Tell me your most boring methods of avoiding consumption

[u/penny-fed-car]

As the title says I want you comment your most boring, mundane, unimpressive, absolutely not worth posting, methods of avoiding buying shit.

The key to our survival as a species has always been our ability to communicate and share knowledge. In the age of the pending apocalypse, every corner of the internet is packed with content telling us to consume.
The problem is that talking about how to make things we use everyday seems so rare, especially online. I think it's because the topic is seen as boring, compared to other posts that elicit an emotional response, so no one bothers. But in some ways not consuming is the only way we have of protesting the system, and we need to collectively share our methods of doing so - no matter how boring.

I'll start. I was going to buy salt water hairspray, but then my inner cheapskate didn't want to pay for it. The result was this me using this recipe; 1 cup water, 1 tbsp sea salt, 1 tsp aloe vera. I then put it in a super old spray bottle I never use and was considering getting rid of. That's it. I spent $0.

[u/Kimera225]

Speaking of buying though the internet... I make wishlist of all the useless stuff that catches my eye online but I know I do not need, do not have the space for nor truly want.

I get the dopamine kick from putting them in the wishlist but not a bill. Plus I avoid putting it in a shopping car and accidentally actually buying that stuff (have seen it happen in social media videos).

[u/StardewMelli → u/Kimera225]

I have different Pinterest Wishlist Boards. So pretty to look at, but I don’t need the stuff. It’s very satisfying to revisit the boards later on and then realise that your taste changed and that you can delete most of it.

[u/Sekmeta → u/StardewMelli]

Same..My pinterest boards are full of future projects, sewing plans, fashion ideas, furniture makeovers I hope one day will be reality 🥹 It can also be the same effect when u going to mall,looking and touching things you wish u had,but then realise that you don't need any of them 😂

[u/StardewMelli → u/Sekmeta]

Going to the mall is dangerous for me. I could instantly get all the stuff that catches my eyes without much thought.

Online, most of the things I fancy aren’t easy to buy. Lots of fake sites, chinese sites, sites that aren’t available in my country or shipment is ridiculous. It’s good to have that barrier 😅 I need to think about actually buying it. Entering my payment information and my address.

[u/soyIatte → u/StardewMelli]

I do the same! I make a wish list board on Pinterest and pin items I want. Six months later, I don’t want them anymore. And I never save my credit card number on my browser. When I think I want to buy something, I usually don’t go through with it because I’m simply too lazy to get up and get my wallet for my card details. Works every time!

[u/Kimera225 → u/StardewMelli]

Oh yes Pinterest! I used it a lot in my early 20's for creating ideas, wedding ideas (did not even glance at it when I was getting married, though it was only a civilian wedding)& tips that sounded good for like, kids (I still do not have kids 😂) My Pinterest boards have probably agreed badly by now lol

[u/StardewMelli → u/Kimera225]

It’s fun to look at your old boards. It’s like a mirror into the past. 😄

[u/jennafromtheblock22 → u/Kimera225]

I do this too in person, where I take a picture of the thing that caught my eye. I think I’ve only gone back once in the following days to actually buy the thing.

[u/TowerReversed → u/jennafromtheblock22]

and i bet it was one of those comparatively rare actually-completely-satisfying additions to your personal inventory based on the fact that your baseline desire for it was strong enough to actually persist. i try to wait at least 24 hours to buy something i don't need. it was hard at forst but i've gotten pretty good at it since.

[u/jennafromtheblock22 → u/TowerReversed]

Yep! Logging back on to a website is easy. Driving yourself to the store again is not as easy.

[u/jennafromtheblock22 → u/jennafromtheblock22]

I recommend “the deliberation station” for those not familiar.

[u/_damn_hippies → u/Kimera225]

i thought i was the only one who does this!

[u/Vipu2 → u/Kimera225]

I have full folder of stuff in my browser of "to buy" stuff that I might need at some point but is not urgent.

If it goes on sale and I still need it I might buy it or when it becomes urgent need or I might just delete items when I dont feel like I need them anymore.

[u/photoelectriceffect → u/Kimera225]

Similar to you, but I put it in the “buy later” list if I really want to buy it, and then I check in 30 days later, and I almost never still want it. Probably because of what you identified- I already got some enjoyment out of experiencing the thing just by adding it to the list, and then I can realize I don’t actually want it enough to spend the money, have it show up on my porch mailbox, open it, dispose of the packaging, and find a place for it in my home

[u/Kimera225 → u/photoelectriceffect]

I go back to those whish lists once or twice a year and clean them from stuff I actually bough, stuff I got an item that works in a similar way, stuff I question myself why it is even there and stuff I no longer have the hyper fixation for.