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2025 seems to be a year that many are committing to low-buy or no-buy years, for a variety of reasons. You might have heard the phrase “no ethical consumption under capitalism,” which is undoubtedly true. The Good Place has a great scene on how convoluted making a perfectly ethical choice is within our existing systems. That being said, I firmly believe that those of us with the means to do so have a responsibility to fight the rampant consumerism that capitalism encourages, especially given the unethical practices behind far too many (if not most) goods. After all, if there’s no ethical consumption, the most logical action is to consume less.
Some five or ten years ago, I thought it genuinely impossible to stop buying fast fashion on a regular basis. But after making a commitment to avoiding fast fashion, especially physical stores, my habits gradually changed. Over the years, I’ve compiled lots of tools towards being a ~mindful consumer~ that I’ve listed below.
Avoid impulse purchases
If there’s something you’re looking to buy (and it’s not a necessity), let yourself think on it for a while. Leave it in your cart for a few days and when you check back, check in with yourself about whether or not you actually forgot about it while you waited. As someone who primarily buys things secondhand, sometimes it can be a bummer when someone ends up buying something I was thinking about in the meantime, but it’s also a reminder that it wasn’t a necessity in the first place – and that we’re not entitled to all of the things that we want (though the likes of Amazon and Temu may make us feel like we are)!
Take a look at social media accounts you follow and email lists you’re subscribed to. Are they constantly pushing you to buy stuff? Is said stuff things you didn’t even know existed but are suddenly being encouraged to buy? It may be worth reflecting on what your FYP looks like if you are often influenced to buy new knick-knacks. Unsubscribing from email lists was a big help in reducing my own overconsumption of fast fashion. They lure you in with constant discounts, but it turns out it’s a lot cheaper to not buy from them at all (shocking, I know)!
Identify want vs need
Perhaps I’m being pedantic, and I know people are hyperbolizing when they talk about needing a new thing, but I think it’s important to be mindful of our language and how it might inform our decisions. It’s easier to justify buying something new if you tell yourself that you need it rather than identifying it as what it is, if it’s a want. Taking a step back and being aware of where a desire to buy something is coming from can help figure out if it’s actually worth it, or even if you can wait to buy it at a later date (side tip: fast fashion cycles so quickly that if there’s something you really want, there’s a good chance it might end up on a secondhand site in a few weeks or months).
Have a list
And ideally, don’t be super specific. I think that a certain level of entitlement that capitalism and consumerism condition us to have can make us feel like we have to have the exact same thing we saw someone else have that we liked (I have feelings about people being accused of gatekeeping when others ask where something is from). Letting yourself have a more vague idea of something you’re on the lookout for can open up the opportunity to buy it secondhand and take away the urgency of looking for something super specific.
Cultivate personal style
Developing and being aware of your taste can naturally make you pickier about what you buy, and make you more resistant to being influenced by well, influencers, or ads. Now I concede that to a certain degree everyone is influenced by other people, and this isn’t always a bad thing, but if style = trendy, we start falling into a red zone. Trends aren’t our friends – they exist to make money off of us. Taking the time to figure out what you might gravitate towards outside of trends and even curating collections Pinterest-style can naturally lead into slower consumption (I don’t want to talk about Pinterest being overtaken by ads and AI, but there’s gotta be a similar alternative).
Be patient
Tying together the first four tips, sometimes making a more ethical decision means waiting a long time. If we recognize that some things are wants and not needs, don’t feel entitled to having the things we want immediately, and have a good idea of our own personal tastes, it can be more rewarding to wait a long time until we find the right thing and through a better avenue. I once saw a friend in a floral maxi skirt and decided I really wanted a floral maxi skirt. It ended up taking some two or three years before I found the perfect one (stretchy waistband and all!) at a flea market. A bonus here is that taking the time to find things guarantees that you’ll appreciate it once you have it, rather than following through with an impulse purchase that will lose its brand new sparkle after a week or so.
Secondhand secondhand secondhand
Some studies show that the next six generations could clothe themselves with the existing clothing on this planet. I also saw a comment on social media that I haven’t been able to stop thinking about – how many mugs exist, and continue to be made. Like, think about all of the TJMaxx/Marshalls/Homegoods near you, and the thrift stores, and expand that to your state or region (and the ones you already own!)…that’s so. many. mugs. We’ve gotta stop making new mugs!
When capitalism pushes for endless production of new goods, buying secondhand is the second easiest way to combat this (the first is, as mentioned earlier, to take steps to reduce consumption overall). At the very least, a good habit to get into is to check secondhand avenues first and to treat buying brand new as a last resort. You’d be surprised at what you can find secondhand – I’ve been wanting some calico critters but reluctant to buy them new, and I recently found a set of seven at an estate sale (for like, five bucks!).
Also, go to clothing swaps! I went to a clothing swap for the first time this summer and I’ll never forget how happy someone was to pick up a shirt that I’d had for years and not worn once!
(Side tip: if you need something but probably won’t use it often, check to see if your library has any that you can borrow! It doesn’t have to be a book!)
Shop small
Yes, it’s typically more expensive. And that’s kind of the point! Having access to constant cheap and instant goods has made many of us lose perspective of the value of people’s labor, resulting in scrutiny towards small business owners who charge higher amounts for their intricate crafts. Our current hyper-consumerist landscape also favors buying many things for less money over fewer higher quality, pricier items. Supporting small businesses when possible goes hand in hand with buying slowly and mindfully and reducing consumption overall.
Don’t make a hobby out of shopping
This one can be tough given the ~society~ that we live in, but I think it’s such a bummer in general that having fun or spending time with people so often has to involve spending money and acquiring new stuff. I used to proudly consider shopping something that gave me a “natural high” (idk if anyone else’s high school health class taught this concept lol), which is honestly wild. Between board games, video games (both of which you can borrow at the library!), spending time outdoors, or even paying for an experience like taking a cooking class, there’s lots you can do solo or with friends that doesn’t have to involve buying new things.
Take care of your belongings
I’ll start this one with a disclaimer that this can take a lot of time and energy, and besides the fact that we’re sold convenience, we’re also often forced into it because we’re all so busy. I spent my winter break committed to removing stains from several garments and it was painfully and exhaustingly unsuccessful. All I ended up achieving for real was polishing my favorite pair of shoes, which haven’t ever had a polish in the ~5 years I’ve had them…oops! But just being knowledgeable about stain removal and clothing care in general is a good way to stay motivated to treat what you already own as precious. Also, when stains prove impossible to remove or holes unable to be fixed, there’s always visible mending!
Window shop
The dopamine from a lot of purchases, especially little knick-knacks random TikTokers or the dollar section at Target want you to buy, is so brief. It might be weird, but I’ve found that I can get that same dopamine hit from scrolling through online stores, or browsing the knick-knack sections, but not actually buying anything. I basically get the fun-new-thing feeling without spending any money! Of course, if you know this will lead to impulse purchases for you, best to stay away from these things altogether.
Question yourself
Lastly, I (and a lot of susty folks) keep a list of questions to ask myself when I’m considering buying any non-necessity. Here’s a non-exhaustive compilation of some of them:
Do you already own things you can wear/pair it with?
Do you have space for it?
Is it easily washable/cared for?
Is it made of a durable material?
Will it still bring you the same amount of joy in six months as it does new?
How would you feel about it if it was a gift?