Whether you’re looking to simplify your daily life or remove unnecessary clutter from your home, learning to consume less is a positive all-around goal. What’s more, it’s a goal that can be achieved with very little effort. Here are some great suggestions from the Plain Simple Life blog.
Cut back on ‘retail therapy.’ While retail therapy is often a fun, mood-boosting activity, it’s a habit that can lead to closets burgeoning with clothes you hardly—or never—wear, and cabinets bursting with gadgets and knick knacks that do nothing more than collect dust.
Curb your spending on unnecessary items by putting yourself on a “shopping cleanse,” making a commitment to avoid random purchases for one month. Once you’ve hit the one-month mark, you may find it easy to extend your shopping hiatus a bit longer or turn a new leaf altogether.
Buy only what you need. Impulse buying is the primary contributor to accumulating too much stuff in your home. To help avoid mindless purchases, keep a running list of items you really need and bring it with you when you head out on a shopping excursion. Avoid impulse shopping altogether by enforcing the 24-hour rule: If you really want something, sleep on it for 24 hours then see if you feel the same way the next day. Many times you’ll find the desire for the item has greatly diminished or disappeared completely.
Use cash only. A super effective way to buy less is to only purchase items with cash. Credit cards tempt us to make purchases we otherwise wouldn’t because we don’t feel the financial hit right away. Commit to using only cash for a month and watch your purchase of unnecessary items go way down.
Pack your lunch and eat in. Lots of the excess in our lives comes in the form of food. Decrease the amount of food in your kitchen that goes to waste—along with the number of leftover containers in your fridge—by cooking and eating your own food. Pack your lunch each day instead of ordering in, and save restaurants for date night and special occasions. This will help you avoid large portions that either go to waste or clutter your fridge as leftovers. An important bonus: Eating your own food will be healthier, too.
Not only will these habits help you lead a more streamlined life, they’ll allow you to save money for wish-list items like a vacation, car or new home.
