Fewer things – more happiness: "year without shopping" trend | GoBeauty
Fewer things – more happiness: "year without shopping" trend, Photo 903

09 August 2022

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Fewer things – more happiness: "year without shopping" trend

We live in a world of things. Few people will remember what lies on the top shelf of the closet. Or in the bottom drawer of the cupboard. And if you happen to be moving, you probably wondered why so many things.


In the wake of the popular theme of conscious consumption, American Cait Flanders released a book, The Year Of Less, which described how an experiment changed her life. GoBeauty offers to try the overseas experience on our reality.


Possible and impossible

Not shopping at all, of course, will not work. So Cait set the rules for herself.

  • What to buy: groceries and essentials for kitchens, cosmetics and care products, cleaning supplies, gifts for other people, items from the approved shopping list (those that require replacement).
  • Things to avoid: takeaway coffee, clothing, shoes, jewellery, cosy goods (candles, decor, furniture and so on), electronic appliances.

Here are the principles Cait has formed.


Property description

Get rid of the pile of junk that fills the entire space of your home. Throw out non-sized clothes, never leave things behind. Give away unnecessary items and books to charity. But it is not enough! It is also necessary to make sure that the apartment does not start to be overgrown again. Remove online stores and discount emails from your favourite. There will be less temptation.


Quitting old habits

We make a lot of purchases as a rule. For example, morning coffee to go before work. Such “autopilot” should be abandoned. We do not urge you to give up all the joys of life at once.


Shopping is not a cure!

In Hollywood movies, we saw a shopaholic who is a beautiful woman with a bunch of coloured shopping bags. But often shopping is just a way to spend your time. Shopaholic can also be called a housewife who daily searches nearby supermarkets, buying supplies. Because such people buy emotions and good mood.


Farewell to some friends

Not all friends will understand the abrupt rejection of the usual lifestyle. They will say, “You used to be more fun.” This is normal. Some of your friends will be eliminated, but there will probably be new ones with principles close to you. But your friends won’t earn you an apartment or repay your loan. So when it comes to your expenses, their opinion is not that important.


Nice new

There are so many cool things in the world that you haven’t tried before. Shopping-free time can be spent on a new hobby, such as learning a foreign language or drawing. Yes, a hobby is not always free, but investing in yourself is usually paying off sooner or later. We know a grandmother who makes patterns and sells them to textiles online. If she was able to monetize the hobby, why would you not succeed?


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photo credit: caitflanders/Instagram

Chance to exit

When we work for the sake of money, we are always lacking, we are constantly increasing our zeal. When we control our costs, we see that we don’t need much. The favourite low-paying job can be much more attractive than high-paying, burn-out one. Maybe it’s time to do something really interesting?


Importantly! To change the scope of work without fear, you need a financial airbag. Such should be enough for 6 months of life. To accumulate it, it is necessary to start keeping a diary of expenses and income already. 2 to 3 months of such accounting will allow you to understand what you spend too much and how you can optimize your costs.


IN THEME

Travelling is not so expensive!


The trip is what we usually do not have enough money for. But look into each other’s apartments and you will see that there is money. People just spent it on unnecessary things, new furniture, dishes, electronics. Voyages open up the world and ourselves. It’s worth not to buy coffee to go, discount clothing and the latest phone models!


Approach to shopping in the future

Every year, conscious consumption finds millions of new fans around the world. Global companies are also adapting to the demands of conscious consumers. It applies not only to manufacturers of food and clothing but also to machinery and cars. The future is near!