you don’t need to keep extra products “just in case”

My bathroom vanity and cabinets used to be stuffed with extra products; shampoo, bubble bath, and more body lotions that I could even count. I used to think that I didn’t just need one backup, but multiple or else I would be doomed.

I am so much happier now that I don’t have backups upon backups hiding in all the cupboards and areas of my bathrooms and only repurchasing products when I actually run out. There are lots of reasons why this is better including:

• Space: I hate when things are full and cluttered and when you have a small bathroom like I do the regular stuff takes up enough space, let alone extra products that I won’t use for weeks or even months
• Expiration Dates: When you keep products for so long sometimes you can waste your money on products that go bad before you can get to them. This is literally throwing money out the window and if you hadn’t had those products sitting around that money could have been used for better things
• Preferences change: I enjoy running out of products because it gives me a chance to peruse the shelves, looking for something great to replace it with that fits my current style, my current needs, and is something I really need
• Research: As I have become more conscious of the products that I use such as making sure they are cruelty free, ethical, and are avoiding certain ingredients I need to do more research into products before I buy them. I can’t just buy things on a whim which really curbs my spending.
• Things don’t get forgotten: When you only have one mascara, body wash, or shampoo it is impossible to forget them and have them get lost in the mess of other products. When things get forgotten they can expire, and more likely than not you will end up throwing it out when you find it again
• Intentionality: I no longer find myself buying things for the sake of having more things, when I find myself in a mall I am not drawn in by any of the stores or products. Having backups of products doesn’t make me happy anymore, using the things I love and want to use is what does.

Now I am definitely not perfect yet. I am still working on clearing out some extra products and getting into a cycle of only buying one thing at a time as I need it, but I am slowly and surely working through all those extra products. I find now that I really only have things that make me happy and all that space I save makes me happier as well.