6 minimalist tips on how to shop less

Tips for those who want to cut spending and shop less without feeling miserable 😊 Especially if you’re doing a low-buy or no-buy year and are an aspiring minimalist.

Thank you for watching, my friends!

From Siberia with love,
Your Ana(stasia)

[jeffmcilroy]

When you said that “ when we make things for ourselves we become closer to our true nature” It really made me think that maybe that’s why so many of us are so unsatisfied in our daily lives.. we rarely make anything for ourselves anymore. We buy premade food, preassembled furniture, decorations for our houses. We are very separated from the satisfaction of just meeting our basic needs that our ancestors focused on everyday. Thank you for revealing this to us Ana. I learn something from everyone of your videos. Your a calm and beautiful spirit.

[dawnoftherock]

I grew up very poor barely having my needs met. I come from a family of seven children. When I was 10 my Dad left and we had nothing. I used to think that It was a bad thing to live like that as a child but when I look back I am happy that I learned about what is truly valuable in this life and it certainly isn't material things.

[Anita-rqev]

Dear Ana. The older I get, the less i buy, I'm not a minimalist, but figured out that I don't require too many items to be happy. Happiness is an inside job. Have a good day 😊

[anntan]

Thank you for sharing your personal stories, Anna! They are so relatable and heartfelt. I find myself in tears when I listen to your talks, I feel deep down a sense of humanity and feel less alone. So thank you for such meaningful content. Slow art and no rush living resonates with me so much. And I remind myself to create more than I consume. I recently up ended my somewhat comfortable life abroad where I lived and worked for 12 years. Now back in my home country which doesn’t feel like home, I find myself starting over and alone at age 51. Changes can be scary but necessary when one takes the journey back to oneself. Choosing myself meant making these changes. One of the things I realise more and more now is how little I need in terms of money, possessions and luxuries to enjoy life. There is so much joy and peace to be found in noticing and appreciating the mundane things and moments. Love from the Philippines.

[sassycat]

Hugging Ulysses! 💖 Nice ideas on how to avoid shopping. Especially the one with "shop from your wardrobe".

[gedankenflieger]

Dear Ana, watching your videos helps me not to loose my faith in mankind and humanity. Especially in these difficult times we're all living in currently. Here in Germany there is so much hate and misunderstanding going on, It's really hard to stand. So knowing that there is a beautiful soul like you (and all others in this Community!) out there is so comforting! Thank you for your precious and meaningful work!🌹 Much love from Germany!💕

[estellescordellis]

I popped to visit my mother a few hours earlier and we were talking about how her and my father made there own things. My mother was a dress maker and she made all our clothes. My grandmother knitted all our jumpers and my father could fix almost anything. Consequently my sisters and myself have grown up and are able to knit, sew, crochet, paint, fix and grow. Before the trend of upcycling we adapted and changed furniture and clothes. Almost everything we own has a story or a memory. The few things we have bought I have noticed we are more likely give away and not keep as they have less meaning.

[traceyarnaud]

I don't believe you were overthinking when you saw the sparrow, you were just thinking. If everyone thought more about these simple truths, I imagine the world would be such a wonderful place. I really appreciate your videos. You also remind me of Audrey Hepburn with the same lovely glow (off topic, but I just thought I'd say it anyway!)

[sparkybish]

My older sister used to feel this pressure to not wear the same outfit two times in one month to work. I finally told her, no one cares or is looking at her that hard. She had a lot of items in her overstuffed closet that she never wore, but it felt like she had options. I would rather have fewer items I know I wear and can make work together. I asked if she ever noticed I wear the same things over and over. She hadn’t. 😂

[magdapracsiu]

It may sound strange, but this pandemic has had some positive effects on our lives too, for example it has slowed down and/or reduced unnecessary spending. It has also helped some of us see that there are so many things out there (health, friendship, relationships, trust, etc.) so much more important than the excitement over new purchases. I have not had the desire to spend money on clothes since it all started, although I had significantly reduced my expenditure on clothes even before that. I smiled when you mentioned duplicates, because it brought back a funny memory, when I loved a sweater so much that I bought three identical ones and one day a friend of mine jokingly said "Did you not sleep at home last night?", implying that I had not changed my clothes for a reason. ;) I got smarter since then, so if I really liked a sweater again I made sure I bought different colors at least. :)

[isabelrico]

Dear Ana, thanks a lot for your work and your meaningful way of life. You give so much inspiration and awareness with your content :) I am very grateful that I found your channel :)

[pchennorway]

The world moves at such a fast pace - immediate gratification becomes an addictive power - the norm. Thank you Ana for sharing the message of slowing down and the joy one can experience from handmade or thrifted items. They offer so much more warmth and value. Enjoy your making and knitting Ana! ❤️🇳🇴🌲👩🏻‍🌾🐑➰

[cinnamonrose]

Thank you Ana for your comforting company on this cold winter's evening. I identified gaps in my wardrobe & filled them thoughtfully & now I'm deeply satisfied with what I have. I also have a few go to soup recipes that I enjoy cooking for myself. Stay warm & creative & thank you for sharing yourself with us.

[viraprofazi]

I used to know all the clothes of my classmates at school, we would wear the same things for years and I had my favorites, even my “lucky” items. Then someone “told” us there are some arbitrary trends and status expectations. It took me a lot of money and time to understand I am fooled around by marketing strategies.
My tips to walk away from impulsive buying:
1. Think if I have space for it back at home.

My wardrobe is so clogged by now that this new shiny dress is going to be a squeezed piece of cloth I am not even able to find

2. Will I wear it 30 times during the year

3. What happens if I don’t buy it (disclaimer: nothing)

And most important for me is remembering my big financial goal: saving for investment. I want my new shopping passion to be properties and businesses that generate income

[paivishaw]

"Life is unstable and we don't have control over anything outside our minds" - what a truth in that thought. I will write this up and look at it every day to remind of me of how I react and approach life. Your channel is proof that social media can be so gratifying if used wisely:)

[kamidsjournee]

Recently, someone said something about only face to face purchasing rather than online purchasing as a way to not spend. I like that; because I live on a farm, there are not many opportunities to shop for me. But what has really curbed my spending is my goal of saving money for the purpose of retirement (in 5 months-so a real urgency is involved). I’m ready to follow another path for working, but I cannot do that if I don’t save enough money. Having a goal is important.

[thereisacrack]

Deep down (sometimes not that deep...) human beings are animals, both in the good and the bad sense. For instance, we are predators. We want to devour what we "love". We want to devour beauty, and beautiful objects. What I hear you say is, if you love something, set it free. Don't devour it. Respect it, appreciate it, and let it go. Practice respect even with objects. Only that way can you surround yourself with special things, instead of simply collecting stuff. Also, the forgotten practice of renunciation can be much more enriching than the mindless collecting.
Thank you so much for sharing your time with us, dear Ana.

[dianetanski]

I would love to be one of those capsule wardrobe people who has 10 items that I can make 20 different outfits to wear. My creative comes in the way of cooking or baking. I watch you do your crafts and think why can’t I? Because I am craft challenged. But the satisfaction must be huge!

[Guammaine]

Can I just say I love the artwork on your shelf. The Giraffe with the dragonfly head so far is my favorite.

[carolynchristy]

I'm so glad I found your channel. I told my grandchildren (ages 12, 10 and 8) that "poka poka" in Russian means "bye bye" in English. Now when I take them to school we always say "I love you. Poka poka!" to each other. It has become something very special to us. Who would have guessed you starting a YouTube channel in Russia would result in a special bond between a grandmother and 3 children in Kansas USA? Thank you for this gift!