Notes on anti-consumerism
thinking outside the capitalist box
Sigh. This world is..a lot right now, hmm? Every day it’s like one hundred new terrible things. Rage and grief come easily lately, not so much creating and sharing. So hi, here I am trying to channel that rage into something helpful. I recently received a text from a friend, asking for advice and resources around anti-consumerism - and I figured it’s past time to share some resources and the things I’ve been doing to save money and distance myself from participating in overconsumption, long before tariffs and DOGE and the threat of war and another depression, etc etc etc.
The systems we have been living within are specifically designed to help elites consolidate money and power at the expense of the working class and the poor (you and me, babe). We are living through the inevitable result of letting billionaires and corporations do as they please - rarely with even a slap on the wrist. We’re in deep, and we have a long way to go to dig out. But shrugging our shoulders and going back to doing the same thing we’ve always done isn’t gonna cut it. Adjusting how we consume - both with our money and our attention - is one of the most important, safest, and dare I say - easiest - ways we can fight back.
This journey started for me when I recognized a few unfortunate truths:
Our tax dollars fund violence around the world.
Our attention makes the richest richer.
Our data informs surveillance systems.
Our consumption patterns strengthen empire and oligarchs.
I won’t get into alllll of that here today, it’s a lot. With everything getting more and more expensive but our salaries staying the same, I think starting with your own consumer habits is a great place to start. And shifting our thoughts around consumerism and how we spend our money doesn’t necessarily have to revolve around a strict budget (no shade but within five seconds of budget discussions my brain actively shuts down, much to my father’s chagrin). Here are a few ways to spend, want, and need less, sans budget-talk:
Before anything - let go of guilt + perfectionism. None of us are perfect and there are no perfect choices under capitalism. Everyone has different resources and levels of privilege available to them.
Find your reasons. Do you want to be more conscious of your spending solely to save money? Reduce waste? Don’t particularly care for a certain company’s position on labor issues or donations to a certain “country” or political party? As an act of resistance? Identify why you’re making these changes can help solidify your choices moving forward.
Delete shopping apps + unsubscribe from marketing emails. I’ve found that this removes so much temptation and threat of impulse buys by creating some friction and making spending slightly less convenient, while also opting out of giving my attention to companies and corporations that I don’t support.
Keep lists. I keep a running wishlist of things I think I want/need in my notes app (and too many open tabs of potential purchases in my browser, but I’ve been told that’s unhinged, stick to the notes app). I give it 48 hours - or often a lot longer - before revisiting. More often than not, I’m over it or I’ve found it while thrifting.
Shop secondhand. Brand new clothing and furniture is not only getting so expensive, but it’s harder and harder to find things that aren’t made up of literal plastic. Shopping at thrift and antique stores not only finds me unique gems, but gems that are actually well made and will last me longer than a season.
Find shopping alternatives. If you have access, farmers markets and refill groceries instead of big box grocers. Your local hardware and garden store instead of Home Depot. Especially if you’re in a place like Los Angeles, taking a second to do a quick internet search or little hunt on your maps app and I promise you can almost always find what you need within a few miles without resorting to Amazon, Target, Walmart, etc. Push back against the instant gratification. I recognize that some people rely on Amazon for budget and accessibility reasons. But so many of us who shop on Amazon could be spending those dollars locally. We tell ourselves that “saving” money means we can spend more—but that cycle swallows us whole, taking small businesses and the planet down with it. The irony? I save more money by stepping away from Amazon. Buying less allows me to be more intentional, and when I do spend, I can support local shops—often seen as “expensive”—without actually spending more overall.
Get a library card! It’s not just for books. You can often borrow a myriad of things from a library: tools, games, seeds, park passes…there’s even a Makerspace in the Central Library here in LA where you can use sewing machines, 3-D printers, carpentry tools, etc…for free! Also if you haven’t tried Libby yet for your audiobooks, that’s a great way to get away from Audible.
Expand community. We were never meant to do all of this alone. Get to know your neighbors, lean on your friends. Last summer when I had more tomatoes and cucumbers than I could eat, can, and pickle myself, I traded with my neighbor down the street for armfuls of citrus from their trees (this is called potluck gardening). Utilize your local Buy Nothing group. Attend neighborhood meetings. Bring your friends together for collaborative yard sales. Use your skills to trade with others in your community (I recently built garden beds for a neighbor who mended some clothes for me - you get the point!)
Some of this may seem obvious, but from what I’ve observed online and in my own community is that people are still just taking the path of least resistance and not always approaching their consumption habits with a lot of curiosity and questions. Falling into the “I’m just one person, what does it matter" mindset is a TRAP, okay?? We have so much more power than we realize.
Some suggested reading:
Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer— An exploration of reciprocity, gratitude, and our relationship with the natural world told through Kimmerer’s beautiful storytelling - I’m obsessed with her and all of her work and this is required reading if you somehow haven’t read it yet!!!
Consumed by Aja Barber— A deep dive into fast fashion and consumer culture that raises some important questions.
Four Thousand Weeks by Oliver Burkeman— When we focus on what matters most and our finite time here on earth, consumption seems dull in contrast.
No New Things: A Radically Simple 30-Day Guide to Saving Money, the Planet, and Your Sanity by Ashlee Piper
How To Do Nothing: Resisting the Attention Economy by Jenny Odell - a field guide about taking back your life from the attention economy.
The Day the World Stops Shopping by J.B. MacKinnon— This book challenges the assumption that endless growth is necessary for human well-being.
The Art of Frugal Hedonism by Annie Raser-Rowland & Adam Grubb— A humorous, practical guide featuring 51 ways to spend less while enjoying life more.
And remember:
-this is a lifelong practice, unlearning takes practice
- focus on net positives, not perfection
-every mindful choice matters
-the journey isn’t linear
Thank you for being here. And welcome to the revolution.
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