I have been reading Life Less Throw Away, and it has been an amazing read so far. I have read a few books that are similar to this, Life Changing Magic of Tidying up the most popular of all. While I appreciate Marie Kondo’s organization skills and her theory of if it doesn’t spark joy, then let it go….some of the stuff in her book is ridiculous to me and a bit woo woo. Sorry, I don’t have time to unload everything in my purse every night just to put it back in the next morning. I have a full time job, a house, a toddler, and a life damnit!
But I am getting away from myself. I plan to do an in depth review on my thoughts of this book for the next Show Us Your Books Link Up. But I do want to say, don’t get the wrong impression…this isn’t just a book about getting rid of things or minimalism. It is a book about how our culture is a throw away culture. How we are constantly wanting the newest things, and are accepting the fact that companies are purposefully making products that are inferior to what they used to be (hello washing machines, I am looking at you) just so you have to replace them sooner. It is bad for our wallet, and more importantly, our environment and future.
In the book she mentions a post she wrote a long time ago called “Things I Don’t Need.” I thought it was a great idea to write down the stuff you don’t need and reflect back when temptation arises. Here are a few of the things I certainly don’t need.
I don’t need DVDs or blue rays.
I do not need freebies from friends and family that doesn’t fit in my life / style.
I don’t need an excessive amount of drink-ware.
I don’t need multiple pairs of colored flip flops. Or more than a few pairs in general.
I don’t need multiple notebooks at one time. (One is enough!!)
I don’t need lots of fancy pens.
I don’t need more than a few lip glosses. (Or to feel the need to buy colors that are out of my norm. Just because everyone else loves a red lip, doesn’t mean that I don’t feel like a three year old playing with my mommy’s makeup when I wear it.)
I don’t need more than a few bottles of nail polish.
I don’t need more than a nude bra, black bra and strapless bra.
I don’t need uncomfortable shoes.
I don’t need kitchen appliances that only serve one purpose (besides my coffee maker and my waffle maker.)
I don’t need home decor or chachkes that have no meaning to me, doesn’t fit my style or spark some kind of joy when I see it.
I don’t need trendy fashion pieces that I wont wear more than one season.
I don’t need to hold on to books that I will not read more than one time.
What are some things that you simply don’t need?
21 Comments
I agree with so many of these. so many. Also I can throw out half of my nail polish and have more than enough.
I love this post. We have been trying to tidy up and get rid of things and I’m loving living with less. I am down to three comfortable bras and trying to unload all of our kitchen excess. It’s crazy how much we have.
So many of these, especially the bras. I spent money on 1 of each you say and got fitted to make sure they were perfect. It was the same amount I probably spent on all that Victoria’s secret stuff and is WAY better. And yes, coffee and waffle makers are the only single use you need!
I love this list! I was just thinking about this the other day. I have 2 gigantic cases of both CDs & DVDs… I don’t need either of them anymore. I really need to go through my stuff again & get rid of stuff like that. If course I’m moving in like a month & a half so it’s going to happen whether I like it or not lol.
Love this post. I can’t wait to read this book! It’s on my kindle and I might have to read it before the book club reads it.
100% on the bras.
I keep some books forever but most I have accepted that I’m not going to keep so I rarely buy unless I am good with buying to pass on or put in the little shore library I have for guests.
I don’t need makeup I’m never going to wear or three variations of the same face product.
Yes yes yes – I have done so much purging in the past few weeks – nail polish, flip flops, seven thousand pairs of jeans. Totally don’t need any of it.
Oh my gosh, a big Amen to them all!! When you stop and think about it, it is the list for EVERYONE!!! As I am packing and taking waaaay to much,I need to remember this philosophy! Happy weekend sweetness!
Yes, yes, yes!! Moving for us was eye opening and there is so much we have that we don’t need. I’m organizing my closets now and there are soooo many shoes that I don’t need :/
YES, all of this. this was a decision i made years ago which is why i rarely shop unless i really need it. it’s also an uphill battle with my husband and now, kayla, who seems to have taken my husband’s personality when it comes to excessive amounts of…..things.
that said, there are so many “ooooo I want!!” moments but then i think about the piles of garbage and the landfill and how much of a mess our world is in that i just walk away…even though at times, it’s so hard! i also try and recycle as much as possible…for example, i have 3 pairs of old gloves that i dont use anymore (mainly because they stink) but they’re still in great shape. you can’t recycle them so i donated them to a gym in thailand who takes used gear for their students.
I love this, and I am totally on board with the idea. I saw the book on netgalley but knew I wouldn’t read it quickly enough to justify requesting it. I am really into our environmental impact, so I love the idea of this book. I think over time it can be easier to analyze what you do and don’t need as well as what you’ll actually use or not. For example, I don’t NEED fancy pens. But I do like and use them until they are gone. And anytime I want to “save them for later” I say… “just use them! That is why you own them!” If I didn’t actually use them, they’d be on my “un-wish list” too. But it takes some time, at least it did for me(!), to figure out where some of those things fell. I’m also trying to be better at using up things that I buy. I’ve had tons of nail polish my whole life… and in college the girls and I did our nails all of the time. I did my own all of the time after college for a while, but then it dropped off. Well, a lot of that is still good… so I started having monthly “nail nights” when the girls can come over and help me use it up! Plus it has me doing my nails more. That’s better than just getting rid of all of it. 🙂 I’m enjoying learning where I really don’t need things, where I need to slow down, and when it is ok to buy! Looking forward to your full review and reading this one sometime (hopefully) soon! XO – Alexandra
Simply Alexandra: My Favorite Things
I will say that I have excessive amount of bras, BUT, I finally stopped buying them in colors. Now I just buy nudes. That said, I don’t rewear them between washings, which is why I have so many. I’ve actually been mentally planning to get rid of some of the old ones, but they are mixed in, so it’s effort I haven’t taken yet.
I know I don’t NEED DVDs, but I have them and I’m definitely keeping the Disney ones because I don’t want to have to subscribe to watch Disney movies if the day comes.
I got rid of nail polish and my “library” years ago after having moved them once, that was enough.
I consider these things a solid effort on my part! 🙂
I LOVE this post, this sounds like such a great book. I only have 4 bras, and that seems to be just fine. I am SO with you on the overload of kitchen items. I went through all our drinkware last month and got rid of so much, it’s true…I’ve been writing down things I do think we could use a few more of while getting rid of so much- even decor. Great post lady!
We honestly get rid of so much stuff what feels like weekly, because there is just so much of it! The drink ware…we have so many glasses & tumblers OY! I’ve actually been taking a half hour every night to go through different parts of my closet to either donate, keep or sell and it’s been amazing! xo, Biana –BlovedBoston
Sounds like I need to read this book to clean house and get rid of excessive things. The problem is my MIL keeps giving us crap, I mean nice crap like a 50-piece glassware set with our “B” initials engraved and a large box of gold cutlery, gold like Flavor Flave gold teeth gold. It’s expensive but tacky.
Man, I definitely agree. And yet I just bought a CD. (What year is it? Geez.) It’s simple to collect and buy the cheap stuff and the free stuff. But it’s such a waste. I don’t like the clutter but feel like I’m constantly living it. I’m interested to read your book review. It sounds like something I’d like to read!
Oooh, that book is on my TBR, so I’m definitely looking forward to hearing your review of it! I just got rid of all misshapen and uncomfortable bras and donated all of my uncomfortable shoes! I don’t need freebies from my mom and have started saying no, but then I also feel guilty because I know she went out, found it, spent money on it, and really wants me to have it (mostly clothes that are not my style). I think that’s the biggest one on my un-wish list, and the hardest one to refuse!
I love this! I definitely don’t need the latest fashions, or shoes that aren’t comfortable! I try and get rid of books that I won’t re-read or don’t have special meaning, etc.
-Lauren
hmm i commented but it disappeared and now i don’t remember what i said. so apologies if this is a duplicate. i feel you on most of this list though i do own a few dvds of my favourites because some of them aren’t on netflix and i think the digital prices of things on amazon are a rip off sometimes. i don’t have a lot of bras and that always blows people’s minds but really, how many do you need?! i have more sports bras than normal bras.
Oooooh I like this! Such a great way of thinking.
I think I need to make an un-wish list too. This is a great idea.
I have this on hold at the library. I still buy dvds and cds and I’m pretty sure I’m one of the last. DVDs because I don’t want to not be able to watch a favorite or pay for it each time. I don’t buy pens, there always seem to be free ones I find, even if they’re not cute or ones I bought 10-15 years ago that miraculously still work. If I buy a fashion thing, it’s something I plan on using for a couple years even if fashion police stop because I do me, not what’s popular. Love your list and that people are having conversations about this!