View Full Version : What You Won't Buy
The favorite brands thread got me thinking it might be fun to discuss some of the things we will not buy. What types of things would you absolutely not spend your money on?
Here are a few things on my list:
1. paper napkins
2. disposable dinnerware
3. fabric softener
4. books (I have access to excellent interlibrary loan programs)
5. DH would disagree, but I hate spending money on electronics. You own them for about five minutes and then they are obsolete. :~)
6. everyday clothes than need to be ironed or dry cleaned
What about you?
Life_is_Simple
1-21-11, 10:17am
Will not buy:
- big screen tv, with digital
- sugar
- any clothes that need ironing
- an iron
- a hair dryer
- satellite radio
- makeup
:)
On edit, I forgot to say: I will never ever never ever ever never buy a SONY again :moon:
Will not buy:
perfume
fabric softener
lawn chemicals
Nintendo/Playstation/etc.
A cell phone. No how, no way.
Lots of other stuff. It might just be easier to list the stuff I will buy!
Wow, great topic...
Paper towels & napkins
Perfume
Fabric softener
Chemicals of any kind
Pornography
Food from Safeway-type stores
Non-organic strawberries, milk (and many others too)
Poor quality pet food
Synthetic fiber clothing
Heels
New car
Bad wine
Anything from a salesperson who comes to my door
Totally fun topic!
Bounce dryer sheets/liquid fabric softener.
Paper plates/plastic cutlery.
Man-made/synthetic fibre clothing.
Instant coffee.
Powdered coffee whitener.
Whitening strips (teeth).
Whitening toothpaste.
Plastic clothespins.
Disposable diapers (when my kids were little).
Changing table (when my kids were babies).
Fad things/gizmos.
Redfox, I love bad wine. I won't buy good wine.
Hmmm,
-giant tv
-cell phone
-clothes dryer
-fabric softener
-grocery store citrus
-frozen tv dinners
-greeting cards
-video games
hmmm....I like fabric softener and dryer sheets. :confused:
I won't buy ANYTHING from Home Depot,
cell phone,
liver or organ meats (YUK),
curling iron,
hair gel or spray,
sugar twin (but I do buy Splenda),
anything that needs to be dry cleaned,
a cat (nothing agains cats, but I'm a dog person *S*).
Just thought of another.
Disposable pads/liners.
simplelife2
1-21-11, 2:46pm
My list is the same as many others here, but I do make an exception with hair care products. I have very curly, coarse and dry hair. Even though I only wash my hair a couple of times a week (depending on weather/exercise) to give the natural oils a chance to work, if I just wash and air dry, my hair literally looks like I stuck my finger in a light socket. Trust me, it's not a good look.
I don't use a blow dryer or curling iron to fuss or flatten. But you would have to pry my mousse or gel from my cold, dead hands. lol
CD's
Movies
Cheap chocolate, coffee or food
Booze
Anything on an infomercial
Cheap guns (aka Saturday night specials)
New cars
Designer clothes made in China
I almost forgot... room deoderizers/air fresheners....
and cigarettes.
-books, cds, dvds (get them free to use at the library)
-internet access (don't want to spend a big part of my life sitting on my butt online so use free wi-fi elsewhere instead - limits my "butt time" online :-))
-cable TV (same reasons as no internet access)
-expensive vehicle (an inexpensive one gets me to the same place as an expensive one)
-fancy cooking stuff (don't cook but did get a Ninja Blender I love)
-high heels (I'm 5'10" but wouldn't buy those torture devices even if I was 4'10")
-fancy or expensive hair care or body care products (use Suave and I have GREAT hair! Pure and Natural bar soap & Aveeno lotion for body lotion or sunscreen - nutin' else)
-ditto for make-up (rarely wear it and use Maybelline type products usually)
-designer anything (can't even imagine spending hundreds of bucks for a purse or shoes or ??? anything!)
-and, to channel Bae and Nancy Ann :-) - no cheap guns (have Ruger, Berreta, Dan Wesson, etc..)
Originally posted by Gina.
and cigarettes. Are you an ex-smoker Gina?
Nope. I've never tried one, not even as a kid. It was something I knew I never wanted to do, so no need to even 'taste' one. ;)
Oh, and one more.
Room atomizers/sprays/air-fresheners.
Nope. I've never tried one, not even as a kid. It was something I knew I never wanted to do, so no need to even 'taste' one. ;)Good on you! :) I smoked for many years and quit a few years ago, so when I seen cigarettes on your list I thought, "Gina must be an ex-smoker". :|(
Fabric softener
Scented products of any kind
Non organic leafy greens
Non organic milk or butter
Flat-heeled shoes (I'm already short enough)
Fertilizers or pesticides
Magazines (free from the library)
New car
Cable TV service
Prescription drugs (hope I can keep that up as I age)
Gym membership
Too many more to list...
Redfox, I love bad wine. I won't buy good wine.
You're awesome! So glad someone is buying it...
- factory farmed meat, factory-raised fish and crustaceans
- fruits and veggies imported out of season from far-away places
- produce grown/harvested in horribly unsustainable ways
- cheap cars
- cheap guns (and by "cheap" I mean "not functional/well-designed")
- ties, clothes that require ironing (except kilts), dress clothes in general
- cheap pens (and by "cheap" I mean "write like *!*@*@")
- objects with poor aesthetics, craftsmanship, or design in general
- "stuff" I don't really need
- anything someone tries to sell me on the phone
- unreliable or poorly functioning tools
- extended warranties
- things that require loans
- things I get spam email selling
- ...
An interesting list for sure.
Cable TV service
Newspapers
Good wine (loved that one)
Bad beer
Ocean fish
New bicycles
Air for tires
Sandals or flip-flops
Foo-foo coffee drinks
Alcoholic drinks when dining out
Most red meats, but especially hamburger
Gym memberships
GPS devices
Sports tickets
White bread
loosechickens
1-21-11, 11:25pm
very few things we WON'T buy, but those few include:
scented products of any kind
factory farmed meats/fish
non organic fruits and veggies on the "dirty dozen" list
non organic butter or dairy products
obviously, we end up eating some of those things when we eat out, or are invited to someone's home, but we won't buy them ourselves.
Wildflower
1-22-11, 3:30am
Hair dye
Nail polish
Perfume or cologne
Make-up
(Allergies to all of the above)
Expensive wine (I drink cheap wine that is good) ;)
Junk food
Poorly made clothes or shoes
Crappy food for dogs/cats
Pesticides
Toxic household cleaners
GPS devices
Oh we'd be lost without ours (hmmm....'scuse the pun there *S*)...Hubby and I go exploring out in the bush during the nice weather and our GPS has saved our hides many a time. In fact we are going to have to get a new one cuz we wore out the old one. *sigh*
Simplemind
1-22-11, 1:39pm
bottled water
supersized anything
Air freshener...open a window or clean up.
IshbelRobertson
1-22-11, 5:26pm
Air fresheners
Food that has more airmiles than I am old..
Anything from global fast food outlets like McDonalds, KFC and Starbucks
Cheap shoes
Non-organic meats
Most things 'made in China'.
Gas-powered yard tools
Pointy-toed shoes
A wood-burning stove
Rice cakes
Personal watercraft or snowmobile
Instruments of death or torture
Girl Scout cookies
Season tickets
Many that have already been mentioned, I'll try to add some new ones:
~anything that is a "fundraiser"
~tickets for live music that cost more than $10
~anything from a sex shop
~TV, converter box, DVD player, radio (except the one that comes w/ the car)
~cruise tickets
~sporting event tickets
~diesel farm equipment
~going away gifts for people who have been fired
~pets, all have been given to us, or found their way here
~illegal drugs
That's a few....and I have to give a hearty "Me too!" to no instant coffee, powdered creamer, perfume, and cigarettes.
Life_is_Simple
1-22-11, 7:34pm
~going away gifts for people who have been fired
You've been asked to chip in for gifts for people who have been fired?:0!
Life_is_Simple
1-22-11, 7:37pm
Hmmm,
-greeting cards
This one I find interesting. I just don't like buying cards for people. I find it draining. I sometimes do though. Does this mean... I can stop?:cool:
Life_is_Simple
1-22-11, 7:40pm
I feel good knowing that so many of you steer clear from perfumes and scented items. Having chemical sensitivities, it makes me think I could hang out with you guys
:thankyou:
Why do we love lists so? I started to respond to this thread and suddenly felt just inspired beyond words to make up a list for myself of the things I actually do buy, categorized as small business / locally created, used, and corporate Products. That'd be an interesting 'challenge', actually: how low can you go on nationally available prepackaged Stuff for a year, how well can you do on getting true quality / maximum satisfaction when you do buy it.
I find this all so interesting! I have to say, I do love my pointy-toed shoes and "supersized" shampoo, conditioner, and facewash (much cheaper that way), though. ;-)
I thought of a few more:
--gift wrap and supplies (I like to use brown paper and dress it up with whatever is laying around)
--expensive garbage bags (you throw them away!!)
--pets (I like strays. I would buy a rat, though. I'd love one for a pet, but I'm not sure I would want a "stray" rat ;-) )
+ pre-prepared food (eg. tv dinners, jarred pasta sauce)
+ tampons or pads (there ARE other ways!)
+ envelopes
+ shampoo
+ lip balm (I make my own)
+ shower gel
+ books (apart from things like language dictionaries and Spanish fiction; not too readily available in libraries here)
+ multi-purpose cleaner, glass cleaner (homemade)
+ cotton wool pads/balls
+ acrylic clothing
+ non-cotton undies!
+ cheapo shoes
+ cheapo jackets with no lining
+ bottled water
+ anything food products that have sugar added to them (apart from things that are MEANT to have sugar in them, like candy and ice cream)
That is not to say that I don't OWN some of these things, as they have been given as gifts or are leftover from a less frugal time.
Now that's interesting. Do you know that in my house very few of the windows actually open? We wait for spring and then we open the door. I go on fits of laundering when those stale smells start to build. But we have to wait for warm weather to do something like clean carpets.
Do you know that in my house very few of the windows actually open?
Oh, I would have to do something about that right away. Fresh air is one of the simple pleasures for me.
You've been asked to chip in for gifts for people who have been fired?:0!
Yes. >:(
What occasions do you fell you have to buy cards for? Probably you are excused, but we need more details.:)
Calendars - I get so many as gifts and freebies
Pets - "free" from the shelter - yes I know there's an adoption fee but it's far from the hundreds you'd pay a breeder, and they all deserve a good home
Massages -I trade with another massage therapist ;>
More space to live in than I absolutely need
Any more fabric from the quilt store. I have enough to last me the rest of my life!
Disposable razors - I use an old fashioned safety razor and just buy blades every once in a while.
Canning jars - I get tons free from retired folks.
Vegetable plants for the garden. Dad and I start all ours from seed.
Anything from Starbucks
I think my favourite response so far has been "Foo foo coffee". I have allowed myself to be guilted into buying those too many times!
I agree with lots of responses already, the only one I can add is "cheapo outdoor gear". I don't need top of the line, but once I took an inexpensive raincoat on a backpacking trip. It rained. A lot. It was the most miserable trip of my life.
early morning
1-23-11, 4:40pm
Fascinating thread! For us:
Pets from a breeder - there are far too many that need homes as it is, as many of you have mentioned
Almost anything new unless alternative possibilities have been exhausted. Sometimes you just can't find it used!
Expensive brand-name cleaning supplies (Pledge, Tide, Windex, etc) We use generics or make our own.
Anything Swiffer related
Throwaway or disposable items for general use - will use for special events
Waste-can trash bags. We do buy the big black ones sometimes, mostly for storing or hauling stuff.
This one I find interesting. I just don't like buying cards for people. I find it draining. I sometimes do though. Does this mean... I can stop?:cool:
(Sorry, I missed this.)
I still often give cards, I just don't buy them. I make my own. :)
Sad Eyed Lady
1-24-11, 9:59am
NOTHING from Walmart! That is the big list. Smaller list is the same as some others have listed here:
Paper napkins
Giant screen T.V.
Pay for T.V. (cable, satellite)
Assorted cleaning products each made for one specific thing, when only a few will do. (Dirt is dirt. Why one thing to clean a counter top, one the floor, one the appliance etc).
Latest gadget, electronics, and fad items. Remember the salad shooter?
Anna Hart
1-24-11, 11:38am
I am in total agreement with cheap pet food - I also won't buy
- cereal
- cookies
- pies (nothing is grosser)
- dishes (my parents and grandparents have so many sets)
- t.v.
- hot dogs
- fabreeze or any other air freshener
cigarettes
lottery tickets
casino gambling trip
tickets to the Republican National Convention
Porno mags
toilet paper
(just kidding)
bottled water
instant oatmeal, soups, etc.
dvd's
lottery tickets
Polliwog
Hmmm not a lot of things that I absolutely will not buy -- (except for normal stuff alcohol, cigs, etc).
but here are are few - many gleaned from prior lists.
- pets (require more time/care/expense than we have to give)
- Paper towels (for the most part, though my wife could do a commercial FOR them!)
- DVD's
- Pay TV (had it growing up, never in our married life - maybe once the kids leave home!)
- Lottery tickets (huge huge waste of $)
- Trash can liners
- Boxed dinners - like hamburger helper, etc.
- anything to do with camping! Yep there I said it -- I HATE CAMPING!
What's the big deal with fabric softners -- how do you deal with static?
ApatheticNoMore
1-24-11, 8:29pm
It's kind of a silly question because of course the total of products one doesn't buy far outnumbers what one does (lots of potential products out there after all).
- American cars
- factory raised meat
- cable t.v.
- for that matter just about anything that increases re-occuring monthly bills (iphone etc.). Fixed costs I'll put down money for sometimes. But increased costs from here to eternity? No thanks!
I don't think it's silly - it's interesting, and inspirational.
I am stoked about this topic. I'll focus on things that most people spend money on every day that I refuse to buy!
1. Soda
2. Water
3. (any kind of beverage, I love my tap water!)
4. Garbage Bags
5. Gum
6. Gas (I'm car-lack, once you go car-lack, you ain't never go back)
7. Any product that is suggested to you from a salesperson, e.g. "would you like to add blah for just $5 extra per month" etc.
heydude, I don't buy soda, either. When we were growing up, we drank milk at meals and water any other time. Now I do buy a healthier juice or something like that for DH, who grew up with tons of beverage choices.
clear water
1-27-11, 11:35am
Books and magazines. Used to buy lots and they layed around stressing me out. Now I go to the library enjoy their collection of magazines borrow a few books and leave. REally enjoy that
My list is the same as many others here, but I do make an exception with hair care products. I have very curly, coarse and dry hair. Even though I only wash my hair a couple of times a week (depending on weather/exercise) to give the natural oils a chance to work, if I just wash and air dry, my hair literally looks like I stuck my finger in a light socket. Trust me, it's not a good look.
I don't use a blow dryer or curling iron to fuss or flatten. But you would have to pry my mousse or gel from my cold, dead hands. lol
I know exactly how you feel!! Please don't take away my hair stuff!!:0!
What is "foo foo" coffee? I won't buy Starbucks - their coffee is burned and dreadful. However, I will, once in a while, get a latte or espresso drink from one of the really good local places in Seattle. Coffee, like all food, can be great or horrible.
There aren't many "nevers" in my life, but here's a few
Tripe
Head-hog cheese
Porn
Whiskey
barley
energy drinks
heavy coats
hair color
No WHISKEY?!? Wow. Yumm! :)
Why is porn showing up on so many lists? Been getting it for free, are ya!
Why is porn showing up on so many lists? Been getting it for free, are ya!
Niiiice.....
I can't type a defacto list of what I will NOT buy. If I do, then I'll end up buying something on that list in the next two weeks.
My general practice is to buy used instead of new if possible. My exception: electronics and anything that might be a sanitary issue. For example: I don't make it a practice to buy used underwear.
I only buy new if something is urgent or consumable (and I buy used "leftovers" on a lot of non-food leftovers).
Oh, and for the record, I don't usually buy porn either. There is plenty of it available free if I want porn.
Then again, people's definitions of porn differs. I've known people who considered it porn if the shape of a woman's nipples showed through her shirt in a picture. Of course that was 20 years ago, but still....definitions vary.
goldensmom
1-29-11, 4:53pm
Books and magazines. Used to buy lots and they layed around stressing me out. Now I go to the library enjoy their collection of magazines borrow a few books and leave. REally enjoy that
I will buy a book, usually after borrowing it from the library and deciding if I need my own copy. I look at magazines at the library or online but refuse to pay the average price of $6 for a magazine. Part of what I like about reading magazines at the library is the reading room with big overstuffed leather chairs, a fireplace, cozy warm in the winter, AC in the summer, the quiet.
Zzz - porn to me are all the gardening catalogues that are starting to show up at our house! And Dwell, my fav house porn.
Life_is_Simple
1-29-11, 7:25pm
Part of what I like about reading magazines at the library is the reading room with big overstuffed leather chairs, a fireplace, cozy warm in the winter, AC in the summer, the quiet.
Your library has a fireplace? With a roaring fire?
goldensmom
1-29-11, 7:43pm
Your library has a fireplace? With a roaring fire?
Yes, the reading room has a fireplace with a flickering gas fire behind glass doors. I guess I should have said the ambiance is cozy the room temperature is warm because the library thermostat is set at 72 and the thermostat at home it is set at 60.
This is a great topic, I have not read through everyone's posts yet....
There are many things that I won't buy, but highest on my list is anything that comes in any way shape or form, from:
Monsanto and any of its subsidiaries :/
That's it for now :)
anything pink
will not attend and will not buy for baby showers
paper napkins
girl scout cookies
video games
lima beans
Float on, ya beat me about the baby showers, but I was gonna say for "2nd" baby showers.
Nor will buy anything that my girls say looks good on me!
Float On and Sissy. Are you guys just put off by the consumerism attached to celebrations nowadays, or is the result of your stance not to attend/buy, stem from societies direction towards excess? (Excess, where simple, traditional baby type givings aren't enough anymore).
1. Have been trying to avoid GMO.Not completely there,but making progress.
2. Any food from China or other third world ountries.
3. Personal care products from China.
4.And as of last week,any products from corporations that support the Susan G. Komen foundation.
HumboldtGurl
2-15-12, 12:43pm
Oooh I like this one. After visiting my Super Consumer parents for a month, I'm even more certain about the things I will and won't buy. Here's a short list:
Anything with excess plastic packaging
Pre-packaged desserts and sweets
Cheap beer, booze, dog food or processed foods
Anything with artificial sweeteners
The latest and greatest gadget (no iPad in this house, thank you!)
Workout clothes (helllo, that's what trashy old t-shirts and sweats are for!)
New sporting goods (used, always)
New books (ditto)
Toxic household cleaners
Doing my best to avoid any trips to Wally World
chanterelle
2-15-12, 1:23pm
I'm pretty sure that I won't be buying any of those raspberry scented jeans!!
However, an espresso scented bathrobe just might be nice for the morning!
Packaged treats (and eats), such as Twinkies, Ding Dongs, Pizza Pops, etc.
dog food, since I started feeding him real food several years ago, everytime he goes to the vet or the groomer they comment on what a nice coat he has and how he is just the right weight etc. And it is lots cheaper.
Float On and Sissy. Are you guys just put off by the consumerism attached to celebrations nowadays, or is the result of your stance not to attend/buy, stem from societies direction towards excess? (Excess, where simple, traditional baby type givings aren't enough anymore).
Mrs.M, I am pretty put off with the consumerism part, of course. People don't want to seem stingy and some of the most outrageous gifts. I don't think that there should be a baby shower for a girl/woman if she has already had one, especially if they are close in age and the same sex. They should have all the stuff, ya know?
As far as buying something that my kids feel that I "should", well, they are trying to bring me into a era that I don't want to be in. I am what I am :)
Float On and Sissy. Are you guys just put off by the consumerism attached to celebrations nowadays, or is the result of your stance not to attend/buy, stem from societies direction towards excess? (Excess, where simple, traditional baby type givings aren't enough anymore).
for me Mrs-M, the baby shower issue is that these invites come of of the woodwork for people I consider acquaintances and not close friends. They are fishing for gifts. When I had a baby shower for my first baby it was thrown as a suprise (I didn't request one or expect one).
dog food, since I started feeding him real food several years ago, everytime he goes to the vet or the groomer they comment on what a nice coat he has and how he is just the right weight etc. And it is lots cheaper.
I keep raw hamburger in the fridge just for my dog. I give him a little handfull every day. I can really tell a difference in his coat and skin if I forget to give him some for a few days, he gets itchy and dry.
jennipurrr
2-16-12, 12:25pm
fabric softner
heels!
instant grits (yuk)...actually instant anything, rice, oatmeal, etc...but grits are the worst
any item to replace something that is currently functioning (TV, stereo, etc "upgrade")
artifical scents in anything
most makeup and other hair/body products
clothes that must be dry cleaned (try to avoid ironed too)
poor quality animal food
most processed people food
I hear you through and through, Sissy. With today's generation, it's all about a party/get-together for everything!
I totally agree, Float On. My mom was behind all of our baby showers, and she even put a few on.
I don't mind a party for everything but I do mind the gift grab.
Getting registered at walmart is the thing that sent me over the edge. Registered once meant that auntie so and so could check to make sure her teaspoon matched your other teaspoons.
So one thing I won't do is buy a gift for a person off a gift registry. If the person is close enough to me for me to want to get him or her a gift, then I hope I can find a gift from my own imagination that she or he would enjoy. I am uncomfortable with the shower as entitlement process that I see going on. When is she having her shower? Whew....I am very old fashioned about this. I like parties and I like giving gifts. But my way (so there! karate chop coming.....Take that, you walmart and target gift registries....)
I keep raw hamburger in the fridge just for my dog. I give him a little handfull every day. I can really tell a difference in his coat and skin if I forget to give him some for a few days, he gets itchy and dry.
Yes, my dog had a lot of skin issues until I switched. I have been thinking about trying raw, but he is doing well with what he has. He also gets a couple of brewers yeast tablets and one fish oil capsule. No more itching and dry skin. He also doesn't seem hungery all the time.
flowerseverywhere
2-16-12, 4:17pm
Hear you about the invites.
last year we were invited to 9 weddings. One was a nephew, one a close friends daughter and the other seven were casual acquaintances. One was for a shower and wedding out of the country and I hadn't talked to the mother of the bride in over a year!
So unless we know the family well I just send my rsvp with a no and with no present. Done.
also, I try as hard as I can not to spend money on clothes made in third world countries. So I make almost everything I own or barter or buy from artist friends. Most of what I make are plain classic blouses and pants, but I do have a few pairs of jeans.
for me, the baby shower is about celebrating the arrival of the baby. for a first baby, I will give within my means something that the mother might like or need for the baby.
for the second baby, I usually just attend the party and bring snacks.
we also buy consumable gifts for everyone. so, if we go to a wedding, you are likely going to get a half-case of your favorite shampoo.
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