with razors, click here.

Pens

Over time I have accumulated pens from different events, and have no need to purchase more until they either (1) Run out of ink, or (2) Dry up. Terracycle has a free program with BIC® that accepts all brands of writing utensils, as long as they fit the criteria. Check them out to see if the program, is available in your area. There is a huge push within zero-waste, to deny freebies. However, people are in all different circumstances, so it’s important not to judge the buying/freebie-taking habits of others.

Jewelry

I was, and am, a ring person. I’ve got more sterling silver rings than I know what to do with. I’ve recently gifted many jewelry items, and kept the those that mean the most to me. What is the point of having so much that I’m not wearing? That’s the question I asked myself when paring down.

Household Cleaning Products

From counters to toilets and everything in-between, there is a cleaning product out there for it: Multi-surface, glass cleaner, multi-purpose, powders, liquids, scented, unscented…you name it. The only items I buy now are baking soda, vinegar, bleach (yes, I use it on occasion), and sometimes citric acid. I think we may still have some Drano® that has maybe been used once this year. We simply don’t need it. It is important to have a disinfectant, and if you are using it in the kitchen or anywhere around pets, be sure that it is safe. I highly recommend contacting the company to make sure.

Bamboo Toothbrushes

Okay, I still have one left, and that will be the end of the bamboo toothbrushes I’ve used. It will join the rest of the bamboo toothbrushes in the miscellaneous cleaning jar. While I was initially excited to use them, they didn’t live up to the hype. I already had a quip® (okay, two if I’m honest) and was gifted an Oral-B® toothbrush recently. I travel with quip® because it’s easy, although I’d love it if it didn’t use batteries.

Adult Products

Anyone who knows me knows that I have quite an extensive collection of adult “items”. If you know, you know. I’m not shy about it, but also won’t go into detail here. Needless to say, I have enough, and while I used to like purchasing new items quite frequently, I no longer do. There is no need, especially since many items in my collection are of the luxury, rechargeable variety. Adding more would simply be a waste of money, and none would do more than those I have.

Blankets

I am a huge fan of blankets, and have more than my fair share. Since I’m always cold, it’s normal for me to have two or three on the bed at a time. When one of the choices in the FabFitFun box was a blanket, I often chose it because I knew it would get used. Now, with the amount I have, and limited space, I won’t be buying more. Simply put: I don’t need anymore blankets, throws, etc.

Reusable Bottles

There is a box FILLED with water bottles. Most of them were gifted, and we used them all the time, so I have to make a conscious effort to not buy more of them. We don’t go out unless we need to, and we needed a table so we went to the thrift store to see what we could find. Long story, short…we didn’t. I did find a cutlery set that I had been eyeing online for $4/5 sets (normally they’re around $16/set), so I picked that up, and two Klean Kanteen® bottles, which just added to the copious amount we have. They were $2 each, and honestly, I couldn’t pass it up. Since I’m trying to get rid of items when I bring something in, I took two glass jars that were just taking up space to the recycle center, where I received the redemption value.

Fabric Softener

Have you ever read the labels on your clothes? I’ve seen, more and more, that fabric softener is not recommended. I’m also sensitive to scents, and the added fragrance between the detergent (he will only use scented; I prefer unscented) and fabric softener give me an awful headache. Instead of fabric softener we use dryer balls. The clothes come out just as well, minus the coating of softener, and the drying time is cut by at least 10-15 minutes! A down-side is that there may be static. If this occurs adjust the drying time and see if that helps lessen the static.