The #1 anti-rat life hack

In bro-marketing terms, I’m about to share with you my #1 life hack.

If you do this ONE thing, you’ll fix most of your own and the world’s problems.

(and no, it’s not making your bed every morning).

Are you ready?

This is life-changing stuff…

OK, here it is.

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That’s about it, really.

And no, this isn’t over-simplification, like most of the other life hacks out there.

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This is one that really can make a difference in all areas of life.

• If people didn’t buy excess stuff climate change would grind to a halt. All the shit we buy wouldn’t need to be grown, mined, made, packaged, transported, stored, and then thrown into landfill. It wouldn’t need to exist.

• If people didn’t buy excess stuff they would have the spare money to work less. This could translate into spending time with their families and communities, and have flow-on effects of improved physical and mental health and stronger communities.

• If people didn’t buy excess stuff human abuse and slavery would be nearly non-existent. Cambodian garment slaves only exist because we demand cheap clothes. Ghanian cocoa slaves only exist because we demand cheap chocolate. Remove the demand and you remove the reason for existence.

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Of course, the world economy would collapse if everyone abruptly stopped excess consumption.

But the economy is a fairly abstract concept. I’m sure it would be easier to fix than the real, concrete problems caused by our consumption levels, which have been long-term, ongoing, and relatively intractable.

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As an extreme example, after many years of minimising this is everything we own, for four people. We have some of the girls’ stuff too.

Of course, it’s not everything we need in a house. But acquiring a secondhand washing machine and fridge was quite easy, and we’re picking up a couple of giveaway beds this week. We’ll just give it all away when we decide to go travelling again.

(Grossed out by secondhand mattresses? I figure they’re far cleaner than anything we’ve slept on in hundreds of motels, cabins, and Airbnbs).

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Intrigued? Here are a few ways to make Not Buying Stuff easier.

1. Avoid advertising

   When we started doing this in 2006, it was easy. I simply put a No Junk Mail sign on our letterbox. And I was amazed at how well it worked.

   When I didn’t see the sales, I didn’t want so much stuff. For example, imagine I’d had a vague thought that hmm, another set of bedding would be nice. If I then received a catalogue with a nice set that was 60% off, I’d want it. I’d then go to the shops, buy it, and probably buy a few other things while I was there.

   Of course, it’s not quite as simple as a No Junk Mail sign anymore. But ad blockers do a great job and only take a few minutes to install. Stop reading and do it now!

   Want to go hardcore? Delete any shopping apps you have and block any sites you tend to use to shop mindlessly (the Go Fucking Work extension is great for this, if you enjoy sweary humour).

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2. Don’t shop for recreation

   In Australia we’ve been primed for consumption. Because what do we do on weekends, or Thursday evenings, or when we’re bored?

   
   We go to the shops. And we wander around and buy shit we don’t need with money we don’t have.

   When I realised this I felt like the most boring human ever. Seriously? The best thing I could think of to do with my time was to wander around Target? All the opportunities and nature and people in the world and I chose to spend my limited spare time buying shit I didn’t need?

   How embarrassing.

   I decided to get hobbies instead. I highly recommend it (although these have also been co-opted and commodified, so be careful that you don’t buy all the things and then never use them. There’s another post in that).

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3. Delay or double-check purchases

   Really want something? Have somewhere you can write it down. If you still really want it two weeks (or better yet, a month) later, then you can buy it.

   Even better, have a trusted someone you can discuss it with. Someone who knows your goals and ethics and can be your voice of reason.

   The husband and I started off by checking all purchases with each other. I’d ring him up at work.

   Me - ‘There’s a bedding set here. It’s 60% off. Should I buy it?’

   Him - ‘We’ve got two sets. Why do we need another one?’

   Me - ‘I guess we don’t. OK, I’ll leave it.’

   Sometimes there was more discussion than that. Maybe a bit of pleading and wheedling and attempted justification. But in the end the result was the same.
   If we can’t justify it to each other, we can’t justify it at all.

   This means that it’s much harder to overspend on our weaknesses (him: plants & farming gear, me: dye and glasses, both of us: ultralight hiking gear).

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4. Only spend YOUR money

   If you don’t have the money, don’t buy it.

   No credit cards, no store cards, and DEFINITELY no buy-now-pay-later schemes.

   Strangely, it’s harder to spend your own money than it is to spend credit (even though it’s still your money, and far more of it, in the end).

   Plus, there’s a more sustainable natural limit when using your own money, and if you buy something you later regret you won’t be punished by continuing to pay for it for months/years on end.

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   Thank you for reading The Anti-Rat. This post is public so feel free to share it.

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   And that’s it, really. It’s hard to change life-long habits that are strongly reinforced by everything and everyone around us, but it can be done. It took us quite a few years, but now I can honestly say that I rarely want anything, I think shopping centres are hell on earth, and I can cull ruthlessly because I know it’s all easy come, easy go. I don’t feel overwhelmed by my stuff, and love that we can cram it all into a few boxes and stick it into my nanna’s spare bedroom.

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   So move over Tim Ferriss, I’m taking your place in the life hack domain - although I will give you full credit for popularising kettlebell swings, which work exactly as stated.