50 Things I Don't Buy or Pay For in 2024 (Minimalism, Saving Money, Slow Living) 

I'm a 65 year old guy, my parents lived thru the great depression and WWII. I was raised to be frugal by example. It's nice to see someone of your generation embracing a minimalist life style, appreciating it, and sharing it. I've watched a few of your videos. I don't agree with everything you say, but I do appreciate your point of view and the message you are sharing with your viewers. Keep it up!

I simplified my life by selling stuff i didnt need, not paying for things and services i dont use or need and i managed saving little over 20k last year by doing this. I have done the same thing several Years in row. Btw, i have a suuuper low income, so this is kinda big that i managed this. 🙌

1. Cable and Netflix 2. Spotify 3.clothes 4. Impose shopping and sales 5. Amazon prime 6. Bank fees/credit fees 7. Investment broker 8. Supplements 9. Fast food/take out coffee 10. Take out lunch 11. Meal delivery 12. Bottle of water 13. House cleaning and yard work 14. Simple car maintenance 15. Install light fictutes 16. Pet insurance 17. Dog grooming 18. Pet sitting 19. Animals products 20. Fabric softer 21. Dryer sheets 22.Car wash 23.Holiday decor 24. Smart watch 25. Alexa 26. Recreational substances 27. No alcohol 28. Cheep furniture 29. Make up 30. Nail Polish 31. New car 32. Generic Art 33. Video games 34. Extended warranty 35. Used clothing 36. Fast fashion 37. Gym membership 38. A bunch of cleaning products 39. Spice blends 40. Salad dressing 41. Cheap kitchen gear 42. Organic groceries 43. Gifts 44. Candles diffusers 45. Purfum 46. One time items 47. New books This is what I managed to get written ❣️

When she was talking about giving and receiving gifts I totally agree. I actually told one of my friends to stop buying me gifts for my birthday and Christmas cause she would give me so many small gifts, nic nacs, stationary, cheap jewelry etc and I hate accumulating that stuff so I would give it away and she’d get offended so we agreed that we would go for lunch or dinner as gifts to each other instead.

Nicole, I think you are the most sensible person I have come across for a long time. Power to you.

I use dawn liquid dish soap for everything. I clean my toilet, tub, sink, stove top, etc. I add a little white vinegar and baking soda for extra scrub power.

I gave my son a 55” tv and 36” tv. The ex husband was a tv lover. I call wearing the same thing “my uniform “. Before I retired I wore a uniform everyday. It really simplifies things for me.

Completely agree about gift giving. I ask people not to buy me presents. If they are coming to dinner, I ask they bring the wine they want to drink instead of a hostess gift. When someone wants to give me a birthday present, I ask for flowers. I hate it when people bring me trinkets or candles that I will never use. Candles are the worst: they use up oxygen and produce carbon monoxide.

"if anyone hurt him I would have to dispose of a body.." Lol! My sentiments EXACTLY.

Levi is sooo cute! I became mom to a 14 y.o. terrier last year, 15 now and living his best life, he's my world!

9:50 I felt that deep in my soul. “If someone were mean to him I would have to dispose of a body.” My kids are grown and yes I have grandchildren, but they live with their parents, and I don’t get to see them daily. So therefore my dogs are extremely loved and cared for by me, just like my children and grandchildren.

You make a great point about paying more to invest in good quality things like furniture and kitchen gear. I recently heard a quote from someone’s grandmother, “We’re too poor to buy cheap things”. Buying quality ends up saving money in the long run.

In Australia we have street book libraries that look like a large letterbox. They are for taking and donating books. Works so well!! More fun than shopping and it's free.

I found a good shift of habits was the rule that I had to use what I had before getting more. I amassed lots of hair products while learning to care for my curly hair. I haven’t bought any unless running out in 2 years. We’re all the products great- no. But as long as they didn’t cause damage I used them. And now as I’m finally running out of things I can buy quality things I will enjoy more

I stopped watching telly 30 years ago, threw my television in the bin 30 years ago.

How refreshing! I’m probably twice your age and it’s taken me a lot longer to figure out exactly what you know to be true. Keep making videos like this! ❤

Other frugal people: 24 things I don't buy in 2024 Nicole: 50 things I don't buy in 2024

I think I can one-up you, Nicole, on house cleaning products. I buy 100% alcohol. First, I dilute some of to 10% in a really good spray bottle from really cheap window cleaner, add a small squirt of dish detergent (the blue Palmolive is my favorite) and use that as an all purpose cleaner. Then, I dilute more of it to 10% and use it, with a flat mop, on my floors. I put the mop pad down, pour 10% alcohol on it, add the mop on top, and it cleans great. It cuts through grease, evaporates fast, and leaves no hint of soap. Soap, by contrast, leaves a sticky residue that makes the floor attract and hold dirt fast. Alcohol leaves the surface so clean, nothing wants to stick to it, so dry mopping or sweeping between washes is not only possible but more effective. Finally, I dilute some of the alcohol to 70% and use it as a spray disinfectant. Each of my spray bottles (for general cleaning and for disinfection) were free, as they came with some product in them. I found the alcohol cheapest at a hardware store. Instead of BarKeeper's Friend, I use the plastic mesh from an old Dobie to scrub my sinks. Straight dish soap plus that mesh as a free scrubbie works great and the scrubbie lasts forever, for this.

I do almost all of this. I gave up cable tv in the early nineties and have never paid to watch tv since. Part of the reason I gave up eating out is the obnoxious noise of a tv in a restaurant or lounge. I bought a high end stereo in 1981. I still have it. I paid about $3000.00 dollars for it. That is about 20 cents per day until now.

Re wall art - my sister went to the Grand Tetons and took some beautiful pictures. We’ve had prints made of those to hang on the walls.

Back in the early 80s I watched everyone buy into “kill yourself to succeed” trap, but I wouldn’t play. My idea of success was different. I just wanted to be there for my young kids. Others people may have had more material possessions, but my kids had me. It’s all about values, and about what is really important in your life. For me that’s time. Kids grow up, stuff is just that.

I’m tripping out on how much we have in common. If we met in person we would be really good friends. I rarely meet people who are my kind

Thank you, Nicole, for validating my choices. What you say makes so much sense !!!

Ya, these videos helped me to save a decent amount of money. Not as much as Nicole yet but I'm getting there. I am almost 50 years old and for years I was poor. I am not in poverty anymore! Thank you Nicole here from Canada BC!

I live in apartments and you’d be shocked at the amount of useful things people put by the dumpster. I’ve gotten free barstools, shoe rack, shower caddy and Victoria Secret hoodies. That’s just the beginning

New car vs. used: post-pandemic, things are still not normal in the world of car-buying. I've been looking for several months now, and can't justify buying used at the prices I've seen.

My furniture is older than me and it's not heavy heirlooms but just hand me downs from my parents' house. Simple, but really well made, and I repainted them myself. My desk was my dad's and I love it

I share a ton of these, Nicole! Easily 3/4 of the list. My only big differences are stuff like makeup, nail polish, etc. But I'm frugal even with those and choose to buy higher end stuff less often than just a ton of products and everything new on the market. Something I have noticed about a lot of the items on your list is how little happiness they seem to bring to those who buy them all. I do have friends who really seem to love watching shows and movies on Netflix and I say good for them, even though I don't feel the need for any of that. But the people who eat fast food and coffee out every single day never seem like they even like it that much. I don't understand spending money that way. I also think it is underrated doing things for yourself, whether cleaning house or pickup up groceries and takeout yourself. I also see so the use of so many of these services as absolute laziness and to be reserved for special situations like people with disabilities or when your car is in the shop but it's your birthday and you're craving a treat - special situations, not a random Tuesday. I know a lot of people who switched over to having everything delivered or picking up curbside and I just don't get it. I am old school and even consider that a form of exercise, albeit very mild exercise. I would always rather pick up my own stuff than pay for delivery unless something huge that won't fit in my car - like a fridge or sofa.

You make my day with your vids XX it's so refreshing to hear someone that thinks for themself and doesn't blindly follow the herd

Maybe the *only* good thing about cheap(er) furniture is if you have to move every few years. I moved about 2,000 miles from where I lived the past 30 years. I had no problem parting with some pieces that were Pottery Barn knockoffs I got from Target. The pieces I had from Restoration Hardware ended up making the the moving truck ($4,200) along with my other stuff, and now sit in a storage unit at $125 a month collecting dust. I would have been better off posting an advertisement and giving those away also.

I love how minimalism is just a fancy kind of word for being old school.... This is the only school I can relate to as I usually disliked going to school as a kid. Being an OGG (old Greek guy) I have been doing pretty much everything that you do as far as keeping one sense of reason and boundaries when it comes to buying stuff and doing things that really accomplished nothing except for keeping my wallet emptier. What I save on several things I can maybe buy one or two things to even out this gig called living I guess. 😎🤙

I love the workout I get from a good proper houseclean a few times a week, and mowing my lawns every 2 weeks. Who needs a gym?!

My entire sartorial style is uncertain fashion LOL which at this point makes it a classic in my case 🧡

If you're dining out, you're paying for food, ok, but you're also paying for the experience of it all: visiting a new place, hanging out with other people, trying out new combinations of flavors, the idea of having food prepared for you etc. I don't do it often, but I find it's not that much of a wallet drainer, if you consider the cost of electric power you'd need to prepare the same dishes for your friends (Greece, where I am atm, has the 2nd most expensive electricity in the EU as we speak, so that's something to take account of as well)

Lots of good advice and habits here. I will say the older you get and the more wealth you accumulate, your time becomes more valuable than the money you save doing everything yourself. When you are young absolutely you should learn how to do everything you can and avoid paying people to do things for you that you can do yourself. Learning those things will help you make better decisions on what's worth paying for as you age.

I had to stop the video to make this comment. When you said if somebody ever hurt your dog, you'd have to dispose of a body, your dog makes a face/looks at the camera as if it had already happened at least once 😂 What a cute doggo btw! ❤

Coffee outside home. it's the one thing that I still do, for mental reasons. I am a very busy daughter that takes care of my old mum, and she demands attention like a three year old toddler. Having my cup of coffee in the morning, in a quite place, is a good way to start a day. It's MY moment and I don't give up on it. Besides that, i am already taking the same decisions :)

My family uses Amazon wish lists for gifts. We each make a wish list then share the lists with each other. We normally put things we need for our house/apt in our lists. Tools, dishes, towels, storage items, etc. That way we know we are gifting something the person will actually use and vice versa. (we also don't use Prime)

Loved you pointing out that some things can be useful for people who have a disability that you don't require.

In 2023 we canceled Amazon Prime, got different home & car insurance, switched to Mint Mobile, and put new batteries in our iPhone 6s‘s. We do our own cleaning and repairs because it’s kinda satisfying. We got the house sided with Hardie board and painted and paid cash. It is good to be weird. Keep it coming Nicole.

I love and respect how much you love and care for your dog. 🐕 ❤

I agree with the car wash statement. I also drive a vehicle from 1998 and 1986, and the way I keep them from rusting is I do wash them once per year once I am confident the road salting is done. Then I spray or paint brush on, used oil from old oil changes that I do myself.

You are by far my favorite you tube channel!! So refreshing to see common sense attitude. Also, you are perfectly strait forward and to the POINT!! THIS CHANNEL SHOULD BE REQUIRED IN SCHOOLS ! congratulations ,you ROCK!

Our local municipal water is prone to contain giardia. I picked up a case of it in 1990 from drinking contaminated water in the wilderness so I am intimately acquainted with its effects. I will spare you the details but I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy. Suffice it to say that I experienced indescribable agony for several weeks until I was able to get back. to civilization and hit the clinic. They prescribed a course of antiflagellants and they knocked it down, and boy was I happy. Fast forward to 2011 and I now live in a different state, with access to the local water. One fine day I experience some familiar symptoms, and this time I don't delay, go right down to the clinic, and the nice doctor lady says ah yes, we've been getting a lot of these in here recently. She prescribes me my old favorite antiflagellants and in a few days I was good as new again but baffled: since I've been drinking only the water from the local hydrant, where could I have acquired the creatures? Then the next day I went to fill my containers and noticed the water flowing from the tap had an intense smell of chlorine, like the pool at the YMCA. My cat wouldn't drink it. This was my ah ha! moment. I have been buying and drinking only bottled water ever since. It sucks because it costs a ton of money, is really heinous for the environment, and I'm ingesting micro plastics but I learned my lesson from the protozoans...

Yea, much of what we think we need, we don't. It's good to examine these perceptions and understand that we can adjust them to benefit us and or our goal. It's a wonderful ability we have.

What’s up Nicole !!! Love your no-filter sacred-cow killer real life experiences & common sense wisdom !!! & your bangs & freckles !!! Keep up your phenomenal work !!

smell, for many people, helps put people in the right state of mind; everyone is different.

You have refreshing honesty. Keep not caring what others on this platform think!

I do like working out but realized that everything I was doing in a gym, I could do on my own for free. Treadmill? I go for a walk. Stair Stepper? I just climb flights of stairs. Stationary bike? I go for a bike ride. Weights? I garden and house clean and if I really want to work on muscles specifically I do body weight exercises at home.

Great content, thanks for posting!

Really great video, Nicole! The editing is really good in it, too; you're doing so well with your content! I pretty much agree with you on a majority, if not all, of these! I have never been a TV person, either, but I occasionally stream stuff on Hulu (I miss Letterkenny now lol). I also have a solid music collection (CDs, some vinyl), but I have a Spotify account since I've always preferred listening to full albums, and some indie artists I've discovered over the years don't have merch readily available (whether they didn't print CDs/vinyl or they've been long defunct with no physical medias).

I do zero holiday decor. I used to put stuff out at Christmas but didn't enjoy it because it just reminded me of the nagging future task of having to take it down and store it. Much happier with a minimalist house year round!

You make great points 🙌🏽 Thanks for sharing

Happy New Year! Miss watching you!

Reminds me of the depression era comment "Use it up, Wear it out, Make it do, Or do without." Hey, I'd love you to make a video outlining your LP Record player and speaker system and how you set it up. I'm 70, but still have all my LP albums from the 60's and 70's.

Bar Keepers friend----Yes works great on a stainless steel sink and your pots and pans look brand new--I hate that non stick coating

Great Video, straight to the point delivery, like that. Totally agree with your list. TY.

Hi Nicole, I found at least 25 items from your list that I am gonna try to do for 2024 (and I don't think I will even miss them, plus I will save a ton of money.

Love your thought process. Keep the good work🎉

Great video Nicole! ✨💖

Great video with practical advice! Love seeing Levi too❤

1:53 Planned Obsolescence is the name of the game now and most tech companies have ramped up their timeline for this business practice. Car companies do it too.

I like your channel alot, and your vibe and personality is so appealing. I appreciate you.

Here is a library hack to be the first person to read a new book. After you login to your local library, go to the preorder section, usually under new section. Put a hold on any new, not released yet books that the library has ordered. It will tell you your place in line. Often, I am the first or second person to get the book. Also, if there is a book you want that they don’t have, often they will order it in for you for free, and you will be first in line.

We make many of the same choices that's why it's fun listening to you. I sometimes learning something new too.

I agree with you 98% Nicole 😂, only one thing we are different, I have gym membership and I do use it. I like the way you live your life😊

I'm so happy I found you! You mentioned a lot of things that I do as well. Subscribed!💖😃

I would add that I try not to use paper towels. I use them to wipe out gunk. I am using cloth towels that I can wash.

I love and agree on just about every video, but it's your presentation, your delivery is second to none. No one else on YT has what you have. Well done.

Book swap--i live in chicago and in the nicer neighborhoods, there are "free library" boxes just littered throughout the residential blocks. They're repurposed newspaper boxes that get rebuilt with new doors and you can just drop a book or take a book. I found a REALLY old copy of The Wind in the Willows that i gave to my friend's 7 year old. Some people abuse the system and will steal an ENTIRE BOX, like straight up out of the ground, but that's to be expected I guess. But that's how I get to read a lot more than I probably would have without them.

😂. I love your videos and all of your opinions and suggestions. Great content 👌🏾

Great video !

thanks Nicole. You make a lot of sense. I appreciate you.

I've never used Amazon Prime either-I don't use Amazon as much & 99% of the time, the items I'll buy qualify for free shipping over $35. One or two items often totals that much.

Love your candidness!

Great list Nicole, the only two things I have that were on your list are a Netflix subscription and I do buy a few candles now and then. Agreed with all the rest. I do buy second hand clothes and books though. I stopped buying presents for the sake of buying them a long time ago and asked people not to give me any gifts unless: 'I can eat it, drink it, read it or spend it' as I just don't want any clutter. Some people were offended by that but I've stuck to it.

What an excellent list! The only one I differ with you on is the thrifted clothes. You have to look through them a lot these days and of course, wash well when you get them home, but I still indulge.

I'm really enjoying your content! You strike me as wise beyond your years and I love your 'don't give a f**k' vibe!!

Great point know your own limitations you might spend more money replacing or fixing something you ruined

Great video. I agree with most of your points. Some I don't. It's very cool that you are promoting frugality though. It's very important to save money. You never know when I bad situation may happen, & you need to be prepared.

About the gift-sending thing, I totally agree with you. I don't even like my husband to buy me some gifts that I won't use; it is a waste of money.

I so enjoy watching your videos with your common sense approach to living. Your principles should be taught in schools. I believe fewer people would be stuck in a cycle of financial insecurity if they applied your principles. You are wise beyond your years.

Yes to avoiding packaged food-mixes, blends and flavored oils. So easy and more satisfying to make your own. Re cleaners, I have lots of wood and you do need to replenish the wood with oils and avoid cleaners that dry and strip.

I’m with you on the holiday decor

I agree with most of what you said I think some people spend on those things and don’t think about where you do spend. But I love by the rule spend on what you LOVE cut mercilessly on what you don’t. I’m not a coffee drinker I can’t fathom spending $10 on coffee a day some people find it a beautiful part of their morning ritual. Who am I to judge. I’d rather see fewer counties in luxury than see more by back packing that’s my choice. What I liked about this video is it makes you think about what you spend on and if it really matters to you 😊

I just cancelled my Amazon Prime with immediate effect, immediately after watching your video! (Despite working for them...) Thanks so much... (I do buy organic if I can, though). Thanks again, Nicole ! X

I relate a million percent about your doggie. I laughed out loud about disposing of the body. lol. When I saw the RU-vid video of the man fighting an alligator in Florida while getting his dog out of its mouth, I saw myself doing that. Ha ha.

Loving the tips.

When my husband and I were in a starter home, we bought 2 used lawn mowers. He was very mechanically knowledgeable and tried to get a working one out of the two. After frustration, we ended up with a brand new simple cheap lawn mower! Threw the other 2 away! 😮

Agreed with all, and live the dream. Thanks for the video.

This is a solid list!

Sent here from Aaron Clarey, your channel is excellent, keep it rolling....

Smart advice from a delightfully humble wise woman. Thank you!

Something I definitely avoid is traveling unnecessarily. In the past, I really liked traveling and I visited a lot of the world, including Toronto. I'm from Rio de Janeiro. Brazil in the 80s and 90s was quite restricted in terms of products such as books, records, cultural objects, even quality clothing. Going to NY was the solution. Today we have high quality products everywhere while the internet has allowed unrestricted access to information. I prefer to stay at home with my dogs watching good videos like yours.

4:14 Investment advisers. If these people were any good, they wouldn't be working any more - or they'd be borrowing money from you at 20% so that they could make a lot more on the markets. I agree with this, along with all your other choices. The main thing is to reduce your overheads, or regular payments for things that you don't really need, to as close to zero as possible. I see that this is basically what you're doing.

I used to think the same about pet insurance but now it’s a priority. It has saved me so much money, and more than that, it gives me peace of mind knowing that if the vet bill starts racking up, I am going to get 90% reimbursed. Putting money into a savings account is great and a good alternative, but if you have a big vet bill that gets drained quickly and needs to be replenished, and something could happen in the interim. It’s also a better option if you can’t afford to save several thousand dollars quickly. Also grooming really does depend on the dog - my dogs don’t have high grooming needs, but many dogs do and a neglected coat can be very painful for dogs.

You just saved me a ton of money . Thanks ❤

One of children of the families I'm friends with asked me why I didn't spend money on "stuff" for myself. I told her because I save some & donate some to various charities.

Thank you Nicole! I’ve been adjusting my life according to my style. I’m seen as a monster by some on gift giving situation but after years of trying to fit in & being exhausted in the process. I ask people, tell me something you like (reasonable) I can surprise you, not necessarily on your B-Day or Holiday. It was a struggle at the beginning* Thank You again.

Thank you for the newly certified list.