Wasteful Lifestyle – Stop buying crap

We live in a society where almost everything is just 1-click away. While online shopping is fantastic in many ways, it also comes with the nuisance of hoarding things we don’t really need. New clothes and shoes end up in a dark corner of our closets, sporting equipment only gets used once a year, toys are being played with only a couple of times, electronic gadgets are hip today and outdated tomorrow. Besides you wasting your precious savings, it more so creates easily avoidable waste and greenhouse gas emissions. .

Here are a few ideas how you can have an impact by producing less waste and emissions and save some serious cash:

REDUCE YOUR EXPOSURE TO ADVERTISING

Holy cow, these algorithms are good nowadays, they show you exactly what you desire. Based on your personal browsing and shopping history, social media shows you ads with a very high conversion rate. On top of that, newsletters in your inbox showcase you more of the products you’ve liked in the past. If you decide to step back from some of the social media advertising and unsubscribe from some of the newsletters, the pressure from browsing new products every day decreases.

NEVER BUY BECAUSE IT’S ON SALE

Instead of browsing a big sale to find things you might like, over a few months create a list of items you need. Whenever a sale pops up online or in real life, you can match your list and avoid impulsive shopping tours. That said…

…TAKE YOUR TIME

Always wait at least 48 hours before you buy something worth over a certain amount, which you can set for yourself. If you still feel you really need something after you slept over it twice, it’s probably something you either really need or what really brings you joy.

CONSIDER SECOND-HAND

There are certainly things you shouldn’t buy used, and you can save your money for those. But local thrift stores, ebay, Facebook, Craigslist, Poshmark just to name a few, are fantastic places to shop used. The items you buy are truly 100% recycled and unpackaged. On top of that you can also usually resell used stuff for what you’ve paid. Furthermore, your local Buy-Nothing-Group is a great way to give away literally anything to neighbours and friends and also find absolutely free things you really need (remember that list).

BORROW, RENT OR SHARE

Some things, like specialty sporting equipment, party decorations or tools can be borrowed or shared with a friend or neighbour or rented from a store. This is true for all items that are used infrequently. Buy-Nothing-Groups are a great place to find neighbours who are willing to borrow you items you only need for a short time for free. If you get into a new sport, start with renting equipment before gearing up with brand new items.

FIND ETHICALLY AND ECO-FRIENDLY ALTERNATIVES

Ok, you really need a new board, we got it! Invest some time looking for companies who make ethically and eco-friendly products a priority. Chances are you will value your new ride so much more. If you have to buy any new electrics, make sure they are energy efficient and don’t include any harmful chemicals. By steering your purchase decisions towards less and more sustainable products you automatically change the face of the consumer goods industry as well.

MAKE ONE MORE LIST: NON-MATERIAL THINGS IN YOUR LIFE THAT MAKE YOU HAPPY

The very next time you are tempted to buy a new gadget or dress, look at the list and see if you can hack your brain’s reward system, by going for a run along your favorite path instead.

#SWOXIMPACT