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.