Being content with what you have is one of the easiest ways to buy less (and just generally be happier). It is also a start to shopping ethically.
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When I first started my ethical fashion journey, I kept buying at the same speed that I always did. I bought clothes and shoes for every event, every time I felt like I “needed” something (I always needed something), every time I saw something that was ethical and I loved it, and just from time to time on a whim when I felt like something was missing from my life (another topic for another day…). I thought that if I was buying organic and fair trade that it was ethical.
Obviously, this is not the case. One of the most important pieces of any ethical wardrobe is buying fewer better things. I was not doing this at all.
But, I wasn’t content with what I had, ever. I was so used to being a shopaholic, that even when I started buying more ethically, I was guilty of over-consumption.
At some point, this shifted. I am not exactly sure when, but I realized not only was this not ethical, but it wasn’t sustainable for my wallet either. And, at some point stuff started causing anxiety. I needed to simplify (still do).
I realized I needed to be content with what I have. This, of course, is much easier said than done. But, it is something I have spent a lot of time in the past few years working on.
How to Be Content with What You Have
I am still working on this of course, but I have found that buying fewer, better things gives me more joy than just acquiring more and more. I have found that simpler living and experiences are what I crave more than a new pair of shoes. And, I have found that when I do buy purposefully, and with intention, I love the item longer and more than I would otherwise.
Anyway, here is how I have become content with what I have, and hopefully this will work for you too:
Be grateful.
Look around you. There is something to be grateful for. Open your closet, be grateful there too. Be grateful for the memories that you have in a few really great outfits, be grateful for the sweaters that keep you warm and the sweats that keep you cozy. Find something, anything, to be grateful for.
Often we are buying for that temporary burst of happiness. If you find that you “must have” something take a moment and think about what you are grateful for. Focusing on gratitude will prolong that sense of happiness. Being grateful for the intangible things in our lives helps to remember this. If you are able to keep the things you are grateful for in your mind, you may not feel the sense of “need” for something new or that burst of happiness that new things bring.
Assess What You Have
I am guilty of buying very similar things more than once. Or buying something that would serve the exact same purpose and be worn with the exact same items as something I already have. This is over-buying, plain and simple. And, I would rarely take it back because I loved it and wanted it and it was NEW!
But, I have gotten much better about assessing what I have before searching for something else. And, I have gotten much more creative (open minded?) about what will work, rather than buying something new.
Just Stop
This is easier said than done. But, just force yourself to stop. Give yourself a manageable time period and say “I will not shop for a week/month/year (good for you!)” and then do it.
Once you get through that first week or month, try it again. It feels really good to accomplish this type of goal. And, at least for me, once I stop shopping, it becomes much easier to continue not shopping. Buying new things is like a drug. It gives us that temporary rush and we want it again. Once we get used to not getting that rush so often, it becomes easier.
Take time before you buy`
Unless you really need something right now, give yourself some time between when you see it and when you actually buy it. Put it on hold, or in your shopping cart and then walk away. Often, if we wait just 24 hours, we find that we don’t need it as much as we thought we did. `
Take care of what you have
If we treat our things like the high quality, well-loved, unique things that they deserve to be treated as, they will last longer. Take care of what you have, and it will look newer longer. It will feel special longer. And you may not feel like you need something else right away. You also won’t actually need to replace it as quickly.
And the act of taking care of our things often makes us appreciate them more.
Buy High Quality
When you do need something, make sure it is as high quality as you can afford (and if you are buying fewer things, you can buy fewer, better things). Price does not always equal high quality, of course, but try to find well-made items so that you can buy them once (or less frequently). If you are buying higher quality, and then taking good care of your things, you will need fewer things. You will also likely love what you have even more, hopefully allowing you to be content with what you have a little longer.
I think one of the hardest parts of my journey to ethical style was buying fewer things. In the past, I thought if I just bought organic and fair trade, I was shopping ethically. Obviously, that isn’t the case. I had to learn to shop less, buy better things, and still stick to organic, sustainable, conscious, and ethical fashion.
It hasn’t been all that easy, but for the most part, I am pretty content with what I have. And I certainly shop a lot less. And I have definitely found that the less I shop, the happier I am. I almost always only buy things to replace things that no longer work, or when I truly need something.