Cut the crap
Home » Magazine » Good, issue 5 » Cut the crap10-step help for shopping addicts
Image of assemblage at 'In the Bag' group show, Brixton Art Gallery, by Fluidthought via Flickr
Become a conscious consumer
- Shopping can be more about recreation and therapy than about purchasing items that we really need.
- The current economic meltdown and the climate change crisis are two excellent reasons to try living within our means.
- Curbing our own consumption—starting with buying less—creates opportunities to live more simply, save money and discover more creative alternatives.
"Let’s make sure we’re thinking about where our money is really going. Buying more plastic crap that we’re going to end up throwing in a landfill isn’t going to give us long-term economic stability. It just puts everybody further and further into debt”—Computer games developer, maths whiz, millionaire businesswoman and environmental crusader Melissa Clark-Reynolds
Ten Ways to buy less
- Don’t be a mall rat. Don’t go near the shops unless there is something specific you need to buy. Encourage your kids to go to the beach, the library, join a band or a sports club—anything but hang out at the shops as something to do.
- Write shopping lists. Put the approximate cost of each item in a column and add up the total. Can you afford it? Do you even need it? Shop to the list instead of according to whim.
- Pay cash. If you use a credit card then don’t spend more than you can pay off in total each month. Otherwise, pay for things with cash. Try taking out only a set amount per week.
- Quiz yourself. What are your motives for wanting something? What are you hoping to gain from it? Do you have something like it already? Learn to distinguish between want and need.
- Be a creative giver. Make your own cards and presents. Buy vintage. Give experiences rather than things—breakfast in bed, a massage, tickets to the zoo, guitar lessons.
- Sort your stuff out. If you can’t find things you may end up buying the same item twice. Polish your shoes, wash clothes carefully, put tools away after use—look after your things to get maximum use from them.
- Something in, something out. Before buying something new, is there is an equivalent item you can get rid of? Have a clothes-swapping night with friends, or use Swap Club (www.swapclub.co.nz) to exchange books, games, movies and more.
- Share the love. What do you and your friends, family, neighbours or colleagues have that could be shared? Start by growing veggies and swapping surplus produce. What about gardening or power tools, lawnmowers, camping gear or other items that sit in storage most of the time?
- Think before you biff. Check if old or broken items can be fixed, re-purposed, or passed to someone else. List it as a ‘Freebie’ at Trade & Exchange (www.te.co.nz), join Freecycle (www.freecycle.org/group/NZ), put it on the footpath with a ‘free’ sign, or put it aside for the next school jumble sale.
- Buy well. Choose re-usable over disposable, and buy the best quality you can. Is it well made and designed with classic styling? Is it an organic or fair trade product? Is it made in New Zealand?
