2024, intentional buy review
rule-by-rule review and every single non-essential i purchased this year
Last year, I posted my 2024 Intentional Buy Rules. This post will be twofold — 1) a review of my intentional buy rules and whether I was able to stick by them and 2) a walk-through of every non-essential I purchased this year.
You’ve probably seen this image below multiple times if you’ve been keeping up with my monthly lists. With that being said, how many rules did I follow/break?
No more than 36 purchases.
I ended up with a total of 34 purchases. A huge win! A detailed look at each non-essential (a mini review) can be found in the second half of this post.
Any Amazon purchase, even if it’s deemed essential in its inherent nature, will be categorized as non-essential.
I created this rule at the cusp of Quarter 2, so I will admit I made a few Amazon purchases in Quarter 1. I’ve successfully been able to refrain from using Amazon for the rest of the year (since April 2024), and have no desire to go back onto it. The only time I even log onto the Amazon website is to see more reviews for a product I’m eyeing.
If I see a non-Amazon branded item that is highly rated on Amazon, I’ll opt to purchase directly from the company’s website instead of Amazon. That way, they get 100% of my money without some of it going to Bezos. More importantly, fast shipping is terrible for the environment, so I’ve been appreciating the one/two week wait after hitting “complete order”.
Gift experiences or a homemade/edible item instead of a physical gift.
I succeeded in gifting only experiences for Mr. Beans’ birthday earlier this year — this was motivated by the onslaught of furniture items we purchased in late 2023 as a result of moving into our new apartment. On Father’s Day, I took my parents out for brunch and footed the bill.
However, I did purchase a small washi tape ($4) for Bumble Beans for her birthday, and did a lot more purchasing during Black Friday for Mr. Beans’ and my parent’s gifts. Clearly, I did not abide by this rule.
From this experience, I’ve learned that while gifting experiences is exciting, I also enjoy buying material goods for people, especially if I know it will greatly improve their well-being. Not all physical goods are bad — they can spark joy, if done right!
Purchase furniture, clothing (excl. undergarments), and electronics secondhand only.
All furniture purchased this year was secondhand, mainly because I didn’t buy much. I bought a nightstand, coffee table, and plants from Marketplace. I also got another plant (that I later killed) from a flea market.
I brought in a mix of secondhand and new clothing pieces this year — more new than secondhand, unfortunately. However, all the new pieces I purchased were from ethical, slow fashion brands. It’s not as great as buying secondhand of course, but it still is marginally better than buying new fast fashion.
Electronics was tricky. My dad gifted me a new iPhone 14 since there was a deal at Verizon where we’d be able to upgrade our phones for free. I purchased a new phone case from a sustainable brand, Rhinoshield.
Pre-fund all non-essentials.
This was a fail. None of the non-essentials I purchased were pre-funded. They came from other pockets of my budget (never the emergency fund though, don’t worry!), and I somehow made it work. However, in understanding my shopping habits, I want to prioritize this. I want to allocate at least $50/month so that I’m able to work within a guide instead of rawdogging these purchases.
Attempt to repair or sell before giving it away for free.
Everything I gave away on my Buy Nothing page weren’t reparable or sell-worthy. This rule probably would’ve helped younger me who always took items to Goodwill/Salvation Army (a tragedy), but these days, I’m extremely conscious of how items leave my home.
Stop swapping a product out with an eco-friendly version if it’s lower quality.
I didn’t encounter any issues with this rule this year. Last year, I purchased a bunch of sustainable products that ended up not working for me. This year, I’ve been dabbling in both susty and chemical-laden (non-susty) products. It’s all about balance, right? At this point, I know what works and what doesn’t, and will be sticking to the products that I’m familiar with.
Limit subscriptions (no more than one per category).
This was easy. The only subscriptions I have are Canva, Google One, Spotify, and Sunsama. I don’t subscribe to any streaming services since I’m using my friend’s HBO Max and Mr. Beans has Netflix.
For all clothing related reviews, please see here for an in-depth one, as I don’t want to be repetitive across posts. I also returned a number of items — these are not listed below, since I did not incur a net loss upon return (aka I was able to get my money back). The following 32 items are ordered chronologically by order date.
January
Washi Tape ($5): As a stationary fanatic, I can’t believe I’m saying this but this was my first ever washi tape. I remember metaphorically salivating over my friends’ washi tapes throughout high school, especially seeing them creatively decorate their agendas and folders with various prints. Now that I own one, I get the hype. It’s sticky enough to hold prints on the wall (what I’m mainly using it for), but also peelable enough if you wanted to use it to create borders for a painting (what I’ve seen Bumble Beans do). What a versatile little craft accessory!
MD Paper A4 Journal ($25): I picked this up at one of the marketplaces adjacent to a Mitsuwa supermarket because I wanted to refresh my journaling situation. My previous journal was initially used for journaling but slowly transitioned into a work journal. As someone who severely dislikes mismashing parts of my life into one “thing”, whether it be a journal or a Notion workspace, I began to lose the motivation to actually journal. Getting a new one fixed this. Though I don’t journal as much as I used to when I was younger, it is still extremely helpful having an outlet whenever I need it.
GoodMondays Font ($4.14): I used this font for the first half of this year (see title font in the post below). Not that I have any issue with the font, but I switch aesthetics from time to time, and I no longer am using this for my Instagram designs.
Sézane Leontine Jumper ($125): Review here.
Sézane Betty Cardigan ($170): Review here.
Sézane Auguste Jacket ($235): Review here.
Everlane Dream Pant ($88): Review here.
Everlane Micro Crew in Navy ($40): Review here.
Not Perfect Linen Puglia in Taupe ($110.70): Review here.
Not Perfect Linen Mama Linen Dress ($17.40): I sold this, and my net loss is the number in the parenthesis.
Not Perfect Linen Doolin ($110.70): One of the worst purchases made, and am still trying to sell this. I can’t bear giving it away for free considering I spent $100 so it is collecting dust in my closet and metaphorically online.
February
Everlane Micro Crew in Black ($40): Review here.
Candle warmer ($64.96): Unfortunately, an Amazon purchase. At least I’ve used this plenty of times throughout the year, and no fire hazards. The last candle warmer I purchased from Amazon started causing my candle to spit wax all over the place. It was bizarre.
March
Ear Piercing & Gold Studs ($129.32): I’ve talked enough about this but for those who are new, these earrings gave me a terrible ear infection that resulted in $600 worth of medical bills since I had to go to the ER. I sold the studs and my net loss (disregarding the medical bills) is the number in the parenthesis.
April
Charm necklace ($46.33): We had this on our bucket list ever since the concept of making your own charm necklace went viral on Instagram. It was such a fun experience! We went to Brooklyn Charm in Ventura for this.
May
LuckySweater shipping for babaà cardigan trade ($6.83): Review here.
LuckySweater shipping for Runaway Bicycle trousers trade ($5.13): I traded these again on the app because they fit me so oddly!
‘s sleepytofu font ($3): I’ve used this font multiple times this year, and it’s the most perfect handwriting font you’ll find out there! Rae was so kind to also gift me the other font she has on her profile, as well as create symbols that weren’t in the original set (since I use the $ symbol a lot on here).
June
LuckySweater shipping for Handloom dress trade ($4.54): Review here.
tsunderesharks prints and car freshener ($29.59): Purchased at the 626 Night Market this year, and the prints are still adhered to my wall with the washi tape I purchased in January. It brings me such joy!
September
Organic Basics Flex Corset Top (35.83): Review here.
Organic Basics Luxe Touch Tank Top ($14.92): Review here.
October
tsunderesharks commissioned profile picture ($60): I commissioned Annie to create my profile picture, and I am so beyond glad I did this. It is my favorite rebrand of moneywithbeans, and how could I not support an incredibly talented AAPI female artist? No questions asked.
November
You With a View by
($18.32): I still can’t believe I got to meet one of my favorite authors! Part of the entry to her event was to buy one of her books (I got the Ex Vows), but at the event, I realized I should also just get YWAV because why not?Not Perfect Linen Puglia in Beige ($115): Review here.
Not Perfect Linen Puglia in Dark Grey Blue ($115): Review here.
Pact Blazer ($51): Review here.
Cotopaxi Toiletry Bag (45.37): Purchased this because the previous one I owned (Calpack Cosmetics Case) was way too bulky. I needed something that could compress if needed. I took this on my trip to Taipei and it saved me so much space! Plus, the compartments in the bag are extremely helpful for organization.
Popflex Half-Zip ($77.58): Review here.
Baggu Small Carry-On ($62.09): This is now my main work tote as well as a personal bag for when I travel. There’s a luggage slip so I can easily slide it through my luggage’s handle and place it on top without fear of it sliding off.
Baggu Fanny Pack ($36.22): Purchased because my Crescent bag was a black hole and I couldn’t figure out, for the life of me, how to organize it properly. The Fanny Pack is a lifesaver because it has two pouches and is more spacious than you think! I’m not able to fit my 16oz narrow mouth Nalgene water bottle, but it can definitely fit a smaller 12oz one.
December
Baggu Charm ($17.24): Unfortunately, it seemed more functional in theory than in practice. I dislike the straps on the back, because I don’t think I’ll ever use this as a “wristlet”.
MISSCHU Coin Pouch: I was using my Calpak Luka keychain pouch for money on my Taipei trip, but it takes up so much space in my Fanny Pack! I wanted something that could easily press down based on the amount of items in the pouch, and found the perfect one at a local gift shop in Taipei.
P. Seven Perfume Oil: I adore the scent of this perfume oil so much, and am so excited to have finally found my signature scent. It’s a combination of milky, powdery, and floral; more importantly, the base tea scent is absolutely divine. Yes, I will be repurchasing this once I run out and footing the hefty $65 shipping (since this is only sold in Taiwan).
The graph below depicts my spending patterns by item number and cost throughout the year. I started the year off pretty rough, with a total of 11 items worth almost $1,000. This spiked again in November (due to Black Friday deals). I am proud of myself for not buying anything non-essential in July and August — hoping for more of these months next year!
The piechart below depicts all non-essentials divided by category. I purchased 18 articles of clothing (this is actually horrifying to see), with accessories coming in second. Surprisingly, my third highest category spend was for Money With Beans.
I added a “rating” variable in my Notion template and only added two dropdown options: best or worst. This is quite reductive, and I will be changing this next year, since there are items that fit in the in-between. Ultimately, I would like to avoid buying as many worst rated items as much possible, but I unfortunately encountered a few hiccups down the road.
I will be sharing my rules for 2025 soon, so do keep an eye out for that!
I love this!! I'm working on my new years reflections/resolutions for next year and love the idea of spending $0 on Amazon...I already spend very little there but I want to get to $0!!
Found this really interesting! I informally did a low-buy year, so I'm not sure how much or little I bought, but it was significantly less than previous years. My biggest goal was a year-long book-buying ban!