7 Life Changing Strategies to Change Your Spending Habits - Episode 2

Today, let's continue our deep dive on resetting our spending habits and ways to overcome consumerism in our lives.

Whether you have a shopping addiction you want to overcome, want to save more money in 2024, or if you just want to find new ways to spend less money in general, this video series has something to offer.

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Recent videos:

24 Things to Declutter in 2024

If Your Only Goal is More, You’ll Never Get There

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Most popular videos:

3 Things to Buy to be Happier, According to Science

Top 10 Things to Declutter Right Now

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You can read more tips in my newest book, Things That Matter: Overcoming Distraction to Pursue a More Meaningful Life:

Read hundreds of articles on decluttering and owning less on the Becoming Minimalist blog.

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[Leah.Chandler]

I realized that most of my spending habits are geared towards clothing. I’m always seeking the perfect pair of jeans and can never seem to find them. I research for months and think I finally found them just to be dissatisfied after a few wears. I deeply reflected and had my aha moment. It’s not my clothing I’m unhappy with but my body. I don’t feel good in anything because of my own insecurities. So instead of searching for the perfect jeans, I’m going to start taking better care of my body not only for the physical benefits but for the mental benefits as well.

[lisamorris]

Another thing to add to shopping temptation is internet influencers and YouTubers constantly promoting products.

[pippas]

I know someone who regards commercials as her 'exercise breaks' - she does some stretches or runs on the spot or something, which has the double bonus of avoiding buying temptation AND getting fitter!

[Hans-jt]

By digging deep I have found that purchasing is a way for me to get back at all the classmates who laughed and looked down me as we were all growing up 😳. It was such a painful painful time … feels that I am pathetic as it still hurts after all these years ..
Thank you for this series ❤

[jennifershaw]

This series is such a gift of information. When I looked inward as to why I shopped, it came down to being bored, lonely or stressed. Shopping was a distraction to help the feeling of stress. It definitely helps to figure out the why.

[whatfun]

Quite apart from the personal benefits, reducing consumerism would be a massive, massive boon to the world.

[cindy]

I am on a no buy for as long as I can and tracking every cent I spend to try and work out where they money is going. I have a weakness for clothes at the beginning of a new season so will be interesting to see if that happens again with the next change of season. I think it is a confidence problem but will keep pondering on it, thanks for the video!

[annmoore]

As someone who grew up in a family that struggled financially, I found that my major trigger is my kids. When they say they need or want something, I immediately want to drop everything and buy it for them. My motives are good. I want my kids to have a life I could have only dreamed of at their age. BUT they don’t need even half of what they say they want. I have gotten more careful about what I purchase for them.

[mjgriffin]

Very interesting series. If I am watching T.V., I always mute all commercials.

[arlenekeith]

Television ads aren't my weakness. It's the click bait on Instagram and all the pretties in department stores. 😍 I try to avoid those places and shop my own belongings. Thank you for your wisdom !

[arosa]

I stopped watching TV 4 years ago, cold turkey, overnight. As a matter of fact, since it's just sitting there collecting dust, I'm going to donate it this week.

[virgierutledge]

The "Trends" are fleeting and will leave us broke. My goal is clean and neat.

[mymail]

Listening to this, it immediately hit me. I get most of my shopping impuls from Youtube. Seeing someone´s organized kitchen makes me feel like I NEED a new spice rack or drawer organiser. Two weeks ago someone in a house stageing show said that all white walls makes you feel you are in a doctor´s waiting room. Sure enough I spent the last week painting my walls a chic sage green. I love it, but I now realise I only did it because of what I saw in a Youtube video. Crazy. I need to limit my watching and be careful about what I watch.

[patdennis]

I only watch ad free streaming tv and YouTube. I mute or skip any ads that randomly appear. Feels so good!

[minttul.]

Thank you❤ Indeed "why" is the profound question, maybe the most important for myself.
Haven't had a tv for 3 years now and never looked back. Replaced it with hiking, knitting, drawing etc.
If I occationally want to binge a show, I do it on my phone using free 30days. This happens maybe 3 times a year and works for me.

[louisetilbury]

I have found that boredom leads to shopping on my fave shops app. I have deleted all except the ones that I can only buy the consumables that I need for our home.
I also cleared the email subscriptions.
Both are so helpful. Loving this series

[MaquinasDePalomitas]

The tip about TV and how it glamorizes wealth is priceless!!! Suddenly I don’t feel so worthless. I did the email unsubscribing tip organically this past December, took me about 2 weeks to get rid of most of them. I’m really into cycling and I kept getting cupons, offers, discount codes. I bought so many bike parts this past year that it became a chore and a major time drain, choosing, researching, the actual act of buying, getting the tracking numbers, etc. Plus, I discovered I wasn’t actually taking advantage of savings, the things I really wanted didn’t apply or the savings were only on some odd sizes. While I’m at it, I’ve been really struggling with to do lists, I make too many of them. I joke around that I have lists of my to do lists. I just keep piling on things to do, random thoughts I have. Just throwing that out there to see if anybody else has experiences something similar.

[Genie]

I literally get emails saying…” you deserve this today”. Sadly I have fallen for it. As someone who buys to feel validated this “deserve” word is hard. I try to remind myself over and over that NO physical thing will validate me…it never works. I need to find ways to do that for myself…it’s a process. Thank you for this series and for this buy conscience community☺️

[natashyas]

I think as a stay-at-home mom sometimes I feel very restless like I don't have something tangible to show for all of my actions makes it feel like I have accomplished something especially when I get a good deal. Of course this doesn't last and then I need to declutter more which perpetuates the cycle. Reading does help, as does exercise. To detox from the shoppers high.

[katelynshipman]

I finally started a contentment journal today taking notes and journaling exactly what you have said in your two videos so far. I went and rewatched them both. I highly recommend everyone actually doing what he says because there is soooo much more to unpack than watching a quick video!