What Motivates Your Non-Consumerism?
Holiday season gets me thinking on the "how" and "why" behind opting out of a consumer driven life. My line is always that "Overmanufacture of consumer goods is killing our planet." (I think I even said the phrase "Overmanufacture of consumer goods" when I was on The Today Show back in 2012.) The problem is that you can say something often enough that it loses all meaning.
There's even a term for this -- "Semantic satiation," which is defined as "A psychological phenomenon in which repetition causes a word or phrase to temporarily lose meaning for the listener."
This is why I'm always looking out for fresh motivation to keep myself on the straight and narrow.
Inspiration like this photo of a Chilean landfill with millions upon millions (upon millions) of pounds of discarded clothing. A definite example of "Overmanufacture" of consumer goods!"
Or this beach of washed up fast fashion in Ghana:
Lately I've been enjoying Bradley on a Budget, because he's enjoyably more extreme with his nonconsumerism than I am, which gives me the opportunity to learn something new. People whose content give standard tips such as "bring your own lunch to work" are unlikely to teach me anything whatsoever.
So I ask you:
Where are you finding nonconsumer inspiration? Is it from people who unfortunately serve as cautionary tales or a beloved friend or family member? Please share your thoughts in the comments section below.
I love Bradley on a Budget. When I’m shopping I hear him say in my brain, “don’t buy that it’s Stupid.” Ninety percent of what I wear is gifted(hand me downs) or thrifted from my favorite thrift store where everything is donated, all volunteer staff and all proceeds go to animal rescue shelters. I can find clothes, books, furniture, purses, china, holiday decorations. I easily walk past all the new stuff for sale in other stores. I donate back to this thrift store and other donation centers. Lots of gifts this year are consumable, used, or experiences. I remind my husband often to reuse, recycle and make do. He is not quite as in to it as I am but he is getting better. Headed home to make yet another meal because not only is it frugal but so much better for you. Love the blog. Thanks for all you do.
Here. I find motivation on your site and of course The Tightwad Gazette book. The Prudent Homemaker is another favorite blog site. I originally found motivation from my grandmother, who was born in the late 1800’s, and raised six kids during the Great Depression on a farm. I was born in a hospital but I was brought home from the hospital to that farm, which did not have running water nor a toilet. Mom eventually moved us, along with grandma, to a little house in town she bought. We still had a large garden. They were very tight with electric use, and only bought necessities at the store bc my grandma canned. I feel like I am a big slacker compared to my grandma. I am a big baby when the power or water goes off and ai don’t like to be cold or hot. I also cannot sew worth a lick, and I am dismal at canning. That is why I try to buy canned goods at their cheapest, and grow fresh greens half of the year. I am lousy at true survival skills.
I will look up Bradley.
Those photos you posted remind me of my days as a breaking news reporter. I'd go to fires. The flames against the night sky were awesome and beautiful; yet, at the same time, they were frightening and destructive. Those piles of discarded clothes look like a beautiful abstract painting, until you realize what you're seeing: the destruction of our planet and a terrible waste. That's a sin and a shame.
As per the holidays, the Tightwad Gazette once printed a wonderful Amy D. essay about the commercialization of Christmas. IIRC, it said when people moved into cities, all the dept. stores got into the act of advertising their wares. To the extent of implying if you don't buy everyone you know a mega buttload of gifts, they'll think you don't love them. So people started the trend of "shop til you drop" and getting into holiday debt that may last for months and months. This has spread to other areas. Kids "have" to get the latest toys, fast fashions or phones or other fads or else they think they're being horribly deprived. A century or so ago, the "father of advertising" once advised merchants to create a sense of inferiority in the consumer -- ie, make they believe if they don't have the latest whatever, they are inferior. This, in turns, creates a want (which, in the consumer's mind is a NEED), and drives of sales.
Oh, boy, have they done a great job of this! Very sad. That is also a sin and a shame.
I have never heard of Bradley. I will have to check him out.
Perhaps sadly, a lot of people I know give me real life examples of what happens when you dont take care of yourself and your home first.
A friend I know through work - retired military with a pension/ss/disability - also does ebay selling - has let two different people move into his house at times who never paid rent and were hard on their luck. He didn't need renters. One person had a small fire in his home, caused a lot of damage and chaos, never paid or fixed anything, and infact invited homeless people to live in the homeowners yard...
The other 'roommate' who has also never paid rent, now has a child and wont leave or get a job and suffers from addiction. The owner feels too bad to ask her to leave mostly because of the child. In trying to help this woman he financed her college education and helped her get the degree with him doing the class work... in doing so he forgot to pay his mortgage. He was able to get his mortgage to go into forbearance. He now has 2 months to come up with $30K or lose his house. No one he has let live with him, lent his vehicles to, or anything else has offered to help him come up with this money at all.
In the meantime the county is getting on him for junk cars on the property so there could be some liens too. Is this hoarding or overbuying? Probably both, with a sprinkling of unmanaged boundaries, budgets, attempts at ebay buying/selling that was unmanaged, giving too much to too many people, and more.
Non consumerism, minimalism, and decluttering all seem to have a common thread - self management, ability to distinguish what's needed and not needed, discernment, self control. Keeping your own house in order is so important. I think the desire is self awareness to have what you want instead of letting things, people, etc run you over, overwhelm you, take over, or even ruin your life.
Years of moving with the military and having treasures broken, we got into the mindset of “will we use it weekly?” If the answer was no we didn’t get it. Now being in a fixed location after military retirement but still working, I have to remind myself and my husband will anyone want this after we are dead? The answer is usually no. I know we didn’t want much of anything that we had to help clean out after relatives passed.
My copy of The Tightwad Gazette was worn out with constant use, especially after I left the military to stay home with littles and we were living off one income. My parents are a great motivation to me as they are hoarders and I have worked my whole life to not fall into that trap.
Those photos also marked me when I first saw them! I think about them every time I have to consider getting an additional piece of clothing for anyone in my family, which is a thing regularly needed since the 3 teens continue to grow and we currently live in a place with 4 fully distinct seasons. I continue to decrease the amount of new clothing that comes into our house, and I'm proud to say that 4 of the 5 winter jackets currently in use in my house are all 2nd hand, the latest being my pride and joy: a new-looking down high-quality fancy-brand jacket that I bought for the equivalent of US$15, but would probably be about US$300 retail.
I also have lived in 10 different countries and every time I move I want to just set fire to it all, and that is true inspiration for being more mindful about what comes into the house. I find inspiration in not having to worry about all this stuff! every time we move.
You should check out Nicole Svenson on TikTok! She's been a great source of inspiration, she only shops 1x a month for groceries for a family of 4, with a budget of $300.
I'm outdoorsy in the outdoorsy sense and lived in Colorado until employment circumstances dictated I didn't anymore. Also lived in Washington state for a time. Being above treeline and in the backcountry and seeing raw, untouched nature always motivated me. Not only do I want to preserve that beauty, but backpacking teaches you just how little you really need to survive and feel fulfilled. It also provides a contrast with everyday life that opens up appreciation for "little" things like heated rooms, hot showers, and fresh produce. Having a strong sense of self, a reclusive nature, and a vision beyond mere social signaling (which is what I think most of that fast fashion is) helps me as well.
I am getting my inspiration from this holiday season. I dread Christmas. I loathe getting gifts that I can’t use, don’t want, don’t like, etc. This year I insisted and made a per-person gift budget for our family of two parents, two young adult kids. We all had lists. But even with that, I dislike the consumerism and spending money on All. The. Stuff. Wish it were all over already. Signed, the Grinch.
I think I was initially inspired when I read the “Little House on the Prairie” books as a kid. I was impressed that they had so few possessions, and they were so mindful of the possessions they had. If Ma got a new dress (which she sewed by hand), the fabric from the old dress was repurposed for kids’ clothing or edging on curtains, or quilts, or rags.
The idea of having a good grasp on every single item in the household appeals to me. In this modern age, we are so overloaded with crap! I’m not much of a consumer, but I still feel like things are out of control. Every time I consider bringing something new into my house, I try to ask myself whether there is a different solution involving items I already own.
Maybe it’s a mindfulness thing? Appreciating the objects I interact with? Not living a disposable lifestyle? I don’t know.
When I see your photos of piles of discarded fast fashion, I feel guilty, even though I’m not really contributing to the problem. (I’m sitting here in an outfit from the bins!) I suppose I’m upset about the environment as well.
Meanwhile, I do have family who don’t admire my frugal ways. There’s a snobbish sister-in-law who criticizes me for “acting poor”. Whatever. I don’t feel poor.
Li,
If I could play Frugal Psychic, I predict that when your snobbish SIL gets to retirement age, she'll be coming to you for a handout. Because all her money will be spent on fancy things at the mall and other frivolities. I would bet dollars to donuts that you are going to get the last laugh. (But please don't give her any money.)
I live in the middle west of the US, specifically SW Illinois. When we drive thru central Illinois the highest points we see are landfills. And Cahokia Mounds historic site is not far from us. On the drive to the site the mounds of the white man, aka landfills, are clearly visible, dwarfing the historic mounds. School kids on trips are disappointed to find the mounds relatively small compared to the nearby landfills. It's definitely the waste that does it for me.
Laziness and old age. Ha! When I was young, I enjoyed shopping, I needed things and more importantly, I liked things. Now, no one makes clothes or shoes that work for me. We honestly don't need anything other than consumables and I find hunting through 110 choices to buy toothpaste or detergent extremely tiresome. Sometimes I'd actually like to spend money on objects and I simply can't find what I'm looking for (you know you're old and out of fashion when you can't even source from ebay!)
Seeing those mountains of clothing almost make me nauseous.
My late mother. She was born in 1923 and her mother died after giving birth to my aunt in February 1929. My grandfather was left with 3 little girls ages 6, 2 and less than 1 month. My grandmother's sister took care of the girls while my grandfather worked (then, they got married and had 5 more kids). The woman I knew as "grandma" was actually my great aunt Ruth.
Anyway, mom's stepmother had a nervous breakdown when my mom was 14. Mom (the oldest, and a girl) had to quit school in the 8th grade and care for a household of 10. Her parents, 6 of her 7 siblings, and an uncle. My mom was like Jesus feeding the 5,000 with 5 loaves and 2 fish. We didn't have 2 nickles to rub together, but mom was a miracle worker when it came to feeding people with virtually nothing. Dad said mom was so tight with money that she could rub 2 nickles together and get a quarter. My parents always put others ahead of themselves and often went without to provide for others in need.
Over the years, I have become an overly-practical gift giver. This year, I am making a meatloaf (cooked) for my BIL who is separated from DH's oldest sister after 62 years of marriage...he can't cook. I figure he can either nuke it or slice it cold for a sandwich. We already gave DH's sister a fruit basket and are giving their daughter and her girlfriend (who invited us for Christmas) freeze-dried fruit that one of my Amish families makes. They do a lot of hiking and camping, even in winter, so it will be a good snack for them to take on their adventures. When my sister was alive, I would give her tampons for Christmas. We gave DH's brother popcorn. He eats a huge bowl of it most every night.
I ordered 2 belts for DH as his is about to break. Our car needed major repairs over the last 2 months...happy birthday and Merry Christmas to me.
My boss's dad rolled his ATV as he was doing work around his property. He's 80 and it landed on him. My boss and his brother are taking care of their parents (mom is physically fine but has dementia) 24/7. I'm going to make 2 meatloaves, some baked corn, and some cole slaw to take to them. Not much, but hopefully it will give a brief, much needed, break.
My sister got divorced and the ex-took most of her things. She was always frugal but tightened the screws on her wallet. I sourced most of her furniture & other items second-hand. There are many low-income people in the US suffering from the economy. I have wondered if they scavenge & use second hand. My sister and I are middle class, but we thrift. I recently moved. Donated a large number of items to a charity for animal welfare. The new place is furnished 90% w/ thrifted items. I save my money for things you must buy new: tires, parts for car repair, medicine, cat food, and the like. I work w/ college age adults. Many of them have expensive handbags, eat out for lunch, have the newest phone, etc. I did not live like that in college. Maybe it is a generational thing, or parents pay for everything. I cringe at what I see thrown out near a local private university in my city. (I don't work at that school.)
The fact that disturbs me most is the giant area of plastic trash that is named the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. It is estimated to be twice the size of Texas. A good reason to not drink plastic bottles of water, soda, juice.
I'm not fond of buying tangible items that don't fall under household needs. Yes, we go out to eat as after 40+ years of cooking, better half deserves a break. Who else has a better half that graciously took over holidays when those that used to no longer could do so?
Clothes and shoe shopping has always been frustrating for me. And frankly, I am most comfortable in jeans/yoga pants than not. I find maintaining one's weight results in even less need to shop. Shoes wear out and the chances of finding an even almost new pair in a thrift shop isn't going to happen for me.
I tend to spend more helping others, I can afford to do so without negatively impacting my budget.
Looking back, my earlier frugal motivation came from my mom; Julie Andrews as Maria in The Sound of Music when she made the children's clothes out of her bedroom drapes; Janet Luhrs and Elaine St. James, both writers on the simplicity movement; and Bea Johnson, the mother of the zero waste lifestyle. I was born hating waste and getting great pleasure from being resourceful, mindful and efficient. I love the creativity and challenges that come with being frugal. There is also a bit of a rebellious independence in the mix, to be different from the mainstream. My current motivation comes from Katy here and Kristen (The Frugal Girl) and all of their inspiring commenters!
I've been using the term "eco-frugality" on the (very few) occasions someone comments on my patched winter coat & jeans. That coat is warm, the jeans are comfortable & I wear them out in public sometimes when I'm running errands because it's convenient for me. I hope it helps normalize wearing mended clothes. When I was a kid, I had "school clothes" to be kept nice & "play clothes" for rough & tumble & I guess I never outgrew that, lol.