I would just like to say that this post is not an attack on anyone who decides to live a minimalist lifestyle. I'm, personally, a 'less is more' person. I'm not even sure if the post title is correct for what I'm about to explain.
As many of you know, I'm a stockpiler. The last 5 years have been crazy for everyone worldwide. Many folks thought that things might improve based on the elections, but it seems that things just keep getting worse for the consumer. Prices of everything keep increasing, while quality becomes poorer. Add tariffs to that list and we have another recipe for disaster.
About 2 weeks ago I read an article about products we can expect tariffs on. When I saw that shoes were on the list, I jokingly told BF that I'm not worried about that, because I have about 50 pairs of shoes 😂 (excessive, but please bear with me). I've always purchased quality items, especially genuine leather & suede shoes. Paying a little more for it didn't really matter to me (of course I still purchased it on clearance), because I know that I can get long wear out of it. I recently purchased new designer shirts for my guys and noticed that the quality is far more inferior than what I purchased before (of the same brand). I've noticed this with many things that I've purchased recently. I could probably go without buying new clothes and shoes for the next 10-15 years. Think of the huge savings amount. I told BF that there will be no clothing budget for us, because we have more than enough and stores keep sending me free money. I don't even know what to spend it on half the time. I guess it's a good problem to have.
Before my divorce was finalized, I started buying household items whenever I found a good clearance sale (and used rewards and gcs to help offset the costs), because I knew that I'd need everything new for my/our house. Looking back, I'm now thankful that I did that, because Tariffs and poor quality (you all get the idea). I told BF to hold on to all his current furniture and big appliances (he has his own home), because it would be costly to purchase everything new now and big appliances are junk these days (I learned that the hard way when we got a new washer not too long ago). Between the 2 of us, we already have everything we need (and more) for a new house.
But that's not all. Remember my gut feeling about going back to drugstore shopping? Am I ever thankful for that. At the time I didn't know that there would be another port strike and tons of store closings. The drugstore deals have been so poor lately (everyone in my coupon group complain about it), but I still try to take advantage of whatever's available. Every little savings helps.
It gets worse though. Has anyone noticed that some of your personal care (HBA) items have been discontinued since the pandemic started? The one thing most people don't understand is that if one ingredient is unavailable for an item, the product can't be manufactured, especially HBA. This is why some items have been discontinued. If you check some of your HBA items, you will notice it say "made from US and other IMPORTED ingredients". Uh oh, tariffs strike again, cause the cost will be passed on to the consumer. Either that or the item will be discontinued.
Not too long ago, I was looking for something totally unrelated, when I decided to check on OS Captain b/w (another gut feeling). Imagine my surprise (or should I say shock) when I discovered that the item is OOS at most stores & only available at Walmart. So I did what I do best, I stocked up. I already had a decent amount in my stockpile, so I didn't need to add too much. I still buy it whenever I can find it at Wags (it's hit or miss), because there's always a coupon and reward included, which add extra savings. Lets just say that my guys are fully stocked for at least 2 years. I also checked the back of the b/w bottles and noticed it says, 'Imported for P&G Toronto'. I somehow knew this from before, because I remember the Captain sprays were only available in Canada before being sold here. So once again, I'm glad that I stocked up on the item, because even if it wasn't discontinued, it would've either been OOS here or we'd be paying an arm & a leg to get it from Canada.
I did the same with BBW during their semi annual sale. I stocked up on my favorite scent (that's now discontinued) and used a discounted gc to pay for it. I'm not ashamed to say that I have 3 boxes full of BBW and I couldn't be happier. I have sensitive skin and can't just use any personal care items. I tend to stick to the brands that work well for me. Yes, it seems like I'm excessive at times, but I know better. I know that it's not excess, but preparation instead. I've had more than enough experience with God to know that I should always trust my gut. It's never failed me.
So my question is. With everything going on in the world the past few years, Is minimalism really worth it lately? I know that if I didn't shop the way that I do, we might've been in a tough spot financially. Not to mention really trying to make things last a long time, because everything breaks so easily these days. You constantly have to replace items that keep breaking due to inferior quality or poor workmanship and fork out ridiculous amounts for said items.
I'm my humble opinion it once again pays to be a stockpiler. I'm so thankful that our needs are more than met. I pray for all the folks who are struggling to make ends meet. I can't begin to imagine what their grocery bills look like.
Has anyone else prepared for all these changes we keep experiencing? Please feel free to share your thoughts and/or ideas.
Have a wonderful day peeps!
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