[…] Wir kennen das sicher alle (auch meine männlichen Leser ;-)): wir wollen unbedingt eine Sache besitzen und wenn wir sie gekauft haben, fragen wir uns nur kurze Zeit später, was uns da wohl wieder geritten hat :) Wir man das verhindern kann, erfährt man auf den Seiten von 43Folders: man lege sich eine Liste an und notiere auf dieser alle Kaufwünsche, die nicht zum täglichen Lebensbedarf gehören. Erst nach dem Eintrag und einem Blick auf die Gesamtliste entscheidet man sich dann, ob man den gewünschten Gegenstand wirklich benötigt.   [Link] […]

[…] Earlier this week I posted an entry about how to buy nothing. At his wonderful 43 Folders, Merlin Mann has shared his technique for fending off mindless purchases. I have a […] “buy me stuff” capture device, but more for the purpose of outgassing my brain’s frequently mindless consumer pollution. My file is called “crap I just don’t need.txt,” and I have fended off many ridiculous purchases just by parking the desired item there. Just viewing the long list of previous entries is an embarrassing exercise in aversion therapy. Not to say this always ensures a non-purchase — consumer lust has a permanent apartment in my heart — but at least it provides a satisfying speed bump on the race to the checkout screen. […]

Link:David Sedaris, and the stuff we do and don’t buy ourselves | 43 Folders…

Merlin Mann has a method for avoiding buying crap that you don’t need. I may try this. For now, my method is to tear out pages of catalogs, circling the item of interest, and putting it in my tickler file. I only buy the item when it comes up in th…

[…] Merlin uses a text file on his computer to prevent himself from making ridiculous and unnecessary purchases. I use Amazon’s Wishlist. See something I want but don’t really need? Add it to the wishlist… I get most of the reptilian hunter-gatherer satisfaction, but don’t actually spend any money. […]

[…] David Sedaris, and the stuff we do and don’t buy ourselves: “ […]

43 Folders Tip of the Week…

The first part of the month, when most of my checks come in, is tough.  I really, really want to spend money.  Merlin at 43 Folders suggests listing what you want in a text file and letting it marinate with……

[…] But here’s one I think I’ll add, one for all that rampant consumerism rolling around in my brain: a crapIjustdon’tneed.txt list. Got something you’re desiring continually pop into your head? Throw it in your crapIjustdon’tneed list, get it out of your head, and get back to what you need to be doing. And every now and then, go through your crapIjustdon’tneed list, and feel good seeing what hasn’t been wasted on impulse buying… Technorati Tags: lists, consumerism, impulse buying […]

[…] How to not buy stuff Since I’ll be preaching this month on escaping debt, this post at 43 Folders caught my eye (I came across it through Lifehacker, one of my very favorite blogs.)  The idea is to satisfy your desire to acquire by making lists of stuff you think you want to buy, and then just park the list somewhere.  Your list might be a simple .txt file or it might be a wish-list at Amazon.  Hopefully just making the list will satisfy the urge and you won’t need to buy.  In fact, in a few months you might be surprised at the silly stuff you listed.  As the post says, it wouldn’t cost anything to try it. […]