Buying Less or Buying Green - Which One that Makes You Happier?

If we could ask the mirror on the wall who’s the happiest of all, the one who shops less or those who shop green, what answer do you think we would get? 

Take a moment to think and before we listen to what the almighty mirror would say, let’s dive in to decipher the difference between shopping less and shopping green. 

Shopping less is a consumption behavior that includes actions, such as buying timeless or long lasting products, repairing broken things instead of replacing them with a new purchase, not buying unnecessary items and avoiding impulse purchases. 

Whereas green buying is a shopping habit that involves purchasing products which are designed to limit environmental impacts, such as goods made from recycled or sustainable materials. Thrifting and going for pre-loved stuff are also considered as a part of shopping green as the two actions contribute to less consumption of the new fast fashion products.

While the shopping less and shopping green sounds ethical and conscious, the question remains, which one of these shopping habits makes the shopper happier? 

The truth is only 29% of women actually say they enjoy shopping. Most of the rest consider shopping as rather an anxiety-inducing moment or merely a boring activity that is inevitable as we humans need clothes to appear modest in society. Besides, excessive shopping is also considered as having a similar effect to the comfort eating - an eating habit that brings ephemeral happiness and doesn’t really fulfil any purpose in life. 

Shopping less and shipping green bring a little difference, however. And that’s because these two actions don’t simply mean engaging in the regular shopping activity, but rather breaking the mundane by giving a little cause in our reasonings to buy a product. In other words, shopping less or shopping green, brings a purpose into the ordinary thing and thus into our lives. We might submit to the social construct or the norms that require us to buy products we need, notwithstanding, we are championing a movement needed to revolutionise the future of our next generation by shopping with a cause.

So, it brings us to the final query, who is the happiest of all as the two shopping habits seem to differ at a certain point. A study published in the journal, Young Consumers, indicates that people who consume less are happier than those who engage in other pro-environmental consumer behaviors, like buying environmentally friendly products. The reason behind this finding states that, while green buying might reduce the environmental impact the Fashion Industry creates during the manufacturing or production process, green buying still implies a tendency to accumulate things instead of addressing the needs to lessen the demands on products - which has been the cause of the overflowing waste in landfills or the oceans. If green buying isn't accompanied with the willingness to have less, the materialistic behaviour still persists and therefore, the presence of ephemeral satisfaction is also there interfering with the sense of real happiness that enshrines simplicity. That said, people who buy less have a humble and modest approach to life, which makes their lives serene and simple, the kind of happiness that lasts and feels real.

As you now know who is the happiest of all, which kind of shopping behaviour that you have? 

Much Love, 

The 1 People’s Team