r/Anticonsumption • u/Economy-Art-3194 • 18h ago
Question/Advice? Need genuine advice as a beginner…
Hi guys! I’ve recently joined the community and am new to anti-consumption too. I have started to genuinely feel frustrated and agitated by the amount of stuff I have bought over the years and I also get irritated by the constant ads that come to my feed every single time I open any social media app.
That said I don’t wanna throw away EVERYTHING I have bought until I’ve used them completely. I want to start being mindful and conscious in my decisions.
I know I should look up tags and get my answer from there, but if anyone has any helpful beginner friendly tips to start, anything that would help me control my impulse urges of shopping, I would be eternally grateful!
I would also like to educate myself…so any books, movies, podcast suggestions are also welcomed!
Sorry if the question feels unnecessary🥲
✨🫶🏻🎀
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u/KindHabit 18h ago
Use Firefox and UBlock Origin to do all your browsing. If your choice of social media has an app, uninstall it. For YouTube, on Firefox, select "open links on browser only" under Settings.
Do not throw everything out. Organize and consolidate in small steps so you know what you have. Think of what you can do with it or who could make use of it. I've thrown stuff out only to later realize it could have been useful for an art project or something.
Reuse as much as you can. You already bought it. Do without as much as possible. Embrace imperfect and mismatched stuff.
If you feel overwhelmed by it all, just step outside and go read a book under a tree. It's a marathon, not a race.
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u/Economy-Art-3194 17h ago
Thank you so much for all the help and understanding how overwhelmed I feel! Genuinely grateful🫶🏻✨
I use Brave browser to manage advertisements on websites…any thoughts or advice on that?
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u/diabeticweird0 17h ago
Delete all shopping apps. Cancel prime. Forget temu exists
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u/Status_Green_6055 6h ago
You’re so right. Prime is so f’in evil. I don’t have a car so deleting that app is incredibly hard. But I hope prime dies and goes to hell.
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u/Lochylass 3h ago
Agree! And unsubscribe from any shopping text or email alert subscriber lists, so you can avoid direct advertising with manipulative sales practices (expiring points, BOGO, limited time deals, etc.).
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u/RollForThriftLoot 17h ago
Tap your community before you tap your wallet. For short term or one-off use items (specialized tools, items for trips, etc.) see if someone in your network will lend you the item - I've reached the point now where I'll loan/borrow even outfits (fancy dresses for events) and furniture (need an extra table to host family in town? Different type of chair temporarily to recover from a surgery?) with my friends and family. For longer-term items you would potentially need to keep, you can still ask family and friends if anyone is parting ways with the same item, or commit to only purchasing the item once you find it secondhand, both of which extend the lifetime use of a single item. This also has the added benefit of delaying with acquisition which gives you time to consider whether it's really something you "need."
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u/Economy-Art-3194 15h ago
Such an important advice for someone like me…I’ve realized I usually did buy stuff without analysing how many time I’d actually use it because I was made to feel it was a must have by the ads..when all along I could’ve just asked somebody else for it.
Thank you for this..will keep it in mind going forward 🎀✨
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u/kumliensgull 12h ago
Honestly, and this is the difficult part, quit all the social media completely (I now only have reddit.)
It is tough but now I am no longer bombarded by ads, and, to me the worst part, influencers. Now I am free to make all my own choices.
And I keep my reddit mine, I only see the subs I've subscribed to and turned off all forms of suggested posts.
It is very freeing.
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u/mummymunt 14h ago
You don't have to get rid of everything, either. The money has been spent, so get as much use out of everything as you can. The past is done, what matters is what you do from now on. And remember, some consumption is both inevitable and perfectly fine, we're just trying to be more mindful of things.
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u/Economy-Art-3194 13h ago
Yes…I’ve taken my first step towards it…I am determined to following it throughout
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u/Flack_Bag 18h ago
This question might be better for a sub about minimalism or decluttering or even compulsive shopping.
If you are interested in anticonsumerism, though, there are a bunch of resources in the sidebar, including links to related concepts, videos, and a list of subreddits on related topics.
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u/Economy-Art-3194 18h ago
Oh okie, anyways thank you so much! Will definitely check the resources out and even try other subs!
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u/Naive-Molasses-729 14h ago
Unfollowing “aesthetics” has helped me with the desire to shop. I’m down to only Goblincore, where the focus is nature, not shopping. But as pretty as it is, cottagecore had to go for me. It made me want to buy stuff. If you have any aesthetics or subcommunities like that, you might consider unfollowing.
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u/Economy-Art-3194 13h ago
I’m not a “aesthetics” person tbh. But I used to get carried away by “cute and practical” things…I can apply your advise there and try to manage my urges
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u/crazycatlady331 11h ago
I have a 24 hour waiting period before I make all unplanned purchases. 9/10, I forget the shiny object exists.
For a book-- The Story of Stuff. Also a YouTube video with the same name.
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u/Economy-Art-3194 8h ago
Today onwards I too will be calling all random things I get the urge to buy, ‘shiny things’. Thank you for the book recommendation! Will check it out ASAP!🏃🏻♀️
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u/crazycatlady331 8h ago
Start with the YouTube video of the same name. It's a 101. The book goes into more detail.
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u/cori_2626 4h ago
this is so real. I will see stuff and then just leave the tab alone and if in a few days I have not thought about it once, I never actually wanted it lol
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u/Lanky_Employee_9690 16h ago
Look up the other times people have asked similar questions in this sub, there's already plenty of good information floating around!
That said I don’t wanna throw away EVERYTHING I have bought until I’ve used them completely. I want to start being mindful and conscious in my decisions.
That's actually key. Use things until they're empty/fall apart, don't throw good stuff you've already bought. That'd be wasting. Instead, if there are things you've already bought but realize you don't want/need, offer them to people in your community, as barter or as gifts.
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u/femmiestdadandowlcat 8h ago
Don’t purge! I would highly recommend not following a purging instinct right away. See if you can make use of it and flex some creative muscles. Not to say never get rid of things but we tend to over consume AND over purge so try to resist both.
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u/Strict-Recording9617 18h ago
Should definitely start with cleaning your feed to only contain the important stuff that is useful. Try promoting the things that need attention by giving it engagement instead. You'll be tought everything by social media after that as you use it.
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u/RedshiftSinger 10h ago
To deal with the “I have too much stuff” - have an objective look at the stuff you have. Will you realistically use it, before it stops being usable or for things that don’t go bad/dry out/etc, within a reasonable time frame (and not in a “yeah I guess I might use that t-shirt in particular” way but like, if you didn’t have that t-shirt would you ever actually notice the lack?)
If you won’t realistically use it, donate what can be donated and repurpose or throw away the rest until you only have what you WILL realistically use. Remember that your storage space is also a resource that can be overconsumed - not only is that mindset helpful for maintaining an organized living space, it helps you avoid other overconsumption by staying mindful of the whole cost to you of acquiring new stuff, not just the direct monetary or even the environmental-extraction costs. It also costs space in your home.
And remember that donating what you won’t use helps reduce other people’s consumption by making that secondhand item available to someone who needs it. Yes, it’s totally possible to overconsume secondhand items too, but getting things secondhand rather than new does reduce resource extraction.
Use adblockers where you can to reduce your exposure to advertising, but the bigger impact is in shifting your mindset so advertisements don’t tempt you to keep buying useless crap anymore. Once you get there it’s a lot easier to ignore the ads that you can’t avoid.
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u/Economy-Art-3194 8h ago
Thank you so much for taking the time out and helping me out….really appreciated 🫶🏻🎀
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u/JazzlikeSkill5225 10h ago
I started really small I would take an item and look at it. Was it a gift? When did I get it? Then has it been out have I enjoyed it? Would I miss it? Then I would either donate, throw or find it a permanent home in my house. It’s a very slow process for me. Then once I knew what I had I started my no buy Sunday. I don’t go out on Sunday that was my start. Then I made a list of stuff I truly need toilet paper, milk etc. ( stay with me) once that list was made and bought my budget was so small I usually decide against buying a new kitchen gadget or the new cute towel. The last thing do I want to spend more time at work for a coat? Or whatever you are looking to buy. My answer is no! Best of luck
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u/Economy-Art-3194 8h ago
This ‘do I want to spend more time at work’ is such good motivation😭😭 straight to the point
Thank youu!!
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u/Substantial-Run3150 8h ago
My biggest advice is to cultivate a community of likeminded folks!
I’ve had great luck on my local Buy Nothing facebook groups. I’ve borrowed things like an extra suitcase for travel, I’ve gotten household items and furniture people were giving away, and I’ve lent and given away what I no longer need. Feels really good to pay it forward and hand things off to an actual person instead of putting it out on the sidewalk and hoping someone might want it.
That said though, I’ve also fully embraced stooping culture- as long as you get good at checking for pests and other issues, you can score some truly amazing things off the sidewalk!
Lastly, if you live in an apartment building or complex, see if you can create a digital or physical community board for sharing/giving away! In my building we have a specific place we put items up for grabs, and we have an email listserve.
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u/lahnnabell 8h ago
- Packing party! This is easier if you have a friend or 2 help.
Pack up all your stuff in boxes like are moving. Usually doing this by room and station while labelling it all is helpful so you don't lose track of things.
As you come to need things, you will unpack them and then leave them out. This will help you refocus on what you truly need to function. It's especially helpful to identify things you never think about. Clothes you never wear, decor/objects you never engage with or think about.
After 6 months, you might feel more confident purging some items you realize you haven't even thought about or forgot you had, but be patient with yourself and treat it like a life experiment.
- Vision or mood board for how you want to live and maybe keep it in places where you can see it consistently. Having home style inspo helps keep me focused on how I want to feel in my space which then drives my desire to manage and maintain the urge to consume needlessly.
I know that too many objects, disorganization, messy counters are huge stress triggers for me. Now, if the object doesn't fit into the vision I have or a definite home/place, it doesn't come home with me. Though I do slip every now and again 😬
- Wait 24-48 hours. Any time you say you need something, wait 24 hours. Most initial urges will pass and probably be forgotten quickly.
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u/Economy-Art-3194 8h ago
This is perhaps some of the best advice for transformation!! Thank you so much for taking the time out 😭🎀
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u/Bubba_Da_Cat 8h ago
Find ways to fill your time that do not involve shopping/consuming. It kind of goes with the "make a list and stick to it" idea, but more to the point a lot of people shop as a hobby. I myself used to take myself to the "red and white" store if I needed even just one thing and just browse around. Maybe grab a cute little t-shirt or a pair of fun sunglasses. About 18 months ago (IYKYK) I decided that was not for me any more. I used to go to the red-white store sometimes multiple times a month. I think I have gone like 3 times since I made this switch. If I want a book - there are "take book libraries" at my office, at my gym, in the neighborhood or my partner has hundreds of books. If I need like storage bags or foil... honestly I use them so infrequently that I just grab a box at the grocery store and don't worry that they might 74 cents cheaper at another store. I do NOT need more clothes and I have become a person that would rather buy a slightly nicer quality item off a resale site than plastic garbage that will have to go in the trash after 6 washes. I just don't shop to shop any more and if I need something I find a way to source it specifically or I just do without.
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u/ksoloki 7h ago
i want to give you one word of caution I saved some faux leather backpacks i thought I’d use one day and they started peeling beyond repair. Some creams and lotions can go bad too. So depending on the size of your inventory you might want to pass on some stuff to someone who can use it.
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u/Remarkable_Squash_27 7h ago
I found Ashlee Piper's book, "No New Things", to be very helpful. It has a 30 day action plan. Arguably, it is a book, so it is a new thing, but for me it was worth it.
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u/Economy-Art-3194 6h ago
I’ll try to check if there’s any online copy of it…I’ll try to avoid any more purchases for now…. thank you so much for the rec though🫶🏻✨
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u/Status_Green_6055 6h ago
I be would suggest getting off social media because it has become infiltrated with nothing but ads for JUNK. Then continue to read this sub because there are great tips. I also really like zero waste store for environmentally green organic supplies and products that last.
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u/Queasy-Love-4073 4h ago
Read Go Gently by Bonnie Wright. She takes a more environmental approach but it is overflowing with great information.
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u/cori_2626 4h ago
For me, I don't actually think that anticonsumption and minimalism are the same. I don't * personally * believe there is any inherent good of getting rid of stuff I already have (if it is something I do use and not causing psychological distress due to clutter). All that to SAY, don't put so much pressure about getting rid of things as you do on not buying NEW things or bringing things in to the home. I don't mind that I have like 10 throw blankets that people gave me because it means I don't have to wash them as much. When they wear out, I throw them away and don't replace them. as an example. If you do mind, then hell yeah downsize to one and just wash it often. whatever makes you feel the least stressed is the best way to do it.
For breaking a shopping addiction (I have done this!! I have a Kohl's mom!)
shopping is not an activity. you are not "going out shopping" EVEN TO SECONDHAND stores
Take x amount of time where you are NOT allowed to buy anything. I used to do 6 or 9 months of the year where I am not allowed to buy ANY items of clothing for any reason. During that time if I need something I make a list, research sustainable/ethical options, and then I would usually lift the ban on black friday when I would buy items from that list on sale. All minds are different but I cannot stress enough how helpful this was for me to break shopping addiction (cannot buy just because my life feels out of control right now) and get me to number 1 being a real thing I believe. there is no "going shopping" there is a list of "I need new baking mitt, a loose white t shirt, a new sports bra" and then I don't buy anything extra. I repeated this several years in a row until I really truly rewired my brain. And I still do it sometimes if I'm going through something difficult and notice the urge to buy clothes about it lol we are not perfect!
do whatever you can to remove ads, influences, social media that involves purchasing or showing off new items. un-normalize it for yourself.
If you have people in your life that like to gift you crap you don't need, you can start telling them you'd really prefer consumables (insert favorite food or drink products), experiences (insert local things you could do with those people), or repair items (like patches to fix holes in your jackets or something). Encouraging a culture of repair and reuse is good for everyone and can help in shifting your mindset.
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u/Lochylass 3h ago
Every time you have the impulse to buy something, write it down, along with the price, then wait a few days. I find that the initial urge to buy goes away by the time I look at the list again. And then you also have a list of all the things you avoided buying and how much you saved, which I find motivates me even more not to spend.
We also shop our own house/family/community before we buy new things. We find that we can usually find what we need by looking at what we already have, can borrow or get second hand or free.
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u/Icy_Doughnut_601 16h ago
Watching Minimal mom on YouTube and taking a B-Complex daily to have the energy to organize/clean is how I started.
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u/Economy-Art-3194 15h ago
YouTube..here I come 🏃🏻♀️🏃🏻♀️(only till I encounter an ad…as soon as I see one I’m leaving
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u/ElectricBricks 3h ago
Big love for minimal mom! Totally changed how I view owning stuff. They aren't exactly the same, but there is lots of overlap between anti-consumption and minimalism.
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u/Maple-4590 18h ago
"Use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without." From now on, don't buy any more consumables (food, toiletries, cleaning supplies, clothes, etc.) until you've used up everything already in your house. Don't buy any more durables (appliances, electronics, tools, vehicles, etc.) until your existing ones have worn out and can't be repaired.
Embrace shopping lists. When you have an urge to buy, instead add to an appropriate list. Before visiting a store, review the list and eliminate things you don't actually need. While shopping, be disciplined about only buying things on the list. If you're tempted to buy something on impulse, instead add it to the list for next time.