Sally Gillespie
I am writing this piece in the midst of a lockdown in Sydney. It’s not going well, numbers are rising, not falling. One of the reasons is that most shops are still open, and people are flocking to them in their thousands, to buy supposedly essential items. Given the dangers in shopping centres right now, this says something about the addiction our society has to consumption. And perhaps to the temptation to go shopping, when the going gets rough.
Many of our purchases are not necessities but impulse buys which attempt to soothe nerves and boost spirits. The pleasure hit of buying however is generally fleeting, and can come at a great cost to the world we live in. Consumption is a primary driver behind our climate and ecological crisis. We are devouring the planet’s resources at a rate 1.7 times faster than it can regenerate as consumer spending has rocketed in the last 40 years in affluent countries like Australia. Governments tell us to go out and spend to boost economies in a slump ,but what they don’t tells us is that too much consumerism leaves us and our world a lot worse off. We need to find other ways to look after ourselves and our families than buying stuff.
Of course breaking the spending habit is easier said than done. For decades now we have all been targeted by sophisticated marketing techniques to get us to spend more than we need, and to buy on impulse. Now, with online advertising, these techniques are highly targeted to our tastes and weaknesses. Quite simply we are being conned and manipulated. To afford all this extra stuff we need to work more, meaning that we spend less time with our family, friends and communities, the relationships which give greatest satisfaction and meaning in life. Working longer hours, to satisfy consumer urges does not bring happiness. In fact it can feed into mental health issues, when buying stuff becomes an attempt to quell anxiety, boost low self-esteem or alleviate depression. When we are struggling or feeling low, shopping can be a temporary sugar hit that depletes bank balances and neglects deeper feelings
So how can we make ourselves less vulnerable to all the pressures to buy stuff that isn’t necessary while teaching our kids that life and happiness is not based on consumerism? Here are a few tips to get you started:
- Keep away from large shopping centres- try shopping more at markets and local stores with a list of what you need. Then head for a park rather than the sales racks for a breather.
- Don’t shop when you are tired or hungry as you will be more prone to impulse buys.
- Treat online ads as the con game that they are, with their attempts to win your attention and money. Every time you refuse to be distracted by them you are winning yourself space and freedom from logarithms which are attempting to empty your purse.
- Set yourself a goal to buy 25 % less stuff- whatever it is clothes, household items, toys, non-essential food items. This will give more financial security, and respect the needs of our planet.
- When a household item is broken check out ways to repair it rather than replace it. Find an appliance repairer or sign up for a repair café course at your local community centre.
- Use libraries and community exchanges for books, toys, clothes and local online free exchange sites like Pay It Forward.
- We all need treats, especially when times are tough. Give yourself a pleasure that is rewarding. Rather than buying something, make time for a get together with a friend or family, take some quiet time with a book or a podcast, go for a walk, or create something satisfying – a garden bed, a batch of biscuits, a sketch of your local park.
