Stop yourself before going out to buy things. See what you already have that you can use.
—
Often when we want to solve a problem or make some kind of change in our lives, we’ll go out and buy something:
- We want to get organized, we’ll buy containers or folders or closet organizers.
- We want to lose weight, we’ll buy diet food or an exercise machine or a gym membership.
- We want to help the environment, we buy green products.
- To get out of debt, we’ll hire a financial planner or new financial software.
- We want to save gas, we buy a gas-efficient car (perhaps a hybrid).
- We want to start new hobby, we’ll buy new materials or equipment.
- We want to do almost anything, we’ll buy new clothes for it (workout clothes, work clothes, yoga clothes, dressy clothes, hip clothes)
- We want to make our house look better, we’ll buy new furniture or decorations.
- We want to be cooler, we’ll buy new gadgets. Or cool T-shirts.
- We want to improve our lives, we buy new books on different topics.
I could go on, but you get the picture.
But buying is not the solution. Or at least, it rarely rarely is.
Instead, buy less. Stop yourself before going out to buy things. See what you already have that you can use. See if someone else has it that you can borrow or trade or barter for. See if you can solve the problem without anything new.
Just a few examples:
- To help the environment, consume less. Live simply.
- To lose weight, eat less. Eat clean.
- To get in great shape, try a minimalist workout by just walking or running or swimming or doing bodyweight exercises.
- To get out of debt, spend less, save money, pay off debts.
- To make your house look better, declutter.
- To save gas, drive less.
- To get organized, declutter.
- To improve your life, read free stuff online, or just start making small changes over time.
You get the idea. Sometimes you’ll need stuff to solve problems, but again, see what you already have, what you can borrow from or trade with others, or as a last resort, what you can buy used.
This post originally appeared at mnmlist.com
—
Photo: Consumerist Dot Com/Flickr
We are truly a nation of “excess.” I would also check your area to see if they have “freecycle” which is an online group that posts things they’re getting rid of and rather then throwing it out, post it to see if someone wants it. You can also post if you’re wanting something. I recently got some flag stone to finish a walk around side of the house. If ya don’t want to feecycle, give stuff away. Thrift stores are thrifty. The stereo system I have in the kitchen cost me $11. Works great. And it feels good when someone… Read more »
Lots of good ideas…but one caveat on the baby stuff. My SIL and her husband bought a used car seat for their newborn daughter a few years ago from a thrift store. It was almost brand new, and cost a fraction of what a new one would. They took it to a local fire station, which was doing a free event where the staff showed parents how to properly install and use a car seat. One of the paramedics thought something about their seat looked familiar, and a quick internet search revealed that it was a model that had recently… Read more »
Right, certain things shouldn’t ever be bought used. Safety gear is top of the list, less obvious things are shoes which can hurt your feet if they’ve been worn in by somebody else.