Buy less, buy better, buy small – the 3 rules I follow to consume more mindfully
After a low-spend year, I've learnt what I really need
Amanda Jones is one of Ideal Home's new Open House contributors, sharing her thoughts on sustainable living and decorating a home in way that is good for the environment. See the rest of her articles here.
In todays fast-paced, consumer driven world, where GDP is more important than our planet’s health, trying to live sustainably can feel overwhelming. One way to lessen our impact is on the planet, is to slow down what we consume. Buy Less, Buy Better, Buy Small.
I don’t think as individuals, we should accept the whole responsibility of the planet’s deteriorating health. The ‘lions share’ of that responsibility should fall squarely on the shoulders of large corporations, who are exploiting the earth’s resources, and governments, who are failing to act effectively to protect the planet. We do, however, have a responsibility to recognise the negative impact our overconsumption has, then act on that understanding.
There are some simple things we can do, that won’t take too much time, especially once they become part of our daily habits. Doing these three things, can and will, make a huge impact on our planet’s health, and I believe have a positive impact on us as humans too.
1. Buy less
Consumed written by Aja Barber explores the reasons for our over consumption, and how we can-stop.
We live in a society where we are expected to overconsume, in fact it’s celebrated. The accumulation of ‘stuff’ is how we judge our ‘worth’, it’s a status symbol. This is particularly fuelled by ‘online’ life, social media, and the constant push from advertisements. We constantly compare our lives to others. There’s more and more pressure to buy the latest gadget, latest fashion, just so we can keep up with that person we so admire so much on our Instagram feed. We consume ‘mindlessly’ in this pursuit.
The antidote to this, is quite simple. Think before you buy, and practice ‘mindful’ consumption. To do this, we need to start to understand ourselves better, what is it that we truly need, what enhances our lives, and brings real joy. What burdens us, and gives us more stress. Pausing before making a purchase, allows us to ask, what will this item bring into our lives? When the shopping dopamine drops, how will we feel then?
When I did a low/no spend year, I learnt so much about what I needed, what my ‘non-negotiables’ were. I learnt about the things that bought me real joy. Understanding this helps me to keep my ‘wants’ in balance. It has helped me practice mindful consumption, and this has led me to buying far less things, than I did before.
When you understand what you need, what brings real value into your life, you will automatically buy less, waste less, and I think ultimately, be more satisfied with your life.
2. Buy better
We had to save for years to buy a good quality natural mattress, well worth every penny as it’s transformed my sleep experience.
Buy the best you can afford, the best quality your budget will allow. There’s a saying ‘buy cheap, buy twice’, and it’s true. Sometimes it’s hard, especially when you are on a tight budget, but if you buy something that is well made, you’re buying something that will last a long time.
Be patient and save up for things. I’m currently saving for a new sofa, until then we are making do with the one we have, which doesn’t meet our current needs. As I’ve been saving, I’ve been researching, looking for the best sustainable option I can afford.
If you can’t afford to buy new, then consider buying items second-hand. Often things made in the past, are better quality than things that are mass produced today.
Build up an emergency fund. Be prepared for when items invariably break. When you don’t have the immediate cash to hand, it can be so easy to buy an inferior product in a panic, only to regret the purchase a few weeks later. An emergency fund gives security, things can be replaced, without going into dept, and no settling for second-best.
Buying better, ultimately means we will be buying less, because things will last longer, quality over quantity.
3. Buy small
I always try and support small, independent businesses whenever I can.
I’m a huge advocate for supporting small businesses. My reasoning is simple, multi-national, large corporations have more than their fair share of the global market. By prioritising spending my cash with smaller businesses, I’m helping to readdress that balance, in my own small way.
It's a principle at the heart of my approach to mindful consumption. Small is good, local is even better. Local to me is not just my high street, its also my ‘local’ community on social media, it’s the businesses I also follow on Instagram. I also prioritise UK based ones where I can, to reduce airmiles. I choose businesses that really care about the state of our planet, that are eco conscious, and transparent.
I want to build a ‘relationship’ with those I spend my money with. A reflection on how things used to be, when you popped to you high street to buy your clothes, nipped into the bakers to buy your bread. There’s a person behind the counter, a person the end of the telephone, it’s a human messaging you back on Instagram. I personally find this way of shopping much more joyful, and I’m helping sustain livelihoods, whether that is local or online communities.
Buying small also naturally slows down your purchases. You ‘meander’ to those small businesses, they can be a little harder to find, but so worth the time it will take. Small businesses don’t have large advertisement budgets, they rely very much on a good reputation, and word of mouth, and that’s exactly why I choose to shop small.
By following these three, simple steps, I feel I’m living a more sustainable life. I consume less, I buy better-quality products, reducing the need to buy replacements. I’m helping to sustain smaller businesses, and doing my part to readdressing some of the imbalances caused by large corporations.
Buy less, buy better, buy small. My mantra to living a less consuming, more sustainable life.
