Ever heard of the underconsumption trend? To the older generations, it's probably more simply described as common sense. But for those of us who have grown up with fast fashion, social media influencers and giant online marketplaces, the idea of trying to buy less and make do with items we already own is a novel one that is finally starting to gain traction. 

And for good reason. It's no secret that our current rate of consumption is unsustainable for the environment but, aside from that, I think some of us are just plain sick of the constant push to buy more. 

It's hard to describe the feeling of unease that prods at your conscience when you watch an influencer unbox their giant haul of cheap, mass-produced clothes, or showcase their 35-step "get ready with me" video featuring an unseemly number of skincare and beauty products.

If I had to describe it, I'd say it's simply a feeling of wrongness. I don't need science or even logic to tell me that one person consuming all these products just isn't right. 

I think some of us are just plain sick of the constant push to buy more

But the great thing about the internet is that for every upsetting trend, there's an inspiring one. My feed is full of accounts that focus on sustainability, thrifting (the admittedly cooler-sounding name for op-shopping used by Americans) and "deinfluencing", where influencers discourage their followers from buying certain products. 

I've been stingy since way before it was cool, but the new popularity of underconsumption has given me the push I need to take my frugality to the next level. So, while I've always tried to avoid unnecessary purchases, this year I'm committing to a list of things I won't be buying brand new.

Things I won't be buying new this year

1. Fast fashion trends

There was a  time when fashion retailers released just two collections a year. Nowadays, new trends pop up and die away almost faster than you can order the clothes and have them delivered to your house. It's a never-ending treadmill of consumption and I'm stepping off it. 

As a committed and experienced op shopper, I know that whenever there is a particular item or style of clothing I'd like to add to my closet, if I just pause and hold off buying for a month or two, one of two things happens. Either the trend disappears and my desire for the item abates, or I find the item or style I want at an op shop and get to wear it guilt-free. 

LEFT: I liked the look of these front/side tie linen tops, but I suspected the trend would probably be short-lived. RIGHT: I recently found this black top at the op shop for $3.

2. Kitchen stuff

I'm not really talking about appliances here but rather crockery, tea towels, utensils, plates, cups, storage jars/containers and gadgets like garlic crushers, lemon squeezers and all that jazz. 

It's all so abundantly available at op shops – there's really no point in buying new. In fact, I haven't bought any of these items brand new for a long, long time. 

Over the past couple of years I've gotten spatulas, wooden spoons, citrus squeezers, silicone popsicle moulds, oven-safe ramekins, bowls, kids plates and cutlery and many, many glass storage jars, all for a dollar or two at my local op shops. And I really haven't even had to look hard for them. 

LEFT: Temu sells these popsicle molds for just over $11 each – shipped from China. RIGHT: I got this cute set from my local op shop for $2.

3. Towels and bedding

The reasoning here is basically the same as with kitchen items – op shops are full to bursting with towels and bedding of all shapes, sizes, patterns, fabrics and designs. Give them a hot wash and you're good to go. 

If the idea of using someone else's old towel or sheet gives you the ick, I ask you this – have you ever stayed in a hotel or AirBnb (or even in a hospital)?

And if the idea of using someone else's old towel or sheet gives you the ick, I ask you this – have you ever stayed in a hotel or AirBnb (or even in a hospital)? Spoiler: those towels and sheets have almost certainly been used by more people than the ones you'll find in an op shop.

4. New skincare products or makeup

If you read my article last year explaining why I made my own moisturiser from beef tallow, this one will come as no surprise. I made a big batch midway through 2024 and I still have more than half left. I'll probably make another batch at some point this year, but it will only cost me $5 in beef tallow from the local butcher, plus a couple of hours of my time. 

After using my own tallow balm, I'm really not convinced there is even any benefit in using any of the myriad creams, lotions and serums that are constantly being plugged online. Sometimes, if I'm feeling fancy, I use some pure castor oil. Even if I couldn't be bothered to make my own, I still think I'd just buy a big vat of a very basic and pure moisturising product and leave it at that.

I highly doubt that buying the next big thing in makeup is going to radically alter my appearance for the better

As for makeup, while I'm constantly tempted by aspirational videos I see online, I bought a big haul of makeup back in 2023 that works perfectly (I work from home so I don't bother wearing it most days). And I highly doubt that buying the next big thing in makeup is going to radically alter my appearance for the better, so I'm at peace with putting this on my no-buy list.

5. Home decorations

With two kids aged three and six, my husband and I finally feel like we are emerging from the chaotic swamp of the "early years", where home decor consists of giant packs of nappies, toast crusts and a general sense of pervasive stickiness. 

As such, we are starting to dabble with the concept of bringing things into our home purely for their aesthetic value. But while we've bought a few things new over the past year, this year I'm committed to doing everything DIY/second-hand. Here are some of my favourite ideas:

I cut a chunk off a giant vine growing wild in my dad’s garden and potted it.

Plants

Obviously you can buy plants "new" and it's not the worst thing for the environment, but reality check: plants grow for free all over the damn place. 

I've familiarised myself with the houseplants that grow easily from cuttings (like snake plants, devil's ivy and monstera) and made it my business to find free cuttings from my friends and family (and in some cases my own backyard). Local Waste Not Want Not/Freecycle Facebook groups are also a great place to source free plants and cuttings. 

For the pots, I try to grab them from the op shop or even just repurpose clear jars, vases and teapots I already have at home.

My husband found this cute piece of pottery at an op shop.

Diffusers

Now that the smell of baby vomit and dirty nappies has dissipated, I've dared to dream of having a home that actually smells good. The artificial perfumes used in most scented candles and diffusers give me a headache, so I did some research and found out you can actually make your own diffusers. 

All you need is a little pot, some neutral carrier oil (I use liquid coconut oil), essential oils of your choice and some sticks. You can just grab some twigs from your garden, bake them in the oven and then pop them in the pot with the oils and voila – natural diffuser. 

We cheated and bought a bulk lot of reed sticks online last year (because they do a better job of diffusing the scent), but now we can top up and renew our diffusers throughout the year without buying new. 

Wall art

We collect interesting photo frames from the op shop and fill them with family photos and some hand drawn or painted pictures done by my husband (he's not an artist but he's pretty good at recreating pictures and designs I've seen online and taken a liking to).

6. New school stuff

My son started kindergarten last year, so buying him some school uniforms and shoes was unavoidable. But just because he's about to start a new school year doesn't mean all his school stuff needs updating. 

I expect these metal lunchboxes (one from the op shop and one from Aldi) to last through the apocalypse.

He still fits into his uniform and school shoes and he's had the same school bag since preschool – it still works fine, no need to replace it. 

For his lunch, I use a collection of stainless steel containers I've built up from op shops and Aldi over the years – I just pop them in his insulated lunch bag. I'm happy to buy a new lunch bag every couple of years as they do get kind of gross, but I expect the metal containers to continue to be used into high school and beyond (admittedly quite a few have been lost at school already). 

7. Kids gifts and toys

This Christmas, all my kids' gifts were second-hand (except a couple of very specific requests from my son – new-in-box Ninjago lego is beyond my op shopping abilities). They loved everything they got and I spent very little money. Plus, I won't feel aggrieved if they get sick of the toys within a few months (which they inevitably will). 

Both my kids asked Santa for “a slapband pet that talks” this year. These were $2 each from the op shop.

I plan to do the same for Christmas and birthdays this year, but I also maintain an epic 100% op shop-sourced gift cupboard for the sundry birthday parties my children are invited to throughout the year. I know there can be a kind of stigma around gifting op shop goods, but I think it's time we normalised second-hand toys for kids. 

Op shops (and people's homes) are absolutely overrun with toys. There really is very little need to buy new when there are so many in circulation. Kids outgrow and get bored of toys so easily, it makes sense to pass them on. This Christmas I gifted my three-year-old nephew a PJ Masks play set that I originally bought (second-hand off Facebook Marketplace) for my son a couple of years ago. He's outgrown it, but my little nephew is totally into it. And the plastic toys get a third loving owner. Win-win-win. 

8. Anything off Temu

OK, this may be the moral hill that I die on but I'm committing to not buying anything off Temu this year (and hopefully ever). 

It's not just that I have concerns about the sustainability and ethics of the business model, it's also the fact that I don't think the platform is compatible with mindful consumption. It seems to me that the way the app is set up with high-pressure tactics is specifically designed to encourage impulse buying and overconsumption of cheap, low-quality products that are destined to see out the vast majority of their days in landfill. 

Even if I decide I need to buy something cheap and brand new for some reason, I'll stick to shopping at Kmart, Big W or Target. At least I know I'll be able to invoke my consumer rights if the product is faulty or unsafe (we recently found a number of dangerous toys being sold at Temu). Plus, I can visit a physical store and make sure the item is fit for purpose before I buy.

Things I will be buying new (but mindfully) in 2025

Buying less is the bedrock of underconsumption, but there is also an important place for mindful buying. If working at CHOICE has taught me anything, it's that with the right research and planning, buying the right new product can often be the best choice both for your household and for the environment. 

The old saying "buy nice or buy twice" rings true for a number of items – certainly for most major essential appliances, but also for some non-essentials. So here are the things I will be buying brand new this year. 

Coffee machine

My husband and I have been considering buying a proper espresso machine for literally years. Last year I found a (brand new in box) manual espresso machine at the op shop and we've been using it for the past few months. 

While it's definitely been a step up for us, the lack of an inbuilt grinder means we use pre-ground beans, which just don't taste as good. And I've never really gotten the hang of making the perfect espresso shot with it – having to manually stop the shot is a total drag when you're also juggling two demanding kids in the morning. 

After extremely careful deliberation, I've decided that paying over $500 for a high-quality, semi-automatic machine with an inbuilt grinder that is recommended by CHOICE experts is a solid investment. I know that I can expect it to last for years, and it will be used and enjoyed every single day.

Air fryer

Like many CHOICE employees, my opinion about air fryers has changed over the past few years. When this appliance first rose to popularity, most of us dismissed them as a fad – after all, they don't do anything a normal oven can't do. But the fad just refuses to die, and I admit I've become air-fryer curious. CHOICE converts have raved to me about their ability to produce perfect salmon fillets, crunchy nuggets and crispy roast potatoes that don't take hours to bake. 

But, up until recently, all the air fryers I've seen have had a plastic non-stick coating and I don't like cooking with plastic. Now it seems that's changing – we've recently tested a glass model, and I've also discovered that Crumble will be releasing a carbon steel model later this month. With these new options on the market, I think this year is the year I'll take the plunge into air frying. 

Robot vac

Robot vacs are another appliance that some CHOICE-rs are skeptical of, but I'm now convinced they're worth buying (for some people). We currently have a second-hand Deebot that, honestly, does a pretty average job, but I still love it because it vacuums the floor for me!

I wouldn't get one if I was the type of person who vacuums regularly and is meticulous about dirty floors. But I am not that person. I am a harried, working mother of two who just wants the most noticeable crumbs and debris magicked away while I do something else.

As with the coffee machine, trying a second-hand option first has helped me decide that it's worth shelling out for a brand new, high-performing model – I know I'll get good value out of it. 

I am a harried, working mother of two who just wants the most noticeable crumbs and debris magicked away

So, while all these ideas are purely my own, I think we can all make our own list of things we don't really need to buy new this year, and the things that might be worth it. Even if you don't stick to it (and there's no guarantee that I will), it certainly can't hurt to try to be more mindful about what we're buying.

If the idea of op-shopping scares you, read my op-shopping guide for some ideas on how to get started. And if you need help deciding which quality items you plan to bring into your home this year, check out our A–Z of product reviews.

Stock images: Getty, unless otherwise stated.

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