This post lists the real, practical changes I made in my life that helped me buy less, so they can help you to fight overconsumption too.
It can feel hard to escape the constant push of overconsumption in today’s world. Social media, advertising, influencers, and more are working every day to convince us to keep buying more stuff.
Once you’re on a sustainable living journey, you quickly realise that reducing consumption would help solve most environmental and social problems. Carbon emissions, resource depletion, plastic pollution, landfills, modern slavery, labour rights violations; pretty much all of it links back to the constant production and consumption of cheap things so billionaires can make more money.
Changing that requires more than any individual’s choices, but it still starts by refusing to participate in this system. So, to buy less and give less money to these harmful companies is one of the best individual actions you can take.
But doing that can be easier said than done, especially when everything seems designed to optimise overconsumption. It took me a while to realise I was participating in overconsumption, and even longer to break the habits that kept me buying too much.
I still wouldn’t say I’m a perfect anti-consumer, and no one has to be. But I’ve learned a lot of tips over the years that genuinely helped me to buy less, and I hope they can help you too.
17 Tips To Buy Less And Stop Overconsumption
1. Reset your algorithm
I did have a TikTok shop addition once. Looking back, I can’t believe I ever spent money on so many cheap and dumb items (none of which I still use), but social media has a way of manipulating you like nothing else. You think that because it is a “real” person posting, the recommendation must be genuine, but they all get commissions and engagement from it.
Probably the best thing would be to cut out social media altogether, but even I am not mentally ready for that (maybe one day…). But something that really helped me was resetting my algorithm to stop showing me so many product videos.
It goes something like this: the second you realise you are seeing a product or influencer video, you scroll away. Algorithms are pretty simple at their core: they show you more of what you engage with, and less of what you don’t bother to watch or interact with. Most social apps even have a feature where you can click “not interested” or equivalent. Usually, you can find this by long-pressing the video or clicking the 3 dots menu.
Also, make sure to spend extra time and engagement on content you do want to see, like art or travel. Social media will never completely stop showing you ads and influencer videos, but if you stay aware of them, reject anything product-related immediately, and never buy anything directly off social media, you’ll be surprised by how many useless buys you avoid.
2. Stop browsing online shopping websites and delete shopping apps
Another simple action that helped me stop the temptation of shopping is to stop browsing online shopping websites. Literally just delete your shopping apps and never go on the websites unless you have a specific purpose. Sounds simple, but many people browse these sites like social media when bored, which is exactly how they get you.
3. Join communities to learn and share best practices
There is power in community and sharing your struggles with others. Millions of people are on the same journey, and the internet makes it easier than ever to connect with them. Online forums, Facebook groups, blogs (like mine 😉) and more are great places to find inspiration and hacks for buying less that you would not have thought of yourself.
Reddit is a great place for joining specific sustainable consumption forums, like r/Anticonsumption/, r/nobuy/, and r/ZeroWaste/. I am also part of a few community Facebook groups focusing on reuse, which are great for connecting locally.
4. Use local buy nothing and free stuff groups
Related to the previous point, make use of existing local “Buy Nothing” groups or equivalent. These groups, often hosted on Facebook, let you give away or get unwanted stuff for free from your local community. It stops waste and prevents you from buying new. These kinds of small-scale, local collaborations are one of the most impactful and uplifting climate actions I know of!
5. Avoid buying disposable products
Being smarter about what you buy can save you a lot of spending and waste in the future. Avoiding single-use products and finding reusable alternatives is a shift that has helped me buy significantly less.
Think reusable shopping bags, stainless steel water bottles, reusable paper towels, and more. I have several zero-waste guides full of specific ideas and swaps!
6. Wait at least 24 hours before buying
Impulse buying is one of the most important habits to break if you want to buy less. Most fast companies do everything they can to make you buy impulsively, from sales and discounts to one-click buying and generous return windows.
So, make it a rule for yourself to never buy anything you like straight away. Favourite it or save the link, but wait at least 24 hours to look at it again. Often, you’ll realise it is not as great as you thought, or you were only buying it to scratch that “shopping” itch.
7. Think of whether you are actually going to use it
A question I now ask myself before I buy anything is, “Am I actually going to use it”? And not just use it once, but use it many times on a regular basis.
Many products that are marketed to us are not actually useful; they just seem cool but have no real value. How many items have you bought that you used only a few times, and now they just gather dust? To buy less, you should only buy what you actually need.
8. Make lists of what you need to buy
Another useful habit I picked up is to keep an open list of things you need in a notes app. This way, you are less likely to impulse buy because if it is not on the list, you probably don’t need it. It also allows you to be more intentional by looking for the best version of the product instead of buying whatever pops up on your screen. It’s also super useful for thrifting (see the next point).
9. Buy primarily second-hand
I buy nearly all of my clothing and home items second-hand, and I feel it really changes how you shop. Other than being great for the circular economy, it forces you to slow down and actually spend some time searching for what you need. This is where keeping a list of things you want to buy comes in handy, because you can keep it ready whenever you visit a charity shop or look on online secondhand platforms.
Yes, secondhand shopping can take a bit more effort, but I think that’s a good thing. Everything you buy should be a carefully considered choice if you truly want to buy less.
10. Wait out trends
Big companies use trends to create a sense of urgency and “fitting in” to manipulate us into buying more. This is especially used in fashion but also applies to decor and other home items. Not that you can’t buy popular products, but you should only buy things that match your style and have longevity.
If you wait a few months, you’ll soon realise if a trend was genuinely good design or just a microtrend. You can always buy it after the height of the trend has blown over (and find it cheaply secondhand).
11. Repurpose what you no longer use
A key mindset of slow fashion and slow decorating is to use what you already have. So if you have clothes or home items you no longer use, try to repurpose them before buying something new.
I had a TV table that I no longer needed because my new flat had a built-in TV unit, so now it is in my bedroom holding my beauty products and houseplants. My flat came with broken blinds in the kitchen windows, but instead of getting rid of them, I DIY’d them into a hanging herb plant system. I also had an old duvet cover that was too small, so I cut it up into living room curtains. The options are endless if you stop treating things like waste, but like opportunities to save money.
12. Keep useful packaging and jars
Similar to the previous point, make a habit of keeping packaging and jars that could be useful. Glass food jars are great for food storage or for plant propagation. I also keep smaller hair and skincare bottles as travel containers, so I never have to buy travel toiletry bottles. Keeping bubble wrap and sturdy packaging bags is great for when you are selling things secondhand on Vinted and Depop. The less you waste, the less you have to buy new.
13. Don’t replace until it fully breaks
Unfortunately, many people don’t keep products until they break, just until something nicer comes along. I’ve had the same phone for 5 years (and it was a hand-me-down) and see no reason to upgrade it. New phones are only marginally different to the previous version anyway! The same goes for shoes, clothes, kitchen items, etc.
An important part of this is trying to repair stuff when it breaks! Repairing clothes is easy to learn and lets you enjoy your favourite pieces for way longer. Many electronics can also easily be repaired if you look up a tutorial or take them to an electronics shop. There are even repair cafes and online platforms where you can get someone to take a look for you.
Everything you own has taken valuable resources to make, so you should use it fully.
14. Don’t be afraid of higher prices
This was one of the hardest mindset shifts to make, but a super important one. I always used to find the cheapest versions of products, but even with good reviews, they will always break down too quickly.
Higher quality will always cost more, but the price is worth it because you have to buy it less often. Whenever an investment seems too pricey, I consider the cost per use, which gets lower the longer a product lasts.
15. Cut out unnecessary products
Big brands survive by convincing us we need products no one actually needs. 10-step skincare routines, dryer sheets, and handy kitchen gadgets are just a few of the many things I stopped buying because I realised they don’t actually add any value. Just keep your personal care routines simple and use the timeless, proven home items you’ve always used. Don’t fall for influencers who are promoting the latest thing that will fix all your problems – it never does.
16. Use multi-purpose products
Similar to my previous point, many products are assigned specific purposes just to make you buy all the different versions. But really, many can be replaced with single multi-purpose products. My favourite example is multipurpose soap like Castile soap, which I use for washing my face, cleaning my shower, mopping my floors, washing dishes, and more.
17. Look for small sustainable companies instead of defaulting to big retailers
Even when I was well into my sustainability journey, I was still buying regularly from Amazon, because I thought there was nowhere else where you could get many random items. But that’s just not true; there will always be a company that makes the same item better and more sustainably. You just have to make a bit more effort to find them, which is worth it to avoid the horrible impacts of Amazon. By doing more research, you also make more intentional choices and are less tempted to fall for Amazon’s or Temu’s impulse-buying tactics.
There are many eco-retailers that carry a large selection of sustainable home and personal care items, which can replace many things you might buy on Amazon or other big retailers. My UK-based favourites are Ethical Superstore, Big Green Smile, and Peace with the Wild. I haven’t bought from Amazon in years now.
I hope this guide has given you some useful tips to reduce your own shopping habits. Remember that to buy less does not mean to never buy stuff again; it just means buying with more intention. And don’t try to change your entire lifestyle all at once, but try one small change at a time, and they will soon start to add up.
