8 Things I Stopped Buying to Keep Home Simpler
Less disposable, less duplicate, less friction. Just a few small changes that have made home easier to manage.
Intro
Over time, I started noticing that a lot of the things I used to buy were not really making life simpler.
A lot of them were disposable, duplicated, or just one more thing to store, replace, or work around. None of them felt especially dramatic on their own, but together they added a kind of quiet friction to daily life.
This has not really been about going without or trying to own as little as possible. For me, it has been more about noticing what keeps creating extra work, extra clutter, or that constant feeling of needing to buy the same things again, and then slowly replacing that with simpler systems that actually work.
Some of these changes are small. Some are more like shifts in how I do things. But all of them have helped make home feel a bit lighter and easier to manage.
1. Disposable cleaning cloths
One of the first things I stopped buying was chux cloths.
For a long time, they felt like one of those normal household things you just keep replacing without thinking about it too much. But I got tired of using something for a short time, throwing it out, and then buying more.
Now I just use washable microfibre cloths instead. They do the same job for me, but I can wash them and keep using them. I use them right across the house too, not just in the kitchen — in the laundry, toilet, bathroom, and even when washing the car.
I also like that I can colour-code them for different jobs. Blue in the kitchen for dishes, orange for the toilet, yellow for the car.
It is a small shift, but it takes one more repeat purchase out of the background, and that has made a bigger difference than I expected.
2. Extra coffee gear
Coffee was another area where I realised I was making things more complicated than they needed to be.
I used to try different coffee-making setups, or at least keep thinking the next one might be the better one. French presses, glass gear, machines, bits and pieces. Over time, I realised I did not actually want a whole collection of coffee gear. I just wanted a simple way to make coffee that worked.
So I settled on an AeroPress.
It is compact, easy to use, easy to clean, and for me it has been enough. That has probably been a bit of a theme in a lot of this — not chasing perfection, just finding the thing that works well enough and then stopping there.
3. Washing detergent
Another thing I stopped buying is washing detergent.
That is one I make myself now, partly because it cuts down on one more product I need to keep replacing, and partly because it has gotten pretty expensive to buy. But it is not even just about saving money, even though that does help.
What I like most is removing some of those automatic purchases that become part of the routine without ever really being questioned. If I can make something simply and it works for me, I would often rather do that than keep buying another bottle or another box from the shop.
There is also a certain satisfaction that comes from making something yourself. And the bonus is being able to customise it to your own liking. I love the smell of mint, so my clothes end up smelling like mint, which I really like.
It just makes that part of home feel a bit more straightforward.
4. Toilet cleaner
Toilet cleaner ended up in the same category.
It was one of those products I used to buy simply because it felt like the normal thing to do. But once I started simplifying a few of these household basics, it made sense to stop buying that too.
So now that is another one I make myself.
It does not even take much time. And if I actually worked out how long it takes and treated that as an hourly rate, I am pretty sure it would still come in well under the cost of buying it from the supermarket.
For me, this has been less about trying to be impressive or ultra self-sufficient, and more about noticing where I can remove a few extra products from the cupboard while still keeping things working just fine.
Optional image: simple cleaning setup or bathroom shelf
5. Mop and bucket setups
I also stopped buying into the whole mop and bucket setup.
I used to have the more traditional floor-cleaning setup, but I found it bulky, awkward to store, and honestly a bit annoying to get out and use. And if something feels annoying to use, I am much less likely to keep on top of it.
Now I use one tool that lets me sweep and mop. It takes up less room, it feels easier, and that means I am more likely to actually use it when I need to.
That change alone has had a real effect on how often I clean the floors. When I had the mop and bucket, I was lucky if I swept once a week and mopped once every month or two. Now I sweep daily and mop a couple of times a week.
That has been a big part of simplifying home for me too. Not just owning less for the sake of it, but finding tools and systems that reduce resistance. Sometimes the best setup is simply the one you will actually keep using.
Optional image: your current sweep-and-mop tool in use
6. Extra drinkware
Drinkware was another area where I realised I really did not need as much as I had.
I used to buy water bottles, cheap mugs, and different cups for different situations. Half the time I did not even need to buy a water bottle anyway, because they were often being handed out by sales or market people.
None of it was terrible on its own, but together it became this quiet pile-up of stuff.
These days, I would much rather have a few good pieces that I actually use all the time. I use the same Yeti drinkware, and I have also got a thermo cup that works for both hot and cold drinks. I love that because it cuts down on needing separate things for separate uses.
That is the kind of change I keep coming back to now. Fewer things, but better chosen. And if one thing can do more than one job, even better.
7. Single-serve travel snacks
This one is smaller, but it is something I have stopped doing more and more.
I used to buy those little individual snack packs for trips or days out, mostly because they were easy. But they also cost more, create more packaging, and usually just mean buying convenience versions of food I could have packed myself.
Now I tend to buy bigger packets and portion things into a bento box instead.
It is a simple shift, but it fits the same pattern as everything else here. Less waste, less extra packaging, and less of that habit of buying small convenience items just because they are there.
8. Single-purpose kitchen appliances
Another thing I have moved away from is single-purpose kitchen appliances.
A good example for me is swapping out the rice cooker and using an Instant Pot instead. I like the Instant Pot because it gives me more flexibility. It can do more than one job, and it earns its place a lot more easily than something that only really does one thing.
It also means less appliance clutter, which I really appreciate.
I am not against kitchen tools at all, but I do find it interesting how easily they can build up. We will buy a forty-dollar appliance we only use once a year, when we probably could have just used the knife we already had in the drawer. And that is before even getting to the extra cleaning and storage.
These days, I would rather have fewer things that do more.
Closing
Looking across all of these, I think the common thread is that I have tried to stop buying things that are disposable, duplicated, or overly specific, and lean more toward things that are reusable, flexible, and simple to live with.
That does not mean I have it all perfectly sorted, and I am sure there are still other areas I will keep changing over time. But these are some of the things I have stopped buying that have genuinely made home feel a bit calmer and easier to manage.
For me, this is less about minimalism as a label, and more about reducing the small bits of friction that build up in everyday life.
That is really the part that matters.
