{"id":32882,"date":"2022-10-31T15:20:36","date_gmt":"2022-10-31T20:20:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/nosidebar.com\/?p=32882"},"modified":"2022-10-31T15:35:16","modified_gmt":"2022-10-31T20:35:16","slug":"7-simple-things-to-ask-yourself-before-you-buy-anything","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nosidebar.com\/7-simple-things-to-ask-yourself-before-you-buy-anything\/","title":{"rendered":"7 Simple Things to Ask Yourself Before You Buy Anything"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/nosidebar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/artificial-photography-vB5qtt8X4NA-unsplash-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-32884\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nosidebar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/artificial-photography-vB5qtt8X4NA-unsplash-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/nosidebar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/artificial-photography-vB5qtt8X4NA-unsplash-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/nosidebar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/artificial-photography-vB5qtt8X4NA-unsplash-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/nosidebar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/artificial-photography-vB5qtt8X4NA-unsplash-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/nosidebar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/artificial-photography-vB5qtt8X4NA-unsplash-2048x1365.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>If you\u2019re intrigued by the concept of minimalism, or are already a minimalist, one of the hardest things to deal with aside from the decluttering is to rewire your buying habits. How many times have you decluttered your home and proudly told everyone you know, only for the mess to be back within a month?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s like cutting off <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/Hydra-Greek-mythology\">Hydra\u2019s head<\/a> only for more to sprout back in its place. How exhausting!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You see, it\u2019s one thing to declutter your stuff and make new space, but resisting the consumer itch is another beast entirely. Everywhere we go we\u2019re bombarded with marketing, and it\u2019s cleverer and more subtle than ever. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s on every device you own, every street you walk down, and in your subconscious.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The people who make these ads know exactly how to manipulate the human brain and how to make a raging inferno from the smoke of your desires: <\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li>You\u2019ll be smarter and more efficient if you buy <em>this. <\/em><\/li><li>Sexy and irresistible if you wear <em>that. <\/em><\/li><li>The envy of friends and strangers if you <em>upgrade.<\/em><\/li><li>You\u2019ll be happy. <em>Finally<\/em>, you\u2019ll be satisfied.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Except\u2026you won\u2019t be. Not ever.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Stuff and the marketing techniques used to promote it deliver empty promises while emptying your wallet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It wouldn\u2019t matter if you bought a mansion in LA, you\u2019d still be the same old person who handed the money over. No matter what brand of phone you own or which brand of clothing you wear, you\u2019re still the same person inside. And when you\u2019re long gone from this Earthly plain\u2026who were you really?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Certainly not your stuff, that\u2019s for sure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So how do you rewire your desire, exactly? <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>You can start by asking yourself 7 simple questions every time you\u2019re considering buying something new.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>1. Will I use this? <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you have to think about what you would use the item for, it\u2019s highly likely you don\u2019t need it in the first place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>2. Do I really want to keep organizing? <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If your stuff is overflowing at home and you\u2019re looking for more\/bigger boxes and baskets, you don\u2019t need more organizing solutions, you need less stuff.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>3. Do I own something similar? <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Before you buy that potato peeler or another cable or device, think if you already own something which performs a similar or identical function.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>4. Is it a bargain desire? <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you buy something just because it\u2019s on sale, you don&#8217;t need it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>5. Is it trendy right now? <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you buy something to keep up with trends, you definitely don\u2019t need it. Trends change faster than the British weather and are often made using unethical practices in developing countries. They also contribute to destroying our beautiful planet in landfills.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>6. Have I had a few drinks? <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I know this one is a bit controversial, but if you\u2019re considering buying something after a few wines or beers (I\u2019ve been there several times) hold off for at least a few days after.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>7. Did I want\/need this before I saw it? <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you see something and you didn\u2019t need it before, chances are you don\u2019t need it now either. Remember, shops are set up to stoke your desires whether online or on the street.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Ask yourself these powerful questions every time you feel the urge to buy, and learn to live happier with less.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>About the Author:<\/strong> Emma Jayne is a UK minimalist mother of 2 who loves nature photography, simple living, and videogames. Find her at <a href=\"https:\/\/www.greencloverminimalism.com\/\">Green Clover Minimalism.<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>If you\u2019re intrigued by the concept of minimalism, or are already a minimalist, one of the hardest things to deal with aside from the decluttering is to rewire your buying habits. How many times have you decluttered your home and proudly told everyone you know, only for the mess to be back within a month? [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7744,"featured_media":32884,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v22.5 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>7 Simple Things to Ask Yourself Before You Buy Anything<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"How do we rewire our desire, exactly? 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