(Originally posted on 04.03.18)

*2022 EDIT : I no longer agree with some of my points here, and some of these things I started buying again in the last few years, I will make an updated version of this post in the next year*

• Unnatural body wash and moisturisers – These are made to dry out your skin over time in a ploy for the company to sell more of their products. I realised this a while ago and I no longer fall for this consumerism-ridden trick.

• Paper – I don’t need it, especially large quantities of it. the library is a ten minute walk away where they have free paper, so if I ever need any, I know its there.

• Books – Love to read, usually you would actually find me in the library. But, my library is, for no better term, a little shabby. they never really get any new titles etc. Probably due to budget cuts, or maybe they’re spending all their budget on paper… Either way, if there is a book, or a series of books I want to read, I buy them from either a store or online and take them straight to the library and donate them, if they don’t have those titles already. That way, they’re always there, they’re not cluttering up my house, and other people can enjoy them too!

• Take-out Food – This can range from chip-shop food, to ready meals, to bottles of cola/soda, to any kind of wasteful restaurant. barely any of the packaging this stuff comes in is able to be recycled. I refuse to pay high prices in restaurants for the exact same meal that I can make at home. it is not a treat, its being lazy. it is unhealthy and packed with chemicals that fill you up quicker. If I’m going out: my reusable water bottle and a home made salad or sandwich in my reusable salad container will suffice.

• Toothpaste – To be fair, I have never been able to use shop-brand toothpaste, it makes my gums swell, so for many years, I have been using one that my dentist prescribes for me. I might start making my own, and see how my gums react to that. that way, it shouldn’t have the dodgy chemicals in it that my teeth/gums dislike. Better all round.

• Jam – I make my own, without sugar. Instead, I use chia seeds, that way it is more healthy than shop bought jam.

• Storage units, boxes, bins, etc – “Eliminate instead of organise”, if you need to buy stuff, to store your stuff, then honey, you have far too much stuff.

• Shoes – Have two pairs. One for colder days, one for scorching hot days. When they break, I’ll mend them, when they’re broken beyond repair, I’ll get a new pair. I wash them once a week, usually on the weekends when I usually don’t go out as much. No one has ever once commented about why I wear the same shoes everyday. rather marvellous indeed.

• Candy/sweets – A long time ago, I started a hashtag with my friends #CarrotsAreTheNewCandy. pretty self-explanatory, though it may already exist, I’m not too sure. Candy is bad for you with no real benefits, and they contain things such as addictive additives, even when the packaging may say otherwise.

• Make-up – I don’t know if I can officially count this as I have never bought or really worn make up in the 18 years I’ve been alive. And I’m so damn proud of that. I believe if God wanted you to have ruby read lips he would have birthed you that way. it is fake and disgusting in my opinion.

• School Supplies – Being a college student, or any kind of student in England has its upsides. As most things get provided for us. Personally, I’m an art student, and I got all my folders and sketch books given to me by my tutor. though, you do have the option to buy the things yourself if that is what you prefer. but everything from pens to textbooks is supplied to me for free. for the past 3 months I’ve gone to college without anything other than the clothes on my back, my phone and my earphones in my pocket. No backpack or pen, and its so efficient. I claimed my own space to put my text books in the classroom. And if I ever need to bring them home, I just put them in my folder and return them the following day/week.

• Branded Clothing – I have nothing against ‘branded’ clothes, I just personally don’t like the style of them. the logos on the front of t-shirts or down the legs of trousers looks tacky to say the least. I have a few articles of decent clothing. but they don’t have logo’s visible. Whereas back in high school, I would have wanted everyone to now I had an expensive top on, so I would choose the one with the biggest logo. how silly of my younger self, thinking I would ever be as liked as the labels I was known for wearing. the Adidas and Nike tags were everywhere to be seen. I now know I am more of a person and less of a walking advertisement in my plain-black hoodie.

• Jewellery– this goes hand-in-hand with make up, as its something I’ve never really owned in the first place. I got my ears pierced when I was about nine or ten, but for the past five of six years I haven’t even worn earrings. I personally prefer the natural look.

• Bras – I guess this is a bit of a TMI story. I always refused to wear bras as a ‘tween’. I didn’t start wearing anything like that until age 16 when my mother (very embarrassingly) bought me two black ones, and … I hated them. I kept them, to spare the feelings of my caring mother, but I never are them. They were the most uncomfortable things in the world, as an extremely small-chested person I never even saw the need to wear them. though, on the flip-side, I occasionally wear a binder that I own for the days when I feel more masculine that day (I’m non-binary), and they’re actually more comfier than bras.

• Gifts – I don’t really celebrate any holiday. Christmas and Easter are just normal days for me. nor do I celebrate my own, or other people’s birthdays. I am a Christian, and on Christmas and Easter I do spend the day to think about the true meaning of those holidays before it was ruined by consumerism and meaningless trash.