Which items you don't buy anymore?

[funnyvalentine]

Re: Which items you don't buy anymore?

Oh, and having just claimed that I don't send cards anymore, my sig other broke his ankle and leg in multiple places, so I've been sending cards every day (we're 150 miles apart). He really enjoys receiving them too.....

[Staceyy]

Re: Which items you don't buy anymore?

Tissues, coffee, tea, soap, shampoo,shower caps. Dh and I travel constantly for our jobs and get these free, as well as free airline tickets and hotel stays. Deodorant I get as freebies off of the net. Toothpaste, hair dye, nail polish, pain relievers (I do the drugstore rebates). Shirts (dh's job supplies these for free). Pens and pencils. Most convenience foods and bakery items as I attended culinary school and make most things from scratch. I also make most of my own cleaning products. I make my own greeting cards, gift wrap and gifts. Plastic storage contaners as I use old margarine and whipped topping tubs. Sugar and salt scrubs for the shower and bath, I make my own. Books, I now trade them.

I do my own manicures, pedicures and facials, and I've just started gardening to grow my own potatoes and other vegetables.

[shelbylovesmelby]

Re: Which items you don't buy anymore?

I cut dh's hair also, buzz cuts are so nice!

I don't have long distance service on my land line. It's included in dh's cell so we use that instead of paying a monthly service charge to have so many long distance minutes that we alsmost never use.

[Frugal Father (tm)]

Re: Which items you don't buy anymore?

Expensive shoes. Quality can be had for a great price. I worked for many years in retail shoe sales selling highend Johnson murphy etc and at the other end managed a Fayva store ( remember them?) You can get good stuff at better prices. A pair of clarks I once saw were the identical shoe I bought at target but had the cherokee name instead..same shoe! Expensive sneakers too, they don't justify the price, I like the spalding brand at Payless made the same with the same materials andif you do a bogo well then. Shoes, I tend to like thom Mcan ( hate kmart love tom mcan)
Also dirt cheap bargain store clothes they shrink badly.

[BCHGRL]

Re: Which items you don't buy anymore?

I used to get my nails done. Except for my wedding, I haven't had my nails done in 2 years - pedicure or manicure. When I wore my hair curly, I had to buy hair styling products. Now I curl it with a big curling iron and wear it wavy so I don't buy hair styling products any longer. I got LASIK so I no longer buy contacts or glasses. I don't buy fast food if I have a choice. I don't buy CD's - the stereo is fine. I don't buy DvDs, that is why I have cable. One thing I don't buy wedding stuff any longer. After buying wedding stuff for two years, that is a big relief!

[Gruntina]

Re: Which items you don't buy anymore?

I plan to stop buying herbs. I love to cook and will have my own herb garden starting soon as I will be moving to my SO house and there is plenty of space and sunlight for them. I am hoping to get started on veg. garden but not sure how successful that will be or how long it will take to get it flourishing.

I no longer buy bar soap. I much rather use a cheap shampoo in place of soap. I only need a little bit of it and it does not make my skin feel tight and itchy.

I also stop buying wines to go with dinner or special occasions. My SO does not drink, not even social drinking. It’s not much fun drinking wine with dinner alone so I learn to not want them anymore. After going some time without it, I tasted some wine at a friend's home and it did not taste good like before.

Re: Which items you don't buy anymore?

I love free stuff! I've still got shampoo from years ago. Lucky for me I keep my hair short - so I'm good to go for years.

[tinapbeana]

Re: Which items you don't buy anymore?

hmmmmmm...

* household cleaners: have been using the same borax, baking soda, washing soda, vinegar, and bleach for about 2 yrs i think it cost me $13 total, counting the spray bottles i bought to put them in.
* murphey's oil soap: love the way this stuff smells, but it leaves a film on everything. i now wash my wood floors with a mix of cider vinegar and warm tea
* mop heads (seriously!!): got microfiber clothes at the $ store, soak a bunch in the bucket, wring it out, toss it on the floor & place my sponge mop on top. mop a while, toss the cloth in an empty bucket, grab a new cloth. the mop head needs an occasional rise but doens't wear out, and the cleaning water doesn't get dirty.
* window cleaner or anything to polish stainless: sometimes i use ammonia & vinegar for glass, but usually i use no cleaner at all. car stores sell a cloth specifically for glass that cleans it dry w/ no cleaner, perfect for mirrors, finishes, etc. bought 2 couple of years ago.
* shaving cream: i use conditioner, DH uses electric
* shampoo: i use soap head to toe
* clumping kitty litter: stuff is a joke. love the kitty litter made from orange peel, don't have to scoop it & only have to change it every other week or so.
* panty hose, unless the situation is absolutely dire
* DVDs, CDs, movie rentals, movie theater tickets: we pay for cable TV & internet, can get all the movies & music we want
* magazines/newspapers: makes big annoying costly piles
* film: went all digital, print them online for $0.10/ea
* any storage media for the computer: have two 1 G cards for the camera & an adapter that cost $10 so i can use them as flash drives.

[benosayi]

Re: Which items you don't buy anymore?

Wow! I don't use lotion. I use coconut oil instead. I have a big jar for about 2.00. The jar last for about 6 months. I have also given up paper towels. I got these checkered dish towels 4 in a pack at dollar tree for a dollar. I don't buy wash cloths, I cut up old bath towels and sew the edges. I don't buy bottle water for the gym. I keep a jug of water in the car and just fill my bottle. I have a bread machine that is I use to make pizza dough, cinnamon rolls, dinner rolls. I don't buy these things anymore. I don't buy chinese food anymore, I make my own..

[klbb90]

Bug repellent sprays, bug repellent candles, etc. I take a regular vitamin in the morning and just before evening I take a vitamin B complex. Vitamin B-1 is a natural bug repellent. Since I live on a river with a lot of marsh areas, in other words misquito heaven and misquitos love me it makes life enjoyable. When family come to visit I just give them a B complex and 20 minutes later they can come outside also. I've had one bit in 4 years. The B complex costs pennies and isn't toxic, sticky or smelly.

[Sindel]

i haven't bought a bag at all this year (omigod...). buying handbags was one of my weaknesses so i made a new years resolution to not buy a new bag at all.

[mom-from-missouri]

trashbags for small wastebaskets (i reuse walmart bags)

fabric softer (i use vinegar)

windex (i use vinegar)

paper towels, napkins (I use rags or cloth napkins)

Christmas cards-I use what is sent to us--cut and turned into christmas postcards

mulch- i use grass clippings

vacumme bags--i have a bagless vacumme, and on the other one I empty the bag and staple and reuse. same bag for over a year now...

sandwhich bags--i use rubbermade type sandwhich containers

bottled water--we just refill the old bottles and take with us when out

popcicles--we use leftover juice (from fruit)and drinks -its a good way to use up banannas also that are starting to turn if you don't have time to bake bread. Put them in the blender, add some juice (OJ is good) to make it kind of runny, put in popcicle molds and freeze

[minnie1928]

Hair detangler for DD, I simply put a few drops of conditioner (free from samples ) in the bottle with warm water and shake. It works just as well and costs virtually nothing.

JetDry, vinegar works just as well for pennies.

Stamps, I pay my bills online. I think I only mail about 2 checks per month at this rate.

Deodorant, shampoo, razors, toothpaste, Alavert. I get them for free using coupons, samples or at CVS (using their Extra Care Bucks promotions)

[Ima saver]

I have not bought one article of clothing this entire year!!

[jedi]

For me, it's books!

One book publisher has been sending complimentary review copies to me.

In addition, I redeem bookstore vouchers from my CC reward points and on my birthdays, I'll get books as my present.