10 Things I'm Glad I Didn't Buy in 2023
Or, WIDNBLY (what I did not buy last year)
Hello! Welcome to the winter-vacation syndication segment of the newsletter! The Friday Dispatch and other regular Hattie content is on a break until January 12th. Until then, you’ll be getting some top-ten lists from me.
Here’s one! With things I didn’t buy last year! Here’s a money-saving hack. Send the below photo1 to a loved one, and anytime you ask them “Hey, should I buy ______?” instruct them to show you this photo in response. It works wonders!
Do not by.
10 Things I'm Glad I Didn't Buy in 2023
Clinique Almost Lipstick in Black Honey – Beauty trends are cyclical. A lot of the “cult favorite products” that I saw in headlines this year were alllllllllll the rage when I first dipped a toe into the blogosphere in the early 2010s (think the blue L’Oreal mascara, Nuxe dry oil, and every John Frieda hair product but NOT at the same time). This year, Clinique’s “Almost Lipstick” in Black Honey went viral again, and I ALMOST fell for it…but then I bought the E.L.F. version with a coupon for like, 5 bucks. Hee hee hee.
More bedroom wallpaper – We were going to do all four walls, AFTER testing one roll of the wallpaper. Instead, we did one wall, got tired, and bought a tapestry. Smart choice.
Hair dryer brush – I’ve flirted with the idea of buying a “blowout brush” or “styling dryer” in the past. I ALMOST bought one on sale for $25ish. But since midway through the year I chopped off all my hair, I’m now glad that I didn’t spend that money!
Fancy sneakers – I’m not a “practical footwear” person. I’m not a practical clothing person, at all. I needed some running-around-doing-stuff shoes, and I thought about dropping $50 on some “nice” walking shoes. Then, I found these slip-on orthopedic shoes, which were on sale for $20. Everyone else in the comments said, “I bought these for my 85-year-old mom and they were perfect even when her feet swelled up!” And that is how I knew they’d be perfect for me.
Go Getter Girl planner – Yes, these are cool, but man…$55 for a SIX-MONTH PLANNER is nuts when my beloved Day Designer was on sale for seven bucks at Target.
A fold-out sofa for my solo apartment – When I bought my chaise lounge, I came thisclose to ordering a futon instead. And I’m glad I didn’t. Because then I moved (and bought a futon) (with my boyfriend) (come visit!).
Babbel – Eventually I AM gonna buy a Babbel subscription. I thought about getting a lifetime subscription during Black Friday, but I’m glad I didn’t because I’ve barely had free time to even get through my daily Duolingo. And because I’ve been in a hotel all week, I’ve seen 16,000 commercials for Rosetta Stone, so I’m questioning everything!
The rainbow outfit everyone else wore to Taylor Swift – I like this dress but know if I’d worn it to the Taylor Swift concert, I would’ve had a petty little hissy fit, because I saw at least 30 other women looking very cute in it!
Tickets to Little Feat at the Town Hall – I was sad to miss this concert, but I had a birthday sleepover with my friends instead, which was the right choice.
A rainbow tennis bracelet – Ok, kind of a cheat. But! Ahead of the holidays, my mom asked what I might like for Christmas, and I said I would like a rainbow tennis bracelet. Nothing fancy – just sparkly. Then my mom said, “Hey wait, do you already have one that used to be Grandma’s?” I went and looked in my jewelry and, what do you know, I DID have a rainbow tennis bracelet, which had slipped in between the wall of the jewelry box and its satin lining. The kicker: this happened last year at Christmas, too. Maybe my New Year’s Resolution should be to organize my jewelry.
This is a terrifying picture from a REAL REVIEW of a stuffed animal I saw on Amazon.