Curbing Overconsumption: Anti-Consumerism Tips for 2024

Holly Trantham discusses curbing overconsumption and making mindful financial and lifestyle choices for long-term happiness and freedom.

### Identifying and Avoiding Unnecessary Purchases in 2024
* 💸  Overconsumption is a major issue, with many people feeling pressured to **buy unnecessary items** to fit a certain image or lifestyle.
* 🛍️  The rise of "de-influencing" on social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram is challenging the idea that **certain products are essential for a fulfilling life**.
* 🌿  Greenwashing, where products are falsely marketed as eco-friendly, remains a significant problem, with **major fines being issued to companies for misleading claims**.
* 📱  Social media can be a double-edged sword for skincare and beauty products, as influencers may promote **extensive routines that are unnecessary for many individuals**.
* 🧴  The speaker warns against buying into trends without proper research, especially for items that lack reviews or are **heavily advertised on social media**.
* 👗  Fashion and beauty products, such as expensive hair tools and anti-wrinkle straws, are highlighted as potential **unnecessary purchases that target specific insecurities**.
* 🚗  The video also critiques the trend of "**over-the-top restocking**," where individuals purchase **excessive accessories** for their cars and homes, contributing to **clutter**.
* 🧼  Excessive packaging, both in individual products and storage containers, is criticized for its **wastefulness and unnecessary consumption**.

hello everyone. I'm Holly Trantham, tfds creative director, and this is season two of The totally chill guide to work and life. For the past eight years, I've been working behind the scenes on all of the content you see here on YouTube and across all of tf's channels. I also wrote our second book, beyond getting by. Throughout this series, I'll be talking about how to approach your money and career decisions from a chill place where they help you live the life you want without ever becoming your sole focus. So, this video is all about curbing our overconsumption, which I think most people could probably benefit from. Because while you should spend money on things that make you happy and enjoy life in the present moment, what will make us all happier in the long run is having the financial freedom to make the best big decisions for ourselves. Putting more of your income towards investing is a big piece of that puzzle. With betterment, investing does not have to be some scary daunting task, no matter how much or little you know about the

stock market betterment helps take care of a lot of the heavy lifting. Their automated investing Tech and tax-smart tools are designed to help maximize your returns, so your money is put to work better. It can help someone ease their way into investing as their financial experts are working behind the scenes to make your money hustle while you spend more energy on what actually brings you Joy. Get started, be invested, click the link in our description, or head to betterment.com/tfd to sign up in minutes. When we talk about anti-consumerism on this channel and on our social media platforms, a lot of what we're talking about is overconsumption on a macro level, how it cheapens our relationship to spending, and gives those of us who live in places like America where overconsumption is more than the norm than not a sense of entitlement to our consumer decisions, no matter how much harm they are causing to distant populations or the environment. But as I explored back in an episode in season 1, I would personally argue that our mindless

shopping culture is not just bad on a societal level. It's making our lives worse individually too. We also talked about this even more in our video essay on the buy everything, own nothing era we are currently living through, which you can check out in the description. And we've been covering the topic of things that aren't worth your money for almost a decade and from many different angles. And there's this idea of de-influencing that's been going around on TikTok and Instagram in the past couple of years where creators talk about products they don't recommend, many of which had gained popularity on the same platforms. But it's not ultimately anything new. We're still trying to pull back the curtain on consumerism to show that the life-changing things we feel or are told we must buy aren't really delivering on what they're selling. But since consumerism means there will always be new and creative ways to waste your money, here's a list of things you might think you need to buy but don't, updated for 2024. Of course, you may not

personally be attempted to buy any of the things on this list, or you may think something I mentioned here is worth it for you. But as much as this is a fun little rant kind of list to do, remember this isn't so much about the specific items I'm talking about, but rather the reasons behind wanting them, whether they're fixing a problem that doesn't really exist or influencing you to buy something in order to appear like a certain type of person. And remember, this is just my opinion, but I hope you keep some of this in mind the next time you're tempted to buy something that may or may not actually serve you. Number one, multiple Stanley Cups to match your outfits. Okay, girlies, I am not going to tell you not to buy a Stanley, even though I personally believe there are plenty of water bottles out there that do the same thing and often for way less money because I have witnessed firsthand how much these water tumblers can really influence someone's water consumption in a positive way, but certainly no one

needs a cabinet full of these things in different colors. See one of my favorite TikTok influencers too. Not hate follow, but you know, not love follow. I'm just not sure that having that many different of the same kind of tumblers is actually helping us achieve what reusable water bottles are supposed to do, i.e., cut down our consumption of plastic and other harmful resources. Um, and Stanley have become such a cult item that there are now pages and pages on Amazon filled with items that are meant to just accessorize your Stanley, including a silicone detachable strap to help you carry a cup that already comes with a handle. Again, anything that encourages someone to drink more water, especially if they weren't doing that in the first place, can be a good thing. And if that means a sort of expensive temperature-controlled water tumbler that you buy a sparkly straw for, I think that's great. But buying multiples of things like this is just excessive and adds to our personal clutter that we end up thinking.

is inescapable and is very exemplary of restock culture, which is a theme you're going to see over and over again in this video. Number two, those viral collagen masks. So I don't know about you, but I've just heard from the other person in this room that this is not a universal thing for her, but these are completely inescapable on my TikTok feed, and they're so new that there's obviously not any research about them. But when it comes to skincare, I think newness should be a lot more sus than we treat it. Here's a great explainer video, which I will link in the description of this video, that comes from a board-certified dermatologist, where she explains that while collagen itself is hydrating, these masks don't really do anything to replace lost collagen, and they contain some ingredients that we should actually be pretty wary of, which seamlessly brings us to item number three, a 10-step skincare routine you got off TikTok. Okay, there very well may be

good skincare advice on TikTok, but we have to remember that everyone's skin is completely different. Something I know we've talked about ad nauseam on this channel, but we just have to keep talking about it because dermatologists, in particular, are very wary of the advice people are getting off social media. From a HuffPost article on this topic, one dermatologist recalls one patient who had six steps in both her morning and nightly skincare routines in an effort to use up all the products she'd bought on the recommendation of influencers. So now she has a bunch of stuff that she feels obligated to use and not waste. She even astutely recognized that sometimes if I skip a step, it doesn't mean that my skin got any worse. Ultimately, you could save so much time, money, and energy testing out these products and going through a TikTok shop Amazon storefront trial and error by just going to a few sessions with a dermatologist. Number four, greenwashed products. Greenwashing refers to when brands use misleading branding or advertising language to

promote a product on the basis that it is clean or eco-friendly, but often times these products are just as bad as their conventional counterparts, and we've even started to see legislation taken up about it in certain parts of the world, including a recent greenwashing directive from the EU. Here are just a few of the biggest greenwashing fines we've seen in recent years. Number one, the FTC fined Kohl's and Walmart $5.5 million collectively for claiming their products were made from environmentally friendly bamboo when they were made from other materials. Number two, Keurig was fined $2.2 million by the Canadian Competition Bureau for making misleading claims about its single-use coffee pods, suggesting they were recyclable when recyclers don't widely accept them. And number three, Volkswagen was fined by the EPA and other establishments a total of over $31 billion with a B dollars for implementing software that falsified data and helped evade emissions tests on its vehicles. Don't fall into the trap of buying something just because it claims

to be green and don't fall into the trap of replacing perfectly good items in your home with green items. The greenest thing you can do is buy less, and unfortunately, even better legislation around these practices is not going to eradicate greenwashing. So always do your research. Number five, anything you are inundated with Instagram ads for but never actually see real reviews for. This is a very personal one for me because I spent months looking for a pair of hiking and climbing pants that I didn't hate, and I started seeing the same ads everywhere on my Instagram, TikTok, my Facebook when I logged on once a month for the same cute trendy pants from a direct consumer women's hiking brand. But the pants themselves didn't have any reviews yet, and I bought them anyway, and it was a huge mistake. They were the least breathable pants I've ever worn, but I didn't realize how bad they would actually be on a longer or warmer hike until I was literally on one, and they just completely changed color from sweat.

and then it was too late to return them. And if there had been reviews for that and talked about the fabric not being breathable, I could have saved myself like $100. And these particular pants aren't even for sale anymore, as far as I can tell. So I'm not trying to call out a specific company, but this is really just a recommendation against trying out anything new, especially a new brand you've never bought from before, if you can't really easily return it. Or even better yet, go try it on in store before buying it. Number six, $500 hair tools that are really only for just one hair type. This is sort of a call out for the Dyson air wrap. And not only because Dyson is yet another company set on outsourcing labor overseas to increase their margins instead of reinvesting profits from their very highly priced products back into their workforce. Because while I anecdotally know a few people who genuinely love the air wrap, most of them do admit that it's not the

tool they turn to them most, and I know several more who have purchased one, only to be totally let down because the promise of a perfect blowout simply didn't work for their hair type. Just like skin, hair is different for everyone. A tool like the air wrap might work great for you in your lifestyle, but it might not. Watching a bunch of get-ready-with-me videos from influencers with the same exact type of hair as each other, all using the same tool, is not going to give you the answer.

Number seven: over-the-top restocking. At this point, I feel like I just need to unplug myself from The Matrix because we have really lost the plot with restocking culture. Apparently, not only do you need a very specific type of cleaning wipes for your car, you also need a holder that perfectly matches your coffee tumbler, phone holder, and a hook for your purse that you keep in your car. This whole video is all literally just a restock-my-car-with-me video that links to her Amazon storefront, obviously to me that

is just cluttering your car more. Something I don't personally have experience with for the last 14 years, but that even I know is famously very difficult to keep clutter-free. Obviously, there are things you need to keep in your car, like for instance a spare tire, but whatever happened to just throw some extra tampons in your purse and calling it a day. Number eight packaging for packaging. So listen, I know that organizational tools and specifically clear plastic bins are really helpful for a lot of people to keep things in the same place and be able to locate things easily, but a lot of times in these restocking videos we see people are buying things that come in individual or single-use sizes that already come in individual packaging only to then put them in a giant bin. There's no reason your guest room couldn't have a single guest toothpaste. You don't have to have a million individual toothpastes. Also, why aren't your guests bringing their own toothpaste? Also, it goes without saying that this video is kind of wild.

in the first place, and seems a little rage bity because who is buying thousands of dollars worth of skincare just to restock their guest bathroom, but also let this serve as your reminder that anything that is a restocking video is an ad, even if it's not, because if they're not linking to Tik Tok shop, they are linking to their Amazon storefront or their ltk page. Lastly, number nine straws and accessories that help you prevent wrinkles. I think this squarely falls into the category of solving a problem you didn't know you had and is of course another bullet in the long list of things that you now need to buy if you're a water tumbler girly. I don't really have anything else to say here except the world loves to give women new insecurities that they need to worry about that they'd never even thought to have before, especially when it comes to aging and scaring people out of perfectly normal behaviors like literally drinking through a straw that they have been doing their whole lives.

is pretty bleak again maybe not that last one but there's nothing to say that something on this list couldn't positively add to your life. The point is to just be very conscious of your reasoning for buying something before ultimately making that decision. Thank you so much for watching and I'll see you next week on the next episode of the totally chill guide to work and life.

9 Viral Products Influencers Love, But You Don't Need

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The Financial Diet

Holly Trantham's Guide to Financial Freedom and Anti-Consumerism

Holly Trantham's series focuses on approaching money and career decisions from a balanced perspective.

She advocates for curbing overconsumption and prioritizing financial freedom for long-term happiness.

The series also discusses the negative impact of mindless shopping and offers insights on products that are not worth buying, aligning with the trend of de-influencing on social media.

Questionable Purchase Trends: A Critical Review

The obsession with collecting multiple Stanley Cups for water consumption is contributing to excessive consumption and clutter.

The viral collagen masks, popularized on TikTok, lack scientific research and may contain questionable ingredients.

Following a 10-step skincare routine from TikTok may not be beneficial and could include potentially harmful ingredients.

Pitfalls to Avoid in Skincare and Product Shopping

Not all skincare advice on social media is suitable for everyone, and dermatologists warn against following influencer recommendations blindly.

Greenwashing, or misleading eco-friendly branding, has led to significant fines for companies like Kohl's, Walmart, Keurig, and Volkswagen.

Be cautious of buying products heavily advertised on social media without genuine reviews, as they may not live up to the hype.

Recommendations for Smart Shopping and Sustainable Living

Be cautious about trying new, unreturnable products, especially from unfamiliar brands, and consider trying on items in-store before purchasing.

Be mindful of investing in expensive hair tools that may not work for your specific hair type, and be wary of over-the-top restocking and cluttering your space with unnecessary items.

Consider the sustainability of packaging and avoid excessive single-use products that contribute to unnecessary waste and clutter.

The Deceptive Marketing of Skincare Products

Skincare restocking videos often serve as advertisements, leading to unnecessary purchases.

The promotion of straws as wrinkle-preventing accessories adds to the list of insecurities imposed on women.

It's important to be mindful of the reasons behind purchasing such products.