Shopper quits buying fabric softener and extra books, sparking a flood of money-saving swaps

Skipping a few "default" purchases can add up fast.

After a Reddit user said they had given up fabric softener and paused buying more books, the replies turned into a list of low-waste habits that can also save money.

What happened?

The discussion started with a question in a post to Reddit's r/Anticonsumption forum: "What products do you refuse to buy anymore?" It drew hundreds of comments, many from people naming everyday purchases they had quietly dropped from their budgets.

For the original poster, a few routine buys no longer felt worthwhile. 

"I've stopped buying fabric softener for almost two years!" they wrote. "I realized it doesn't really make a difference in my clothing whether I use it or not, so I saved myself a few bucks there."

"I also stopped buying physical books until I finish reading all the ones I already have," they continued. "So I won't keep buying more books just for them to collect dust."

Why does it matter?

Swapping out products that serve the same purpose — or skipping ones that are not truly necessary — can help households trim recurring costs without making day-to-day life more difficult.

Recurring costs often come from products that are easy to buy without much thought. Fabric softener, dryer sheets, bottled water, and single-use cleaners can add up on a monthly bill, while replacing paper towels with reusable rags, swapping in wool dryer balls, and using vinegar and baking soda for cleaning can lower spending and reduce trash.

The same logic applies to "aspirational" purchases such as books bought faster than they can be read. Using what you already have first can free up money, reduce clutter, and curb wasteful overconsumption.

What are people saying?

As the thread grew, people started listing their own go-to substitutions. Taken together, the suggestions highlighted small, repeatable ways to spend less by buying less.

"Take out. That's probably the biggest thing," one commenter wrote. "I used to order 3+ a week. Maybe more. Now I cook my meals. It's far cheaper and far less wasteful and my food isn't cold by the time I get it." 

"New clothes," another said. "I'll buy underwear, socks, an occasional plain tank top or pajama pants new. Anything else I can nearly always find secondhand, especially if it's not something I need urgently."

"Paper towels," one more shared. " Washclothes work fine and were used since forever before paper towels came around. Next in my list is to switch to cloth napkins." 

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