What movies are they renting, to save all that money by NOT buying movies? Theres nothing to rent, other than softcore pornographic Hollywood-type movies and blood-gushing-out-the-everywhere films.

Its better to buy good DVDs and keep them so they can be rewatched over and over by the family, as more and more children come in. Instead of everytime having to borrow it/rent it/whatever it.

We don't buy jam or any kinds of conserves because we make our own and swap with friends.

We don't buy eggs because we have a chicken tractor. We still buy chickens though!

We don't buy bread because we bake our own - it's half the price even after the energy used.

We buy few vegetables except for things that are out of season to complete a dish.

We don't buy the newspaper.

We have a coffee machine so only ever buy coffee beans, and so are not remotely interested in buying cafe coffee. It is more efficient with the beans than a french press, and no need for filters. Over time the machine pays for itself, if you do the math.

We also don't rent DVD's but buy them, as we found that to be more cost effective actually. The music we like is nearly free as it is, so buying CD's is a drop in the ocean.

The point I'd make about frugality though is that it should not mean that you settle for low quality produce or low quality items (such as furniture or tools or clothes), but that every purchase is thoughtfully made. Buy the best you can afford, but only buy what you need, and avoid outsourcing as much as possible.

Not necessarily a matter of frugality but I never buy products with a bar code beginning with the digits 729.

MODERATOR NOTE:
This post derailed the thread. Please do not respond to this particular post. If you must, you can start a new thread about Jєωιѕн products and 729.

And what does "729" mean?

Its supposed to be the preface of the UPC for items made in Isreal. While its 'mostly' true, its not a very accurate indicator.

Ok -- we're getting off-topic here.

Enough about boycotts, regardless of their merit.

This thread is about "What items do you not purchase EVER, for reasons of simplicity and/or frugality?"

I suppose I should have been more explicit -- Apparently the purpose of this thread went over some members' heads (well, at least one member anyway).

We're not listing

porn
contraceptives
adult novelties
illegal drugs
etc.

on the list, because those are refrained from for MORAL reasons.

This thread is about frugality.

That's a pretty accurate list for us except for the shaving cream. I know it can be had really cheap or free with coupons but we just aren't coupon people. I've tried many times but it's wasted time because 90% of the stuff in the coupons is stuff we don't buy. Candy, prepared/processed foods etc... so we get cut out of the couponing "deals". I'd rather just pay full price for the shaving cream and toothpaste the couple times a year we buy it and focus my time elsewhere.

DH loves the french press, it's funny they mention it. We didn't start that for frugality but it's a plus.

We rarely rent or buy movies. If we do it's not at full price. Same for music. So much can be watched or listened to online now. Someday I wouldn't mind building up a library that includes favorite movies and music but it's just not now.

There are a lot of food items we don't buy. That list could go on forever.

Fries or hashbrowns -- get a mandolin slicer and a bag of potatoes, they taste so much better anyway.

Same with some sauces and gravy. Honey garlic is so simple. 1/2 c honey + 1/2 c. soy sauce (measurements aren't exact -- it's really just to taste), grate in a few cloves of garlic and warm up until honey is melted and flavor matures. Why buy?

No landline. Skype and MagicJack have served us well for several years.

We rarely buy clothes full price. I can't say never especially since we just bought me nearly a whole new wardrobe at full price, but it's rare. I don't prefer thrift stores either though. I find once you know the season sale patterns of target, old navy, walmart, kohls etc... you easily find new clothes for thrift store prices. Or if not the same price, they are just a few dollars more and will last twice as long because they are new, so worth the extra buck. Especially with kids clothes that tend to be very worn out by the time they hit the thrift stores. I get the stores' emails too so it doesn't require much time or running around to keep on top of it. Free shipping is often thrown in, something else I rarely pay.

Speaking of Febreeze, we don't buy air fresheners either.  :barf: Keep the house clean, aired out, pet free, something yummy on the stove or in the oven and that's all you need. In the winter I like to put a pot of simmering water on the stove with a few apples slices and a dash of cinnamon.

We don't buy all purpose cleaners. We have a few things for deep cleaning but for everyday chores, tables, counters, mirrors, etc... I use vinegar water.