The product sales emails start rolling into my inbox around Thanksgiving, perfect for companies to share their “latest and greatest of the season” that consumers like myself have to have for winter.

But those sales continue on as “last chance before Christmas” and “warehouse cleanout” sales before the new year begins. And then comes the “new year, new me”-style sales, all targeting consumers to buy whatever type of product they just cannot go on without. How is it even on sale anymore if it’s always on sale?

The recent Netflix documentary “Buy Now! The shopping conspiracy” opened my eyes to the behind-the-scenes methods of how corporations encourage or persuade consumers to stay in a cycle of constantly buying, and buying, and buying — lower-quality products, constant messaging and the promise that THIS is the thing your life is missing.

The truth is that many of us just don’t need more things or products in our lives, especially when those things are usually subpar quality and overpriced. Since when did we start paying so much for clothing made out of plastic?

Embracing a lifestyle of “less”

I’ve been passionate about minimalizing my space and items for the past five years, the first time I packed up my college apartment to move with my now husband to Des Lacs, N.D. I stuffed my SUV full of the smaller items, and my parents filled up a small trailer with furniture and larger items.

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How did I even fit all of that into my studio apartment? Looking back, I have no idea. Sure, I lived in the same place for four years, but something had to give. When I had all of the important things in my vehicle, the rest went into the dumpster. While I hate to waste perfectly good things, none of the things that hit the dumpster were needed in the end.

Now, I try to shift my mindset to just buy less in the first place, both to save money and to create less waste. The documentary not only showcased the extreme amount of product production by companies, but also what happens to those items when they are “thrown away.”

The documentary shares that “away” is an illusion, as many of the items are not able to break down naturally, and recycling unwanted items isn’t as common as many companies make us believe. More than 15 million unwanted clothes are sent to Ghana every week from around the world, according to the Or Foundation, which was highlighted in the documentary. It showcases piles and piles of disposed clothing sitting on the beaches in Ghana, and shares that there is no way this amount of clothing will ever be used. Someone threw it away.

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Talk about making you think twice before buying another clothing item.

I won’t get too far into the environmental aspects discussed in the film, but I want to leave you with some parting thoughts on how living with less can benefit you and your family.

Saving money

In the documentary, there is a large discussion involving the “buy now with one click” button on Amazon. It shares how this button was optimized and researched to make it as easy as possible for consumers to spend money quickly without having to think.

Alluring and constant advertisements urge consumers to buy more and more, with products that don’t last as long as they should, continuing a vicious cycle of discarding things for a “new” version. Ignoring these advertisements and tempting sales not only helps reduce the amount of stuff coming into your home, but also keeps your hard-earned money in your pocket.

Less time spent cleaning/organizing

I know I’m not alone in the feeling that physical — or digital — clutter causes me to feel stressed out and sometimes even anxious. With items constantly all around us, it can be hard to focus on the tasks at hand or even enjoy time with family if there’s always something to put away. Precious time with family and friends might be taken away because we’re trying to clean or organize all of the things we have in our homes.

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The Midwestern kitchen “junk drawer” comes to mind. But hey, even my junk drawer has all those little things that don’t have a place anywhere in my house. So that’s here to stay.

Supporting small businesses and agriculture

One way I’ve chosen to change my consumption habits is by researching and considering the item’s source before purchasing. This means instead of buying another $10 sweater made of some type of polyester blend probably sewn by underpaid laborers, I opt to purchase wool or cotton blends that come from small businesses and makers. This way, I can enjoy supporting agriculture in all facets while also knowing the items I buy will hold up better than the cheap versions.

All in all, sometimes a low price and good deal means more than anything else, especially with the state of the economy both in and out of agriculture. For me, I don’t want anyone to feel guilted or shamed about purchasing items they need for themselves or their households. But seeing and feeling the constant pressure and urgency to “buy it now” from large companies trying to tell me what I need is something I plan to avoid throughout 2025 and beyond.