Underconsumption is on the rise in 2025, an admirable and surprisingly beneficial trend. You may have heard about “Project Pan” back in January, when teens and young adults pledged to stop buying new beauty products until they “hit pan” (finished) their existing stock. The goal? Stop the cycle of unnecessary stockpiling and actually use what we already have. Recently, (de)influencers have been sharing lists of items they will not be buying this year, a helpful reminder as the season changes and we start to prepare for late spring and summer. This week, I’m sharing 13 items I’m promising myself I will not be buying this year, both to save money and to avoid overconsumption.
Products I Don’t Need
We all know the feeling of walking into Sephora and being drawn to all the lovely packaging and fun new products to try. You know you don’t need it, but you want it all the same. But this year, I’m skipping new serums, lip products, and nail kits. My mom has always told me and I am starting to agree that, as a 20-year-old, there is no combination of 2+ magical serums that will make my skin more glowing and youthful than it already is. I have to admit that it is fun to have that extra step in your skincare, but I will not be trying out new specialty serums aside from those already in my regimen. Similarly, I will definitely be avoiding $20 lip products, especially so long as I still have over 5 trendy and totally adequate lip glosses, balms, and oils in my possession. Finally, in an effort to avoid going to the nail salon, I’ve purchased two separate nail “systems” in the past year, including a gel lamp and a set from Dazzle Dry, totally defeating the aim of spending money. Now that I have both of these sets, there is really no excuse nor reason to try out a new system.
Single-Use Items
Since recovering from a borderline shopping addiction in 2022 and 2023, I have been making a conscious effort to only purchase clothes that I plan on wearing for the foreseeable future. However, this year I’m swearing in definitive terms to especially avoid buying single-use shirts, that is, a tee just for, say, St. Patrick’s Day or July 4th that never sees the light of day again. If I absolutely need a new shirt for an occasion like this (which, let’s be real, I probably don’t), it has to be rewearable outside of that occasion.
As a curly-haired girl, I generally do not fall into any traps of single-use hair products, but all the same, I am putting my foot down against single-use tools, whether it’s a kitchen product just for eating a specific meal or a bathroom accessory that will make storing something easier. It’s tempting to over-simplify your life by buying items meant to solve one tiny problem. They promise to simplify your life, but really, they just take up space.
Preemptive Anything
Always a planner, I like to have backups of all of my favorite products before I run out to avoid the annoying in-between week of squeezing out nonexistent pumps of conditioner and toothpaste. However, when it comes to more frivolous items, I know I need to avoid stockpiling as much as I do. In particular, no more stockpiling snacks before I need them, nor will I be buying souvenirs the first week I touch down in Barcelona when I study abroad next semester. At the moment, I have an ungodly large snack collection with food that will unfortunately never be eaten since I grabbed too many little packs of Welch’s and Trader Joe’s chips here and there.
It’s easy to feel a sense of urgency where there really is none, and I’m also keeping this in mind as I move to Barcelona for a full semester. I’m reminding myself that all my souvenir shopping can be done in time, and in this way, I will avoid impulse purchases.
Toys
In the past year, I have definitely been sucked into “toy” crazes, such as Sonny Angel blind boxes and adorable Jellycat stuffed animals. However, looking ahead, this obsession is no more. I have all the [stuffed] fur babies I could need and Sonny Angels are not necessary or helpful for much after the initial excitement of the unboxing. I will say I’ve been on the hunt for a New York Series Sonny, but besides that, no more!
Books
Although I do not currently have a habit of buying physical books, I want to keep up my method of borrowing from my home library and finding online PDFs of books I want to read. I tend not to reread books, so unless a book is my very favorite, there’s no point in paying for a physical copy.
TikTok Shop
I have yet to fall into the trap of $10 TikTok Shop or Temu orders, but I can’t say I haven’t been tempted. I’m cutting off a potentially terrible habit before it starts and vowing that I will not support the unethical practices of TikTok Shop, Temu, or the like.
Bags
If I’m honest, last time I was in Trader Joe’s, I somehow walked out with a new mini tote—impossibly cute, totally unnecessary. Thus, I am cutting myself off- no more useless bags! I have plenty of cute, reusable Baggu bags and totes and have a bag of any size I could possibly need. No matter how cute, I will not be buying any more.
Hobby Stuff
Finally, when trying to get into a new hobby I’ll ask myself two questions: Am I really going to keep this up? Do I need to start with all of these materials or can I ease in with the essentials? I have far too much embroidery thread and crochet needles stowed away in my closet to justify trying to get into a new hobby, only to give it up within a month. I will be realistic about what I’ll follow through on and only invest in essential items as I try to get into new skills.
So that’s my list- fewer impulse buys, more intentional choices. Whether you’re trying to save money, cut clutter, or just slow down the scroll-to-cart reflex, I hope this gave you a few ideas to work with. Here’s to spending smarter in 2025.