How to stop buying things you don’t need

The first day of spring arrives in two weeks and I have already started the seasonal tradition of spilling my things: I dealt with diminutive organizational projects, which experts call “gentle putting on”. (I cleaned the gloomy area under the bathroom sink.) And distributed a sentimental mess like a manual set of China, which I haven’t used for a decade.

This is a satisfying possession of a newly empty shelf, but resisting the desire to load with modern things can be hard. When “you turn off the shopping tap”, you save money, you have less things to maintain and you are more environmentally affable, said Ashlee Piper, a consultant for sustainable development for companies and people and the author of the upcoming guide “without modern things”.

I asked Piper and other experts for the best tips to stop buying things you don’t need.

Make shopping less convenient.

Shopping became a “non -fat experience,” said Piper, allowing you to buy things behind the button. So creating friction will support you buy less.

Piper said that one of the ways is to remove information about the credit card from accounts in online stores so that the purchase lasts longer.

“The need to get up, get a wallet, delete a credit card and touch the number is enough time to take your breath and think:” Do I really need it? What the hell I’m going to do with it? “She explained.

And block all e -mailes, SMSs or Push notifications from retail sellers, said Piper. As he writes: “You are not an emergency contact of Banana Republic, so why do you allow them to send you a message at any time of the day?”

Do not buy for your “future self”.

Courtney Carver, author of “Gentle: Rest more, stress less and live with a life you really want,” she says that when he wants to buy something, she asks: Is it useful now for my life? Will I actually apply it in the next 30 days?

Carver said that you do not be fooled by his idealized version of this future self. When she was younger, Carver was buying shoes inspired by Carrie Bradshaw in “Sex and the City”, even though “she couldn’t get in them and she wasn’t supposed to wear them anywhere.”

I once bought a Fondue set that was unopened over the years before I gave it out. I regret that I was not a person who hosted Fondue events. As it turns out, I’m not.

Try “Purchase”.

Piper suggested that over a month notice that every time you want to buy something irrelevant. Then, instead of giving up the need, log in the element in the Notes application on the phone or in the notebook.

At the end of the month, she said, look at the list and ask yourself if you still want these things.

Often, she said, the answer is “no”. I did it for a week, and my list contained eight items, including a swan -shaped lemon cream and steep cream around the neck. Before I returned to my list, I forgot about most of the items that seemed necessary for my happiness at the time.

During “shopping” Piper also recorded in what mood she was when she wanted to buy things. She often discovered that she was stressed, sorrowful or bored.

Piper also said that try to recognize all shopping patterns, such as buying things from the Tiktok store when changing behind schedule at night.

Save space by borrowing.

In the case of items you apply only from time to time, said Piper, consider renting or borrowing.

Shira Gill, an organization expert and the author of “Lifestyled”, said that she changed dresses with a friend for events such as weddings.

Or you can touch social groups to get a seemingly endless range of things, said Gill. Check if Marketplace on Facebook has a replacement and sharing group in your area, or try Buy nothing To find a nearby group, you can join.

Gill said that many public libraries offer a “library of things” that can contain items such as board games and even power tools. Mine offers bongos, disco lights and Karaoke machine if I ever organize a party.

I just won’t serve Fondue.