9 Ways to Challenge Consumerism 

Hey guys! Just wanted to let you know that my new book, Things That Matter, is finally here. I put my heart into it, and I can’t wait to share it with you. You can pick up a copy at www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/676394/things-that-matter-by-joshua-becker/

Mindless shopping has become a weekend hobby for so many people, it saddens me. It took me a long time (I'm 63) to realise I don't need so much "stuff"

"Your life is too unique to live like everyone else." Amen to that!

I did a January shopping ban and it was such an eye-opener. I stopped myself a half a dozen times from impulsively buying on Amazon. My triggers were RU-vidrs showing me their capsule wardrobes and the perfect item to own. The shopping ban revealed that to me also. It's been so successful I'm going for February!

This channel is like going to the gym for my minimalism. It just makes me stronger. 💪

"Mindless consumption always leads to excess consumption "....WOW! Now that is a great quote!

I'm very stressed and angry around mess and clutter and I always have been. It almost definitely goes back to when I was a kid and my mum would collect any furniture that was going free. She would line it wall-to-wall: sofas, cabinets, Welsh dressers etc. This was made worse by the fact that she wasn't much of a cleaner; things would get so dusty but they'd only get cleaned when people were visiting. I used to be so embarrassed when friends came over, especially when many of them had (what I perceived to be) lovely homes. I would come home from school and spend my times dusting and refluffing the carpet with a wire brush. I also moved all the furniture and rearranged everything while mum was at work. She used to collect miniatures and ornaments (the latter being a HUGE dislike of mine!) and there would be so much to clean and put back. We also had balding carpets where they were so old/used and didn't line up with the edges of the walls; they were either too short or were curling up and over the skirting boards. Strangely, you would have thought that I'd grow up wanting lots of nice things, but it's not like that. All I want is happiness, health and safety with the people I love most, with nice but FEWER things. Your videos are giving me the tools to achieve that. I've been following you for one day and already I've put aside all the stuff in my kitchen that I'm going to sell, donate and throw out. My Vitamix and juicer have been put away in the pantry; my plates, bowls, cups and pots/pans have been reduced and I can honestly say that my head feels clearer. Even my 7 year-old son has been clearing out his toy box to the point where it's almost empty, with no prompting from me, I must add. I cannot wait to start on the rest of the house. We're currently remodelling since moving in last year and your videos have literally been inspirational for me. Thank you SO much.

We are no longer the consumer being sold a product, we are the product being sold to the advertisers.

I think your channel is one of the best and rightfully called a minimalist channel. So many others with “minimal” in the title show how they declutter; nothing more. Joshua Fields Millburn said (I am paraphrasing) ‘decluttering is a tool, not a lifestyle.’ He also reminded me that owning a hammer doesn’t make me a carpenter any more than decluttering makes one a minimalist. Thank you for my minimalist (not decluttering ) tutorial.

I recently made a huge step in letting go the attachment to many of my belongings. This is such a freeing feeling! e.g. I suddenly do not need my collection of vintage irons any more, actually I feel that every single thing that I don't use or love is a burden to my life. I am in my mid fourties so it took me quite a while to realize some of those connections...;) and your videos are always a great inspiration and help on my path, although I don't agree with everything you say (e.g.I like to have duplicates of some things); so thank you, Joshua

Thank you for your videos! I follow from Montevideo, Uruguay. The only thing I buy more these days are plants. With the quaranteen I became a huge fan of gardening. I live in a apartment and so don't have a garden but I truly enjoy taking care of my plants and see they are growing healthy and beautiful. But I became more aware of the rest of unnecessary purchases (clothes, bags, cosmetics, etc) and reduced them. Your videos certainly help me to do so. Gracias!

I think I'm Realising emotions are a trigger for me as I'm feeling the 'need' to consume but this is a reminder to look at it deeper and figure out what's really going on

It’s great that you upload your videos every Friday night so viewers are reminded not to go mindless shopping during weekend (in your words, exchange their life for unnecessary possessions).

I have been getting rid of stashes in our home. Our daughter had several stashes of crayons, stickers etc which she doesn't like any more. Easily donated to her school and given to the younger students. They love it. My stashes are crafts and DIYs. Finally figured out my priority projects, donated extra stuff and banned shopping for new items until projects are completed. Definitely good for my wallet!

I realized this when I was in 22k of creditcard debt..... spent 2 years paying it off. So much wasted time I can never get back. I mastly try to build my own furniture now and buy used if I can. Reuse and repair everything I need.

thanks Joshua now my mom donated a lot of our extra stuff and now we have more room to run around the house- Ismael, 9 yrs old :p

Although we live completely debt free and very simply in many ways I feel I have room for improvement in this area . We are self employed and earn a fairly decent income . I’ve kept track of every single purchase Ed have made over the last 16 months & quite honestly am a little appalled at how much we spend monthly so I am now challenging myself to a no spend 2021 with the aim to save 30,000$ towards a goal we have . Thank you for a most timely video !!!😊❤️😊

My wardrobe is so much more elegant now than when my closet was full of cheap inexpensive junk were I owned a lot but nothing matched.

Whenever I get bogged down in purging items from my house, or when I'm organizing spaces, looking for items to get rid of, I play this guy's videos in the background.....it keeps me motivated to keep going especially when I get stuck.

Thank you for your videos 🙂 watching at 5.30am in Australia 🐨🇦🇺👋

Thank you for sharing your wisdom with us, Joshua. Faith, family, friends....that’s the way to happiness and contentment.

I love that your channel is not just about minimalism but about adding meaning and purpose to our lives by putting our time and resources into blessing others. Thanks to your talks and these videos, I have come to understand how important Christ's teachings are about reaching out to the poor and those in need. Thank you! It has all helped me refine my purpose.

“60 days without visiting a mall”, lol. We’ve been in lockdown so I went nearly a year without going to any shop except the local supermarket. In that year I bought underwear, 4 T-shirts, and a pair of tracksuit bottoms (online). Once the shops reopened I ran back and bought 2 pairs of jeans and a bra. Job done. One years clothes.

I have watched many of your videos but recently I haven't had time. It is so strange that when I do watch your words strike home and help keep me on the right path. Thank you for confirming that my choices are goog ones. Keep safe. 🇮🇹🇬🇧

Great video & I like that they’re short & sweet! Perfect 👌

Nothing like listening to Joshua at the end of a day to reset your mind and intention for the day ahead. 💚

The mall closest to me started closing stores such as Sears. They put in small junky shops that I was not interested in these stores. So I stopped going to the mall about 3-4 years ago. Slowly this mall has closed more and more stores and they are now tearing down Sears. I do not miss going to the mall, it was a habit to entertain and when the pandemic hit by then I had stopped mall shopping all together. I try to only replace items that are needed. This is a process and when i started downsizing my wardrobe to a capsule it became more freeing. I still have long way to go but this is a journey and process that gets more freeing each day that i get rid of something and it's not replaced.

I’m working on this right now. We bring in decent money, yet at the end of the month we’re struggling, I’m making a conservative effort to control my spending habits. I have spent some money this month, but I’m in control now. Im on my journey to minimalism (with a family of 5), and with it comes a sense of control. I’m keeping an eye on our bank account and discovering I don’t need to buy more stuff.

9 points in less than 7 minutes is why I came here! This did not disappoint! I am making an experiment to stop buying clothing, makeup, and other things that I don’t really need. This video is super helpful thanks!!

Best minimalist video I've ever watched.

Thank you Joshua, I really needed one of your videos right now.

"Stop and re-evaluate". Perfection!🙏👍💕Thank you!

Another great video. Your "Why do I own this?" video has been such an eye-opener. It has been the right question for me, for others it may does it spark joy. It's that big for me! Thank you so much.

Your message is highly motivational! I believe so many of us, including myself feel sick inside at some level about how much money and time we are spending buying things we don't need because WE ARE BORED. "Faith, friends, family and contributions" is a good list of things to find happiness in!

Love your stuff Joshua, I've pretty much since my teens, a long time ago always tried to live by the recognition of knowing the what I Need rather than Wants. Works for me. Thanks!

Thanks for always making sense. You are a gem, Joshua Becker! 👍

Thanks for helping to put things into perspective. A great reminder, thanks you for this video. May your faith keep you strong ☺️🙏

Joshua, I appreciate your "get to it" attitude. I'm still on the journey. Keep on fighting the good fight, kind sir.

Oh! Nice to see you'll again. You are like a family friend to us now. Stay safe!

Amen , my friend. Been following you for years.....and the reminders in this message, are the key.

Today was my second trip to Goodwill to donate my stuffs. Actually I have more things to donate and More stuffs need to declutter. I feel really grateful. aside from freeing my stuffs but I am helping people who works at Goodwill too.

Great videos! I like how you get to your points quickly, unlike other You Tubers who drag out their videos. Here’s a topic you may want to consider - Container Addiction. I love every kind, big or small. The problem seems to be, I hide my stuff in them, which allows me to think I don’t have a hoarding problem. Great way to fool myself and feel like I’m well organized. But somewhere deep down, I know this is not the way to go. I remember a friend who had the same problem. There’s a crazy fear of having empty containers with nothing to put in them. Haha. Hopefully you have a degree in psychology. Haha!

This is by far the best video on this topic i've ever come across. Well Done!!

Thankyou joshua, thats me, you are absolutely right i think consumerism is ugly, one should be oneself and lead a life wich suits you, this always trying to keep up with the joneses nonsense, it thr end does not get you anywhere, i was guilty of this many moons ago now and if i look back regret it , wished i had listened to joshua years ago i behave myself now on this issue lesson learnt!!

New sub. Enjoyed content, tone of voice and body language, brevity and preciseness in points. I overspend on my family at Christmas. There’s a deeper issue behind it.

Live in a smaller house or smaller apartment, there are just so much stuff you can keep in a tiny space.

I LOVE not buying things that I DON'T NEED!!! it reminds me of just how much I already have.. and for that, I am beyond thankful!!

Thank you! I always find your videos so refreshing :)

It's always joy listening u,our home is under construction so couldn't apply anything yet but wish to follow you all the possible way... thank you so much once again

Beautifully said, as always, Joshua.

Wow! What a great reminder early in the morning. Thank you so much Joshua❤️ More content like this God Bless🙏

Thank you Joshua for this interesting video. You challenged me to do a 30 or 60 day no-consume challenge. You‘re videos are really inspiring and helpful. Thank you very much. :)

Thank you so much for your wise words. This channel is such a blessing!

Mr. Becker you'll never know how much you've impacted my life . And that is in a good way . Thank you for all you do in these videos . You helped me change my life for the better in so many ways . God Bless you , your family and all your loved ones always.

THANKS JOSHUA THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU.

This one is FANTASTIC!!!! thank you so much

Always spot on. Thank you!

This is such sage advice; thank-you, Joshua.

Thank you for sharing this, totally motivated.

Your videos really spark a different reaction from me than other similar videos. Holy Spirit speaks to me through you. I am sparked in a more spiritual and big-picture way than the practicality of others. I thank you for looking at the deeper aspects of this area of life that all of us are living at some stage.

Love this!!! Thanks so much for your wonderful advice!!♥️

YES! Thank you so much for such a great reminder. Very inspiring!

thankyou, love this topic much❤️

Joshua thank you. You always challenge us

I appreciate these compacted videos. It enlightens and encourages my brain 🧠

Best video so far this year🙌🏻

Great video! Thank you so much!!!❤👍👍👍

You are soooooo right ! Love your videos 💕

Thanks for the reminders

Love this thanks so much i will be sharing with friends 🙌🏼🙌🏼🙌🏼✅✅

Thank you for this. I'm trying to kick a shopping addiction. You'd die if you saw my closet LOL It's been a struggle but it's a slow process. Stop copying people, get rid of the burden: I needed to hear that.❤️

Thank you Mr. Becker... Best Sincerely from 🇮🇩

You may need to see a chiropractor or physical therapist. Your shoulders are tipped and there is a major difference in the placement of your elbows. They should be even with eachother and parallel to the floor. 💪💪

This is one of my favorite videos of yours. Great content and so well presented. 🙏🏻

My neighbor was going to throw out several decor items. I offered to take them to a thrift store. I make a trip to the thrift store once every week or two. My goal is to keep usable items out of the landfill. A young friend introduced me as a committed minimalist the other day. It made me feel great. Yours, Tina

Great tips and honestly haven't been to the mall in years for various reasons. Plus have been too scared to go due to last year shootings at the mall.

Thanks a zillion it's the best video ever on minimalism

Thank you so much for these videos! I love how you deliver them. It's very peaceful. Thank you!

I thank you . You have inspired me to start a new life as a minimalist.

Great and life saving information. Joshua thank you so much for your mission to help humanity. I like the fact you always show the wholesome of this beautiful approach to life. There is a documentary that you probably know of but might just worth mentioning: Consuming kids. Very powerful and not just for parents. May your positive efforts will be blessed immensely.

Thank you Joshua

Henry David Thoreau is the real deal 🌲🌲🌲

This is such a good video. It talks directly to me. I think boredom is a huge issue for me.

This is a great video and reminder of many...!

I have a weakness! Decorative pillows abound at my house , every season and every style 🤣🥰 I’m working on it 🤷‍♀️

Hi Joshua, hope your well.. i like the video before i even watch it! 😆

Thank you !

Thank you for this video. It is well researched. Thank you!

Thank you. 🙏 Very good video.

So enjoying your videos which help me remember my values, priorities, and my faith. God bless you and your family and thank you for your contributions.

Incredible video!

Excellent content!

Denominations divided...But God...Thanks again. Amen.

Thank you

Great video! I wish I knew now 20 years ago... I would have saved so much time, energy and money.

This is so good 💜

Good points. Thank you

Prov 27:7 to the unsatisfied soul every bitter thing is sweet. Debt and a horded up home is not sweet! Josh can tell you there is only one way to satisfy the soul!

Great advise 👍🏼

Please do a brief channel on garage/estate/flea market sales.