17 Ways to Curb Your Consumerism
Saving money and the environment can go hand in hand. By buying less stuff you are using less resources and also saving money. This could also be titled 17 ways to stop living paycheck to paycheck. I couldn't find stats on Ireland in particular but apparently 33% of the States lives paycheck to paycheck - it's probably not far off here too.
If anyone has watched "The Story of Stuff" you'll know that a linear consumerist economy was purposely designed to kick start the economy after the depression and hasn't stopped since - until then people didn't buy like they do today and national happiness average was much higher.
Now almost every ad tells us that we aren't good enough or our lives would be so much better if we had their product - so we go to work to buy these items then go home and watch TV or surf the web and get told that something else is the key to our happiness instead - we are on an endless hamster wheel of buying stuff to make us happy.
The below extract from the minimalist guide Simplify by Joshua Becker hit home:
"Realize possessions do not equal joy. As a part of my full-time job, I frequently take adults and students to third-world environments. I have taken enough trips over the years that I can predict what the emotional response is going to be in the life of somebody who has never seen life outside of the established, consumer-driven, American culture where I live. They will inevitably have three emotions at some point during the trip:
1. They will be shocked that people with so little can be so joyful.
2. They will wish that they enjoyed life as much as the people they meet.
3. They will say that they are blessed to live in America and own so many possessions.
The reflective ones will connect the dots and realize the foolishness of their third statement as soon as they say it out loud. Others will repeat the same three emotions over and over again. Studies have shown over and over again that “possessions” and “joy” are not equal (for example, America ranks #1 in rate of depression).
The unfortunate truth is, we have equated possessions with joy for so long that even when the evidence is right in front of our faces, we don’t recognize it."
Living beneath your means and not "keeping up with the Joneses" are also a large part of being minimalist which also feeds into the zero waste ethos of not buying stuff you don't need. I am content with what I have the vast majority of the time - I go for very long periods of not buying anything - one time recently enough I misplaced my wallet and did not realise for 2 weeks - the girls at work were astonished that I went 2 weeks without putting my hand in my pocket (Colm does the groceries, I had gas in the car, I had money on my lunch card, I stayed in on the weekends and played video games or watched movies - that was all I needed).
So how do I stay content, avoid being convinced to buy more stuff and cut down on spending?
Don't watch ads/read magazines
We rarely watch traditional tv, instead it's Netflix or movies. You could also record shows and skip the ads if you have that feature. Not exposing yourself to ads keeps you more content with what you have. Magazines are mainly ads telling us to buy more, limit exposure to them or cut them out altogether.
Use ad-blocker
Of course Facebook, Instagram and everything else online has targeted ads but with the ad blocker extension there aren't too many and they are easily scrolled past. This extension makes internet browsing SO much less cluttered, although it's free I encourage donating to support those who made it.
Calculate how much of your life you are exchanging for the item
Translating the cost of items into the amount of time you have to work for them often helps to put things into perspective. I use my net salary for this rather than the gross. If I'm buying a new laptop it may take a week's wages to pay for it but I will use it everyday for 3-4 years so is well worth the cost.
Don't increase your living costs as your pay increases
As you get older you gain experience and earn more year on year, this does not mean you should spend more, get a nicer car, get a bigger house. If you get a promotion or bonus, try not to increase your living costs instead stick with your current spending and save or invest the rest.
Don't go shopping for fun
We rarely go shopping for the sake of it (usually limited to once a year around Christmas) - if we go into town it's for a specific purpose and don't veer from that. Although going into the market each weekend has exposed me to more window shopping and I succumbed to a new dress even though I already have too many clothes I don't wear - I'm doing my best to put on the blinders.
Don't buy things on the spot
If you are out shopping or shopping online and see something you absolutely must have or think might be useful don't buy it, give it a day or two and if you still want it then get it. More often than not the feeling passes. Also if you have done without it to date you probably don't need it (things like kitchen gadgets are a prime example).
Shop around
If you've seen something you MUST have, do your research, read reviews (amazon is a great place for reviews) and ensure it is the best option available for the best price. Websites like pricespy are brilliant for comparison shopping when you have something specific in mind. Once you find which shop has the best price, you may find that it is too far away, luckily many shops have price matching schemes so if there is a closer shop that stocks the item, ring them and ask if they price match against the other shop.
Don't buy things just because they are on sale
If you see something on sale and you think it is something you might make use of - don't buy it. Paying 50% for something is still paying 100% more than if you didn't buy it at all.
Shop with a list and stick to it
Whether it's food, clothes or anything else, shop with a list and stick to it. Anything extra usually results in waste (for food anyway) or excess (and wasted money). Only shop when you need (not want) something.
Before buying: Ask yourself if you can borrow or rent it
If you think of things like power drills, they are used for something like 12 minutes across their lifetime and yet everyone that uses one has their own. The simple option to rent from your local hardware store is easily available but more and more peer to peer borrow/rent options are opening up from things like clothes (check out NuWardrobe), to electronics, camping gear, and power tools (check out trylio or look for a local "Library of Things") and obviously books from your local library. You could also check out your local community zero waste group to see if your like-minded community members have something you could borrow.
Before buying: Ask yourself if you can get if free or second hand
Check for local freecycle or second hand websites (DoneDeal, Adverts.ie or buy and sell facebook groups) and check them first when you're looking for something in particular, if they don't have it you can also check ebay and click the "used" filter.
Drive an old car
The vast majority of people I know have newer cars and have car payments. I always try to buy older but reliable cars (like 10 years old old). I've had my '05 Yaris for 3 years and have only had routine maintenance (knocks on wood). I paid 4,500€ for it in cash and pay little in petrol. This approach has saved thousands over the years.
Before buying: Ask yourself if you could make it yourself
I'm finding out that more and more things are within my capabilities to make/do myself that I never would have considered before. When we move to our new house we will need all new furniture. Instead of buying a few of the more expensive pieces I want to try and make some myself. A great series for simple DIY projects around the house is The Weekender. A new shared woodworking workshop has opened up in Cork recently where you can bring in a project and their experienced furniture makers will guide you on what supplies you need and how to make it and you can use their workbenches and tools. They have an offer on of 50€ for 2 Saturdays of 10am-2pm for this service. I will post on this experience once I give it a try.
Before replacing: Ask yourself if it can be repaired
Repairing something is often cheaper than replacing (unfortunately not true for some electronics), if you have a hard to find piece check amazon or ebay. Check with local repair shops for prices. Some communities are starting pop up repair cafe's where people can volunteer to repair things for free and show people how to do it themselves (check out Repair Cafe Ireland for upcoming events near you).
When doing renovations always buy a few more floor boards/wall tiles as those usually get discontinued and you'll want a few spare for replacing over the years.
When you do buy, buy quality
If something is cheap it's usually for a reason - it won't last. That's not to say that expensive designer things will last either (as some are even made in the same factories as non-designer items) but if you do your research and read reviews you can suss out if something is quality. Also if the company provides lifetime warranties you can be pretty sure they are willing to stand over the quality (companies like JanSport backpacks and Darn tough socks have unconditional warranties where they either repair or replace even if you damaged it yourself or bought them second hand) .
If you buy something cheap it's more attainable right now but will cost you more over the lifetime if you have to repair or buy another one if the cost of repair is higher than getting a new one.
Don't upgrade your phone every year or two
Just because your phone provider says you're entitled to an upgrade doesn't mean you're getting a deal, what they are actually doing is tying you into a longer contract at a higher price. If you can afford to buy outright or buy second hand you will get a cheaper monthly phone plan with more flexibility to shop around. I bought my phone outright and now have a monthly plan for 10€ for 6 months and 20€ thereafter for 250 minutes, 250 texts and 30GB of data. I try to keep my phone for at least 3 years or until Apple slows down the older models and they become unusable. When you are done with the phone, sell it (I got 100€ for my last 3 year old iPhone) or make sure to recycle it for valuable hard to mine components to keep as much out of the landfill as possible.
Unplug
Better yet, unplug altogether or at least cut back (something I still need to try). There is a good section in the Zero Waste Home book on digital detox. Small extract here:
"There is such a thing as being too connected. Overusing digital devices is not only environmentally draining (requiring the latest electronics and massive server farms running nonstop to keep trivial pieces of information available), it can also be detrimental on a human level. It distracts us from living in the moment, from enjoying real life; it discourages person-to-person contact and face-to-face connections; it can expose our every move and steal our privacy. Notably, nonstop entertainment robs us of alone time, crucial for independent thinking, appreciation, and gratitude—and maybe even happiness.
While social media can be a useful business marketing tool, I found that on a personal level it made me feel unfulfilled and discouraged with my life. Sometimes I felt as if I were involved in an unspoken contest I was destined to lose. My “friends” were more popular than I could ever be, with more tweets, more achievements, and more expertise. Social media made me revisit the worst insecurities of my high school days that I thought I had buried twenty years ago."
Bea's steps to consider trying
"Delete personal social media accounts; I kept business ones that provide specific benefits. I also limit postings to the essential, and synchronize accounts for maximum automation.
Keep a list of web-related tasks and block Internet time for them, to avoid sidetracking and aimless surfing.
Turn off my cell phone when I work and use Google Voice to send voice mail transcripts to my email inbox.
Set times to check emails thrice per day (instead of all day or every time they come in), concisely reply only to those that require a response. I always strive for an empty inbox and use it as a to-do list: Once an item has been acted upon, I file or delete it.
Keep my computer desktop clear, and streamline personal folders and my favorites on a regular basis.
Work in an inspiring setting and sometimes escape Internet access. My favourite place to work is probably my deck, where procrastination is limited to observing nature: squirrels leaping about in the oaks or a hummingbird buzzing around our Meyer lemon buds. But when I approach a writing deadline and am striving for maximum productivity, I have found that I work best in cafés or parks, where my landline does not ring and Wi-Fi is not set."
All that said, I totally understand the feeling of retail therapy and succumb to it myself from time to time however, the feeling of having a cushion to fall back on, not wondering if my direct debits are going to fail and counting the hours to my next paycheck are well worth the very short term high of buying something new - and actually - buying something used has essentially the same effect as it's new to you.
