3473: Are You a Responsible Consumer? by Jennifer Coyle with NoSidebar on Intentional Living and Spending

[00:00:00] [SPEAKER_01] Überlass deine gesunde Ernährung und die Gains nicht nur deinem Bauchgefühl. Denn bei der Ernährung gaukelt uns unser innerer Schweinehund manchmal ganz schön was vor. Sag stattdessen Hallo zu deinem neuen Coach, Yasio. Yasio ist die meistgenutzte Ernährungs-App Europas, made in Germany. Egal ob Massephase oder ein bisschen Abnehmen, tracke Kalorien, Proteine, Carbs, Fette, Bewegung und Intervallfasten. Und mit den Tasty-Rezepten bist du ready für deine Ziele. Let's go! Lade die Yasio-App jetzt herunter.

[00:00:30] [SPEAKER_02] This is Optimal Living Daily. Are You a Responsible Consumer? By Jennifer Coyle with NoSidebar.com. And I'm Justin Malik. This is the show where I usually read to you like an audiobook. On Sundays though, I share an episode from a different podcast in our Optimal Living network. Today's comes from our second ever show, Optimal Finance Daily, talking about responsible consumption today. So with that, let's get right to the bonus episode and Diana's commentary.

[00:00:58] [SPEAKER_02] As we optimize your life.

[00:01:04] [SPEAKER_00] Are you a responsible consumer? By Jennifer Coyle with NoSidebar.com. Minimalism is great because it allows us to pare down our physical belongings so we can focus on the things that are most important to us in life. Relationships, experiences, etc. We can feel less stress and less burdened by our stuff. But minimalism also helps the environment. Buying less means less production, which means less waste, less pollution, and more.

[00:01:33] [SPEAKER_00] In a way, minimalism is like a gateway drug for being a responsible consumer and helping the environment. Once you begin to consume less, you'll notice you're wasting less. Only a few years ago, there were at least two packages arriving on my doorstep from online retailers every day. I ran a beauty blog, so I received samples to review all the time. That was further compounded by the fact that I simply had a shopping problem. Amazon and I were best friends.

[00:02:01] [SPEAKER_00] I shopped hot look every day. My closet was bursting with clothes that I didn't wear and shoes that I never touched. Being a responsible consumer. A lot has changed since my intense consumer years. I canceled Amazon Prime and then I canceled Netflix. I got rid of a ton of stuff and then I got rid of even more stuff. Over and over. Now I'm doing my best to make environmentally conscious decisions with every purchase I make.

[00:02:29] [SPEAKER_00] Here are a few ways to take your interest in minimalism to the next level. And if I may be so bold, help save the world. Number one, buy less. I've already covered this a bit. But yeah, buying less means you will waste less. The less merchandise that's flying off the shelves at stores, the less goods there will be in production because the demand will be lower. This means less pollution from warehouses, less harvesting of resources from the environment,

[00:02:57] [SPEAKER_00] less being shipped from the manufacturer to the big box stores. As a side note, my dad worked in logistics all his life. And he talks a lot about how trucks are inevitable in getting goods into your home. He's an expert. And if you're like I was, having stuff delivered daily, buying less means less packaging and less pollution and getting that stuff to your mailbox. Number two, buy higher quality. If you're buying less, you'll want to focus on buying quality over quantity.

[00:03:25] [SPEAKER_00] Suddenly, when you're not filling your closet with fast fashion items, like $10 t-shirts in every color available that will wear after a few washes, you'll have money for a high quality organic cotton shirt that puts less of a dent in the environment. Whenever possible, opt for slow or ethical fashion. Number three, shop at thrift stores. Buying gently used items at thrift stores can be a more wallet friendly approach to buying higher quality items.

[00:03:54] [SPEAKER_00] By purchasing items that have already been worn before, you're not creating more supply and demand overall. On the flip side, you can donate and or sell your gently used items so someone else can enjoy them. Number four, recycle, repurpose, and repair when possible. Recycle by donating. Take time to deconstruct your consumer trash to see if there's anything that's recyclable. Think creatively with items that have been laying around your house.

[00:04:21] [SPEAKER_00] Recently, I remembered that I had a bunch of flannel receiving blankets that belonged to beans when he was a tiny baby. They weren't in great condition, so I felt weird donating them. Instead, I decided to send them off to have them cut down and sewn so the edges wouldn't fray. I'll be using them for household wipes when I get them back. Think tissues, paper towels, rags. Repair your stuff when you can. Have a favorite shirt with a small hole in it? Sew it up. Are your favorite boots looking really worn? Get them repaired.

[00:04:52] [SPEAKER_00] By repurposing your belongings, you save them from going to the landfill. Number five, avoid plastic items. This is a vague tip, but a good rule of thumb. Plastic takes longer to break down in landfills, and it doesn't always get recycled. And when it does get recycled, it takes up a decent amount of energy to do so. Here's some quick and easy ways to avoid using plastic or use less plastic. Bring reusable shopping bags everywhere.

[00:05:21] [SPEAKER_00] Bring a coffee mug with you. If you need to get a cup, opt for the less fancy lids and go with the old school flat lids. Use a reusable water bottle instead of buying bottles or using plastic cups. And buy from companies that offer less plastic refill options. For instance, buy the liquid soap dispenser once and then buy the refills that come in the bags instead of buying the new soap dispenser to replace it. And number six, do your own research.

[00:05:49] [SPEAKER_00] The internet brings anything and everything to our fingertips. We have instant access to companies that are doing the right thing, and we should focus on buying from companies like Patagonia that have sustainable practices. Consumerism is an ominous and mysterious thing. Knowing the entire life cycle of your belongings is difficult. Knowing can be a perfect, eco-friendly, minimalist consumer, but anything you can do to contribute to the greater good will help.

[00:06:21] [SPEAKER_00] You just listened to the post titled, Are You a Responsible Consumer? by Jennifer Coyle with nosidebar.com. I think for most people, the benefit of spending less is having more money to save, invest, and grow your net worth. Becoming financially secure has huge benefits and can open up a lot of options in terms of navigating obstacles and seizing opportunities. However, as my minimalist friends know, there are more benefits to spending less that have little to do with money.

[00:06:51] [SPEAKER_00] Socrates said that the key to happiness is not in seeking more, but in developing the capacity to enjoy less. When I think about my self-imposed restriction when I was getting out of 30 grand of debt in 11 months, I don't remember feelings of deprivation. I remember it as an incredible time of personal development. I stopped wearing makeup and got comfortable with what my face looked like. I spent more time alone reading books from the library, journaling, and working out. I learned new skills like cooking,

[00:07:20] [SPEAKER_00] and I showed myself that I'm actually more resourceful and creative than I ever knew. I developed the capacity to enjoy my own company. What a concept! I think the key to spending less aside from the practical things, like tracking your spending and engaging with a budget, is to develop an abundance mindset. Foster an intense sense of gratitude for the material wealth you already have, and marketers will have a tough time convincing you to buy more. What if you could get yourself to an emotional state

[00:07:50] [SPEAKER_00] where you know that you already have enough without any change to your circumstances? It might sound far-fetched, but I can tell you from first-hand experience, it's possible. And that will do it for today. Have a great day and weekend, and I'll be back here tomorrow, where optimal life awaits.