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.
If you make that your focus you’ll spend less I promise. My sister shop shop shops but isn’t her healthiest, I exercise spend time on long walks and when resting I read, keep my mental health in good condition if poss and therefore shopping is no obsession for me i but what I need when I need it with the odd treat thrown in❤
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!
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 ❤
I'm so sorry that this was your experience at school. The school years can be so hard. It took me until about the age of 44 years old to look at my yearbook without getting a knot in my stomach. You are not pathetic at all. All the best.
I’m sorry you went through that. I know it was hard to share. I’m glad you realize it is a trigger and I know you will overcome it. Have patience with yourself.❤
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.
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.
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.
I used to do that but then I realized I have to clean it all, so I decluttered their stuff and stop buying them stuff. I see now how much better they play with their toys when they have less.❤
Listening to this, it immediately hit me. I get most of my shopping impuls from RU-vid. 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 RU-vid video. Crazy. I need to limit my watching and be careful about what I watch.
I refuse to watch anything that is titled in a way that promotes insecurity in the viewer, e.g. "10 fashion mistakes that make you look older' or '15 things in your home that make it outdated'. All designed to make you feel bad about yourself so you go out and buy new stuff! Ditto with anything titled 'Must Buys'.
Interesting…I’m the opposite. I watch a bunch of videos about minimalism, financial security, not shopping, and so my you tube consumption helps me not spend! 😅 just change what you consume and the algorithm will change and help motivate you from spending.
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!
Do you watch Dave Ramsey?? He has a program called every dollar, a budget to show where your money is going, it's GREAT! Might wanna check it out. Best of luck to ya.
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☺️
I used to get really sucked in with emails using terminology like this, but now I think how obnoxious they are. They are just trying to manipulate and brainwash the recipient into making a purchase. The wording actually repells me now and stops me from taking any action by buying something. This mindset shift has really helped me - I hope it helps you too x
Reading your comment made the light bulb come on for me that I have the same problem. The whole idea of "treat yourself" after a hard work week or especially around my birthday is a big feeder for my spending habits.
@@vallann I can often pin point my over spending to when I need validation or rest. It’s like a way to cheer myself on but in the end it only makes things harder. More stuff, more spending and then having to work harder to pay for it. It’s not a good way to live. I wish you luck on your journey. I try and treat myself with rest and time to myself…it helps and it doesn’t cost me anything☺️
Haven’t turned on TV since December, 2023. Haven’t gone out to shop or online lately. Not driving. When a friend goes shopping they get the basics as needed. Deleted most of the promotional emails. Most goes on essentials as the cost of living is high. One luxury is technology communication. So many things are free going for a walk, listening to birds, reusing what you have or what others don’t want. Ha! Being influenced by RU-vidrs like you. They do put on many irrelevant ads on social media, but happy to support local if able. Say no more as you will probably say the rest. Always learning something new from people & other animals.
May I suggest you add "social media "as the first influencer .Today Facebook ,Instagram ,TikTok, Twitter etc.. employ people who are called"' influencers "' on top of the advertisement that uses personal algorithms. Of course there huge billboards ,on the streets, on buses ,underground stations ,cabs etc.
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 !
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
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!
I think RU-vid, Instagram, TikTok, and other social media outlets also advertise and promote excessive consumerism. Some people on RU-vid do hauls and will provide the link. It seems like these people are working in sales with the way they advertise and promote all this stuff. In addition to reducing or eliminating TV, I would include social media and being aware of the people and what they are talking about.
I record almost everything I watch on TV. Fast forward through commercials. I rarely watch a commercial unless it’s the Super Bowl. But the product placements in shows are still there.
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.
We have to define the "need". I think needing something means that you cannot live without the needed thing or at least it will make your life way easier. I realized it just recently , and now I understand that actually the needed things for me are very few!
As an adult I have never owned a television. I've occasionally watched other peoples sets when I had roommates but purchasing one was never something I wanted to spend my money on. I also noticed years ago ads on television were always much louder than the program I was viewing. One night while watching a show every commercial was promoting vehicle sales. I found myself thinking "I wish this network would stop showing so many of these ads. I am not interested in buying a new car. I'm happy with the one I have and it's already paid for". Thats when I had a lightbulb moment about what marketing companies were doing. This past winter I did make some purchases from a wish list that I have had for a few years for replacements/upgrades. When I started getting an influx of promotional emails from the companies trying to entice me with coupons and discounts I began unsubscribing. One was a luggage company so what would be the point when I already purchased what I needed.
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.
Too many "to-do" items is simply the consequence of a failure to prioritize. If you dont know what the goal is, then you dont know what is "worth" your time. For me bible study is always "worth" my time, because it reminds me that people's spirits are eternal, and stuff becomes dust. The stuff is only here to achieve some service to the people in our lives. Tomorrow do the dishes (dont make a list with dishes at the top. Just start with the dishes) and the trash and the minimal chores to not be living in your own mess. Then do the minimum chores for that week. (Like what HAS to happen before you can go to bed. Pay the bills? Groceries?) Find a manual task to keep your hands busy (shovel snow?) While you think about the people you value, and what you are trying to achieve. Does your kid need to read better? Picking out a good book is important today. Start decluttering everything else. You dont have time to waste. You never will.
Put a $ value on your time. $20/hour? Would you PAY someone $20/hour to look thru coupons? Hell no. Would you pay someone $20/hr to shop for rhe best rate on home and car inc? Maybe thats a better value for your time. If grocery deliver cost $6, then its worth saving your time. You can spend the hour you saved cooking dinner and saving $30 or more on takeout. Is it worth repairing? Would you pay someone $20/hr to repair it? Your time isnt free. Its not free for you to repiar it. You could have picked up a shift at work, or listed an item on facebook marketplace and made more money with your time than you "saved" Stop thinking your time is worthless..... if it is, then you should be working on a skill.
@@ludwigvonmiseswasright4380 Thank you so so much, your advice is so new to me and it completely blew me away. I’m gonna start actively practicing. Again, thank you!!!
2. Find the culprit. Look inside yourself to find why you are responding to advertising. Only by identifying these motivations to change your behavior. Reflect. Journaling where when and why about your behavior. Discuss with a trusted other person. These will help you change. 3. Limit input. The less TV we watch, the less influence they have over you. Limit input deals by limiting your emails. Unsubscribe from promotional emails.
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.
Thank you Joshua - you affirm so much that's important - we only live once - we should strive to enjoy life & it's challenges by not wasting anything (time, energy, things, etc.), and maximizing our effort to reduce our use of the earth's resources. You also show us how to work on our self control - planning & reviewing our purchases helps to bring more joy in little things as well as big things. (eg. Marie Kondo - I purchased her book at the Salvation Army Thrift Store for $2.29 Cdn. - I love stumbling on fun books. ) Many of our blessings are very inexpensive & can be fulfilling if we pay close attention to our feelings and motivations. Fortunately, my wife & I being in our 75th year have made lots of errors - we have learned many lessons over the years. Each one adds to our peace & tranquility & I'm so thankful for your lessons. They are among the best lesson yet. Bye for now.
Very good and you are right it does go deeper, the sellers trigger the dissatisfactions in our lives. Healing and self control is what we need to form healthier habits & desires.🙂🙏🏻🙏🏻
For me the culprits are quite different for different kinds of purchases. I don’t buy board games because I don’t already have plenty of, but because by buying I’m trying to increase the chance to play them. Other purchases are made because they fit my ideal lifestyle better than what they replace. I fully agree about the ads. For RU-vid my advice would be to pay for premium. One nag about the video… Joshua talks about the effects of product placement and in the same video casually, without any relevance to the point, mentions his uncluttered class…
I actually love watching shows like the Kardashian’s. I get to live a glamorous life for an hour and never feel like I want to be like them. I get to go back to my minimalist home 😍
These strategies really work. Just hearing you talk about them reminds me that I have made good decisions about my purchasing and spending habits. I owe a lot of my simplicity of life to you!
Hi Josh , Thanks again for making this video. I literally needed this. Also, to mention, after subscribing to your channel my life and home is 50% declutter Iam still on the path of decluttering my home and spending less.
Fantasy self here. Don't even have to consider. Thank you for the insight. I'm 70 & have always luv'd to craft. About 2 yrs ago I decided I had enough supplies to craft 2 lifetimes. I haven't been able to yet declutter due to health, but I will. And its not just television Joshua. I'm not a mail order kinda gal & have tried to get the catalogs stopped to no avail. You know the ones... Act now.. May be your last catalog (I wish). Credit approved. Luv those & put them directly in the trash! ... Thanks for the series. ... Glenda
I absolutely love your videos I have decluttered and that's prompted me to join the gym as I have more time. I'm so grateful for your videos Thank you 😊
For my age-group television is possibly the problem, i have a one in one out policy with my wardrobe, it really makes me question do i like the new item more than my existing clothing.... i don't always, and often return items. For my daughter's generation its social media, she is consistently wanting items promoted by influencers and comparing what she has to her friends.....i think it's storing up future problems as these teenagers get jobs and more disposable income, but what 14 yr old listens to their mum, i can only lead by example. Thanks for your encouragement and insights x
Thank you Joshua for giving such great emphasis on the why. I was never a big tv watcher. After discovering your videos last year, I got the confidence to act on my choice and pretty much ditched tv altogether. I now only watch the occasional, carefully chosen programmes with my children. The result is just this amazing freedom, calm, confidence, and the opportunity to do something else that contributes more positively to my life. So, thank you.
We have already cut down on watching tv during 2023. The unsubscribe button doesn't always work first time but persist. Great video reminders, love them, thankyou.
I agree, emails are frustrating to get rid of. I unsubscribe, I delete without opening, but they just seem to multiply. I often think to just hit edit and delete everything, except there might be something important in there! Consumerism: I don’t watch tv, sometimes go for a week or more without turning it on. I have no patience for Instagram, I subscribe to a curated few RU-vid channels. Mostly organizing and frugal living and some art tutorials. I have been on the decluttering journey for for over eight years, the one thing I am most aware of is that I have no desire to go into stores to just browse, when I do have to shop, I have a list and stick to the list. I am frugal out of necessity and finally debt free. If I admire something, I immediately think why would I want it, where would I put it and where would I store it in the off season? I gravitate to the minimalist aesthetic and find great peace and comfort. I keep an ongoing donate bin in a closet and continue to find things to put in it.
Thank you, Joshua, for this video series. This is the hardest part for me. Why do I feel the need to buy? I will be reflecting on this question this week and reducing tv time!
Thank you Joshua for doing this series. I love it!!While there are things that I have thought of,you bring out some really great points of things I have not at all thought of AND conformation of thingsI have been struggling with!You have helped me rethink these things in a way I feel stronger not to give into these thoughts. thank you, Joshua!
This is a very timely vlog joshua. And a perfect example on buying different shades of makeup. I am about to shop for one today. I think I don’t need to buy one because I still have one which, sadly, I bought a month ago because I thought i need it. Sad to say, I haven’t even used it. You are a blessing to me joshua. Please continue to guide and inspire us. Thank you.
I have taken on 2 jobs in the last few months. I make more money than I ever have in my life. I opened a new checking and savings to separate my money. I seem to be more stressed than ever. I'm always working so I have no time to go anywhere or spend any money. My wife is upset I'm working like 15 hours a day. I now pay a counselor 110 an hour to talk about my problem. If I could follow Joshua's advice and really understand why I do what I do it would really help. I'm looking to put the breaks on and start to reprioritize my life. I mean, how many pairs of jeans and shirts and shoes does someone need.
Joshua, Great video. We watch very little TV & always turn down the commercials. I have recently started unsubscribing to emails. Sometimes, I was getting 30 - 50 a day. Unreal. Keep these tips coming. 😊
One of my New Year’s resolution for 2024 is to watch tv with ”intention.” I check to see what’s showing for the day, and if I find nothing of interest, I don’t turn on the tv. If there is a show I want to see I watch that show only.
I’m going through this right now. My husband and I go to a church group every week a few days one to two for play date with kids, another is service. I have one nice dress for winter and one for Summer. One lady keeps bugging me to buy more, now a few ladies keep telling me to buy another and though I probably should buy another, I don’t see the value at this moment when we are moving and have limited space. I wish more people really understood the value of less. We volunteer and do so much work for everyone to enjoy, but kids snack. Sadly everyone focuses on our dress vs how much we help out.
If it's a church group that is hassling you to buy more things, maybe you should suggest that your next Bible study is on the book of James. With particular reference to chapter 2 and the importance of not judging people based on how well they are dressed. Maybe with a followup study on contentment...Just saying!
Strangely I don’t watch much TV but I do watch RU-vid ( which I guess is TV). Some people do make me want to buy when I know that I already have enough. Unsubscribing to lots of those! Thanks for this thoughtful and informative video! ❤❤❤
Watching my favorite shows is how I unwind after work so TV is here to stay lol. I subscribe to ad free steaming services so I don’t have to put up with annoying ads.😊
I’ve noticed that ads on the channels I watch fall into 3 types 90% of the time. Drug/medication, insurance or food. I mute commercials if I can’t fast forward. Tv ads aren’t my problem youtube influencers are however so I’ve been drastically changing who I do and don’t follow. Blessings to all.
Have not had cable tv in years and watch less tv. Find that is so true don’t see as many ads not finding nee things. Even in stores would spend money on in the past spend way less now
Thanks, I really need these reminders. Now, I will get well and catch back up with things that have been overwhelming me. However, I am going through emails. It seems unsubscribing must take a long time to actually see results.
I think more insidious than even television nowadays is social media. Between ads and influencers and "hauls", social media is constantly telling you to buy. Even this channel used to be ad free, and now there are ads, and we need to "subscribe"...
Hi Joshua, thank you for another great video. Lots to think about. I was really happy to see you and Kim interviewed in The Minimalist. You both did a great job! ❤
My issue has been boredom. Going to stores just to look around but then coming out of stores with things I purchased and don’t need. I did delete a lot of store emails.
Good video. Unsubscribe can actually get you more emails. You unsubscribe one email and it triggers three or four new ones. Hit ignore and let it go to your spam folder.
If the site is asking for your email don't put it in because you are actually verifying that your email is valid. Thats why you will keep getting junk emails.
Any site that has your email can send ads. So if you signed up on Amazon, Instagram, eBay or other online shopping sites using your email address then they can keep sending ads. Removing your subscription will be hard as they don't want you to leave. It took me a lot of effort to get completely off of Amazon, ebay and PayPal etc. No FB or Insta either. No TV or smartphones. Never again for me.....just my basic computer. So freeing! 👍
I don't have a television. I find audio only podcasts and radio have less effect, probably because we can't see the "lifestyle" we would get if only we bought the advertised rubbish!
