Leaving your credit card(s) at home - If you are on a tight budget and have a clear amount of money you want to spend when you go out to shop or dine leave your credit card at home intentionally. Bring a little extra cash but make sure you do not have too much in your wallet. This way even if you encounter a product on sale that you don’t really need you won’t be able to buy it since you only have enough in your wallet. Even if you do end up buying that product you’ll end up not buying something you don’t need in order to make ends meet.
Invest - If your money is tied on (profitable) investments you will have less money to spend whenever you want to. In addition to this by making wise investments you will be ensuring that your money will grow hopefully at least enough to offset inflation. Remember to stay away from risky investments though because even though promised interest rates may be high if the investment falls flat you’ll lose your money.
Make it a family effort - Educate your kids about consumerism and its negative effects. Help them find new ways to enjoy themselves without having to rely on things, whether newly bought or not. This way you’ll be reaping several benefits such as more family time, decreased expenses, and an educated next generation.
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Budgeting - Though most of us have a loose budget in mind not many actually take the time to write out a detailed weekly/monthly budget. Having a budget should help you lessen impulse buying because you know exactly where your money should go and what important things you’ll need to sacrifice if you don’t stick to your budget. If you don’t have a budget there’s a bigger chance of blowing your money on things you don’t really need or even want that badly without even realising it.
Acquire a cheap but rewarding hobby - If you love to wile your time away shopping on the mall or even online then you simply have too much time on your hands. Find other hobbies to spend your extra time on that wouldn’t tempt you as much to keep on buying things. Examples of fun and meaningful but cheap hobbies include: volunteering at a pet shelter, home for the elderly or something similar; walking/jogging; gardening; taking lessons (If you always dreamed of learning some skill now would be the time to invest in it. You will still end up spending money but you’ll be spending in on a skill and a new skill is always a good thing.); starting or joining a club (Just make sure it isn’t a shopping club or something that encourages consumerism); and blogging (You can even make money from this!).
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Here are more habits you should cultivate so as not to be a victim of consumerism. Note that most of them will not only help you save lots of money some can even potentially make you some money. And lets not forget the positive effects to the environment as well!
Reuse - Instead of buying new stuff reuse some of the old stuff at home. This is important for non-biodegradable products. If you really have no use for something any more but it is still serviceable give it away to someone who can use it. You can find reuse centers in your area to give away your things to.
Keeping things neat - Doing this will help you keep track of what you already have and what you don’t. As a practical example, how many times have food stuck at the back of your refrigerator gone to waste? By keeping things in order you can inventory your stuff at a glance so you can plan your meals more easily, know when you have to buy stuff, know when you need to use or give away something before it is wasted, etc.
Give to charity - If you already have too much stuff than you actually need you might want to give some (or even a lot) of them to charity. If you haven’t used something for a couple of years what are the chances you’ll ever be using them again? You can also sell old stuff on eBay and then give a percentage of the proceeds to charity. This way you get to clean house, make some money, and help those in need.
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This consumerist culture tells us that we can not be happy without our creature comforts. It tells us that we simply can not do without a newer car, or phone, or whatever new gadget that just came out. It tells us that we do not look acceptable without the latest clothes for the season. It tells us that we have to buy and buy in order to have a fulfilling life.
Well all that simply isn’t true. However, the pressure society imposes on us and our own wants make us keep on buying. This is understandable but if you can live a fulfilling life, get what you want, and do all this without being enslaved by consumerism, wouldn’t it be so much better? Of course it will be. This is why I’ll be doing a series of posts that will hopefully help everyone (including me!) beat this consumerist thinking.
Tip # 1 - Understand what consumerism is and recognize its negative effects.
In order to beat something you have to know that you need to beat it! You also need to realize that it is not a good thing because if you don’t see anything wrong with it then why even try to change things. My previous posts should hopefully help you realize the negative effects of consumerism.
Tip # 2 - Resolve to fight against it.
How corny. But it is true you should decide not to be a victim if you don’t want to be one.
Tip # 3 - Change one bad habit or start a good one.
It is easier if you do things one at a time. Pick a habit that reflects your consumerist attitude and that is pretty easy to kick so that you can get a sense of fulfillment. This way you will feel like you can do it and be encouraged to continue being less and less of a consumerist each day. A few example of bad habits you might want to kick include:
drinking bottled water - It goes without saying that this is only for people who live in areas with clean tap water. Will save you lots of money and will also lessen all those waste from the plastic bottles you use and throw away each day.
take out food - Dine in the restaurant or bring a packed meal with you. This will lessen the packaging thrown away. Packed meals/snacks are also great for the budget.
newspapers - What? Newspapers are not bad but if you login to your computer every single day you might as well read the news on the internet. Less waste and no need to pay for the news. Lots of varied resources too.
It’s little things like these that count. More tips for you next time!
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The environmental impact consumerism brings is clear and is definitely not pretty. Since a consumerist culture makes people want more and more the level of consumption grows exponentially. Add to that the exponential growth in population and it brings us to where we are now - a planet on the brink of disaster.
Two of the environmental issues brought about or at the very least contributed to by consumerism include:
Depletion of natural resources - The consumption of the resources to create products is just so rapid that it just isn’t sustainable.
Massive amounts of waste material - From the production phase to the consumption phase waste is produced resulting in all kinds of pollution (air, land, water, and even noise pollution). It is not only the big factories spewing noxious gases that are guilty of this but every individual who take out purchases from their packaging, discard old things, etc.
Even though resources will be used and waste material will naturally be produced even in a non-cosumerist society, consumerism can still be blamed simply because the amount that would other wise be used and produced can be sustainable apart from the consumerist culture.
Clearly consumerism’s negative effects to the environment has a global effect and leads (and has lead) to more serious issues than just getting into credit card debt.
With all the bleak scenarios I have painted I will be tackling ways on how to beat consumerism in your own personal life and thus help counter or, at the very least, avoid its negative effects.
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Feeling pleasure over material things is not a bad thing and in fact natural, however if your personal happiness depends a lot on the acquisition and use of material things then you belong to the ever growing number of victims of consumerism.
According to National Geographic consumerism has been existent and is pretty pervasive among Americans and Western Europeans for decades now and sadly they do not have a monopoly on it since developing countries are rapidly catching up with the “trend”. The problem with this is that it has a lot of far reaching negative effects ranging widely from the personal lives of the consumer trickling down to the environment. Just to illustrate the impact that consumerism brings let me list down a few of the personal problems it contributes to.
1. Overspending - Specially a big problem for shopaholics. Note though that thanks to the advent of credit cards even the average person (non-shopaholics) makes purchases that are not in their budget and that they have to scramble to pay for.
2. Debt - Obviously a result of overspending.
3. Self-esteem issues - More and more people are falling prey to having their self-esteem tied to brand names and other expensive status symbols.
4. False perception - Number three is actually linked to this false perception problem because people’s self-esteems are affected since they tend to believe that the more expensive the better something is. Just recently the Tyra Banks Show did a segment on “Label Mania” which showed how “label-obsessed” people felt better about themselves wearing ordinary off-the-rack clothes simply because they thought they were wearing an expensive designer label clothing.
As you can see overcoming the pull of consumerism is important because not only will it help your self perception but also because it will help save your wallets!
On my next posts I will list some of the environmental impacts of consumerism and also give some tips on how to beat it but still ensure that you live a fulfilling life surrounded by beautiful things you love - both material and not.
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If you are going to build a new home or plan on having a big renovation some of the things you can do to save energy big time is by doing the following things.
Install Skylights - Installing skylights in the common areas such as the living room and kitchen will save you a lot of electricity. Instead of having to turn a light on in the morning you can do the usual stuff using only sunlight. Make sure that the sunroof is cleaned regularly though to allow the maximum light inside the house.
Go big with windows - Bigger windows will not only allow more light in but will also help cool the house by allowing the breeze in. Open the windows instead of turning on the air conditioner during warm days. Just make sure all the windows can be tightly sealed so that it wouldn’t add to heat loss during the winter.
Go Solar - If you are building a new home you can opt go completely solar but if not it might be more difficult so you can simply install some solar devices when something needs replacement. Some examples of solar-powered devices you can install at home include water fountains, lights, fans, etc.
Remember sprucing up your home equals taking care of your investment. Taking it a step further by greening up your home means that not only are you investing in your own home but everyone’s home - our Earth.
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Clean your appliances - Cleaning your appliances regularly might not seem like something that will help the environment or your wallet but it actually does. By keeping your appliances clean you will ensure that they will be working most efficiently. In the end this will save you money on your electric bill and it will help the environment by saving power. It will also make your appliances last longer so you won’t need to replace it time and again. As a bonus, if you plan on selling your home the well kept appliances will be an added selling point. Even if it will not be included in the actual sale clean and sparkling appliances will make the house look better and easier to sell.
Landscape your yard - You do not need to spend large amounts of money if you do your own gardening. Get some ideas on how come up with an energy efficient landscape. An energy efficient landscape should help keep the sun out in summer, will help as a wind breaker and act as natural insulation. The best thing is usually to have trees in your backyard so if you are thinking of cutting down that tree - DON’T. You can also plan for the future by planting saplings in key locations. Remember not only will it make your yard look really pretty it will also lower your electric bill. Oh, and planting trees will definitely help the environment. A tip opting to plant a tree though, make sure you plant a fast grower so that you will reap the benefits sooner.
to be continued…
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Color your house green - I don’t mean literally green by this. You can repaint your house whatever color you like but make sure that the paint you use has low levels of VOCs (volatile organic compounds). Ordinary paints look as good but the high level of toxins can be dangerous not only to the environment but only to your health. We all know that an ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure so ensure your family’s health by using “green paint” whenever you repaint your house.
Get indoor plants - Add to the cozy feel of your home by installing potted plants in areas where you need a little brightening up. This will help not only make the rooms in your house look more airy but it will product more oxygen for you in the morning giving your house a natural air filter.
Insulate your home properly - Insulating your home properly will save lots of energy both in the winter and summer because you won’t need to crank up the heater nor the air conditioner just to get the temperature you want. If you don’t have the money to spend on an overhaul of your insulation system you can take simple steps such as using reflective foils behind radiators, making sure that cracks under window sills and doors are sealed, and installing blinds and shades in your home.
to be continued…
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One thing I am happy about these days is that more and more people and becoming aware of the importance of keeping our environment healthy. In fact more and more people are taking active steps to ensure to help better our environment.
When it comes to home improvement there are actually plenty of ways, both big and small, that home-owners can do to help take care of the environment. Here are some tips to green up your house.
change your light bulbs - If you still use incandescent bulbs change them. There are plenty of energy-saving light bulbs in the market that will not only help save the environment but will also mean a lower electric bill for you. To help you find a light bulb that suits your need and taste here’s a website that lists all the kind of light bulbs for every kind of fixture you can think of.
change your faucet - A low-flow faucets, shower heads and even urinals and toilets are available and should be used to save water. These low flow fixtures may be a bit more pricey but again considering the amount of water saved in the long run you’ll end up happier about your water bill and the environment will also be better for it. If you are concerned that low-flow fixtures means it will be harder to rinse of soap from your hands or the dishes note that they are designed to reduce the amount of splashing so that the wet efficiency is increased making you feel as wet even with less water used.
to be continued…
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