How to stop overconsumption | Minimalism and saving money

Before we begin, a note to say that learning how to stop overconsumption, along with embracing minimalism and saving money, won’t be an overnight fix. The process requires years of love, kindness, trial and error – and is a journey that I’ve personally been on for many years. Even so, I hope this guide serves as a loving starting point on your journey to a simpler, more minimal and cost-efficient life.

It’s easy, isn’t it? Clicking ‘add to cart’ and feeling the familiar recklessness of an impulse purchase, one that wasn’t necessary. It arrives, and you might leave it in the delivery bag for days on end. ‘That’s nice’, you think, when you finally open it, before moving on to the next task at hand. The money gone, the item forgotten.

It has taken years of practising intentional living to stop the above anecdote from being a regular occurrence and learn how to stop buying unnecessary things. A candle here and a coffee there might seem harmless on the surface, but can trap you into a repetitive cycle and create waste. Even as someone who has invested in living an intentional life for five years, I still get caught off guard. Recently, I bought a coffee and a chocolate muffin from a coffee shop chain, even though I had the ingredients to make both at home. It’s hard not to fall victim to a consumerist society, despite having the best intentions.

Overconsumption and external influence

I left Instagram last year (which is a future blog post in itself), but found that social media was a perpetrator for overconsumption. Even my beloved YouTube vlogs would, sadly, provoke temptation to buy something I would later regret. I had to unsubscribe from some of my favourite channels, simply because their content focused on buying things that weren’t in alignment with who I am. It’s not in my best interest to buy a whole new skincare regimen on recommendation. Nor to decorate my home at the lightning speed of a content creator.

Is there anyone that you consume content from who makes you feel this temptation? I noticed the signs. Mainly, it was an underlying, impulsive need to buy what’s recommended by my favourite content creators to feel worthy. If I buy this, perhaps my life will look like theirs. Of course, that’s not true, and the only way to have a life like theirs would be to start a YouTube channel that achieves the same success. A tripod, skin cream or Autumn decor haul will not solve the problems we face or the shots we didn’t take in life. In fact, we often need more space to gain clarity on what’s important.

Examples of overconsumption and consumerism

Overconsumption is, put simply, buying more than we need. In the olden days, fashion brands would release a new clothing line every season. Now, fast fashion brands are releasing new products every week. With some items at the cost of a latte, it’s easy to see how society can get hooked on impulsive consumption. I see it happen all around me.

Embracing minimalism and saving money

I’ve been curious about minimalism, but never identified as a ‘minimalist’ until I thought about it earlier this year. I realised that it positively governs many of the daily decisions I make and naturally falls under the umbrella of intentional living. I was already buying less to have more in other areas of my life.

It goes into every area of our lives, too. Buying the latest iPhone release when our current iPhone is working perfectly. Buying an item in bulk at the supermarket when we only needed the one (and the surplus passes the expiry date and goes in the bin). Buying multiple lipstick shades just to have the whole collection, when actually, we might only wear nude shades. Shopping addictions for our favourite things – books, food crazes, Labubus or Stanley cups – you name it, they are all contributing to overconsumption.

How to stop overconsumption

I’m sharing the ways and resources I have used to reduce overconsumption, but remember that practice makes perfect. As I alluded to at the beginning of this blog post, be careful of perfectionism and remember that small improvements will add up over time to create lasting change.

No buy or low buy challenge

When I had a TikTok account, I used to binge-watch ‘no buy’ challenges. It gives me a fuzzy feeling to use up old ingredients in my pantry to make something new, and claim a unique second-hand item for our house for free on Facebook Marketplace. Making a conscious effort to be slow and intentional with purchasing means I can put a chunk of money away for something I truly need. While I haven’t started my own no buy challenge yet, thanks to other inspiring people, I’m planning to take on my own in the near future.

A monthly budget

Making a budget and following it has been my minimalism and saving money holy grail. In the last few years, I’ve managed my money using two methods: Monzo pots and cash stuffing. Both work perfectly, but I find that physical money creates more friction at the point of purchase, especially if the purchase is being made online. The process of taking the money to the bank and depositing it into my bank account is enough resistance to make me contemplate whether I needed the item in the first place.

In terms of the budget itself, whether you use a physical notebook or an online spreadsheet will depend on personal preference, but I’d recommend choosing the one that’s most sustainable for your long-term needs. I sell my own monthly budget planner on Etsy, which I’ve used for many years.

Manage subscriptions and accounts

I want to start by saying that I believe intentionally chosen subscriptions can be a worthwhile investment. For example, I had a monthly subscription to a course that guided me through how to build my website, which was invaluable. When I no longer needed it, I simply cancelled it.

I don’t pay for Amazon Prime. Personally, the convenience of having a new item arrive next day puts me at risk of buying something I don’t need. However, I still shop on Amazon, as it allows me to buy products that otherwise wouldn’t be accessible to me in the UK, such as my Law of Attraction Planner. 

Note: For full transparency, I am an Amazon Affiliate, which allows me to receive a very small commission for each purchase made through one of my Amazon links. I am extremely conscious about what I share (typically books), and would never link to an item that hasn’t been an important part of my intentional living journey.

Equally, I don’t pay for a premium bank account. On Monzo, you can pay a fee to receive individual digital cards for each of your pots, but I prefer to manually transfer the money from each pot at the point of transaction, allowing me to be mindful about my spending. I only subscribe to Netflix if there is something specific I want to watch, then cancel it again. I no longer have Spotify, and I limit insurance deals to the essential three – home, life and car insurance. It’s a personal choice, but I would rather put the money I would spend on insurance into a savings account and, if something breaks, use the money I’ve saved to pay for the repair. I unsubscribed from email marketing and went as far as to delete online shopping accounts that I no longer use under the UK’s General Data Protection Regulation.

However, I understand that everyone’s needs are different, so I’m sharing these examples as a source of inspiration, rather than a rule. If you have a big family and Amazon’s Subscribe and Save is your lifeline, it sounds like a worthwhile investment for your mental load. If you’re a musician, I imagine that subscribing to Spotify is a non-negotiable (it is for my husband). If you’re looking to stop overconsumption, it might be a helpful starting point to explore what you’re subscribed to, whether it be entertainment, insurance or even email marketing, and ask yourself questions. Do I use this? Do I like this? Is it necessary for me to live a happy life?

Remove the triggers

I find the rise in pre-loved shopping to be such a blessing, but I do have to be careful, just like any other shopping channel. My algorithm on Vinted is set up beautifully to bring the perfect item of clothing at an unbelievable price to the top of my feed. I have been caught out by this once or twice before, and have to set a boundary around using the app.

Triggers can be environmental, too. So, replace activities that often result in overconsumption, such as visiting the department store, with alternatives that won’t lead to costly purchases. A long walk with a homemade coffee or a trip to the beach with a packed lunch are both beautiful examples. You can read more ideas in my blog post, summer activities for adults.

Shop what you have

Shop your skincare cupboard and makeup drawer, and make a one in, one out rule. Once you’ve run out of a product, you can repurchase it or buy another of the same kind. For example, a mascara for a mascara.

Be mindful of what you own and see if certain items can be repurposed. For example, restyling old clothes is a brilliant way to keep the compulsion to buy new clothes at bay. I try different combinations to be certain that an item has been used to the best of its ability. I picked out a skirt that I wasn’t sure about recently, and experimented with new ways to wear it using items in my wardrobe. Now, I’ve created a new outfit that I love to wear.

If I realise that an item simply isn’t working in my life anymore, I sell it to a new home. If it can’t be sold, I look for new ways to prevent it from ending up in landfill, such as donating it to a clothing bank or cosmetics recycling scheme. If you’re in the UK, Boots has an app, Recycle At Boots, that allows you to recycle old cosmetics and claim Advantage Card points for donations. I even shipped a bag off to my local donation point this morning.

Remember your ‘why’

It could be a savings goal for a dream family holiday, getting on the property ladder or starting a family. Whatever your ‘why’, it can be helpful to remember it often. A vision board is a brilliant way to build a glimpse into your future, which I mentioned in my blog post about gratitude and manifestation.

Think before buying something

I wrote a blog post all about the questions you should ask yourself before making a purchase. I write lists on my phone for things I want to buy, so I can revisit the list to decide if I really want to buy them. At the moment, I have a list of art supplies that I’m interested in buying, but I’ve decided to investigate whether I can make use of a gift card to make the purchase more cost-effective.

Learning how to stop buying unnecessary things

I will remind you once more that recovering from and learning how to stop overconsumption won’t be an overnight process, so be kind to yourself. Hard days are normal. It was only a few months ago that I had to return two near-full online orders from purchases I made when I wasn’t feeling my best. I realised my error and rectified my mistake, but I’m sharing the moment to show that it happens. We can all do our bit to help stop overconsumption, while embracing minimalism and saving money for something we truly want.

I would love to hear your stories about minimalism and saving money in the comments.

My intentional living budget tracker is available in my recently launched Etsy shop. I hope that it can become a sustainable resource in your minimalism and saving money toolkit for life.