@leecotton3242
I think this is part of why I like to shop at thrift shops … the options are limited and it’s fun to find something really special.
@Sunshine-t3j
This is not a consumer problem. It's a manufacturing problem. Manufacturers should be regulated to build in the cost of packaging disposal or recycling. Watch them start using alternatives, as increased prices reduce the sale of their products.
@LucyOEB
I switched to bar soap and shampoo in paper packaging and laundry detergent in paper boxes. It’s a start…
@bEverCurious
When Princess Diana died I stopped buying magazines (the paparazzi were the cause of her death). That had a profound affect on my mental health for the better. Decades later, I stopped watching the news. You'll hear about world events anyway. About 5 years ago I stopped watching TV. I still watch a few TV shows from streaming online. Last year I decided to stop watching any hollywood movies, to only give my time to European, Scandi or Asian movies because the quality is so much better. Recently I have given up all social media, apart from youtube and I'm am cutting back on how much I watch and even what I watch. I have no clue who the 'it' person of the moment is or what the latest trend online is or what new products are being released or what the new decor must-haves for 2025 are - and I have no anxiety around what I have and no manufactured desire to replace what is still in perfect condition for use.
@JP-ve7or
It's ironic that, despite all these choices, I rarely find what I want: a pair of 100% cotton women's jeans without spandex or holes; comfortable, plain brown flats with a non-pointy toe box; a women's buttondown shirt that actually has buttons that go to the top. I think it's a lot to do with what the woman says at 17:35 about a lack of focus on quality and longevity, and the industries just pumping out garbage and making you shop and repurchase over and over.
@TenKurVynas
too much choice also makes us waste time on making those choices.
@jrstrange123
It’s easier to try to make the consumer to feel guilty about living with what is available around them than it is to go after the manufacturer.
@nadiavista7555
My dad is from the Philippines, so growing up he taught me how to be mindful and not to be wasteful. We would reuse margarine containers or any glass jars for our food. Till this day I still reuse glass jars and margarine containers, I’m teaching my kids to do the same.
@KristopherNoronha
This is why (in the UK) I shop at Lidl. Their philosophy is simple: cheap prices and you have one or max two varieties of any item. If there's something they don't stock that I specifically need, I know exactly which mega store of one of the more mainstream consumerist chains I need to go to and I only buy that one thing. No browsing the aisles to pick something else that I find interesting. Unfortunately for me, my city had a zero waste store that I really loved and was a frequent buyer from, but they shut shop in 2023. They said it was impossible to compete with supermarkets and the sales just weren't worth their costs of running the business.
@CMoore8539
If manufacturers wanted to create things in an environmentally friendly way, they could do it in a heartbeat. It’s all about money 💰.
@americanacmon
The shoe guy is just pretending he doesn’t have a problem
@clam371384
I do not go to the typical American grocery stores such as Kroger, Publix and Walmart in my region because I hate the mountain of options and mostly highly processed foods available. I preferred Costco, Aldi, Lidi with less overwhelming options. And I buy most of my clothing from secondhand stores. The clothing aspect is easier for male to wear the same color and style everyday than a female who is working at the Corporate America.
@fraeck
There are abundance of choices but i would argue that the quality of food and non-perishable products have declined significantly compared to 20 or 30 years ago. Cars, electrical and electronic goods break too easily nowadays due to poor quality parts and planned obsolescence.
@mariekev-j8d
I stopped buying stuff, stopped asking gifts for my birthday. I genuinely don't need anything. The money I save this way, I donate to charities. This year I bought a small plot of land in an organic cooperative farm with the gift money, and I want to do that every year. This gives me so much more real satisfaction than the mindless shopping I used to do. Visit one more store to get some new make up while the things I still had and was using were perfectly fine. I don't need more. I feel my mind and nervous system relaxing from detoxing from the constant dopamine hits and wanting more. It sounds cliche but back to the basics and reconnect with nature. I put an app on my phone that identifies the plants around me by taking a picture of them, and now I've been 'collecting' flowers and learning more about the beautiful world around me, without damaging it. I've taken up litter picking as well. Cleaning up a street gives a great feeling of satisfaction. A book I can recommend is 'The art of frugal hedonism', it's exactly my lifestyle.
@etaokha4164
I dont buy except we need it. Am a single mom raising 3 kids and money has to managed its not a choice but a must. I see alot of people who suffer from hoarding problems because they put their worth on those material things to bring them joy. Meanwhile me spending quality time with my children can never be bought so I collect alot of memories and photos with me and my children ❤. Here in uk i shop in one store( lidl) its got everything I need without me going from aisle to aisle to aidle and makes shopping fun and easier and out within few minutes also its close to my doorstep and at the corner is McDonald's for you to eat and take a break after shopping. Love it
@elizabethcohen1035
If you have the option: try to plant some veggies. If you don't have a yard, try planting lettuce, "spacesaver" cucumbers and dwarf tomato plants (Tiny Tim variety is yummy). Empty milk jugs, oil jugs, etc. make excellent planters. Lots of YouTube videos on how to do it on the cheap.
@itwasharderthanitlooked
And now you know why Costco is so successful! They have 2 items, they will be the best of those items, and that's it. Nobody is ever angry in a Costco.
@stephaniehuthmacher4214
I always go for mid-price goods, whatever it is. More expensive does not mean better. Nothing fancy. And I make quick decisions so I don't get overwhelmed.
@kyracarlson6591
Designed obsolescence is hard to beat. If my vacuum is made to only last two or three years, there isn’t much I can do about that. I will fix it myself but sometimes I will have to buy a new one. The same goes for many, many other products and services. What I can do is manage myself. When I decide to buy a want I pause and give it time to see if it’s truly something I want. Does it really make my life better? Does it have value? I resent giving my money to such large corporations and try to reduce that as much as I can. In turn I have found that I’m not outgrowing my house. I don’t make a lot of trash and my food waste is minimal with composting for the garden. All of that saves me time, energy, and money (which I now have more of for things that actually matter). Simple life = happier life. I don’t think giving in to wants and desires on whims to the point of self detriment is good. It certainly isn’t sustainable, as we are seeing. It’s not only bad for the earth but humanity. There is a link between this frivolous behavior in consumerism and the muddy morals modern society is plagued with.
@lifewith9cats153