30 Things You Don’t Need to Buy (And What to Focus on Instead)

Between work, family, and enjoying everything Chicago has to offer, keeping your home clean and clutter-free can feel like a constant battle. If you’re tired of wasting money on things you don’t actually need, you’re not alone—and freeing up that mental and physical space might be easier than you think.

Clearing the Clutter: What Really Matters

We’ve all fallen into the trap of buying things out of habit rather than necessity. The good news? Letting go of these items can save you money, reduce clutter, and make cleaning your apartment much simpler. Here are 30 common purchases you might not actually need.

Everyday Items We Skip Entirely

Kleenex & Napkins: Toilet paper works perfectly for colds and allergies, and most meals don’t require disposable napkins when you can simply wash your hands.

Bulk Food Purchases: While bulk buying seems economical, it often leads to wasted food and money when items go stale or get forgotten in pantry corners.

Specialty Diet Foods: Those expensive protein bars, keto snacks, and gluten-free alternatives often taste disappointing and end up uneaten.

Juice & Bottled Water: Neither are necessary for hydration—reusable water bottles are better for your wallet and the environment.

Personal Care Products You Might Not Need

Mouthwash: The fresh feeling fades quickly, and proper brushing and flossing provide all the oral hygiene most people need.

Women’s Razors & Shaving Cream: Men’s razors work just as well (for less money), and soap or conditioner creates a perfectly smooth shave without the pink tax.

Stomach Medications: Sometimes our bodies adjust when we stop relying on antacids and similar products regularly.

Cleaning Products That Waste Money & Space

This is where many Chicago homeowners and renters can save significantly. As a Chicago cleaning company, we’ve learned what actually works versus what marketing tells us to buy.

Skip These Cleaning Supplies

Disposable Cleaning Wipes: These aren’t as effective as proper cleaning methods and create unnecessary waste. A good multi-purpose cleaner and reusable cloths work better.

Specialty Cleaners: You don’t need separate products for granite, stainless steel, or floors. A quality glass cleaner and all-purpose cleaner handle most surfaces perfectly.

Fabric Softener & Dryer Sheets: Laundry detergent alone cleans effectively without the added chemicals and expense of softeners and scent beads.

When to Call the Professionals Instead

While cutting unnecessary products saves money, some tasks deserve professional attention. If you’re short on time or want a truly deep clean, consider fast cleaning services from trusted cleaning services in Chicago.

Sometimes what you really need isn’t another product, but deep cleaning help from experts who can transform your space efficiently. That’s where professional home cleaning makes all the difference.

Other Common Money Wasters

Beauty Gadgets: Those jade rollers, face scrapers, and red light masks often end up unused in drawers.

Kitchen Unitaskers: Avocado slicers, pineapple corers, and specialty choppers clutter drawers when a good knife works better.

Lottery Tickets: The odds are minuscule, and the money adds up quickly with regular purchases.

Plastic Straws & Single-Use Items: Reusable alternatives work just as well without the waste.

Quick Fire Round: More Items to Question

• Greeting cards (expensive and often get tossed)
• Planners and calendars (if you won’t use them consistently)
• Souvenirs and collectibles (they accumulate quickly)
• Extended warranties (rarely worth the cost)
• Fast fashion from questionable retailers
• Gimmicky “as seen on TV” products
• Items bought solely because they’re on sale
• Subscription boxes that pile up unused
• Elaborate birthday decorations
• Expensive workout clothing (comfortable clothes work fine)

Focus on What Actually Makes Your Life Better

The goal isn’t deprivation—it’s being intentional about what brings value to your life. When you stop buying things out of habit, you free up resources for what truly matters. And if help cleaning my place would significantly improve your quality of life, that might be a smarter investment than another specialty cleaner or kitchen gadget.

If you’re looking for someone to clean my apartment or need a reliable home cleaning service, sometimes the best solution is to schedule a cleaning with professionals who can get your space cleaned efficiently.

Overconumption is everywhere and it’s gross. Most of the time it’s really obvious like those late night Amazon impulse buys or the $8 fancy drink from Starbucks. But it’s also like death by a thousand cuts. It’s those small everyday purchases that can really add up to not only clutter but a ton of wasted money. So I’m sharing 30 things that I just don’t buy and I absolutely don’t miss them. They’re kind of weird. I’m not shaming you if you do buy them, but I want you to really ask yourself, am I buying these because I need them or I like them? Or am I buying them because it’s a habit and it’s something that we feel like as a society we just have to purchase? Are you ready for my list? Let’s jump in with the most controversial. I’ve shared that I don’t buy this before and I got so much like backlash. I guess it’s weird to not buy this, but I never had this growing up as a kid and I just we don’t use it. And that is Kleenex. Seriously, if we have a cold or we have to blow our nose, we use toilet paper. I just don’t understand like bulk boxes of Kleenex. I have allergies. My kids also have allergies. We just use toilet paper. And what’s really funny is everyone finds this very odd. I’ve had company who come over and they’re like, “Do you have Kleenex?” And I’m like, “Sorry, no.” There was times where my mother-in-law has stayed with my kids while Joe and I went out of town and we have come home to boxes of Kleenex in every single room because she thinks this is weird. And a year later, we still have all of those Kleenexes unopened. This just isn’t something that we consume, so we don’t need to buy it. That leads me to like the second thing. I feel like they go hand in hand, and that is napkins. I do have like fancy cloth napkins, but they’re just for looks. No one’s using the cloth napkins and we definitely don’t use paper napkins. It’s so weird. I’m like conscious of this because when we do have guests over, I have a small package and I will pull some out for them because I know most people are in the habit of using napkins when they eat, but my family just doesn’t and we don’t miss it. Most things we eat with a knife and fork and if we’re eating something with our hands, we don’t get dirty. We just and if we do, we’ll just go wash it in a sink. So, I’m not judging or shaming. I’m just saying this is something that we don’t purchase and I absolutely don’t miss it. This one also super I mean I’m conflicted. It’s a little maybe controversial, but I don’t buy bulk food. And the reason is I found that yes, you save money at first because it’s cheaper than buying multiple. You know what I’m saying? Like if I buy the big package of Oreos, I’m technically getting more Oreos for my buck. Except I have three teens and like a quarter of the way through the package they have in sealed it. The Oreos have kind of gone bad or people are sick of eating Oreos and I just end up throwing it out. Especially the big bags of chips from Costco. There is so many things that we’ve bought in bulk. Three things of ketchup and then we forgotten that we had the extras that are like in the back of the pantry or they’re lost or they’re going stale or they’re expiring. and it actually was costing more money and not to mention like taking up a lot of space in my kitchen. So, I gave up buying all bulk. I don’t buy anything in bulk. And honestly, I personally think I’m saving money and saving space and buying in bulk is a scam. There, I said what I said. Something I used to buy all the time, like I gave in to all the fads and the hype and I wanted to be this person. I was never this person. It was a huge waste of money. And that is uh like specialty diet foods. So, protein bars, protein powder, keto food, glutenfree, you know, all the fat diets and they come with like all this fat food that you can buy. It tastes gross, okay? And I never eat it and it’s so expensive. So, we just do not buy that stuff. Like, absolutely, there’s no fat food in in this house. I don’t miss it at all. This next one, seriously, you got to let me know in the comments if you are a person who buys this or you do not because we just do not buy. Not that we’re trying to save money, we just don’t buy it or use it and don’t miss it. And that is juice. Yeah, there is this pressure. Like I remember when I first became a mom, I was like, you have to have apple juice and orange juice and all these things in the fridge all the time. But nobody really drank that stuff. We have not bought that in years and years, including juice boxes. Don’t have any juice in the house. It’s really not that good for you if I’m being totally honest. And I don’t miss it at all. We also don’t buy bottled water, like water bottles. Huge waste of money. I got to say, don’t buy that. Reusable water bottles. Save the earth. Save some cash. Years ago, I stopped buying cooking sprays because I got this refillable container that I actually saw from a YouTuber and they were like, “You got to try this thing. It changes your life. It’s like $15, and you add oil to it, like your olive oil, and then you just spray on.” And I’m like, “This is lifechanging. I never have to worry about running out of cooking spray ever again.” And it’s healthier. I am so curious about this one. Let me know in the comments below if you buy mouthwash. I always thought that this is something you just had to buy for like oral hygiene. You know, you floss, you brush, you use mouthwash for some reason. And I bought it and I had the little cups and it was on the counter. Yeah. You feel fresh for like 2 seconds and then it completely wears off. And I’m like, what is the point? So, I stopped buying mouthwash and I don’t miss it at all. Like, I do I think mouthwash is a scam. You don’t need it. Women’s razors. What a racket. It’s pink, so let’s charge an extra $5. How is it different from men’s razors? It’s not. Why is it more money? Nobody knows. That’s some bull rabbit up in there. There’s no pink tax in this house. And speaking of shaving, I don’t buy shaving cream. I think this is because like my mom never did. So, we grew up, this wasn’t a thing. We just use soap to shave. And if I was like having any irritation, I would use hair conditioner. And it worked great. And we still like my kids use that. Now, there’s no shaving cream. I don’t know it. I guess if you’re a dude and you’re shaving your face, maybe that’s different. But I don’t even think Joe uses shaving cream. It’s just not a thing. We don’t buy it. Don’t miss it. Maybe you don’t need it either. This one might be weird, but like Tums, ant acids, stomach medication, >> all of that type of stuff. I feel like people just are in the habit of consuming it all the time. So then they kind of feel like they need it. Sure, sometimes I get heartburn, but it doesn’t last very long. There was a time in my life where I was like a Tums addict and then I felt like I needed it all the time and they’re expensive. Like all that kind of stuff is so crazy expensive. When I just cut it out and stopped using it, I no longer needed to use it. Does this make sense? I feel like my body adjusted and it’s the same as like eye drops and nasal spray, all that type of stuff. I think your body gets accustomed to using it, so then you need to continue buying it. But when you’re just like, “No, I’m not doing that anymore.” Magically, you don’t need it. It’s crazy. This one I like I don’t it really bugs me. Okay, I’m just I’m just gonna say I hate these products. Disposable cleaning wipes. You know those disinfecting wipes because I follow Melissa Maker from Clean My Space and she has actually shown that they don’t kill up to 99% of the germs. The wetness has to be like way wetter than the actual wipe is and it has to sit on it for a really long time without drying. So, they’re not actually super effective for killing germs and it’s really wasteful. You’re just like wiping and then throwing it out. You could do that with a cloth and water. Like, use some multi-purpose cleaner and a rag. Buying these, like the big tub of plastic. It takes up space. It’s not good for the earth and it’s not actually disinfecting your home and they are expensive. Maybe we could not buy those anymore. Speaking of cleaners, let’s talk about specialty cleaners. I clean my house kind of for a living and I try everything. I’ve tried every type of cleaner so I could find shortcuts to share with you. And what I’ve actually found is most specialty cleaners are just a huge waste of money. So specialty granite cleaners, what? Specialty stainless steel cleaners. Honestly, I use my spray foaming glass cleaner and it works just as well and it’s a fraction of the price. Specialty bathroom cleaners, specialty floor cleaners, they charge so much more for these specialty things and they don’t actually act any more special. You know what I mean? a good multi-purpose cleaner and a good glass cleaner. Maybe if you have mold, like a bathroom cleaner with bleach. Those three are all you need. Raise your hand if you use fabric softener. I used to I used to think you had to add fabric softener to your wash. And then you also had to use the the the the things. It’s like a smells and it’s a it’s a paper and you put it in the dryer and it softens. It’s a dryer sheet. I used to think you needed the dryer sheets and then I was told by society and like marketing that I needed scent beads. Next thing you know, what the heck is happening? And this is redonkulous. Guess what I use now? Just laundry detergent. And sometimes if things are super staticky, I bought the wool balls. They’re not great. I’m going to get real. I will throw in the occasional dryer sheet, but fabric softener, no. Don’t need it. Stupid. Plus, just no. Just all the No. The jug it comes. What are you doing? No, I am deeply insecure, which means I have definitely fallen in the past for all of the beauty. I’m calling them beauty torture devices. You know, the jade roller, the face scraper, the thing that shakes your fat. I’ve tried all the gadgets, all the torture devices, and now I see this thing where it’s like red light masks and everybody looks like they’re just going out for Halloween. And apparently this is supposed to be rejuvenating. But I say no because I have tried all these things and I’ve never actually like consistently used them or seen a difference using them and they are just a huge waste of money. Marketers just trying to steal our cold hard cash convincing us that we’re going to look 10 years younger. Except we don’t. We’re just a little bit broker and we’ve got more clutter in our house. So no torture beauty devices. Speaking of marketing scams, kitchen gadgets, the peelers, the choppers, the make your things look like squiggly lines, all of it. All of the avocado slicers and the pineapple corers. What are we doing? I love you and I am a really kind person. I’m gonna say something that my dad said to me. So, please don’t be offended. But this really stuck with me and I’m so glad that he did say it like this because it changed my perspective about something that is so common that a lot of people buy that is such a waste of money and that is lottery tickets. My dad told me that lottery tickets were taxes for the stupid. And the reason is because I mean here in Ontario where I live in Canada, the lottery is actually run by the government and the money goes that you buy on lottery tickets goes to the government. And yeah, some people win, but they win like a fraction of the money that’s been paid in. And also like the odds are so low. >> May the odds be ever in your favor. So I personally used to buy a lot of lottery tickets like hoping I was going to win. And I have family members who will spend like $50 a week on lottery tickets hoping for the jackpot. Never won. And honestly, it’s basically like they’re paying extra taxes. We pay enough taxes. Let’s not get tricked into paying more. Lottery tickets, just taxes. They banned plastic straws a few years ago here in Canada, and at first it was like, that’s crazy pants. And then you just get used to it, and you don’t even miss it. We now use glass straws and they’re awesome sauce. And I don’t miss plastic straws at all. So, the singleuse disposable plastic stuff here in Canada, we can’t have it and I don’t miss it. Are you still with me? Do you still like me? Let’s just keep moving on. We have 10 more things that I don’t buy and I’m going to like rapid fire them. The first one is greeting cards. I have like a real hatred for greeting cards. I feel like it’s something we’ve been told we need to buy to show people we love them. They’re sometimes like $5 to $111 if you’re buying the ones from Hallmark and then the person who received them feels like we need to keep them. So, it’s perpetuating clutter. It’s spending money. And you can show people you love them without giving Hallmark your money. I just wish greeting cards would just die. Planners, calendars, I’ve tried all of them. I really get tricked into trying more, but I never follow through and actually use them. So, I will not let myself purchase a planner. And when 2026 comes and my brain tells me all you need to get organized is the perfect planner. I know that that is not true. Let’s just pull some punches. Souvenirs are dumb. You have the photo to remember. And if you do want a souvenir from your travel to remember it. I do feel like that’s cool. Get the Eiffel Tower. If you’ve seen the Eiffel Tower, don’t get an Eiffel Tower for your friends and family at home that didn’t see the Eiffel Tower. You know what I mean? We fill our homes with souvenirs of places we haven’t even gone from other people who saw those things and then gave it to us. And I know it’s an act of love, but nobody really wants the little tiny sombrero from your trip to Mexico. Maybe we just stop doing that. And that’s kind of similar to collectibles. So if you love collectibles, awesome. This happened to me. I had one angel from my aunt that I really loved. Family would come over. Joe’s grandma, Joe’s mom, my mom. Oh, you like angels? every holiday. Angels, angels, here’s an angel. Here’s an angel. I don’t even like angels. Now I’ve got the angel house. My stepmom was into cows for like a hot second. I think she had like one ceramic cow she actually liked and then everyone was buying her cow everything. Now she has cow towels and cow curtains. She doesn’t even want this anymore. But we feel like we get locked in on collectibles and then it just takes over. So let’s put on boundaries and like stop the madness. Don’t buy extended warranties. They are tricking you. It’s nope. You paid enough for the thing. You don’t need the warranty. Anything from Teimu or Sheen. It’s so cheap. It feels like we’re saving money. I can promise you I have never bought anything good from either of these places. It’s unethical and it’s a waste of money and it’s all garbage. Let’s boycott it. I feel like the sheen in Teeu is basically like it goes along with the as seen on TV or those other gimmicky things. Recently, I’ve bombarded on Facebook, like bombarded by ads with this like tape dispenser where you cut each of the things so you have the perfect little Anyways, people are buying this thing left, right, and center. It’s a hu. It’s a tape dispenser. It’s a gimmick. It’s a waste. I feel like it’s some get-rich quick scheme dude that got something manufactured and he’s trying to trick us all into buying it, but we’re not going to be tricked. And we don’t buy gimmicky stuff, heavily discounted stuff, like buying something on sale for the sake of the savings. I recently went shopping with my sister and there was this Sunrise alarm clock um at this discount store that we were at. It was normally $70 and it was on for 10, which saves you like math. $60. Wo, lots, right? That’s crazy. My sister saw that and immediately bought all of them. not sure who she was going to give them to or she wasn’t even going there looking for a sunrise alarm clock. It was like the savings felt like she was buying money or something. I used to do this too, but I’ve learned I never buy things for the sake of the deal ever. A few years ago, I gave up all subscriptions and I don’t miss it. And I’m not talking about Netflix. I’m talking like the Fab Ffit Fun subscription box, even the newspaper subscriptions, magazine subscriptions. Oh, that was such a huge waste of cash and I don’t miss it. We don’t have birthday decorations. There was a time where I bought all the balloons, the themed streamers, the matching plates. I could have put my kids through college with the amount of money I wasted on themed party decorations. No, we don’t have it. We don’t miss it. You will not find a balloon in this house. That’s not true. You’ll find animal balloons because I make animal balloons for children when I double as a firefighter clown. but a regular balloon. And last but not least, workout clothing. This could be because I don’t actually work out very often, but when I do, you know that like Lycra spandex the thing and you’re just like you’re in your Lululemons and they’re so tight and they’re cutting off your circulation. I just like working out in like jogging clothes and a nice loose t-shirt. I don’t know. I don’t know what the whole thing with workout gear is. I used to have an entire bin full of it. I donated all of it and I don’t miss it. If I’m going for a run or I’m working out, I just wear comfy clothes that feel good and aren’t like tight. Do I have sensory issues? Am I rising with the tism? I don’t know. I don’t want squeezy clothes. No, thank you. I hope you still like me. Maybe you never liked me. That’s okay. I’m fine with that. But I really wanted to share this video not because I’m saying you shouldn’t buy these things, though some things I don’t think you should buy. But I want you to really think about the things that you purchase in your home and ask if it’s actually necessary. Like, have we been tricked by marketing, society, the corporate cog and wheel into buying things that we don’t actually need and now we’re just buying them out of habit. Maybe just reassess your purchases to not only save money, have less clutter in your home, but honestly just look at overconumption differently. I hope you enjoyed this video. Let me know in the comments below if there’s something that you don’t purchase that the average person does or go ahead and fight me for your Kleenex. I get it. Let me know in the comments and I’ll see you guys next time. Thank you guys so much. For those of you who have stayed to the end, want to see my latest obsession. Is this an ADHD thing? I think it is. Hyperfocus. So, story time real quick. I was supposed to be studying for my pump ops exam. It’s like learning how to run the pump as a firefighter and I was super stressed about it. So, I was procrastinating. Uh, I came home from school and the exam was the next day and I was like, I’m going to start studying, but first I’m going to watch Tik Tok. And then I saw Emma the squirrel in her squirrel box and I was like, I want a squirrel box, but they were $150. So then I was like, can I just make that? I’ve never woodworked in my life, but how hard can it be? And then I found like dimensions for how to make a squirrel box. And then I went in Joe’s workshop and said, hey, do you have an 8ft board? And he said, “I do.” And I said, “Can I have it? I’m making a squirrel box.” Now it’s 10:00 at night. I have an exam at 8:00 a.m., but I spend the next two hours making this thing all by myself. I learned to cut. Also, look, it has a camera inside so that I can actually watch my squirrels while they like get cozy. And I drilled a hole. I used a drill press, friends. Is that what it’s called? I don’t know. glued it, stapled it, decorated it. Now all I do is watch squirrel content. And I’ve made a second box. Will I have an entire backyard filled with squirrel boxes? Probably. Will I be over squirrels in like 20 days? Abso freakingutely. But this right now is my latest obsession, and I am so happy. Let me know in the comments below what your current obsession is. Maybe I need to put down the squirrel boxes and pick up something else. Inspire me. I’ll see you guys next time. Look at it, though. Look at it, Emily. Look at it. We didn’t even have to buy anything. Joe’s such a hoarder. He had all the supplies in his shop. Hinges. Even had weather stripping. He even had Anyways, the guy needs to declutter. Okay.