How to buy less and save the planet
Buying more does not make us any happier and it is also one of the most damaging things we can do to the planet. Buying less is also better than buying green because buying green products is still associated with consumption and materialism. Many green products aren’t necessary, why do we need to buy metal straws, bamboo cutlery or virgin organic cotton t-shirts anyway? Our planet only has a finite amount of resources, yet we are extracting them as if they are infinite and in doing so we are degrading the planet we call home.
A 2019 study found that buying less is better than buying green, both for the planet and for our own emotional wellbeing and happiness. “Humans' overconsumption of resources - from the food and clothes we buy to the methods of transportation we choose - is a leading contributor to global climate change,” says University of Arizona researcher Sabrina Helm. (source)
It is important that we all consume less, the planet is already being exploited and waste is piling up. Consumerism and materialism have wreaked havoc on our planet and unless we decrease our over-consumptive habits, the world’s problems and landfills are going to continue to swell.
We all need to buy the essentials, this article isn’t about spending no money but instead constantly buying new material possessions that we don't actually need.
There are some habits that we can change in our day to day lives and opportunities for us to step back and have a look at what we are doing and how they can change to better the planet and in turn, help ourselves.
1. Limit your exposure to advertising
This is surprisingly really difficult because advertisements have crept in to all aspects of our lives with such force that they are really difficult to avoid. But we can make choices that help us to limit the amount of advertising we see on a daily basis.
The sole purpose of advertising is to sell you something, they are designed to make you pull out your wallets and either go online or head instore to purchase. So therefore, limiting your exposure to advertising can help you to not only spend less money and declutter your mind, but prevent you from buying things that you have been tricked into buying.
We live in a consumer society and part of that reason is because of advertising. Advertising is hard to avoid and it is designed to pull at your deepest emotions to make your spend money and buy things that you don’t necessarily need. Companies profit from us and exploit us for their own benefit.
Research has shown that advertising makes us unhappy because they are exploitative in nature and tug at our emotions. They make us feel inadequate, lower self-esteem and force us to compare ourselves to others. Ads often tell us we need something because it will benefit us and make us better in some form or another. Whether it is a new pair of shoes, a large amount of children’s toys or the latest and greatest smartphone with the biggest screen and best camera.
Here are some useful tips to see less advertisements:
Ad blocking extensions
Using Adblocking extensions on your desktop computer and using adblocking apps on your phone can drastically decrease the amount of ads you see on a daily basis, especially those of us who use our electronic devices for work. Ad blocking extensions can stop us from seeing ads on video sites like Youtube, social media sites like Facebook and even news websites.
There are so many different ad blocking extensions and there are also a tonne of adblocking apps available for iOS and Android mobile devices.
It’s important to know that these extensions and apps don’t eliminate every ad, however they make a noticeable difference in the overall amount you are exposed to.
Don't watch tv
Watching TV is a sure fire way to be bombarded with lots of different advertisements. Watching less television will decrease the number of ads you see regularly. Australians will be familiar with this scenario, a television program running in an hour time slot, only that the program itself is often less than 40 minutes long and the remaining 20 minutes or so is filled with ads and program sponsors.
Watching tv shows on streaming services is often better because there aren’t too many streaming services that have ad breaks every five minutes.
Of course, streaming services cost money and the shows they provide also have product placements and sponsors, but they are usually far fewer than those on commercial tv stations.
Unsubscribe from junk email
It’s quite easy to become subscribed to junk email. When we buy something online or when we sign up for something we are usually automatically added into a newsletter list. Some companies send out an email multiple times a day, clogging up our inbox, prompting us to take advantage of sales, discounts and the classic its free, just pay for the shipping deals. These adverts are quite annoying but they work and it is why it is so popular with so many businesses. Unsubscribing from junk email isn’t too difficult and doesn’t take very long, but it is effective at reducing our exposure to advertising.
Social media
Limiting your daily usage of social media is also important. Social media sites like Facebook, Tik Tok, Youtube and Instagram have also made us more unhappy because we are constantly bombarded by advertising and comparing ourselves to others. Facebook, which also owns Instagram, makes more than 95% of it's revenue from advertising. Youtube made $34 buillion in ad revenue over a three year period (source). While we can use ad blocking extensions to reduce paid for advertisements on sites like Youtube, creators on these platforms often post photos and videos containing product placement and sponsorships. These types of advertisements are unavoidable on these platforms. Influencers and creators have to make a living and they are paid by brands to create content and promote products. Social media is filled with ads so it’s best to use these platforms sparingly.
To spend less time on social media there are a few things we can do. Within the settings on our phone and in the apps themselves we can see how much of our time is spent on these apps and set time limits. Other very simple, yet effective methods include:
turning off all push notifications
putting our phone into focus mode, especially when working, to avoid the temptation of using these apps
leaving our phone in another room when completing other tasks and during the night so we don’t mindlessly scroll just before going to sleep
hiding social media apps from easy access
logging out of your accounts to make it a little more difficult to access
and if you are still struggling, deleting the most used social media apps from your phone to make it even harder to access
2. Use what you have already
It is really easy to convince ourselves that we need something to do a task and it is even easier to go online and purchase that thing to do that task. But taking a step back and being content with what we already posess and making do is important. We don’t need to go out and buy the latest seasons clothing because it is in fashion, instead the clothes that we already own are more than good enough.
If we really need something why not consider a second hand purchase or swap with friends. Often we buy on impulse and regret our purchase upon reflection. To avoid this we can wait a few days or weeks to mull over our decision, if we still want it and need it then we can buy it.
A simple method to get the most out of what you have is to learn some new skills. Learning to stitch old clothes or knit is a great example.
Other examples include not upgrading to the latest smartphone every year and repairing your current phone if it is damaged. Opt to reupholster your lounge instead of buying a new one. Lastly, you could repurpose things to extend their life and use, like choosing to repurpose old coffee jars for storing dry foods like flour and nuts, or using an old unused cookie jar as a plant pot. Whatever you choose to repurpose, many things we already have could be used in a more creative way.
3. Avoid places that make you spend money
When you're at the shopping centre, you’re going to be more likely to spend money and buy things because you want them, or there is a 20% off sale and because you couldn’t resist the temptation. Rather than spending time at the mall and trying to impose self-control and discipline, a better tactic is to avoid putting yourself into these difficult to overcome situations as much as possible.
Avoidance is a better strategy than self-control. James Clear, in his best selling book Atomic Habits, talks about this exactly.
“When scientists analyze people who appear to have tremendous self-control, it turns out those individuals aren’t all that different from those who are struggling. Instead, disciplined people are better at structuring their lives in a way that does not require heroic will power and self-control. Those that have self-control are better at avoiding the temptation in the first place, they don't put themselves in the scenario to begin with. In other words, they spend less time in tempting situations. The people with the best self-control are typically the ones who need to use it the least. It’s easier to practice self-restraint when you don’t have to use it very often.”
4. Replace shopping with experiences and other activities
I'm not sure about you but I grew up going to the mall regularly. When my family had time off we would all go to the mall. When I hung out with my high school friends on weekends we would go to the mall and just walk around, hang out and shop. This has been hard for me to break free from, not because I like shopping or hanging out at the mall but because it had become such an ingrained habit, that often the first thing I would think of when I would want to get out of the house and do something or catch up with friends, would be to meet at the mall or to walk around aimlessly at the mall.
I have also found that many of my favourite restaurants and cafes are located in or within walking distance to major shopping districts so it is easy to get distracted and just have a quick look around because I am already here, either on the way to, or after I have finished my meal. It’s not just food outlets either, it’s supermarkets, cinemas, hair salons, newsagents, post offices, optometrists, dentists, banks and so on. Some of the most necessary places we need to visit are located in or next to major shopping complexes.
With all this being said I think that replacing shopping with hobbies, and especially outdoor activities, is a powerful force for preventing us from buying stuff.
Research has proven that experiences bring people more happiness than material possessions. Even the waiting for an experience creates more happiness. “Waiting for an experience apparently elicits more happiness and excitement than waiting for a material good. By contrast, waiting for a possession is more likely fraught with impatience than anticipation.”
“Experiential purchases are also more associated with identity, connection, and social behavior. Looking back on purchases made, experiences make people happier than do possessions. It's kind of counter to the logic that if you pay for an experience, like a vacation, it will be over and gone; but if you buy a tangible thing, a couch, at least you'll have it for a long time. Actually most of us have a pretty intense capacity for tolerance, or hedonic adaptation, where we stop appreciating things to which we're constantly exposed. iPhones, clothes, couches, et cetera, just become background. They deteriorate or become obsolete. It's the fleetingness of experiential purchases that endears us to them. Either they're not around long enough to become imperfect, or they are imperfect, but our memories and stories of them get sweet with time. Even a bad experience becomes a good story.” (source)
Replacing shopping with experiences doesn’t even need to cost money, just spending time outdoors in nature. Spending time outdoors makes us happier, improves our physical and mental health, improves our immune system, lowers our risk of high blood pressure, depression, improves our sleep and of course costs nothing.
Spending time immersed in your hobbies is also a much more fun and effective way to boost your mental health and doesn’t need to cost money or the earth.
Instead of walking around mindlessly shopping or spending time with friends at malls, engage in activities, hobbies and choose experiences, some examples include:
hiking or nature walking
riding a bike
colouring, painting or drawing
swimming
surfing
kayaking and canoeing
reading a book or journalling
gardening
travelling
fishing
camping
etc.
