the 2024 anti-haul
the 2024 anti-haul
because de-influencing is more fun than influencing
I’m obsessed with anti-hauls to an extent that often at times is unhealthy. There is something so satisfying about people saying “This item is extremely popular, but I’m not buying it for this reason”, instead of “This item is great, you should get it for these reasons”. Essentially, I love the act of de-influencing more than influencing. It makes my minimalist-driven mind very calm, and truth of the matter is, I agree with most of these items that people bring up in their reels or videos. This post was inspired by a video I recently watched by Glittermary Johansen (I adore her and her sustainability content).
While I struggle to find the balance between sharing items that I purchased (as a result of my Intentional Buy and redacting brand names because I don’t want to accidentally influence, I am hoping these anti-hauls help you reflect on the items you think you want, but actually don’t. The allure behind a YouTuber posting a “What I got for Christmas” video or a “[insert brand name] $1000 Shopping Haul” is there — trust me, I’ve been that girl pouring through these videos, adding items to my cart but not actually checking out because it’s just all. too. much.
There is no reason you need something when you didn’t need it prior to watching the video.
SKIMS
I am guilty of purchasing from SKIMS multiple times in the past. I fell for their viral “Fits Everybody Scoop Neck Bra”, and while it was great to wear at first, I realized it was terrible for cold weather and under white t-shirts (if you know, you know). I will say the only use that I have for these bras are when I wear this specific dress with a low neckline.
I’m not buying SKIMS anymore, especially their bras and underwear (absolutely terrible) because of the quality. It’s simply not worth the hefty price tag. All the bras and underwear I’ve purchased from them, totaling around $100, have ended up in the garbage bin. I do really like the Fits Everybody Bodysuit, but it’s such a delicate piece and I’m always worried the fabric will snag and tear. Late last year, I posted about wanting to buy their Cotton Jersey T-Shirts, and while I still want them, I won’t be buying them new. If I find it secondhand at a reasonable price, then it’s a yes! From what I’ve seen and read, certain SKIMS pieces are lower quality (i.e., cozy collection) than others so if you’re on the lookout, I’d recommend feeling the fabric in-person.
Stanley, Owalla, or any viral TikTok Cup
I’ve had both the Stanley and Owalla cups on my wishlist at least once throughout last year, and thankfully I didn’t end up buying any. I own many reusable bottles — a trusty white 28 oz Hydroflask that I purchased in 2017, and 3 others — a hodgepodge of bottles labeled with companies either Mr. Beans or I have worked or currently work for. Aluminum reusable bottles seem to be the default “onboarding merch” that companies provide for new employees. Either cups would be great if I didn’t own a single reusable water bottle, but clearly I already own a lot. It’s not that special — it just looks pretty.
Dyson Air Wrap
I purchased this in 2022, thinking that I would become that girl with effortless blowout waves. Well that didn’t happen. I am not experienced with curling my hair, so I’m not entirely sure why I thought using the air wrap would be so much easier than a manual heating wand or curler. It was quite difficult to use, made my hair quite frizzy and dry, and I didn’t like the amount of heat it applied. I also tried following a tutorial a couple times, but no avail. I ended up returning the Air Wrap, which I’m quite okay with because $700 for a hair tool I don’t know how to use is ridiculous. At this moment, I don’t own any hair tools (besides a brush), and that’s okay. My cousin owns the Air Wrap so if I’m in desperate need I’ll beg her to do my hair for me.
Merch
Oh, these were my biggest temptations last year. I desperately wanted Mai Pham’s ALCHEMAI Bonsai Hoodie (I posted a story about it, but I ended up taking too long to decide and the hoodie sold out). I went to the Eras tour, and naturally I wanted to buy some merch from Taylor’s website. I ended up not being able to justify $60 for a t-shirt with her face or tour dates on it. However, I did succumb to buying the Eras cups (not worth) and aluminum bucket (worth) when I watched her movie in theaters.
I’m gravitating towards a lifestyle, both in clothing and home decor, that is less branding dominant. If something catches my eye, I’d like to make sure that there isn’t an overwhelming amount of in-your-face branding (i.e., a celebrity’s face, the logo itself) on the item.
Eco-Friendly Cleaning Tabs/Pods
There’s something about eco-friendly, sustainable, B-Corp certified cleaning tablets or pods that just don’t work (or at least for all the laundry machines I’ve ever used). I’ve tried Dropps and Blueland — both have disappointed me deeply. The Dropps laundry pods struggled to dissolve in a cold wash. Blueland’s dishwasher tabs left stains on my pots and pans, while their laundry tabs made my clothes smell mildewy. I will try liquid versions of these products (i.e., liquid laundry detergent, liquid dishwasher soap) because I don’t want to give up entirely. However, I will be purchasing from companies that have good return policies and reasonable free shipping minimums.
Acrylic or plastic organizers
These are my weakness! I love the Container Store organized home aesthetic, with clear bins displayed on shelves and little acrylic dividers in each drawer. I also really like acrylic (it’s lightweight but sturdy), despite how unsustainable it is for the environment. I own quite a lot of acrylic bins at this moment, and there isn’t any need for me to buy more.
Physical, non-consummable gifts
I only purchased physical gifts for Mr. Beans last year (everyone else was gifted a sweet text message from me), so this is primarily directed towards him. Truthfully, if we both wanted something, we would buy it ourselves. There is risk of me buying something he doesn’t really need, and vice versa. In the past, we gifted each other items that we ended up not using much or selling/donating along the way. This year, I’d love to gift people experiences, rather than tangible items that may or may not be used.
Pre-baked sweets
Last year, I fell victim to the vegan oatmeal cookies from Sprouts, to the point where I once purchased 4 boxes and deeply regretted it afterwards. It took me around 2 months to finish eating them (how did they stay edible and not get moldy — I also am unsure and quite concerned). I would like to either 1) buy fresh sweets from a bakery, 2) bake them from scratch, or 3) bake from pre-made dough. This allows me to have access to sweets easily, but avoid having a build-up in my fridge.
Anastasia Brow Freeze
If you’re lazy with makeup (like me), you should either 1) not get this product or 2) use disposable spoolies when using it. I would recommend against the latter simply from a sustainable perspective, but when I had this product, I didn’t take the time to clean the spoolie end of my brow brush. Ultimately, the product clumped on so tightly (and disgustingly) that every time I applied the freeze, there were white chunks left behind in my brow. I had to brush it through lightly with mascara to remedy that. This product is not lazy girl friendly (i.e., wash makeup brushes every 6 months at minimum), and I’d rather use a brow gel that is less chunky to achieve the same look. I ended up decluttering this product after a year of owning it.
Tote bag with built-in organiers
I posted this in September 2023, beyond excited to save up for the Freja NYC Paloma tote. I knew I wanted something that could organize my items but also fit both my water bottle and lunch bag. I also wanted a more classy and corporate (despite not working in corporate — yay!) looking tote to bring to work every day. I purchased this some time in November and was shocked at how heavy the bag was. It hurt my shoulder every time I brought it to work (and I go in twice a week). It was to the point where I started dreading going to work because of the bag, but I paid $370 for it so what was the point? I missed the return window but was able to get store credit for this (hoping to use this for one of Freja’s smaller bags), but in the mean time, I’m not going to be a tote bag gal, or at least aspire to, at this moment. I would prefer my tote to be flexible, conform to the shape of my body, and lightweight. I also love outside pockets for ease of access to my wallet and phone, so that is a must-have for my future tote. I won’t be looking for in-built organizers, because no matter how clever it might seem, it actually takes up a whole lot of space and organization capacity. I want to be able to fit my lunch, water, and laptop with ease. Right now, I have my eye on the Rather Green Amiga Petite Tote, but since I’ve gone quite overboard with my non-essentials and it’s only the first month, it’s currently on my wishlist.
Candles, air fresheners, and reed diffusers
One of the best compliments I love getting is when people step into my apartment or home, they comment on the smell (and it’s usually positive). If you’re curious, my favorite reed diffusers are by Capri Blue (quite expensive, ranges from $20-50) and my favorite candle is by Frenshe ($11). Ever since purchasing a candle warmer, I don’t have to worry about having to replace my candle every couple of months. At this point, I think this candle could last months, potentially even years? I used to purchase air fresheners, specifically the wall plug-ins by Glade but I didn’t like how artificial it made my home smell. It is also quite expensive — each fragrance plug lasts around 2 months and needs to be replaced.
Hand or belt bags
When I purchased the Lululemon Everywhere Belt Bag in 2021, it became my identity (this isn’t an overexaggeration). I wore it everywhere, told everyone about how convenient and minimal it was, and couldn’t imagine a life without it. I even made a post about all the items I carry in it! When Mr. Beans gifted the Fujifilm x100v in mid-2023, I realized carrying around the belt bag and camera separately was extremely tiresome. I’ve always hated wearing a camera around my neck because of all the pressure it puts on certain points of my neck and body, and at this point in time, I knew I needed to upgrade to a bigger bag. I first purchased the Uniqlo Round Shoulder mini bag and posted about it, which was great for the first couple of months until I moved into my new apartment and started hating how my keys and wallet would fall out and make it hard for me to open the damn garage. I remember having to pause outside my apartment’s garage gate, just to frustratingly rummage through the bag for the garage key fob. While the Sling was slightly bigger and could fit my camera, it was still a tight fit. I later came across reviews for the BAGGU Crescent Bag (which was actually first recommended to me by Quinn) — if only I listened to her! I currently own the BAGGU and love it. Not only does it fit my camera comfortably, but it also fits multiple BAGGU reusable totes (for spontaneous grocery shopping trips), both my 6-key holder and card case (the belt bag could never), and all my little knick knacks. The fabric is very scratch and stain resistant (I got the black colorway so I can’t say much, but the fabric is incredibly durable).
Productivity Apps
I’ve come to realize that paying for a productivity app is a complete waste of money, at least for me. Every productivity app I once tried ended up being discarded, mainly because it wasn’t a tool that was versatile. I used to be on a Fantastical Calendar subscription ($60/year) and cancelled it this year because my work calendar doesn’t sync with Fantastical. I then came to ask myself — why the hell was I paying for an app that does the same thing as Outlook calendar? Same with Things3, except this was a one-time purchase app that I decided to get for my iPhone ($9.99), iPad ($19.99), and Mac ($49.99), totalling $79.97. I don’t even use this app anymore.
Lately, I’ve stuck to the default Apple Reminders and Notes app for a brain dump of all the things I have to do. And every day, I’ll select things that I need to do and assign it to “today”. If I’m in the mood to write, I’ll write the list down in my notebook. This works best for me at this moment (who knows, it might change later down the line), but I’ve learned that no productivity app is worth spending money on with the type of job and lifestyle I currently have.
Non “Cozy Corporate” Clothing
I’ve been posting on Instagram about how this year’s goal is to sustainably and intentionally curate a cozy corporate capsule wardrobe. I’ve owned pieces I purchased since undergrad, and while that should be applauded (on the sustainability and long-wear front), most of these pieces are not work appropriate. Don’t ask me why it took this long for me to realize that a baggy sweater and cargo pants are not work appropriate. This year, all the clothing purchases I make must align with my cozy corporate aesthetic. Therefore, I can’t be buying bodysuits, cropped jackets/shirts, or shorts.
Viral TikTok Products
Deleting TikTok was one of the best things I’ve ever done for my mental health, productivity, and wallet. I’ve seen so many YouTube videos of creators talking about “viral products”, and I am quite proud of being so out of the loop because I personally don’t need this knowledge clogging up my brain. I prefer Taylor Swift lyrics.
Sometimes, TikTok content will travel its way into Instagram and YouTube, but that’s okay with me because at that point in time, it won’t hold the same appeal as it probably did when it first became viral. I also don’t want to purchase an item for the sake of everyone loving it. If I’m out of my foundation, want to try a new laundry detergent, or need to know what size I am in a clothing brand, I’ll head to YouTube and watch long-form content, specifically by someone with the same skin type as me (i.e., Bekah Sun) or body shape (i.e., Katie Louise), or values (i.e., Catchy Cravings, Anika Green, Christina Mychas, allison from earth). I will never go out of my way to buy items that people recommend out of the blue, but I will collect information from people who provide in-depth reviews on these products, using YouTube and Reddit.
On that note, cheers to an intentional buy year, filled with things and experiences we will cherish for the long-term. I haven’t been doing so well with my Intentional Buy, but it’s only the first month and I’m not giving up that easily!
Until next week,
