7 Household Items I Refuse to Buy Anymore (& Better Alternatives)

When I was in my 20s, I stocked my house with two things:

1. Things my parents had in their houses
2. Things I saw at other people’s houses

I didn’t really think about the purpose of objects and whether or not the stuff I had was fulfilling its objectives. But as I started replacing my college hand-me-downs and spending my hard-earned money, I thought about form, function, and utility a lot more than I had previously. These are the items that I now refuse to buy and the things that are better alternatives, whether it’s something additional I’ve bought or just shopping from my own closets.

Uncomfortable chairs

Why was I ever okay with chairs I can’t sit on for very long? Oh yeah…it’s called fashun. For me, now, it’s no longer a choice between style and comfort. We can have both! Especially since we spend more time eating, working, and socializing from home, it’s important to buy chairs that you and your guests can feel comfortable in.

I recently moved, sold my furniture, and bought all-new furniture, and from doing the sit-test on hundreds of chairs, couches, and bar stools, let me tell you that it’s not about price. (I have a cheap desk chair that is comfy, and I have a nice couch that is comfy.) I wasn’t able to find my interior design style in person, so I had to rely on websites for all of it. I reads dozens of reviews and studied customer photos to find chairs that were comfortable, chic, and in budget. And I’m happy to report the mission was successful! The important thing is to be picky about comfort. If something is “the cutest thing ever” — as I said a million times — but you can’t actually use it, then it’s really not the cutest. Keep looking!

Unstable decor

I’m talking about decor that falls over when you bump into it: floor-standing vases, large decorative plates on bookcases, large candle holders with small bases. (I didn’t intend for that to rhyme, but I’m more proud than I should be right now…)

If a piece of decor is precariously placed or in itself a disaster waiting to happen, just pass it at the store and keep “looking for something attractive AND stable”. (Yes, you can use that on your Bumble bio.)

Non-absorbent coasters

Add this to the list of items that were more about form than function. When I was young and my furniture was all hand-me-downs and low-grade materials, I didn’t really care if the coffee table was ruined. But now, with my furniture I’d like to keep for a decade, I really do care. As such, I’ve tossed all my coasters that don’t actually do their job, which basically meant the festive Spanish tile ones with an acrylic paint on top — like why?! — and the plastic monogrammed ones which overflowed every. single. time.

Lesson learned: before buying coasters, envision what will happen when it needs to do its job of protecting your furniture.

Keurig cups

Here’s how this went. I had a Keurig and my husband had a Keurig, meaning when we got married, we had 2 Keurigs. Within a year, we switched back to a traditional drip-pot brewer — yes, the kind your grandfather uses. After drinking the drip-brew coffee, we threw away both of our Keurigs. (Or donated, rather — don’t come at me!)

The taste of a Keurig, to me, is like mixing 1-part coffee with 1-part water. The effect is the same: half as much pep-in-your-step, which is the entire point of coffee. Lastly, K-cups are not budget friendly if you’re a household that drinks 4 cups per day. With a drip brew, we end up spending half as much on our coffee habit, and we’re twice as caffeinated. Win, win! Here’s the *newer version* of the brewer I’ve used for 3 years and am v.happy with:

*Disclosure:  The 30s Guide to Life is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.

Gobs of paper towels

I haven’t entirely gotten away from paper towels, but I’ve drastically decreased my consumption of them. I didn’t even know NOT using paper towels was an option, until I stayed with a friend for a few days, and she didn’t even have them on her kitchen countertop. She hid them in a drawer so she would have to visually go past the kitchen towels to pick up a paper towel. Why??

Paper towels are expensive. Paper towels are an easy way to reduce your personal contribution toward deforestation. Lastly, paper towels are easily replaced by reusable alternatives. I still own paper towels, and I use them when I need to clean up after my dog or clean up a raw meat juice* spill. (*Juice isn’t the right word, but you get it.) I use Swedish reusable un-paper towels or kitchen towels as I cook, and now I spend way less on paper towels. After using it, you just toss it in the dishwasher or washing machine, and VOILA! — sanitized & ready to use 1,000 more times. Here’s a link to the ones I use:

Mismatched coffee mugs

Hi, I’m Priska, and I was that person who couldn’t walk out of Target without a new coffee mug… I was the reason they have that end-of-aisle display… I used to buy every cute but random coffee mug just because it made me giggle walking past it. But when I moved a few years ago, I decided to clear out my cabinet of mismatched, one-off coffee mugs, which still left me with 2 matching sets of mugs that make my cabinets look wayyy more organized.

If you, like me, have a lifetime membership in Coffee Mug Hoarders Anonymous (hereafter referred to as C.M.H.A.), then practice this with me: “That’s cute, but I don’t need it.”

…or my husband’s favorite thing to tell me: “You have enough of that.”

This year’s trendy travel cup

Tervis, Corkcicle, Porter, S’Well, Yeti, Hydroflask. What do these have in common? They’re all trendy travel cups with *GROUND-BREAKING, REVOLUTIONARY, LIFE-CHANGING TECHNOLOGY* that were replaced a year later by the next revolution. Lesson learned: Things that you need this year because “everyone else has it” isn’t really a need. You probably already have enough water bottles, travel mugs, and travel cups. Just stick with whatever is already in your cabinets, and be happy with that.

What household items did you absolutely HAVE to have that you no longer want? Leave a comment!

*Disclosure:  The 30s Guide to Life is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.