#consuming less

No, this post is not about me lecturing you on how you should completely change your habits overnight, such as becoming a vegetarian or only use public transit. These, quite frankly makes me cackle more than anything else.

 What I would like to accomplish with this post is the start of an internal -or not- dialog when it comes to our excessive consumption. Being more mindful of what we…

My Take on Consuming Less…

I’ve decided to consume less. It started back in December of 2017 that I started listening to podcasts and meditation and I am not sure if it was the culmination of all of that but I decided to start to consume less.

  I’ve also stopped eating meat and dairy products. The reasons were for health, environment and animal issues. This process lasted for 6 months and it was a profound experience. In…

US kids consuming less fruits and vegetables

Obesity, no wonder, has become the hottest topic among all the health bodies of the world and particularly in US. It is no surprise to hear or read about new measures taken to tackle the problem of obesity at a mass level, and to make the parents and children aware about the possible disadvantages of obesity. A similar measure has been taken by MetroWest Community Health Care Foundation. The…

Simply minimizing or avoiding shopping all together is one way to prevent over-spending, but you and I both know that’s just not realistic. Yes, the less you shop, the fewer the opportunities to spend money on things you don’t really need – but shopping can be fun and it’s often a social activity. Impulse shopping is where most people struggle; buying things just because they’re on sale or discounted, buying something because someone else is also buying it (I call that a #peerpressurepurchase) or as one friend put it, “It was just so dang cute, I had to buy it!”  

Shopping, spending and stimulating the economy is a big part of everyday life, but I’m here to help you avoid the dark side of shopping – over-shopping, over-spending & over-consuming, be it Black Friday or any day of the year. Here are some simple tips:

When shopping, ask yourself:

• Do I “desperately” need this?

• Do I have a place to put this?

• Do I have the time and energy to organize/clean a space to put this?

• Will I really use this (in the next 3 months)? 

• Do I already own this? (how many times have you purchased something only to realized you already owned it!?)

When buying clothes, ask yourself:

• What do I already own that goes with this?

• Is this something I’ve been eyeing for awhile?

• Do I look in my closet and wish I had this?

• Do I already own something similar?

• Do I only want it because it’s on sale?

• Will I still love it in 3-6 months (too trendy)?

If you’re shopping for gifts:

• Considering an “Experience” gift instead of material items.