What have you eliminated that you do not miss?

everydayminimalist

– 2 July , 2010Posted in: Minimalism

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Here’s what I’ve eliminated or never started from my life so far:

LIFE

Impulsive shopping (being a minimalist helps)
Cable TV
Landline Phone (I have a cellphone as my main contact #)
Physical Books (want an e-reader, but only if the price drops)
Paper statements (I get everything via e-mail or when I log online)
Accountant fees (I do my own taxes for my corporation & for myself)
Gym fees (misleading — I’ve never paid any. I walk and bike instead)
Credit card interest (misleading — I’ve never paid any)
Student Loan interest (I am completely out of debt!)
Newspapers (the internet is my refuge!)
Fancy Gift wrap (I find other ways to wrap the gift)

HOME & BEAUTY

Tissue papers (we use handkerchiefs)
Paper towels (we use napkins and kitchen towels)
Dying my hair (I am all natural now)
Disposable feminine products (I use the Diva Cup)
Hair Conditioner (I use coconut oil for my body and my hair)
Fabric softener (stopped 3 years ago, and my clothes are fine)
Using Laundry detergent all the time (only use a bit with greasy towels)
“Chemical” Cleaners (Baking Soda, Vinegar and Elbow Grease is what I use)
Plastic Tupperware (we switched everything to glass because we heat our food up)

FOOD

Ready-made meals (I used to be a fast food/frozen dinner junkie)
Buying lunch (I make my own lunches for work now)
Fizzy pop (makes my stomach hurt now)
Fruit Juices (I find them too sugary now)
Coffee (never started… does it count?)
Alcohol (I hate the after taste of most alcohols, and I just don’t like drinking)

How about you?

Tags: Bare, Elimination, Minimalist, Products, Services

About everydayminimalist

I'm a 20-something year old girl who lived out of a single suitcase in 2007, and now I'm living with less, but only with the best. You don't have to get rid of everything to become a minimalist! Minimalism can help simplify and organize your life, career, & physical surroundings. You can read more about me as a minimalist. Or come and visit my other blog Fabulously Broke in the City where I got out of $60,000 of debt in 18 months, earning $65,000 gross/year.

tiellytiel

i gave up disposable pads and switched to cloth.
i also gave up disposable sandwich baggies and switched to reusable!
Francesca T

Women's magazines, I used to buy about 20 a month. I realised I often, not always, knew more than the writers,who often demonstrated they were simply googling for basic information by their lack of understanding, and at about $6 a pop, jeepers the cash soon adds up. Not to mention many magazines often carried the same info at the same time !
tabatha

I've given up Cable(don't miss it at all) most of my Debt( just paying off one small store card before I cancel it), and my cell phone contract. I don't use the cell phone much so I just got a pay as you go phone, for traveling and emergencies.

we've switched to mostly glass containers. we do have some plastic stackable ones for the freezer that my boyfriend wanted so it would be organized in there. I don't use shampoo much. I only recently got a small bottle of some naturalish stuff b/c I had dyed my hair(to cover some random grey I have and didn't want to strip it out with baking soda) I don't dye very often though and the last time didn't even last long, so I might just give up trying. I don't really use makeup or face products, I just scrub with baking soda and my use some cocobutter stuff on my face or some jojoba oil to keep it from being to dry. I gave up nail polish a long time ago too. I use cloth pads most of the time, unless I am traveling. I've thought about trying the Diva cup, But I want to try birth control to see if I can just get rid of it before I buy one.

I try not to buy anything that comes in a box, we still eat a few things that are ready made like frozen pizzas once in a while but that's it. my boyfriend still uses chemical cleaners, but I can't make him stop. I don't use them anymore though. he only uses them in the bathroom when he cleans it.

I never liked coffee, and we only drink once in a while, like some wine or a margarita. He just gave up coffee which I was shocked b/c he loved coffee. I try not to drink soda anymore though. I have it one in a while if I am out to eat. Mostly I just drink water though and lemonade. Carbonated drinks just make me feel bloated.

I gave up a ton of clothes, I don't miss those at all. Doing laundry was a nightmare before I got rid of all that stuff, I would wear everything and then haul it all to the laundry mat at once. I still like actual books, but don't buy them any more. I rediscovered the library so I just get them from there.
- http://www.everydayminimalist.com everydayminimalist
  
  What a great list!
  
  I hate coffee as well, but people look at me askew when I say that.
Anthracite

I have eliminated most animal fooods from my diet (I'm still addicted to cheese I have to confess) and I am learning to bake without eggs etc.
The library is great for those times when I want to hold an actual book and peruse it – it feels like shopping, doesn't cost anything and the books don't stay in my apartment forever. Love my library, they also rent movies for very little money, And board games (haven't tried those yet.)
The jojoba oil sounds very good, but I don't buy cosdmetics at the moment, I will use up my stash within the next months.
I stopped buying stupid women's magazines and now get my greenpeace Magazine delivered to my home (no ads in there).

I do miss going to an independent little cinema once in a while- guess I will take that up again, it is worth my money and time. Nothing from Hollywood and organic drinks – like it-
- Meg
  
  Good for you on trying to eliminate animal products. I hope you'll continue to do that and considering eliminating other, non-food animal products as well. There are so many great alternatives out there.
  
  Cheese is a hard one for a lot of people. Even though it's completely absent in so many cuisines (at least historically), it seems remarkably crave-worthy. Most vegan cheeses are AWFUL. However, if you can get a hold of it, please try Daiya. It's fantastic! It tastes cheesy, it melts, it stretches, and the ingredients list isn't scary at all. There's also a lot of good cheesy recipes in The Ultimate Uncheese Cookbook" and you can also use nutritional yeast for a cheesy flavor (sounds awful, I know, but tastes great). And even if none of those work, try giving it up for a month. I found that my own cravings for it quickly diminished and that seems, anecdotally, to be common.
  
  Eggs aren't that hard to replace, but it varies depending on the recipe since they serve a lot of different functions. In some cases, my husband and I just admit them and the recipe is fine. In others you can add banana or oil or apple sauce. We've also used Ener-G egg replacer in a lot of baking. It's very convenient. And for the taste of eggs, you can use black salt — especially in scrambled tofu and quiche. We've even made the following deviled tofu recipe and surprised a lot of non-vegans because it tastes REMARKABLY like the real thing (though better, imho):
  http://vegancrunk.blogspot.com/2009/07/vegan-devi…
  - http://www.everydayminimalist.com everydayminimalist
    
    Meg, I ADORE that you reply to my readers’ comments. Keep it up
    - Meg
      
      Thanks! That means a lot! I do try to be helpful. I finally realized that I could keep up with comments via RSS. The email updates still weren't working last time I checked, though
      - http://www.everydayminimalist.com everydayminimalist
        
        I really appreciate it.
        
        You mean the emailing of the comments and the replies? So what you’re reading is an RSS feed and not me replying to your email?
      - Meg
        
        Yep. I've tried using the "Subscribe to" feature when commenting, but it hasn't worked in quite some time. I don't think it works on I Pick Up Pennies, either, and I think she uses the same system. And, though I don't think she uses the same system, it doesn't work on Living Almost Large, either. I thought it was just me, but I've tried different email addresses (and am going to go ahead and try another one here just to double check).
        
        I have no clue what is going on. It's been really cramping my commenting style. And I tend to enjoy comments on posts as much as the posts themselves, especially when they go back and forth between readers (well, at least when there's a good group of commenters like you have here).
      - http://www.everydayminimalist.com everydayminimalist
        
        Arg.. yet another thing
        
        I want to try and replace IntenseDebate but I haven’t had the time to look for something similar (nested comments, reply-to feature) but not as finicky
http://minimalistmum.blogspot.com/ Jessica Parsons

I do not miss the furniture I have given away. I also don't miss the furniture I've stored under the house, so will be considering whether that could be doing someone else some good instead of gathering bugs and spiders.

I have fewer things now, so I need less furniture. I also have just as many places to sit as when I had furniture lining the walls, because there was always something on at least one seat!
finallygettingtoeven

Great lists and my favorite, shopping. For me eliminating shopping has enabled me to eliminate so much more in my life. It all seems to go hand in hand.
nyx

wow well that's quite an achievement, I don't use many of those things anymore either. I only shop when I need to, we ditched cable and now use services like itunes, netflix, hulu. We have skype and a pay as you go phone. I buy ebooks now or wait until they become an ebook. We cancelled the gym membership as well. We don't have student loans, no credit card interest, no newspapers, we get most of our stuff online.

I still use paper towels and kleenex, makes my life easier. I agree with you on not dying your hair, it cost me an arm and a leg to dye my hair, I was tired of wasting money on that. So now I just blow it out at home and don't dye, besides I've read dying your hair often destroys it over time.

I can't go as far as you do and use the diva cup, I do like tampons. lol. I still use hair conditioner and fabric softner and laundry detergent. We switched to glass tupperware, well at least I went out and bought them, bf doesn't care about the tupperware. lol.

We try to eat out on the weekends, on sundays we try to shop for the week and then eat at home for the week. I try to eat at home before I go to work so I don't buy lunch, then I bring a snack with me to work that holds me until I get home. I also try to cook one meal ahead, so I can come home and eat dinner , that has cut down on me eating out after work. Because after work you're too tired to cook.

Still drink pop, juice, coffee is now on the weekends, gives me diarrhea, we're not huge alcohol drinkers but we do drink once in awhile, I gotta say alcohol is weird tasting, lol.
Meg

LIFE

Well, I still like physical books, especially the ones I get from the library, but I rarely buy them anymore. And I'm still paying interest on some debt — though I'm sure I won't miss that. But everything else you listed I've also eliminated and do not miss.

When the weather isn't too hot or cold, I now go barefoot on short walks, but I haven't eliminated shoes altogether and still love my Vibram Five Fingers for longer/hotter/colder walks.

HOME & BEAUTY

Your list and mine are about the same. I sometimes use paper towels for cleaning up cat puke, but otherwise I don't use them. My husband uses them some for work messes and as tissues, but that's about it. I'm trying to get him to use a handkerchief for the latter. We still have some pre-mixed cleaners left we're using up, but almost all of them are very eco-friendly (for pre-mixed cleaners, at least). And we're not giving up laundry detergent on loads because my husband comes home with pretty nasty clothes some days. But, we have cut down considerably on using the dryer. We usually just use it for some of his thicker jeans and for towels and blankets. We drip dry everything else in the utility room, but I'm hoping to get a clothesline up that will let us dry larger items (like the towels and blankets and jeans) on sunny days.

I've also eliminated q-tips. That was after buying a lifetime supply from Sam's, of course. But I gave them away. And I've eliminated nail polish (and remover). My nails are much happier now.

A few months ago I could say that I had given up moisturizer, toner and dedicated facewash & bodywash, but I am currently using up some stuff that I bought from a friend. I don't plan to buy any more, though. And I just recently tried Dr. Bronner's as shampoo and really like that, so that will probably replace my current shampoo (when it's done) as shampoo, bodywash, facewash, shaving gel(if needed, I currently am using an electric), etc. I might even try it as toothpaste, though I like the tooth powder I'm using. I've also eliminated traditional deodorant, though since I'm using baking soda and/or one of those salt crystals (depending on the occasion) I can't say I've really given up deodorant.

I'm trying to completely eliminate one-use shopping bags. I've been pretty good about that lately. And I've also been really good about using reusable jars instead of ziplock bags for most things.

FOOD

The only thing we have completely eliminated has been animal products (and this goes for those other categories, too). And I honestly can't say I miss them now — though I thought it was going to be really, really rough because I was a cheesaholic. We have significantly reduced our consumption of all those other things. I've had less than a serving of soda all year and I can't remember the last time I had coffee. I've also reduced my use of fat, sugar, and salt, but I can't say I don't miss them, lol. But, I've discovered a lot of new meals that I like, so it's been worth it for that alone.
- http://www.everydayminimalist.com everydayminimalist
  
  What a great list! I’m thinking of switching to jojoba oil for all my moisturizing needs from now on, but I need to use up everything I have first.
Tabatha

what do you use instead of detergent? or do you just wash in hot water?
- http://www.everydayminimalist.com everydayminimalist
  
  Just warm water does it.
  
  I just did laundry today in warm water, and it came out super clean and fresh smelling. When you have a small load, give it a try. If it isn’t very greasy (we’re talking an oil-soaked kitchen rag) or smelly, chances are, you won’t need detergent at all.
  - Meg
    
    I've read that there's usually enough detergent left in clothes after washing to still clean them for several loads (which is bad news for those with sensitive skin). I think I remember my mom putting the clothes through an extra rinse cycle when I was a kid to help eliminate it.
    - http://www.everydayminimalist.com everydayminimalist
      
      No kidding. So living in an apartment, I REALLY don’t need detergent then. People overuse detergent and put in too much, as is.
      - Meg
        
        Well, I think most of it is kept in the clothes, but I wouldn't be surprised if some stayed behind in the machine, too. People really do overuse detergent. The recommendations are more than high enough, but then people don't even check that. When I had roommates, I drew a line on the cap with permanent marker — just for the recommendations, not me being stingy with it. I think they were surprised!
http://girlwithredballoon.blogspot.com Red

Right on! Becoming a minimalist definitely makes you question everything you think about purchasing. I think, "Ok, I would have to add this to the website's list…" Then I think of everything already on the list. "Would this REALLY enrich my life or do I just want it?"

Personally, the most significant choice I've made since decluttering my life has been to give up the things that hid who I was. Things like dying my hair, laying in the tanning bed every day, wearing makeup all the time and going for manicures/pedicures twice a month. Now, I wear makeup on special occassions only (and when I feel like getting a little dressed up but that's rare). My hair is its natural color, and I've never loved it more. My nails are always unpainted, but I like the natural look of it.

Also, books and DVDs! I sold every last one of mine, and now the library is my one-stop shop to free entertainment. And you know what? I'm getting much more enjoyment out of the materials I borrow from the library than I ever did from the things I owned.
- http://www.everydayminimalist.com everydayminimalist
  
  I keep asking myself: DO YOU REALLY need that?
  
  This is the reason why I spend so much money on food It disappears.

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In a Nutshell

other blog: fabulously broke in the city
minimalist since: 2007 -- why minimalism?
talk to me: contact me here!
current location: canada/usa
home: hotel room
owns: 3 suitcases 2 carryons of stuff
# of items: more than 100!
furniture: 1 japanese futon
works: business consultant
gadgets: macbook pro, ipod touch (pda)
drinks: earl grey cream tea
practices: rebel yoga and de-cluttering
loves: minimalism, $$ management, traveling
quirk: must prep my food before eating
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What have you eliminated that you do not miss?

LIFE

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FOOD

How about you?

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