Hey everyone, welcome back to Simple Happy Zen, it's Vera and it's been a while since I've last made a video about
things I'm not buying anymore, because of minimalism and saving money. And last video I made was in August last year.
So I kind of wanted to make this fresh, updated video for you guys about things I don't buy anymore in 2019.
I decided not to buy these things anymore because of different reasons, and minimalism is of course a really big one of course,
also just saving money in general and also
environmental reasons and ethical reasons, so I'm always up for new ideas and inspiration
So be sure to leave the things you're not buying anymore in the comments down below. As always
I'm just sharing my personal experiences here. So take from the video what you like and leave what you don't.
First thing I don't buy anymore is wall art. When we moved in here in this apartment
The walls were all white and bare and it felt kind of cold to us.
So we hung up a bunch of wall art.
But lately, I've actually been taking some of it down.
Because it feels a bit too cluttered for me.
And I really wish we had used those sticky stripes to hang them up with.
Because now we have these places in our home where we have these little tiny holes in the wall.
But having a clear white wall is actually now really soothing to me, very calming, and I like it a lot better than
when it's full of pictures and stuff. And especially if it's really close together
It can feel kind of distracting to the eye. And after a while
you just don't really notice them, or appreciate them anymore, and they just kind of become this white noise in the room.
So I find that I now prefer to have a more simple, clear, white wall with a few plants to add a green touch.
Next in the Ten things I don't buy anymore is special occasions clothes.
So for things like events and weddings, anything where you have to buy something special
that you cannot wear on any regular day. First because wearing clothing like that always makes me feel a little weird, I guess
I'm just not used to it.
I don't mind looking formal per se, but I just don't really like to wear something that makes me feel uncomfortable.
and
Second because of minimalism, I don't like the idea of buying something that I know
I'm just not going to get a lot of use out of. So I just prefer to have a few very simple
dresses that I can either dress up if I have to go formal, or just wear
casually on any regular day, and I just don't mind if people have seen me in that particular dress before.
Next thing I don't buy anymore is home accessories.
I used to be nuts for anything home accessories, all kinds of
knickknacks, and vases, and candles and anything pretty basically.
I think that is a Dutch person in me.
We just really want our home to be gezellig, which is kind of the Dutch word for hygge, very
warm and inviting and cozy. And having a lot of home accessories is very gezellig for us.
I showed our home accessories in my apartment tour video. That was a little over a year ago.
And since then we got rid of around I believe
75% of them. And I still have a few of them that I kep,t that I really enjoy but overall our home and especially our
services are now a lot clearer.
So I made the conscious decision to stop buying home accessories for a while because there are a weak spot of mine.
Especially when you see them in the store, they just look so pretty with everything all stalled out and sorted by color.
So I just try to enjoy them in the store, but not necessarily want to take something home with me. next on the
things I'm not buying anymore list is everything that's uncomfortable basically. So a while ago
I guess something just kind of clicked with me where I thought you know what, life is too short to not be comfortable
Especially with things like clothes and shoes.
I just don't want to spend my days with achy feet, or not being able to sit down because my dress gets wrinkly.
No more of that. And also, belts so very uncomfortable for me. And I just always kind of thought that people should own
belts
But now I just think why why would I have to own a belt if I don't like to wear one?
And I think that they often look good on other people but on me
I just feel weird wearing a belt. And it is so very uncomfortable
So I just decluttered the ones that I still had and I'm not buying a new one. Also
like I said, high-heeled shoes that hurt my feet or
clothing that's just really high maintenance or that I don't feel like myself in and I feel uncomfortable
No more of that.
This next one was also a
conscious decision that I made, because I feel so tempted to buy them every time and that is souvenirs.
So ever since I was a little girl
I would always go and buy
souvenirs on a trip. Something to remember the good times we spent there and
also just a lot of gifts for all my friends. And even last year
we went to Japan for the third time and I still bought a lot more stuff than I had expected to.
Which is fine, because I still get a lot of use out of the things that we bought then, so I don't regret it.
But in the futurem unless it's something that is just super useful and you cannot really find here
I don't want any more stuff in my home from vacations.
So pictures are all I need to remember a trip. This next one may be kind of weird at first
so hear me out, but number six on the things I don't buy anymore list is food that makes me feel bad.
So things that taste good now, but leave me feeling bloated or tired or hyped up on sugar.
So something that I will regret eating or drinking afterwards.
So for example take fries, we in the Netherlands have the best fries together with Belgium.
They taste insanely good and we eat them with mayonnaise or in my case
vegan mayonnaise. And they're just really really nice.
But unless they are super fresh and natural with no additives and stuff, they always leave me feeling bad. And lately
I just thought, why would I want to put my body through that?
Just so that I can enjoy some fries for a few minutes, and then feel bad the rest of the night.
Same thing with sugary cakes.
They taste nice, but the sugar rush always makes me feel so hyped up and then after about an hour
I just collapse and I'm really tired. And especially if I combine it with a cup of coffee
So if I have it with caffeine, it just really has a very strong effect on me.
So whenever I am tempted to eat or drink something that I know I'm going to regret later
I just quickly think about how it'll make me feel
afterwards. And that's usually an easy trick for me to choose something else. Number 7 is accessories and jewelry
Especially the things that are poorly made and that will only last one season.
I just think that's a waste of money and resources.
I don't own a lot of jewelry or accessories or things like that.
But I do think that I have
enough to style my outfits with. I recently did a decluttering session and I kept my favorites.
I don't have any fancy things, like real gold or things like that.
Just a few normal pieces that I enjoy and that I get a lot of use out of.
That's enough for me. This next one is one that I recently decided because I was annoyed at something
So on the weekends
I often enjoy going to a coffee shop and drink a cup of coffee or tea while reading a book or studying or working.
And I was annoyed at how some of the drinks there were so pricey.
but so easy to make. So I just thought you know
I can just as easily make this drink myself for a fraction of the cost.
So, for example, I really enjoy a good cup of coffee or like a really nice cappuccino.
And if the barista is skilled, then I cannot make it for myself as well as they can.
So I don't mind spending money on that. But when you order ginger tea
and all you get is literally a glass of warm water with a slice of ginger in it
And you have to pay 3 euros for it or 4 dollars
That's when I kind of get annoyed.
So I kind of made a pact with myself to stop buying drinks that I can just as easily make myself.
So if I want ginger tea, I can just as easily just make it myself at home and bring it in a thermos.
It's just such a waste of money in my eyes.
Number nine of the things I'm not buying anymore is plastic shopping bags.
So here in the Netherlands, stores are not allowed to give free plastic bags with your purchase by law.
So if you buy groceries or clothing or anything from a store, basically
If you want a plastic bag with it, you have to buy it, which I think is really great. They're not expensive
Usually they cost about 10 cents or 15 cents apiece.
But still, we Dutch people don't like to waste money on something as stupid as a plastic bag.
So this law really helps to make people think about bringing their own reusable bags with them when they go shopping.
So I always bring reusable shopping bags with me for groceries. And I also always have this little canvas bag
I keep it folded up in my purse.
So whenever I buy something from a store I can always just whip out this little bag and use that for my purchases.
Last on the 10 things I don't buy anymore list
is cosmetics and beauty products that are not cruelty free. And I'll explain a little about this.
In Europe, ever since
2013, it is illegal to do animal testing for cosmetics.
And before that, it was already not permitted in the Netherlands. So before
2013, I just bought my cosmetics from Dutch brands as much as possible. So they wouldn't be tested on animals.
And after
2013, I thought okay, now I can purchase
European brands, because it is illegal here now so they must be cruelty free. As it turns out, that's not always the case.
So if a company wants to sell their products in China
They may not do animal testing themselves.
But their products will be tested on animals in China before they can sell there. So
brands that are truly cruelty free, do not allow their products to be tested on animals anywhere in the world.
So ever since I found that out last year
I've been switching up my brands that I was using that were not vegan and not cruelty free to the ones that are. And I
still have some products left over, because I tend to buy them in bulk when they're on sale.
So the change is kind of happening gradually. This way, whenever I run out of a product that I need to repurchase I
first do my research, and then I find an alternative that's truly cruelty free. Right here is a video about easy
minimalist habits you can start doing today. And right here is a video about budget meal planning made easy.
Click here to subscribe, and I will see you all soon. Thanks for watching. Have a great day. Bye. Bye
