| | Examine your beliefs - Corporations invest billions of dollars yearly to persuade people to accept the religion of Consumerism. It's a religion that goes against the teaching of just about every other religion, belief system, or moral code. Think about what you really believe, and see if your buying decisions are motivated by your own values or by diet soda ads. |
| | Stay home - If you don't need to shop, don't go shopping simply because you are bored. Don't use shopping as a recreation or amusement. |
| | Leave the money at home - The easiest way to not buy anything is simply not to take any cash, checks, debit cards, or credit cards with you when you go out. At most, take a small amount of cash with you for emergencies. |
| | Avoid plastic - One solution is to live without credit cards. If you're not comfortable with that -- for example, if you want to be able to rent a car or reserve a motel room when traveling -- leave your credit cards at home so you won't use them unless it's an emergency. |
| | Pay cash - Studies show the average person spends less when paying with cash and much more when paying with credit, possibly because when you use a credit card it feels as though you are not parting with "real" money. |
| | Make a budget and stick to it - Don't treat your budget like a New Year's resolution. While creating and sticking to a budget requires self-control, it's a really good way to get your finances under control and avoid accumulating a pile of crippling debts and a bunch of worthless crap in the process of destroying your self-respect. |
| | Make a list and stick to it - Make purchasing decisions at home, where your needs are apparent, instead of in stores where shelves full of other products will distract and entice you. A list can also help you postpone and consider purchases and consolidate trips out. |
| | Ask yourself some questions - Will I use this every day? Will I use it enough for it to be worth buying? How many hours did I have to work to pay for this? Employ the 3-month forecast. Ask yourself if you'll still be using the product regularly in 3 months. If you have lived this long without it, do you really need it? If you move frequently, contemplate whether this purchase is really worth hauling around each time you move. If you don't, ask yourself if it's worth sacrificing some of your precious living space to own it. |
| | Repair, don't replace - If you shopped carefully and got good service out of something, don't assume you have to replace it when it breaks. A good repair shop might be able to restore it to "near-new" condition for less than the cost of a replacement, and you won't be adding to the landfill problem. |
| | Find for Free - Try to get things you need or want for free. In a surprising number of cases you can get whatever you need without spending a dime. |
| | Avoid Malls - If possible, avoid shopping at malls if you need to purchase something, go to a store that sells that thing. Don't automatically head for the mall, where you'll likely get lured into buying things you don't need. If you go to the mall just to hang out with your friends, consider finding new hobbies, or new friends. If you have to walk through a shopping mall to get to a restaurant or a movie theater, keep yourself engrossed in conversation (either with yourself or your companions) so that you don't focus on your surroundings. Concentrate on where you are going, but pay no attention to the stores along the way. |
| | Shop Used: Used items are often far cheaper than unused, and same result! |
| | Shop Online: Especially on sites like Ebay, where you can snag things that are much cheaper than they usually are; Amazon also works well. Just make sure that the shipping is not insane! |
| | Shop at Small Stores: Not only does this support your local economy, small stores often offer better rates and more personal service |
| | Use Coupons/Store Discount Cards: If you really need to get something, why not pay less for it? A lot of stores put out coupons in your local paper, or offer a membership card, which in turn offers many discounts |
| | Compare Prices: If you're looking for a specific item, try to look for a better price at another store. It's good common sense to pay less! |