Saving money is wonderful, especially these days. But being frugal at the expense of the environment is an issue that I think many people struggle with. This post is about frugal minimalist things that people do that are bad for the planet, and what you can do instead.
- Looking only at prices
- Shopping in all the wrong places
- Spending money on the present, not the future
- Not spending money when you should
- Lack of planning
1. Looking only at prices
If your only factor when choosing what to buy is the price tag, you're missing the bigger picture. Purchasing decisions should be about the value of your money, not just paying the lowest amount possible. Here are 5 factors that you can add to the equation.
- Cost per weight. If you're buying something, such as food, a lot of the bigger supermarket chains will show you the cost-to-weight ratio. This may reveal that, for example, the 16 oz bag of rice that costs $0.76 breaks down to 4.8 cents per ounce, while twice as much rice costs $1.46 or 4.6 cents per ounce. The same math can be applied to just about any consumable product (not just food) to help better inform your decision about which price point works best for you. Obviously, you want to keep to amounts that you will use before it expires.
- Cost per use. A lower-quality item may be less expensive, but it will also wear out faster. You can spend about $4 on a pack of plastic disposable razors that you're only supposed to use once each. I chose instead to invest $15 into a metal safety razor that I have already had for over a year, and will likely have for many more years. A 50-pack of safety razor blades cost me $5.50 and after 12+ months, I still have over half of them left.
- Quality of item. That razor I bought is definitely not the best quality available; you can buy safety razors for upwards of $200 that probably have warranties on them, and some that are specifically more eco-friendly. While that price point would still break down to very affordable throughout a lifetime, I think you can still get a decent-quality product for a good deal if you do some research. It rarely has to be one extreme or the other.
- Materials used for product and packaging. We never pay just for the product. We also pay for packaging, all the marketing on the package, and marketing that goes into the brand. Of course, getting something that's package-free and pre-owned is the simplest and most cost-effective way to eliminate the price of packaging, as someone else has already paid a good portion of that money upfront. However, buying used is not an option for food obviously, which is why I wrote the article about Eco-minimalist grocery shopping on a budget.
- Supply chain. There are so many new resource shortages that I read or watch about these days. Soil shortage. Sand shortage, rubber shortages. Then there are the shortages that are less new, like petroleum products of all kinds and our finite amount of fresh water. These are no joke and not to be ignored; they WILL get worse, and without intervention by everyone, the situation will become catastrophic. In some cases and for some people it already is catastrophic. I saw footage of a town in Arizona that has a water shortage so bad that people have zero access to water of any kind, from the city, whose water system is overwhelmed, or their own wells, which have run dry. They will have to leave their properties, and who will buy them without running water? Sadly, it has come to the point where every buying decision comes with consequences. Yes, I'm a broken record when I say that the solution is to do everything we can to keep what already exists in circulation for as long as possible. Take proper care of what you own; repair it if you can, and don't just throw it in the trash if you can't. If you think it's expensive to go shopping now, just think how much worse it will be when the resources needed to make new things no longer exist.
2. Shopping in all the wrong places
Product manufacturers and retailers know when they have you cornered. Movie theaters don't allow outside food, so if you're hungry, you're stuck paying $6.00 for a few cents worth of popcorn and some butter-flavored oil. You lose your sunglasses on a road trip and have to pay $30 for a replacement pair at a gas station.
There's a reason why they're called "convenience stores;" they have a few things conveniently located in high-traffic areas at astronomical prices.
And don't even get me started on what a rip-off the various dollar stores are for what you get. But one report showed that each $1 item yielded an average of $0.35 - $0.80 profit.
How well do you think something could possibly be made if it cost only $0.20 to make it?? Do you think the manufacturer (or the retailer) worried about the environment when they created or sold that product? Do you think they care that it's going to end up in the landfill in a month? No; and they actually look forward to that outcome. Because they make their profit on volume, so they hope items will break and you will come back as a repeat customer.
Aside from urgent/emergency situations, there are a few basic rules you can follow to ensure you don't run into the traps of spending your money in places that are bad for both the planet and your wallet.
The general idea is to have a backup plan in place. If you own a vehicle, create a little emergency kit in a bag in your car with things you might need while on the road. What comes to mind for me are a blanket, extra sunglasses/eyeglasses, a first aid kit, spare clothes, water, shelf-stable snacks, utensils, a cloth napkin, a towel, some coins, and paper money, and an emergency phone charger. You can create a mini-version of this if you don't use a car, and put it into a bag or backpack.
At home, you can have a similar kit set aside for everyday life stuff, just in case an emergency happens and you need to leave the house quickly. Do similar planning for day-to-day food needs by meal prepping some items to store in the freezer and keeping staples on hand as for dry and canned goods. That way, you always have something to eat and don't have to get takeout when you don't feel like cooking.
Putting together these "kits" and stocking your kitchen is something that can happen over time--or, you may already have everything you need in your home and don't need to buy anything. There's usually no need to run out and buy what you want to include all at once. Be patient and choose carefully.
Lastly, learn not to give in to temptation. All the various techniques to avoid impulse buying and falling prey to marketing would require a separate article. But the goal for this article is to only ever buy gas at a gas station and to never step into a "convenience store" or a place that sells new junk for cheap ever again.
I'm aware that large portions of the U.S., and other countries, live in food deserts, and their only options to buy food places exactly like the ones I'm telling you to avoid. Obviously, if this is the case for you, then do what you need to to survive. If you need help with food or any other resources, here in the States you can dial 211. It looks like United Way has 211 services available worldwide as well, though I can't speak personally about that. For U.S.-based people, here's a website about how 211 works and the help you can get by calling: https://www.fcc.gov/consumers/guides/dial-211-essential-community-services
3. Spending money based on the present, not the future
Being eco-friendly is all about leaving a liveable planet for the future. So when you don't think of the consequences of what you do today and how they will affect tomorrow, chances are that you will make a less eco-conscious decision.
This once again requires restraint. Don't buy things just because you want them or they are affordable. There are many times I can recall in my life when I thought I "needed" something, and right away. It turned out that I really could have done without it.
Use methods such as a purchase pause to hold off on impulse buys. Keep a running list of things you want or need, saved on your phone, and take some time to try to track it down used.
Think as well about joining community groups that share items. Do you need to have this item on hand at all times, or can you borrow, barter for it, or rent it? Are there other ways to solve a problem than to buy something? Can you afford the upkeep of this particular item, and do you have a place to store it?
What other questions can you think of that are problems for tomorrow that buying something today might cause?
4. Not spending money when you should
Particularly where I live, it saddens me how much we've become a throw-away society. The trend is to have everything new, and marketing research likely shows that people will probably throw things away after a short time. This is great for them, so nothing is built to last.
Modern technology, clothing, and unfortunately, even people, are tossed aside once they don't meet societal standards. I've watched in anger as unhoused people where I live are shuffled from one place to another so that their housed neighbors don't have to look at them.
Just like with that issue, the first instinct for inanimate objects is often to get rid of them and buy something else shiny and new. This, too, is hurtful to people, because the objects that were thrown away were also made by people. If they were made cheaply, they were likely made overseas in unsafe conditions with underpaid employees by companies that care NOTHING for the environmental impact of their manufacturing practices. Then they ship a piece of plastic worth a few pennies across the world, burning large quantities of fossil fuels just so Westerners can save a few bucks, only to add to the landfill a short time later when the product inevitably falls apart too soon.
A better idea is to spend your money up-front with companies that have been vetted for being socially conscious. Try to get something that can be repaired, refurbished, recycled, or upcycled. And if something can be fixed or altered instead of tossed out, make that investment.
5. Lack of planning
A time-tested marketing strategy is creating a sense of urgency. Launches of new products are hyped up ahead of time using catchy music, celebrities or influencers, and alluring graphics. Then an "introductory price for a limited time only" creates a flood of sales. The buying frenzy, fed by a wave of hive-minded consumers intent on having the latest and greatest, drags everyone along until we've all spent money on a product that rarely holds up under scrutiny.
I don't want the latest smartphone or the newest TV. I don't want a new car model fresh from the factory, and I certainly don't want to be the guinea pig for the latest fad supplements or another throwaway clothing brand advertising on Instagram.
If you let time pass before you try a new product, it allows others to give feedback on how it works in the real world. You can bypass all the safety recalls and faulty parts that the brand-new buyers have to sort out. After a few months or years, you have a clear picture of how well consumers actually like something and how well it works. Then you'll know if it's really worth your money.
Play the long game and take your time. Plan waaaaay in advance. For example, I have a super-secret project I'm working on that may happen 6-12 months from now. And even though it's far away, I am starting to collect the supplies I will need now. I'm looking in the free sections, visiting thrift stores, and asking people I know if they have what I need. My very last resort is to buy anything new from a traditional retail store.
I hope you liked this episode of Marina scolding people for being cheap, lol. Just kidding (sort of 😉). I have almost completed furnishing our apartment so the wrap-up post on minimalist moving will be coming up soon.