I buy as little as I can (less purchase means less waste and less energy used) and will DIY as much as I’m able to. Including cooking whereas my spouse and I used to go to restaurant at least 3 times a week, if not daily, when we were younger. All of that is true for both my spouse and I, btw
I borrow/rent, when it’s an option
I buy used, when it’s an option (reuse/recycle).
I buy local and will always support local business, when it’s an option. Even if that means a tad more efforts on my part. I just came back this morning from one of the remaining local book shops (it was a 1h walk, which is good for the health) to get two books I obviously could have ordered in two clicks from Amazon and have delivered to my door at the exact same price (here in France, book prices are fixed by law and even a Behemoth like Amazon can’t sell at a lower price than your local book shop).
Just buying less is a big one for me. My parents always had this rule whenever i wanted something. They said "if you still want it when [birthday/christmas/easter] comes then we will consider it. Usually my interest faded and we avoided a wasteful purchase that i wouldnt have used for very long anyways. As an adult this totally still works. Just wait a while and sleep about it, research well about the thing you want and if you really still want it and feel like it will give you long term use/enjoyment then go for it. Too many people are impulse buyers and it seriously pisses me off when i see people throw away stuff they never really used.
My parents always had this rule whenever i wanted something. They said “if you still want it when [birthday/christmas/easter] comes then we will consider it. Usually my interest faded and we avoided a wasteful purchase that i wouldnt have used for very long anyways.
100%. Younger, my spouse and I we were not doing that at all… We had both decent salary and money was not an issue. Nowadays (a few years ago, we both decided to slim down our lives including earning a lot less money) we seldom impulse buy anything. We keep a list of potential purchase and we wait. Quite regularly the ‘need’ will fade away and when it doesn’t, well, it’s a good sign it’s time to look in it more closely.
I do that for books as well as any other purchase, btw. There is almost never a need to impulse buy a book: we probably all have already many waiting to be read at home. Plus, there are public libraries <3
Too many people are impulse buyers and it seriously pisses me off when i see people throw away stuff they never really used.
They are, but I avoid getting angry at people around me. First, because I remember being like that. Then, because me getting angry won’t change a thing beside making me feel bad which I would rather not. Last, because that certainly will not encourage them to change their behavior much either ;)
Just buying less is a big one for me. My parents always had this rule whenever i wanted something. They said "if you still want it when [birthday/christmas/easter] comes then we will consider it. Usually my interest faded and we avoided a wasteful purchase that i wouldnt have used for very long anyways. As an adult this totally still works. Just wait a while and sleep about it, research well about the thing you want and if you really still want it and feel like it will give you long term use/enjoyment then go for it. Too many people are impulse buyers and it seriously pisses me off when i see people throw away stuff they never really used.
100%. Younger, my spouse and I we were not doing that at all… We had both decent salary and money was not an issue. Nowadays (a few years ago, we both decided to slim down our lives including earning a lot less money) we seldom impulse buy anything. We keep a list of potential purchase and we wait. Quite regularly the ‘need’ will fade away and when it doesn’t, well, it’s a good sign it’s time to look in it more closely.
I do that for books as well as any other purchase, btw. There is almost never a need to impulse buy a book: we probably all have already many waiting to be read at home. Plus, there are public libraries <3
They are, but I avoid getting angry at people around me. First, because I remember being like that. Then, because me getting angry won’t change a thing beside making me feel bad which I would rather not. Last, because that certainly will not encourage them to change their behavior much either ;)