Baby, It’s Cold Outside. Resisting The Winter Blues Shopping Fix.
We know that Los Angeles is having winter heat waves, but just recently there was snow in forty-nine of fifty states and, for much of the country, we’re settling into the heart of winter. What do we all know about winter? It can be depressing. For many of us, it’s still a process to learn not to deal with depression through retail therapy. Worse yet, the easy access of online shopping can [...]
Checking In: Did You Do Your Holiday Spending and Purchasing Review?
If you were following the Postconsumers holiday tip guide, A Very Postconsumer Holiday, then you know that one of the methods we recommended was to ensure that, after the holiday was over, you reviewed how well you’d stuck to your holiday purchasing plan as well as your budget. Well, it’s nearly the end of January and it’s time to do just that! In case you don’t have your Postconsumer holiday guide handy, [...]
The Thirteenth Zodiac Sign: Postconsumer
There’s been so much talk lately of the shift in the Earth’s alignment and the fact that, not only are some people’s zodiac signs shifting, but that there’s also a thirteenth zodiac sign now. This has led to some people stating that they’re simply not going to switch signs and, even though it’s no longer accurate, they’ll be keeping their “original” zodiac sign. We here at Postconsumers figured that if the zodiac [...]
Three Credit Card Tricks to Watch in 2011
Credit card companies closed millions of accounts in 2010 and the CARD act made it harder for those companies to benefit from unfair fees and interest charges. Not to be deterred, however, credit card companies have come up with new ways to lure you into letting them take your money. We at Postconsumers would certainly never tell you that you shouldn’t have a credit card. Most of us do. However, controlling your [...]
When “Stuff” Has Memories
One of the most common reasons that people tend to hold onto stuff as well as to buy more stuff is the idea that the items they’re buying or insisting on keeping are infused with “memories.” How many times have you heard somebody say, “But I can’t throw that away! It was the dishware that was on the table on such-and-such an important day.” Or “I can’t get rid of that dress [...]
A Very Postconsumer (Pre)Valentine’s Day
One thing we’ve learned at Postconsumers is this: Even if we don’t love how early marketing cycles start, we need to start promoting advice on how to overcome the consumer machine just as early as the marketers of the world are. That’s why you’re seeing an article about being a good, responsible postconsumer this Valentine’s Day on the Postconsumers Blog in January! It’s because as soon as the after Christmas sales are [...]
Three Things with Surprising Carbon Footprints
There are many reasons to reduce your dependence on “stuff” and your relationship with consumer-driven media, however the saving of the planet is a pretty darn big one! In our day-to-day lives, we often don’t think about the carbon footprint of some very common things that we purchase for ourselves or others, but that doesn’t mean that those carbon footprints don’t exist. To that end, to help you get off on the [...]
Celebrating New Postconsumer Definitions So Far for 2011 Kick-off
I'm excited that new postconsumer definitions are coming in to join all those rotating on the homepage in response to our "New Year kick-off" full refund service. This is the best way we know to show you how much your thoughts mean to us! Here are some of the new gems so far: "Being a postconsumer means being aware of the system working to separate us from our money and keep us in [...]
Consume Less, Live More
Don't Just Say it, Say it Your Way By Michael Beck Have you ever gone shopping and suddenly felt overwhelmed by the mountains of stuff to choose from? Turned down an aisle and half tripped over some seductive new display right in your face? Then, while paying the damages at the end of the month, been exasperated by the ‘special offers’ that always flutter out of the envelopes along with the bills? Welcome [...]
Start the Year Off With a Stuff Purge
It’s 2011! The holidays are over and we all survived (at least we hope that you survived)! Now it’s time to tackle the new year and make it your own. What are we suggesting? We’re suggesting that one of the first things you do is a “stuff purge?” Why is that? It comes down to two things: convenience and setting the tone for the next year. Yes, we know that we should [...]
