Home accessories, espresso cups and fancy
water glasses.
If I'm not careful, I’m out there
buying these things all over the place.
So how do you deal with shopping when you’re
living a minimalist lifestyle?
Let’s find out. Ooh and sneakers…
You ever feel like you’re tired of making
bad shopping decisions?
Do you feel like it’s hard to keep your
wallet closed when there are sales going on
all over the place?
Minimalists buy things too occassionally and
I personally don’t think there’s anything
wrong with making a purchase now and then.
With these 10 tips, you can shop like a minimalist
too.
Buying less, and buying better.
Here we go
First up, if you didn’t know you wanted
something before you saw it, chances are you’re
dealing with an impulse buy.
Cutting out impulse buys has been extremely
effective for me.
Because they always know how to tug at my
heart and make me want to have something I
don’t really need.
So what I do now, is I take a picture of the
item, and install a wait period for myself.
I usually sleep on it at least a few days.
A lot of the times, I decide to skip it.
If I still want it then, I can always
go and get it later.
Which brings me to my second point.
If you don’t buy things on impulse, you
have a bit more time to do research.
And research is my number one tip for buying
better things.
See what different types of the product are
out there, see what the reviews have to say,
and see if you can get a feel on what would
be the best price/quality ratio.
You can also make a list of requirements for
yourself that make sure the item can bring
you what you want out of it, and then search
for the best option to meet those requirements.
A great way to help yourself out is to try
to prevent temptations.
Sign off those newsletters, don’t go into
the store when there’s sale and you don’t
really need anything, etc.
In some online stores you can also disable
one click ordering, just to make it a bit
more difficult for yourself to order something.
If you don’t know it’s out there, you
can’t get into that “want it need it”
phase.
Number 4, keep a list.
Whenever I feel like I want or need something, for either my kitchen, or my wardrobe, or my channel
I add it to my list.
So whenever I’m going shopping, I can be
way more effective in searching for these
specific items, and letting the rest be.
And, if the item on your list can wait a bit,
wait until there’s a sale, so you can get
it cheaper.
Don’t buy clothes that make you want to
buy other clothes.
So for example, if you like a pair of shoes,
but you feel they only go with a certain type
of dress that you don’t yet have, don’t
buy them.
Or if you’re a guy, if you like a certain
coat, but it only goes with the type of sweater
that you don’t enjoy wearing, don’t buy
it.
Sticking with lots of basics that you can
combine with each other makes this problem
a lot easier.
Go for quality over quantity.
If you’re trying on a pair of jeans and
you find yourself taking a dressing room
picture to send to your friends asking for their opinion, it’s probably not the best fit.
Leave it be, you’ll find something else
that will truly spark joy.
Only shop when you’re feeling good.
If you’re stressed, tired, bored or sad,
chances are that’s gonna influence your
decision making process.
Know what to buy in the store, and what to
buy online.
For instance, I always buy things like jeans
and underwear in an actual store, because
I need to actually try them on to see if they
work for me.
On the other hand, sometimes buying things online can be better, because that way
you'll be less tempted to buy other things in the store that catch your attention.
Think of how buying this item will impact
your life.
This may sound really heavy, but it’s a
great way to practice intentional shopping.
Will having this item make it so that you
can practice your hobby and enrich your life,
will it make stuff easier or more enjoyable,
or will it only clutter up your home and therefore your
life, will it add to your debt,
will it add to your responsibilities, etc.
If you think about these things beforehand,
it can make you either not want to buy something,
or help you to feel better about it when you do, because you know you're buying it because it adds value to your life.
Lastly, corny but true, practice gratefulness.
If you’re already grateful for
the stuff you already have, you’ll be less
inclined to go out looking for new things.
There may be better ways to spend your money and your time, and not to mention the space
in your home that new items take up.
It’s just true.
We all buy things occassionally, and having
smart shopping habits will really help you out.
Maybe you’re already doing some of these
tips, or maybe you have a great one yourself
to share with the rest of us, I’d love to
talk to you in the comments.
If you found this video helpful, be sure to
subscribe to Simple Happy Zen and hit the bell
so that I will see you in my next video.
If you want more minimalism, in this video
I talk about overcoming decluttering roadblocks,
and in this video I talk about 5 weird things
about minimalism.
That’s it for now, thank you for watching
today and I’ll see you next week!
Byebye!
