Shop Less, Live More

Shop Less, Live More
Think carefully about purchases: In six months, if we don't buy it, will we even notice? Notice the addictive pattern of consumption. By reducing purchases and turning a deaf ear to calls to buy, buy, buy, we reduce our need for money, and thus have more control over what we must do to make the income needed to get by.

Instead of: Recreational shopping that drives the engine of growth and debt along with ecological damage. Culturally encouraged dissatisfaction with what we already have.

NOTE: Previous version included a note to "take advantage of support groups". It also had "we reclaim our autonomy", but that's covered by the "greater control" phrase. The Mar 2015 version eliminated those phrases in order to fit the text on the card.

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Synergies
(cards that work well together)
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Idea Family
(cards with shared core concept — such as specific application of general principles)
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Detailed Description

 * Seek to satisfy more and deeper needs abundantly through nature, social relations (especially gifting, sharing, storytelling, intimacy and other rewarding engagement), creativity, spirituality, intellectual pursuits (including lifelong learning), do-it-yourself activities, and entertainments, sports and hobbies that cost little and require little "stuff".

Notice the addictive patterns of consumption - the pseudo satisfiers that don't truly satisfy but keep us coming back for more - and work individually and together to move beyond them into far richer, more deeply satisfying versions of quality of life.

Data and Statistics

 * [if there is data that backs up this card please list it here—with references!]

Resources and References

 * Your Money or Your Life (Book)

Examples and Experiments

 * [Are there real world examples of this in action? Are YOU or others testing this idea or working on implementing some aspect of this on the ground?]

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