Top tips to shopping online less ... helping our planet a lot more
Q: To save money and the planet, I want to buy less stuff. Do you have any tips? A. Yes, lots! As well as reducing your spending and cutting your carbon footprint, simplifying your life can be so freeing.
Most of us have far too much stuff. Brits are hoarding more than £48 billion worth of used items with two thirds of adults saying their homes are full of things they never use.
Here are my tips for how to curb your shopping habit and live better with less ...
Change your mindset
It helps to reconsider your mindset. In our consumer culture, we’ve been taught that more is better. And, yet, it definitely isn’t.
Once your basic needs are met, owning an ever increasing number of things won’t make you any happier.
Indeed, it could actually make it harder to enjoy life, by negatively affecting the way your brain works.
Using MRI scans of the brain, researchers from Princeton University showed that disorganised, cluttered spaces drain our cognitive resources and reduce our ability to concentrate.
By focusing on what we really need, we can live more purposeful, less stressful lives.
Identify your triggers
It’s helpful to start thinking about when it is you tend to shop.
If you notice a certain situation often results in extra spending, like surfing the net after a busy day at work, glass of wine in hand, try changing your behaviour.
Go and visit a friend or take the dog for a walk instead.
Crucially, have a cooling off period. If you wait to press ‘buy’ until the next day, the impulse may be gone.
Unsubscribe
If you’ve an online shopping habit, you probably receive newsletters from retailers, about all their new products and services.
Unsubscribe from all of them. An emptier inbox can feel liberating.
Write a list
When you do need to buy an item or two, write a list before shopping and stick to it. Watch out for items placed next to checkouts to encourage impulse purchases. Fight the urge to buy them.
Buy second-hand
If you do need something, buying second hand is a great way to help the planet.
The Net is awash with places where you can buy quality preloved items.
You can also sell anything that’s cluttering up your home and raise cash. You can look at Preloved or Shpock.
For fashion items, try
Oxfam, Depop or Vinted. For books, it’s worth visiting World of Books.
If you’re looking to buy refurbished tech, Music Magpie is a great place for games consoles, smartphones and computers that operate like new.