Sometimes, with too much time on our hands, we get lost on YouTube. Sounds familiar? 😉 In my case, I “waste” my time on, among others, some beauty and fashion vlogs (even environmentalists fall for the cute things, guilty). The ones I come across are pretty likeable and relaxing with occasionally some good advice.

What I find very disturbing is how very often vloggers say something like: »I liked the packaging so much, I just bought the whole thing!«. Or even worse: »I’m a sucker for packaging, so bought this item only because of it.« They sometimes clearly admit they don’t like the product as much but just bought it, again, because of the packaging. I’m wondering what happens next – they watch it on their desk/shelf/vanity until they get tired of it and throw it in the garbage? At least I hope they give it away to someone.

I’m sure you’ve seen some unboxing vlogs. The amount of packaging is insane.

This goes for brands and corporations – if they have the funds for all the commercials and for sending endless gifts to, so-called, influencers, than they have the funds to invest in environmentally friendly (and still very beautiful) packaging. When someone needs a material thing, if of right quality, they will get it, no matter how it’s wrapped and decorated.

But that’s not what the Corporations are looking for, of course, as we all know. They want people to buy ’till they drop, even the things they don’t need it at all. They’re trying to make people think they (we) need it all, that if they get this perfume, that piece of clothing and/or those shoes, they will look and feel as good as the model in the commercial. Happy, glowing, not a care in the world. And don’t we all want to feel like that? But we’re not that naive.

In reality – feeling the best we can just as it is, no matter where in life we are, is much easier than one might think – and we don’t need a thing in the world for that. 🙂 Fresh air, fresh water, sounds of nature, rest and freedom. Sadly, when we really think about it – there are very few lucky ones who have the named basic elements of full life. We’ve fallen into a system where we were made to think the only way to be (more) happy, free and even loved, is if we buy the next thing and the one after that. It’s always that next thing, isn’t it?

I sometimes catch myself falling right into this system. By simply seeing something and just wanting it. Ugh. Luckily I’m not an impulsive person and always take loads of time to think about everything before doing (and buying) anything. For example, a piece of clothing that in reality I would probably only wear once or twice and then not know what to do with it. Not being impulsive has its drawbacks but in these kind of situations it’s definitely a good trait, since my closet holds exactly one piece that would fit in the previously described category. Everything else I wear regularly. As simple as that. We’ve started with clothes, but the base can pretty much go with everything.

Let me give you two pieces of advice that has proven (several times) to save from unnecessary consumerism:

1. make a list of everything you need, go through it, consider every item and imagine it in its place and method of use. If clothing, imagine yourself wearing it, the exact situations where you use or wear it – and you have to list more than three of these situations. Then think about if you really need the item or are you just trying to impress someone. Once actually aware of this, you notice how often the latter happens.

Buying the things we don’t need, spending the money we may not even have, to impress the people we don’t even know.

(adapted from The minimalists)

2. when you see an item that you want, but don’t really need, imagine a place in the nature where you like to go, say a path along a stream or a river. And then imagine this item that you’re just looking at, as a piece of trash (which will inevitably become one day). Imagine it right there, in your perfect spot in nature. Now do you still like or need this particular item as much? Or at all?

So girls, women, goddesses, boys, men, gods, please, please, for the sake of our home – nature, THINK before you buy the next thing. Before EVERY next thing.

What are your impulsive (or non-impulsive) shopping habits? What is your opinion about all this packaging?

For some very interesting further reading:

https://fashionista.com/2018/03/fashion-beauty-industry-packaging-waste-survey-results