How Shopping Smart Helps Maintain Organized Living
Considered Consumerism – How Shopping Smart Helps Maintain Organized Living
Ever opened up a cabinet to find it so full you can’t add the new item you just purchased? Where did all this stuff come from? The answer is, you went shopping.
We live in a capitalistic society where everyone is trying to get us to buy something. Often companies offer us free stuff just to try some other thing. Great! Now we have two things we don’t need taking up physical and psychic space.
Clutter results from buying more than you need, because it’s on sale, or because it’s shiny and attractive,. Using lists for all your shopping helps you avoid temptation. With a list, going to the store becomes a task that allows you to live your life. Without a list, shopping is frustration masquerading as entertainment.
Smart shopping begins before you hit the stores and saves hours of aggravation, not to mention money. Consider your needs. Products are positioned to solve problems. If you don’t have that problem, you don’t need that product.
Naturally, we occasionally give in to the temptation of the new. But when the new product doesn’t live up to your expectations, toss it. Useless items are in your way.
If you already own something that works, you don’t need a different product. Figure out what works for you, and stick with it. Making the decision once means less stress later because you’ll already know the best place to find an item, how often you need to replace it and the best place to store it.
Try these ways to be a considered consumer:
- Think about how you will use and keep an item before you purchase it.
- Research and clip coupons when you need something, not because you want to try it.
- Single purpose products are usually dust catchers.
- Quality over quantity brings longer lasting pleasure.
This article originally appeared in Sage, May 2008.
Tags: clutter, Habit, organizing, routine, Shopping Smart, Simplifying, streamlining, systems
