2896: [Part 2] 9 Ways to Free Yourself from the Trap of Consumerism by Karen Trefzger of Maximum Gratitude Minimal Stuff

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[00:01:06] This is Optimal Finance Daily.

[00:01:09] Nine ways to free yourself from the trap of consumerism.

[00:01:12] Part 2, by Karen Trefsger of MaximumGratitudeMinimalStuff.com

[00:01:19] And I'm your host and personal finance enthusiast, Diana Miriam.

[00:01:23] Welcome back to Optimal Finance Daily, where I read to you every single day of the year.

[00:01:29] Sometimes longer posts, which is the case today.

[00:01:32] It's actually a continuation from yesterday.

[00:01:36] So if you haven't done so already, I'd recommend listening to yesterday's episode first.

[00:01:41] But if you're all caught up, then let's get right back into it and hear Part 2 as we continue optimizing your life.

[00:01:53] Nine ways to free yourself from the trap of consumerism.

[00:01:57] Part 2, by Karen Trefsger of MaximumGratitudeMinimalStuff.com

[00:02:04] Number 2. Make it harder.

[00:02:08] Shopping can be fun.

[00:02:10] We enjoy those dopamine hits that come as we anticipate getting a reward.

[00:02:15] And if the item we want to purchase is on sale, the pleasure can be even greater.

[00:02:21] Our decision to buy happens in a split second.

[00:02:25] Want to be more intentional?

[00:02:26] Make it harder to shop.

[00:02:29] Unsubscribe from the email lists and sales notifications.

[00:02:33] Remove your credit card details from websites.

[00:02:36] And stop carrying one in your wallet.

[00:02:38] And stop browsing in tempting stores.

[00:02:42] You could decide to buy only used items, which shrinks your options and makes the hunt more difficult

[00:02:48] and more rewarding when you find what you need.

[00:02:52] Decide to buy clothes made only from recycled or organic materials.

[00:02:57] Buy food, cosmetics, cleaning supplies, and more that are sustainably and ethically produced.

[00:03:03] With these requirements in mind, your typical trip to the big box store may become less tempting than usual.

[00:03:12] Number 3. Reconsider Media Consumption

[00:03:16] Several studies link media consumption with increased materialism.

[00:03:21] And that makes sense.

[00:03:22] The vast majority of media are owned by for-profit corporations.

[00:03:27] Whether TV, movies, radio, print media, or social media, they make money by selling advertising.

[00:03:35] And the purpose of advertising is to sell you products.

[00:03:38] So the more media you consume, the more you'll be tempted to shop.

[00:03:43] Celebrities and other influencers make owning all of those products look wonderful and life-enhancing.

[00:03:50] Of course you want to join in, if only to look like all of your peers.

[00:03:55] Does this mean you shouldn't consume any media?

[00:03:57] I'm not suggesting that.

[00:03:59] But become more aware and thoughtful.

[00:04:02] If you reduce the time you spend immersed in those platforms,

[00:04:06] you'll also reduce feelings of envy and desire.

[00:04:10] Number 4. Declutter to discover the truth

[00:04:15] Think back to the last time you moved house.

[00:04:17] Did you have to pack up much more than you expected?

[00:04:21] Did stuff just keep appearing out of drawers, closets, and other storage areas,

[00:04:26] like scarves from a magician's sleeve?

[00:04:29] The amount of clutter you have betrays your consumption habits.

[00:04:34] Instead of waiting to move, declutter now.

[00:04:38] Reveal your temptations and behaviors so you can start to manage them better.

[00:04:42] Number 5. Extend the lifespan of your things

[00:04:47] This might start with resisting the desire for that new handbag or pretty dinnerware,

[00:04:53] but it continues with proper cleaning and storage,

[00:04:57] maintenance, repair, reuse, and upcycling.

[00:05:00] If you have the skills to darn your sweater or paint your furniture,

[00:05:05] you might be doing this already.

[00:05:07] Maybe you have a handy friend or relative who will be happy to do bicycle tune-up

[00:05:12] or help you upstyle some thrift store clothes.

[00:05:16] Or you can pay a professional to reheal your shoes or refurbish your old iPhone.

[00:05:22] Respect your useful possessions, reduce consumption, and benefit the environment too.

[00:05:29] Number 6. Say no thanks

[00:05:32] Your friend offers you their pasta maker.

[00:05:35] You get a secret Santa gift from work.

[00:05:38] Your insurance agent gives you a calendar.

[00:05:41] Your child gets a cheap toy with his Happy Meal.

[00:05:44] The school fundraiser provides a free t-shirt.

[00:05:48] What's the downside of freebies?

[00:05:51] After all, these are generous acts.

[00:05:53] And if the item adds value to your life,

[00:05:56] then you can accept the kindness.

[00:05:58] But saying yes to things you don't want or need adds to your clutter

[00:06:02] and sets a pattern for adding more stuff without thought.

[00:06:06] So change your default response.

[00:06:08] Give yourself time to consider before you automatically say yes.

[00:06:13] Number 7. Practice one in, one out

[00:06:18] The idea of one in, one out is not to let you go on shop, declutter, shop binges.

[00:06:25] It doesn't mean you should buy new home decor,

[00:06:27] only to donate that and buy all new stuff next year.

[00:06:31] This demonstrates a spending problem that keeps you in debt and generates huge amounts of waste.

[00:06:36] I was stuck on this merry-go-round myself for quite a while.

[00:06:40] But once you declutter and create a designated spot for each of your belongings,

[00:06:45] one in, one out becomes more useful.

[00:06:49] For example, before you decide to buy new shoes,

[00:06:52] look at your shoe storage situation.

[00:06:54] Do you have space on your shoe rack for a new pair?

[00:06:57] If not, you need to create space by getting rid of an existing pair.

[00:07:02] This can help you decide if buying is a worthwhile decision.

[00:07:05] You no longer keep adding things you can't accommodate.

[00:07:09] You become more intentional about what you bring into your home

[00:07:13] because you'll probably have to get rid of something else first.

[00:07:17] Number 8. Change what you splurge on

[00:07:20] Instead of treating yourself to fast food, fast fashion,

[00:07:24] made-in-China home decor, or yet another tech gadget,

[00:07:28] spend your money on an experience.

[00:07:30] Go out to dinner at that new highly-rated restaurant.

[00:07:33] Buy tickets to a concert you'll enjoy and remember.

[00:07:37] Or save up for a trip to somewhere you've been longing to visit.

[00:07:41] Stop wasting money on impulse for a quick thrill

[00:07:44] and get satisfaction from anticipating a chosen and planned-for luxury.

[00:07:51] And number 9. Choose generosity

[00:07:54] Being generous not only meets the needs of others,

[00:07:57] but it does some great things for you too.

[00:08:00] Helping others has been linked to increased self-esteem

[00:08:03] longer life expectancy,

[00:08:05] lower stress levels,

[00:08:07] less depression,

[00:08:08] and overall happiness.

[00:08:10] Why not redirect at least some of the money you spend shopping

[00:08:13] for stuff you don't need

[00:08:14] toward meeting real needs in the world?

[00:08:18] Do a 30-day buy-nothing challenge with a friend

[00:08:21] and donate some of the money you save to a favorite charity.

[00:08:25] Sponsor someone in their fundraising walk-a-thon,

[00:08:28] jog-a-thon, bike-a-thon, etc.

[00:08:31] Or give up just one thing for 30 days.

[00:08:34] Starbucks, alcohol, clothes shopping,

[00:08:37] a streaming service, etc.

[00:08:39] Calculate how much you'll save

[00:08:40] and divert that money to your local homeless shelter or food closet.

[00:08:44] I think you'll get more satisfaction and sense of purpose from generosity

[00:08:49] than you ever get from shopping.

[00:08:55] You just listened to part 2 of the post titled

[00:08:58] 9 Ways to Free Yourself from the Trap of Consumerism

[00:09:02] by Karen Trefsker of MaximumGratitudeMinimalStuff.com

[00:09:07] And I'll be right back with my commentary.

[00:09:10] Buy low, sell high.

[00:09:12] It's easy to say, hard to do.

[00:09:15] For example, high interest rates are crushing the real estate market right now.

[00:09:20] Demand is dropping and prices are falling,

[00:09:23] even for many of the best assets.

[00:09:25] It's no wonder the Fundrise flagship fund plans to go on a buying spree,

[00:09:31] expanding its billion-dollar real estate portfolio over the next few months.

[00:09:35] You can add the Fundrise flagship fund to your portfolio in just minutes

[00:09:40] and with as little as $10 by visiting Fundrise.com slash OFD.

[00:09:47] That's F-U-N-D-R-I-S-E dot com slash OFD.

[00:09:53] Carefully consider the investment objectives, risks, charges, and expenses

[00:09:58] of the Fundrise flagship fund before investing.

[00:10:02] This and other information can be found in the Funds Perspectus

[00:10:06] at Fundrise.com slash flagship.

[00:10:10] This is a paid advertisement.

[00:10:13] I've found that the less materialistic I am,

[00:10:16] the more idealistic I get to be.

[00:10:19] When I came to realize that the best things in life are free,

[00:10:24] like meaningful connections, nature, and creative expression,

[00:10:27] it became much easier to deconstruct a lot of my consumerist conditioning.

[00:10:33] Instead of striving to accumulate more,

[00:10:36] I focus on what truly brings joy and fulfillment.

[00:10:39] This opens up the potential to spend less time earning money

[00:10:43] and more time with friends, family, creative pursuits,

[00:10:47] and hobbies that nourish my soul.

[00:10:49] I've also found that self-imposed frugality is far more pleasant

[00:10:54] than when it's forced upon you by external forces.

[00:10:58] Reducing expenses because of a job loss or a reduction in income

[00:11:02] can feel like deprivation, creating a sense of scarcity and stress.

[00:11:07] However, when I willingly chose to cut down my expenses

[00:11:11] while still making a good income,

[00:11:13] I discovered an abundance mindset.

[00:11:16] This choice allowed me to tap into a state of creativity

[00:11:20] and resourcefulness in meeting my needs.

[00:11:22] As a result, when I eventually quit my job

[00:11:25] and my income dropped by $100,000,

[00:11:29] I saw no noticeable change in my lifestyle.

[00:11:32] I was already living frugally.

[00:11:34] But more importantly, I was thriving in that simplicity

[00:11:38] and enjoying it every step of the way.

[00:11:41] But that's going to do it for today.

[00:11:43] Thank you for being here and listening every day.

[00:11:45] And I'll see you tomorrow with more Optimal Finance Daily,

[00:11:49] where your optimal life awaits.