Design your life to include more money, health and happiness with less stuff, space and energy.

Design your life to include more money, health and happiness with less stuff, space and energy.

5 Shopping Tips for Buying Less Stuff

The world seems determined to sell us more stuff. If buying were the end of the story, that would be OK. But it’s just the beginning. Besides buying stuff, you must store it, charge it, clean it and look at it before ultimately tossing it. We’ve come up with 5 simple actions for combating stuff-a-holism:

  1. Use what you got. Specialty items are the enemy of the edited life. Bread-makers, tie-racks, Snuggies–you probably can handle the task with something you already have.
  2. Take care of what you got. Most of us only get 1/3 of our stuff’s actual life-cycle because of neglect. Fix, mend, patch, oil, repair, clean and generally respect your stuff. The earth and your pocketbook will thank you.
  3. Don’t be lured by the latest model. Yes, the new version with the angular corners is much cooler than the older one with the rounded ones. But be honest: do you really need the utility of the new version? Probably not.
  4. THINK before you buy. Unless you are buying a tourniquet, it’s unlikely you need to buy stuff immediately. Waiting a day or two generally quells the urge to buy stuff you might not need.

  5. Buy better. If you must buy stuff, make your stuff great, well-designed and repairable. And don’t be penny wise and pound foolish. As LifeEdited founder Graham Hill put it, “Stuff that costs twice as much, but lasts 4 times longer, is half-priced.”