Been doing this for over 2 years, so I thought I would share with those who are still at the beginning of the journey and hope it might help someone else.

I started with a budget (Income vs. Costs), and from there I opened another account (in this case a savings account). I move all the money I don't need based on budget fixed costs into it as soon as my salary hits my normal account. From that point onwards I'm "broke"; the money in my savings doesn't really exist until I actually have a need (e.g. dentist, food, medication).

If I really want something that I don't need, I would have to transfer the money back into my current account. This extra step helped me pause and re-think any purchase; also in terms on what it is I buy (where was it produced, environmental impact, who am I giving my money to). This helped me not only build a very good savings foundation, it also changed my mindset even more along the way to consume less.

Of course, it also helps to be content with yourself and know that another set of designer whatever product won't make you happier.

At craft store you can buy a big sealed mystery box o’crap for $10. Why?

Hello,

So as a late teenager/young adult I had this thing where I just collected eyeshadow pallets for the fun of it. I obviously didn’t realise how bad overconsumption is for the planet and it’s not something i’m proud of. However, as an adult I no longer really wear eyeshadow so I have a bunch of pallets in a drawer. Can’t sell or donate them as they have been used, but throwing them away just adds to landfill. Does anyone have any advice on what I could do with the eyeshadows? I want to break the pallets down so all the cardboard can be recycled but not sure what to do with the makeup itself. Any advice is so appreciated! I’m just trying to do my part in helping the planet, even with my past mistakes!

I see so many people saying they would never buy a mined diamond because of blood diamonds, and that lab-grown is the only ethical option.

Fair enough. The diamond industry has real ethical issues.

But how many of those same people check whether their chocolate is Fairtrade, where the cocoa was sourced, or whether child labour was involved in producing it?

What about the cobalt in their phones, which can be linked to dangerous working conditions and child labour? Or the fast fashion they buy every other week?

I’m not saying people shouldn’t care about ethical diamonds. I’m questioning why we apply such strong ethical standards to one luxury purchase while overlooking the supply chains behind everyday products we buy without a second thought.

If the principle is that we shouldn’t support exploitation, shouldn’t we apply it consistently?

I’m genuinely curious: do people who exclusively buy lab-grown diamonds also actively avoid other products linked to exploitative labour, or do diamonds get singled out because the issue is more visible and easier to make a statement about?

We spent an hour picking up litter in our village in Switzerland just to see what people throw away when they think nobody's looking. Even in a place with free glass/PET/metal drop-off points on every corner, we collected over 7 kg (15.4 lbs) of trash.

The irony is that among all the single use energy drink cans and plastic bottles we found a kids' scooter that someone just dumped instead of taking it to the recycling center 500 meters away.

Here's the full 11-minute video of what we found and the final weigh-in: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WkQicGISyAc

This seems obvious now, but posting it in case others didn't think of it. I have been using cloths cut to 8x8 inside of this napkin holder as "reusable paper towels" for a few months now. I couldn't get behind the gimmicky tubes that you need to roll the towels around after each wash... I had some baby washcloths from my kid that happened to be the exact right size for this napkin holder. The bonus is that there is no folding needed - just launder and stack them back up. I leave these out on the kitchen table and ppl grab one whenever a paper towel would have been used. I have since cut and hemmed a few old towels into 8x8 size to increase my stash.

First-time poster here. I remembered this sub because I just ordered something from Amazon, then got curious since I rarely visit the site, and realised my last order was in 2020.

Not judging as I know people who use it weekly and are just as happy as I am, but it got me thinking if maybe I´m the one who's in the wrong, the weird (or sad) one? But I just don't feel the need to have lots of stuff.

As I browsed through the site, it occurred to me that I don't see it as a shopping site: all I see is advertising, an as such I automatically ignore it. (Can't explain it any better.)

Sorry for a post about... nothing, really.

Over the last few months I’ve been decluttering like crazy. What really got me is how much I actually bought, especially during the baby and toddler years. Going through it all was kind of shocking.

Now my daughter (5) and I are planning to travel together for a while, so most of our stuff has to go. It’s honestly way too much to sell all of it, although a lot of it is barely used.

Now Christmas is coming and I want to celebrate with her, just without adding more things we’d have to carry or get rid of later. I’m open to any tips, especially around gifts. I’m also hoping my relatives will go for experience vouchers instead of physical presents.

Any ideas for low-stuff Christmas traditions with a young kid are welcome!

Edit: Thank you all for the great ideas! Here’s what I’ve settled on:

I normally do the “something you want, something you need, something to wear, something to read” tradition with my daughter. But we’re about to travel for a few months with just two carry-on suitcases, so this year I have to keep things minimal:

• Want: one or two handcarved Ostheimer fairy tale figures (she loves role play). I like that they’re wood, so they won’t turn into permanent trash. If one gets lost or becomes too heavy to carry, I can pass it on to another kid, and in the end it’s biodegradable.

• Need: her own kid-size carry-on suitcase, either a new one or my old one passed on to her. Her grandma already gave her a snorkel mask, which will probably fill it up.

• Read/do: a Highlights Ocean Puzzles book, a Mad Libs Junior book, and maybe a few small picture books I can swap or give away to other English-speaking/learning families on the road. One or two cards for her Yoto Mini player, or maybe a Yoto membership so we can download content on the go.

• Experiences: a ticket to a water park or something similar wherever we end up, plus baking cookies together as a personal gift. Also she’ll love dying her hair in rainbow colors; this will be such a hit! 🥰

I also considered an e-reader, but at 5 I think a physical book is better. We already have an analog camera, and clothes and art supplies are covered by what she already owns.

Thanks again, this thread really helped! 😊

Trained for an opening shake shack.

The food waste was insane, we did mock orders and threw away over 100 different burgers/ shakes and drinks. on the menu, mind you for our training to try the menu they gave us pieces of sandwiches, instead of full size ones. Next time I am gonna video definitely posting when I quit. They could’ve donated this food or offered it to the team. Shoot they could have even made us make the burgers and try the menu at the end of the shift with the shakes and drinks we made.

So sad considering how since the first day they’ve been talking about their emphasis on giving back to the community, the location is also in east meadow, New York. So many places in the area the food could have gone to.

I will be quitting, and I will be recording the waste to post on tik tok, for a second I thought they were a good company. But I should’ve known from the general manager talking about how he wants to crush the small burger joint sitting directly across it in its plaza.

And no I am not exaggerating it was over 100 burgers
And around 50 shakes/ and bacon and cheese fries.
I saw them take out 2 XL garbage bags filled with food.

I am a firm believer in the do-what-you-can philosophy. Perfectionism is the enemy of progress.

Here is my dilemma, my local grocery store, has doubled the price of noodles. I like giving my business to this store, because it isnt a giant chain.

Walmart, which I traditionally dont shop at, due to their business practices, has the same noodles, at their "regular" price, as in-not doubled in price.

It literally is just a package of noodles.

In your household, how do you draw the line, on such things?

Makeup Eraser initially was marketed as an eco-friendly reusable makeup remover wipe that you just throw in the laundry. I actually use them myself I really like them. However over time that mission has kind of gone to the wayside to make room for brand collabs and hyper-seasonal items.

I dont want to spend 18€ on 8 cartdriges impossible to recycle. Not anymore.

that is all 🙃

Of course the need to include “Limited quantities”… like… just why… who would want this?

I'm sorry if this isn't the place to ask, i just really dont know what to do.

I never buy stuff online, and when i do it usually doesnt come with Styrofoam, so i am completely lost now that i have a box full of it. It's non recyclable here, floats easy with the wind and very easy to be mistaken for food by animals. Is there any way of upcycling small pieces or disposing of it correctly?

Look, I'm 100% in support of purchasing media and holding onto physical copies over streaming, but I feel like this is just another consumer manipulation tactic. And of course, it would be in Target where all the cute, trendy things are. 45s have already been around for ages and play on a regular turntable. Do we really need to repackage and rebrand this with a whole new player and collection of tiny versions of the real thing?

who the hell is asking for all this shit 😭 walked into my local Big W (Walmart equivalent in Australia) and there’s just SO MUCH halloween stuff everywhere, like this animated skeleton taking a shit. like genuinely who is buying this 😭 every year there’s a whole new collection which makes me feel so overwhelmed. WHO IS ASKING FOR THIS AND WHO IS BUYING THIS

https://www.bigw.com.au/product/halloween-animated-skeleton-on-toilet/p/6069287?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_id=21501740563&utm_campaign=BIG+W+%7C+Home+%7C+Shopping+%7C+Decor+And+Furnishings&utm_term=&gclsrc=aw.ds&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=21501740563&gbraid=0AAAAADkZkLiYpzgczD94ltiBke-OSbdgE&gclid=CjwKCAjw88HWBhA3EiwAo2Zd6ELp60hWMFmUGD0wq0mANdx_R9eh6b6do8oBhFjdBWJzMb3EkvocHRoCYJIQAvD_BwE

I went to Best Buy today because I needed a new laptop for work. I haven’t stepped foot in BB in probably 10 years but they had the best price for the one I was looking at online. I thought this would be a relatively simple transaction: go into the store, find the computer I wanted, pay for it, and leave.

Instead, I was approached by two different people trying to sell me phone/internet services, then upsold by the employee helping me in the computer department. (Fine, it had more space, figured I could use it longer.) After all of that, I was finally told they didn’t even have the laptop in stock. But! They could order it for me, and it would be delivered in two days.

So I drove to a physical store, dealt with multiple sales pitches I never asked for, spent time being upsold on things I didn’t need, and ultimately couldn’t even walk out with the product I came there to purchase.

I basically stepped into the store and was immediately immersed in what felt like an endless series of sales funnels.

What frustrates me most is that I actually wanted to buy something. I had a legitimate need, had already decided to spend the money, and showed up ready to make a purchase. And somehow, the experience was so unpleasant that I left feeling like I didn’t want to buy anything at all.

This is what gets me about modern consumerism and why I stopped trying to buy anything except out of need. Even when you’re willing to spend money, companies are determined to squeeze every possible dollar out of you through upselling, add-ons, service pitches, etc etc etc instead of just allowing you to make the purchase easy.

I understand that employees have sales targets and companies want to increase revenue (bc the shareholders!!! /s). But ironically this experience made me want to consume even less than I already do.

I went home and just ordered the laptop I originally wanted online since I’d have to have it shipped anyway. But I miss when buying something in store could just mean buying the thing you came for.