Are you a rational or impulsive consumer？
The expenditure record within two weeks （October. 31th - November. 12th)
Today is a day that I need to pay the rent for the whole month. I think it is cheap because my roommate and I can share the rent, and also it contains utility fees. In retrospect, I realised I did something that could not sustain a sustainable life. WASTING!!! Because I always thought I do not need to pay the utility fees, then I sometimes did not turn off the lights for the whole night. In addition to lights, I did the same thing to the tap.
➠ I normally go to supermarket 3-4 times in a month to buy the necessaries (I think they are necessary) to sustain my life. Because I am a foodie, the majority of the cost is on food. Also I consider food can make me happy whenever I feel disappointed and get a lot of pressure. Therefore, the cost of food will be indispensable and not be avoided. Then, the problem pops up, such as obesity, unhealthy diet and irregular lifestyle.
I think November is a period that there are a lot of good movies on show! Every time I go to see a movie, I buy popcorn and drinks. These two things are the perfect match of a movie time. The sarcastic truth is I get student discount for the movie ticket; however, I cost more on EXTRA fees.
After coming back home, I realised that there were many"implicit cost". First was the gasoline, two hours' drive from Sherbrook to Montréal. Then was the lunch, drinks, and parking fees. In fact, all these cost implicitly increased the admission fee.
My personal spending model & thinking focused on consumption
After recording my spending within two weeks, I realised I am an impulsive consumer who usually buy things without too much thinking and also very tempted to do some shopping. Generally, I embrace my life in hedonism. Whatever makes me happy I will buy it as long as I can afford it.
On one hand, when I truly buy something (taking my new phone purchased on Oct. 31th as an example), I think more external factors than its practical functions as well as whether I really need it. More specifically, the exterior factors include how my friends talk about me if I do not buy the latest one because most people buy the latest one, whether I need to follow the fashionable trend, and the price of the latest one implicitly shows the personal economic status to some extent.
On the other hand, some merchants exploit these external factors to hook people to do shopping. Taking myself as an example, when I go to a new shop, I am usually required to have a membership card that offers discounts for certain period, so I need to write down my personal information including names, email address, income, and other information. Every day I check my email, I see a lot of advertisements that are prompting me that something is under discount, if I do not buy it, I will feel regretful. Moreover, when I enter into a shop, the shopping guide tells me that when I buy one piece, I need to pay the whole price; however, when I buy the second one, I can get 50% off, which means the more I buy, the more discounts I can get. But the truth is the more I buy, the more I cost.
In general, both two aspects cause excessive consumption and bring negative effects on a sustainable society. According to Shah (2014), in 2005, many people with high-social status purchase luxuries and go after a brand blindly, which occupies the majority section (76.6%) of the consumption level around the world. Nevertheless, poor people even cannot afford their basic needs, and their consumption level is lower (1.5%). The data shows that the consumption between the rich and the poor is extremely unequal. Then I realise substantial organisations and celebrities have been encourage the public to dispose money in charity to help those people who really need help. But look what we are doing, we are purchasing something that we do not need it in order to satisfy our vanity. I remember when I am walking on the street in Montréal, there are many beggars who are standing in the cold wind to ask for money to sustain their lives. Then I think if I buy a relatively cheap phone at that moment, which still covers my basic needs, and I can use the rest money to help those people. I know it might be ideal and not enough to help them, but their situation will be changed someday if we continue to do.
In general, both two aspects cause excessive consumption and bring negative effects on a sustainable society. According to Shah (2014), in 2005, many people with high-social status purchase luxuries and go after a brand blindly, which occupies the majority section (76.6%) of the consumption level around the world. Nevertheless, poor people even cannot afford their basic needs, and their consumption level is lower (1.5%). The data shows that the consumption between the rich and the poor is extremely unequal. Then I realise substantial organisations and celebrities have been encourage the public to dispose money in charity to help those people who really need help. But look what we are doing, we are purchasing something that we do not need it in order to satisfy our vanity. I remember when I am walking on the street in Montréal, there are many beggars who are standing in the cold wind to ask for money to sustain their lives. Then I think if I buy a relatively cheap phone at that moment, which still covers my basic needs, and I can use the rest money to help those people. I know it might be ideal and not enough to help them, but their situation will be changed someday if we continue to do.
Furthermore, have you ever thought about when things thrown in the trash, how they will be dispose? According to Leonard (2009), some of the trash will be land-filled, and some of them will be burned. When burning the trash, there are a lot of toxic, super-toxic chemicals (e.g. Dioxin) released into the air, which is eventually inhaled in human's body. Also, she Leonard (2009) mentions that when stuff is producing, there are a large number of toxic chemicals(e.g. Brominated Flame Retardants) released into the air. Moreover, some factories even employ pregnant women to be worker, and the worse thing happens that these pregnant workers will suffer irreparable damage and influence the next generation when inhaling these toxic. In addition to the damage for human, the environment will also be worse and worse. Too much pollution emerge in the world. The data is overwhelming. Leonard (2009) says that 99% of stuff that we purchase will be trashed, which is not a world that advocate sustainability should do. Then I realise that every time I go to supermarket, I buy too much stuff that eventually will be thrown in the trash by me. As time passes, I develop a bad habit that is waste because always think that stuff in the trash will be recycled; however, I do not realise there are a lot of stuff that cannot be recycled. If people who is like me do not buy these stuff at the first time, they are supposed not to be produced any more. At least, we restrict such non-recyclable stuff to be produced.
In a nutshell, I am aware that I need to change...
In a nutshell, I am aware that I need to change...
What I do to shift my pattern of consumption & How I feel
After awaring of too much waste I did, I shift my expenditure pattern. Normally, I buy cakes and bread in a large quantity because I want to reduce the times that I go to supermarket and I though it will decrease my expenditure. However I am wrong. Therefore, I begin to buy cakes and bread in a small quantity. On one hand, the price of small quantities will be cheaper than that of large quantities. On the other hand, the food in a small quantity can guarantee its freshness, and I do not need to worry whether it will get mouldy.
Moreover, I do shopping without too much thinking, and I usually buy something that I do not need. Therefore, I try to ask myself whether I need it and how I am going to use it whenever I my urge pushes me to buy stuff. I come up an idea that whenever I want to buy something, I create a shopping cart in my phone, and I put them into the cart. Then I push myself to do works or other things. As time passes, when I look at my shopping cart several weeks later again, I realise I do not want to buy them any more. I find that this way helps me save a lot of money and to some extent it helps me avoid excessive consumption. Furthermore, I do not feel upset because the lack of these stuff.
Moreover, I do shopping without too much thinking, and I usually buy something that I do not need. Therefore, I try to ask myself whether I need it and how I am going to use it whenever I my urge pushes me to buy stuff. I come up an idea that whenever I want to buy something, I create a shopping cart in my phone, and I put them into the cart. Then I push myself to do works or other things. As time passes, when I look at my shopping cart several weeks later again, I realise I do not want to buy them any more. I find that this way helps me save a lot of money and to some extent it helps me avoid excessive consumption. Furthermore, I do not feel upset because the lack of these stuff.
Most people believe the effect of 21 day, which means when a person continues to do the same thing for 21 days in a row, then he will form the habit whenever he does it (Selk, 2013). Although it is a myth, I think shifting a person's consumption patter is not difficult, the difficult thing is he needs to possess the perseverance.
References
Leonard. A. (2009). The story of stuff. Retrieved from: https://www.youtube.com/watch? v=9GorqroigqM
Shah. A. (2014). Consumption and Consumerism. Retrieved from: http://www.globalissues.org/issue/235/consumption-and-consumerism
Selk. J. (2013). Habit formation: The 21-day myth. Retrieved from: https://www.forbes.com/sites/jasonselk/2013/04/15/habit-formation-the-21-day-myth/#6659d05bdebc
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