Best products from r/Anticonsumption

I'm sorry for leading you down this rabbit hole... It's a great hobby but it's a really niche one that's massively popular, so every Instagrammer has a book. My favorite book is The Artful Wooden Spoon as it's really cheap for a craft book, has beautiful designs and photography, and it goes over every possible method to carve, whether traditional hook knives and wet wood, or dried wood and power tools. Spon is another great book but I haven't gotten a copy yet so...I don't know if I could honestly recommend it.

I got started in my summer before first semester of college, so I went the cheap way which is following many instagram accounts, youtube videos, and buying Mora knives off Amazon rather than having a hand-forged one made for me. (The price point and waiting list of blacksmiths is insane). This is my knife, not the best for spooncarving as it has softer steel and is more meant for rough bushcraft, but it was given to me when I turned 16 and is now on my hip whenever possible: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00EAL1090/ref=twister_B07H1138CR?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

This one comes more highly recommended by the pros: https://www.amazon.com/Morakniv-Carving-Knife-Laminated-3-2-Inch/dp/B005IW5YN8?ref_=bl_dp_s_web_6501052011

Then you'll need a hook knife: https://www.amazon.com/Morakniv-Carving-Stainless-0-5-Inch-Internal/dp/B01N4FNUX4/ref=pd_sbs_468_2/130-9218892-1730051?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B01N4FNUX4&pd_rd_r=8d8fce0c-2c9d-11e9-8a86-1d7479451c7c&pd_rd_w=cqTt0&pd_rd_wg=78jDF&pf_rd_p=588939de-d3f8-42f1-a3d8-d556eae5797d&pf_rd_r=KEJZKBPVA4EWJ7CZJPNT&psc=1&refRID=KEJZKBPVA4EWJ7CZJPNT

A hatchet is of course also necessary, but those are very common to find. Almost any will do. Sharpening is the most important part, regardless if you have a hook knife made by a blacksmith who makes his own charcoal for his forge and only uses recycled steel, or if you use a knife forged in Mora and bought from Amazon. Especially with the odd shapes of hook knives, sandpaper is the best way to go- try googling the "Scary Sharp Method"- but it basically comes down to working the bevels and steel with progressively finer grit. Autobody shops will have the wet/dry sandpaper in the grits you'll need, from 100grit for rough work and customizing your blades, to 6000 grit when you're finishing up.

https://www.instagram.com/michigansloyd/ is one of my favorite spooncarvers to follow on instagram, he's a professional and can create a beautiful spatula in less time than it takes me to split a branch. https://www.instagram.com/klipnockywoods/ is another good one.

http://www.robin-wood.co.uk/wood-craft-blog/ this is probably one of the best blogs, there is a scroll on the side with links to posts for beginners, from what knives are the best to what oil to use.

https://www.emmetvandriesche.com/blog/how-i-carve-wooden-spoons is another good blog.

I'll try to stop now, but there's just so much going on in this niche.

In addition to the other great suggestions in this thread, check out feminism, too. While these consumerist trends are certainly universal, I noticed that many of the topics you particularly felt pressured by were ones directed extra strongly towards women. Reading up on society's views of sex and gender and how it often tries to pigeonhole us, women and men, into sexist stereotypes, can give you the mental ammo to better deal with this consumerism.

Where to begin? A really good book about consumerism and beauty pressures is Naomi Wolf's The Beauty Myth. The blurb:

>The bestselling classic that redefined our view od the relationship between beauty and female identity.

>In today's world, women have more power, legal recognition, and professional success than ever before. Alongside the evident progress of the women's movement, however, writer and journalist Naomi Wolf is troubled by a different kind of social control, which, she argues, may prove just as restrictive as the traditional image of homemaker and wife. It's the beauty myth, an obsession with physical perfection that traps the modern woman in an endless spiral of hope, self-consciousness, and self-hatred as she tries to fulfill society's impossible definition of "the flawless beauty."

Sound somewhat familiar?

^Wow, ^there's ^a ^typo ^in ^the ^official ^blurb.

Basically this. I am super frugal when it comes to buying things/items...I hate spending money on clothes (especially when most of the stuff out there these days is overpriced, cheaply made crap) or objects that aren't necessary. I do not mind spending money on food or going out with friends though. Although I have plenty of savings and could buy a new tv or netbook or cell phone (hell I don't even own a cell to begin with) or whatever...do I really need to? My tv still works. Sure it's 12 years old but it still works fine. My netbook is a few years old and it would be nice to have a newer one with a screen larger than 7" but is that really necessary? I've been using it for the past 3 years and would a larger screen really make me happier?

I don't know I guess my anticonsumption is very closely tied to my frugality and also to some Buddhist teachings that I've read about. Although I have urges to buy items, an ice cream maker for example, I tend to over think it...do I really need it, will it make my life better, is it really worth $70, will I actually use it? And eventually I just never make the purchase. I've been thinking about buying one for 3 years now...I have the money but I've lived for 36 years without one, do I really "need" one now? I should note that for the past 3 years I have not had any real ice cream as I am 99% vegan so it would be nice to be able to make my own vegan ice cream...yet I still can't seem to justify spending the money on this one object.

Anyway, I really enjoyed this book: http://www.amazon.com/Hooked-Buddhist-Writings-Desire-Consume/dp/1590301722

It totally shaped my thoughts regarding anticonsumption.

Just work to spread seeds. Sometimes they fall on fertile ground, and sometimes not.

The way I figure is this: people are going to be woken up by this stuff very strongly in our lifetimes. Maybe we keep up business as usual for as long as possible, but sooner or later the global shipping infrastructure will begin experiencing some severe problems, as easily as the main ports going underwater and the open ocean getting record storms. I figure this will happen by or soon after 2050. (Could be wrong, but that's my guess). But either way, this sort of thing, as well as a plethora of other effects are going to start making themselves known, and this will wake people up more to the reality.

Well, meanwhile, we can employ a sort of strategy here. We can have people who thoroughly pioneer an alternative lifestyle, and make it feasible and easier for an interested person to switch to. Things like going more vegetarian, getting solar panels, practicing gardening or permaculture (that's my jazz recently), degridding yourself, learning about your local ecology, etc.

While doing this, we can work as hard as possible to turn people on to the idea of doing the same. Maybe the vasy majority do not. But maybe we convince one or two people. Who knows. But each person that gets turned on to these ideas becomes a valuable source.

Meanwhile, we can also advocate for causes that further our agenda of making people transition, and also protecting biodiversity. A good book was just recently released by E.O. Wilson, a top biologist and ecological thinker, where he laid out strategy to fight to expand natural reserves until they cover a full half of the Earth's surface. http://www.amazon.com/Half-Earth-Our-Planets-Fight-Life/dp/1631490826. Optimistic? Yes. However, it'd be good if people organized and fought for that sort of thing anyway.

Maybe we can lay seeds to spark a change. But let's be pessimistic for a moment. Maybe no one fucking listens, even when the shit really begins hitting the fan. Maybe we cause a freaking epic climate catastrophe. Well, in that case, the work of people who have spent their lives figuring out how to provide for themselves will be pretty important, and at that point we can work to distill as much survival and ecological knowledge as possible and pass it down to those poor saps who had the gall to be descended from a bunch of lunatics like us.

Either way the message is the same. Work, learn, distill, share, find your own way, and keep at it no matter what.

Laptops, phones, tablets, etc.

Technology not even a few years old are commonly available on the cheap as people like to “upgrade” to the latest models. Gumtree and the likes are good sources, if you’re willing to go down that path. Otherwise, ask friends and family: you may be surprised what perfectly good tech they have lying around just gathering dust, which they might even be willing to part with for the low price of “free”.

In the case of laptops: if you swap out the HDD for an SSD (decent models such as this Sandisk can be bought for under $30), and reinstall a fresh copy of Windows (or any Linux distro, if you’re into that), you’ll easily have an awesome machine that will outperform anything available brand new at the same cost.

I just finished The Impulse Society, it's a good read but not all that related. At the moment I can't think of any particular books, I just kind of wing it as a hobby that's good to the body and to the environment! I still buy plenty of stuff I shouldn't, but I'm getting better all the time. And no, Alaska looks beautiful but thankfully I don't live that far north :)

Hi! I’m currently reading “The Psychology of Overeating: Food and the Culture of Consumerism” by Kima Cargill. Link.
It’s very interdisciplinary, and doesn’t just focus on food..! Her style is very frank, and it’s clear that this lady is pissed off at consumerism. First couple of chapters are a bit “wtf”, but it gets real real good after that.

This book is part of our university reading list.

From the back “Drawing striking parallels between 'Big Food' and 'Big Pharma', Cargill shows how both industries use similar tactics to manufacture desire, resist regulation and convince us that the solution to overconsumption is further consumption. Real-life examples illustrate how loneliness, depression and lack of purpose help to drive consumption, and how this is attributed to individual failure rather than wider culture. “

Good luck with your dissertation! What a great topic. :)

> I'm beginning to realize that for me it's more about being a smarter consumer, as apposed to denying myself stuff.

That's also how I see it. Anticonsumption is not about not consuming, but to not consume for its own sake. Buying good quality items that last long is a good way to consume.

I have a Samsung Galaxy S2, which seems to be considered "ancient" by some people. But it worked very well until now. I think there is an problem with the USB port. It seems to happen to some users. I found out that I can maybe repair it with this: https://www.amazon.com/Eathtek-Charge-Charging-Samsung-Galaxy-SHW-M250S/dp/B00N8QCJ4I/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1492526916&sr=8-1&keywords=galaxy+s2+usb+port

I think buying a used and older, but well known product, that got sold in big numbers a few years ago might be a good idea. It seems like that with such devices, the possibilty that someone provides parts for it is higher.

I used to use those "Smart Lidz" that were advertised on television several years ago. They actually worked surprisingly well for an infomercial product.

These kind are nice too:

https://www.amazon.com/Silicone-Suction-Airtight-Remove-Covers/dp/B06ZZJDNYF

If you get a set of glass Pyrex bowls, they will probably last your entire life. These kinds of lids work great with them, and everything is microwave and oven safe, so you can move them from the fridge directly into the microwave for reheating.

Capitalism requires exploitation.
Successful capitalism requires consumers.
Consumerism is fetishistic.
Fetishism does not necessarily follow from consumers, and so ultimately no. Capitalism does not require fetishistic consumers.
It is, in demonstrable examples, the inevitable result. In history, capitalism always leads to fetishistic consumers.

Capitalism, however, does require that some people receive less than the value of their labor. Also, that some people who have capital receive more than the worth of their labor. This is the exchange for the risk they take with their capital.

Again, it is extremism that leads to unsustainable levels of exploitation. Though extremism is not necessary. It is, in demonstrable examples, the inevitable result.

Capitalism is in practice then, the replacement of serfs tied to the land with wage slaves. They are free to quit any given job, but not to quit the social strata. Postindustrial Peasants was a really interesting monograph that digs into this issue with lots of excellent research.

More to your point, there's a pretty good book (that's relatively balanced) that I read many moons ago that's worth reading for anyone interested in WalMart's practices:

> The WalMart Effect: How the World's Most Powerful Company Really Works--and HowIt's Transforming the American Economy

> https://www.amazon.com/Wal-Mart-Effect-Powerful-Works-Transforming/dp/0143038788

The book talks about the things you highlight here. It also looks at how it puts the screws to vendors (basically it opens great opportunities for them to reach much wider audiences, but makes them go to rock bottom pricing, which means they must sacrifice quality... many vendors will create WalMart specific versions of their products that are more cheaply manufactured so that they can meet WalMart's stringent low price demands).

It also looks at the good side of WalMart's practices. Like how they are so maniacal about lowering prices that they've reduced packaging down to the bare minimum, thereby generating less landfill trash, requiring less fuel to transport, etc.

If you are still paying for cell phone service while not having a phone then yeah its a good idea otherwise you are just pissing away money. If you really don't want a smart phone get yourself one of the military spec flip phones online. like this one Depending on your cell phone provider that upgrade may just sit there and you can gain credit on the account until you really are ready for a new smart phone. It would be smart to check with them on that before taking my advice

It all depends. The battery in these things aren't going to be rechargeable. I would simply remove them. What you want are the charging circuit and the hardware in the pack itself. Once you remove the internal battery you could wire your own and just use 18650 rechargable batteries which are very inexpensive.

In the end it would cost you no more than $20 for a pretty cool DIY project which would help you quite a bit while traveling. You can get a 6 pack of 18650 batteries for $19 and get six of the holders and solder them in series. The batteries are 3000mAh giving you a power bank of 18000mAh for about $40. 18k mAh commercial power packs usually go for ~$60. So you do a cool project and save a few bucks.

This is the lowest energy consumption botton-freezer refrigerator in Energy Star: https://www.amazon.com/Avanti-FFBM102D0W-Bottom-Freezer-Refrigerator/dp/B013G786PO

It uses 370 kwh/year.

For the same price and size (narrower but taller) you get this in Europe: https://tiendas.mediamarkt.es/p/frigorifico-combi-balay-3kf6650mi-302-l-1367331#specifications

235 kwh/year.

So, basically, the most average fridge would have better energy efficiency than the most efficient Energy Star fridge in America. But, if you want to spend €629 (about $750) you get a way larger fridge (12.5 ft3) that uses 183 kwh/year!!!!!

https://tiendas.mediamarkt.es/p/frigorifico-combi-samsung-rb37j506msa-no-1382636#specifications

So basically what I say, it's not about mentality or anything. American appliances are designed worse and consume more electricity for no reason, because we have the technology and sometimes the brands are even the same (Samsung, for example).

Indeed it is. It's from an excellent movie called "They Live", directed by John Carpenter. I won't say more about it so you can enjoy it. It's a little campy and low-budget, but I think that makes it more appealing. Definitely worth watching:

Here's a link to Amazon to stream it

https://www.amazon.com/Chandrika-Ayurvedic-Soap-2-6-oz/dp/B00016X212

That's under $2 a bar at most places, lathers INSANELY and it's vegan (made of coconut oil) and smells amazing. By lathers insanely I mean I can swirl it around in my hands 3x and I have enough soap to cover my entire torso - now that's economical. Plus the people making it in bulk can potentially cause less waste than us - they don't have to recycle smaller containers and ship small amounts of ingredients to us in the first place. (all of which is inefficient and costly/wasteful)

It doesn't leave you with that nasty "moisturizer oily" feeling either.

Local health food stores sell it and a friend who visits India often uses it and it's popular there, Indian people are serious about being vegetarian and not having beef tallow etc.

I just mean by this that there is an option in between the $10 farmers market/Lush soaps for vegans.

But homemade soap is awesome too :)

I’m not sure the economy dying is really what many people want. Many of us agree that the current mass consumption based economy is not healthy or sustainable. If you are really interested I can suggest a couple books that I found interesting.

The is good economics book on this topic.
Small is Beatiful

Some of look to more simple living you find in books like The Plain Reader: Essays on Making a Simple Life or even Walden

I love my sporks...I bought a titanium one and found myself reaching for it everyday, so i bought a couple more. I like this one with the carabiner on the end https://www.amazon.com/Vargo-VR204-BRK-Titanium-Eagle-Spork/dp/B001O43NQE

Paul Robert's book, "The Impulse Society: America in the Age of Instant Gratification," is in fact a helpful book for those interested in the contemporary relationship between our self-understanding and identity and the act of purchasing stuff. I recommend it.

non-affiliate Amazon link