my intentional effort towards minimalism
minimalism as a guide, its not a rule
my version constitute of creative constraints and aesthetic is a creative constraint
i’m not really one to spend too much on shopping, at least on a consistent basis, however when i buy something, it tends to be a bigger ticket item.
i’ve done my part in trying to [[ sit on things before pulling the trigger ]].
i have this note in my apple notes called things I want to buy but can’t because of life
another variation i’m going to embark on is instead of saving on buying, i want to start clearing out things i no longer need.
things to donate, sell, sit on or throw away
saw this from nick houchin’s ultimate guide to minimalism
how do i stop buying stuff?
- don’t shop as a hobby, for fun, shop with a specific plan ahead purpose and leave
- appreciate things without owning them
- nice but i don’t need to own it
[!NOTE] Stop looking for things to buy. Stop viewing videos about “must have” items, stop browsing shops online or in person. Stop looking at social media channels that encourage purchases. If you find something you really think you need, put it in the cart and then leave it there for a week or a month, then decide if you actually need it.
this perhaps can be determined by your purchasing power or income, or even money set aside percentage of your salary. depending on what it is, you can split the range into low medium high and maybe a very high.
[!NOTE] I control my purchases by making a parking list of things I think I might like to purchase. By listing them together, it forces me to compare the prices, relative need, and use-to-cost ratio. I denote the strength of the emotional want, how often I’ll actually use it, whether the item has multiple uses, and finally, what am I giving up to satisfy the urge to own the item. For example, I may really want that new headlight for my bicycle but purchasing it means it’ll take me a month longer to save enough for a new bicycle, which is more important to me in the broader scheme of things. As I review the list over time, I have noticed that I’ll cross of items that seemed important at the time but my interest has waned after the initial idea cooled off.
what about impulse purchases?
similar to what i said above, but 24 hours, if its under 30 dollars (24 hour rule) larger item one month rule
[!NOTE] I don’t store my payment information or enable one click purchasing, if it’s offered. Manually typing my payment information makes me think more before buying.
friction
[!NOTE] Not clothes, but I find grabbing something from the library on a regular basis satisfies what I call my “Happy Meal Toy Itch”- sometimes I just want something new, even if I’ll be bored with it in a week
[[ find your own happy meal toy itch ]]
personal vs professional items
- higher quality items for professional use
- personal use, cheap version. first until it spoils
most of the time we don’t need the high end stuff, but there’s always exception to the rule, which is why i tend to test out trial versions or [[ sit on things before pulling the trigger ]]
[!NOTE] If you can buy super cheap the truth is buy cheap first. Buy expensive later if it turns out to have value
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1yFMpPEjVnaP6ApL1RIt9Xc4pIVHg9OIWdhJjYRUCfzM/edit?tab=t.0