How are you “fighting back” if you are?

[queenofwandss]

Firstly I don’t really know how to word it, so apologies if the title is misleading!

I know I am not the only one feeling very sad and angry about the state of the world and feeling a bit helpless, a feeling that has been getting worse for several years. The overconsumption and climate crisis, the politicians in “power” and the billionaires who pull their strings, the division being sown amongst communities.

However, I’m in the privileged position to have some freedom about how I live my life and where I spend my money. I want to feel like I am doing what I can, yes I could always be doing more, but I’m trying to build small habits to vote with my feet. I thought we could have a thread for anyone else feeling this way to get tips and ideas?

So far these are the small shifts I’ve made:

1. only buying second hand clothes where possible (school uniforms are tricky but everything else is charity/vinted)
2. drastically cutting down UPF consumption to be healthier and not using big food brands
3. switching from US-owned to UK-owned/EU-owned supermarkets when I have to use the big shops
4. shopping locally and small from independent green grocers
5. repairing clothes or altering ones I have
6. not keeping quiet on political views “to keep peace” with people I know or to be more palatable

nothing ground breaking and all stuff that people before me have probably been doing all their lives, but within my friendship circle I am the outlier! As I said, I could be doing more.

Um…. Just cracking on as normal really. I always bought a far few bits second hand, never bought lots of UPFs, and always feel comfortable voicing my pretty banal moderate political views

Probably not the thread for you then?

I like this thread topic. And I knew what you meant with the title too, if any comfort!

I try to be an optimist along the lines of Margaret Mead: "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has."

To that end, I have done a fair few of the things you mention - agree that it takes privilege and financial freedom to do so - but the thing I have ramped up the most in the last few months is avoiding purchases from US companies.

Oh, and have also started donating more extensively to anti-populist charities and campaign groups, and campaign-focused journalism (Led By Donkeys, Private Eye etc)

One can't be a purist, but lots of people doing their best is more impactful than one person doing it perfectly!

Why not? Just because I’m not, does that necessarily mean I’m not interested in what others do?

I guess I’m cutting down on flight travel

Apologies, your initial reply struck me as a bit dismissive but seems I read it wrong and now I would like to extend a proper welcome!

Thank you, yes I want the optimism and I too believe if we all do a little it will add up to a lot.

On another platform someone said that if you choose to boycott a company it’s important to tell the company why you have done so, so that they know it isn’t just about money saving or personal preference. I am going to write a copy and paste email and send to their customer services as and when I find an alternative to switch to.

To add to my original list, I am actively not upgrading my phone (Apple) for as long as possible even though it is now 4 years old and starting to glitch. I haven’t decided yet once I do change it whether to stay with Apple, as I don’t really want to but am trapped! So any ideas on that front are welcome for me to mull over.

within my friendship circle I am the outlier!
Extend your circle so it includes more of your 'tribe'. (e.g. see below!)

only buying second hand clothes where possible (school uniforms are tricky)
Doesn't your school have a S/H uniform shop? If not, could you start one. Then it's not just you recycling, you are encouraging others to do it, too.

Nah, don't do that. Lots of us buy second hand clothes not to virtue signal but because we can't afford to buy new. I need people to adopt a buy-new-and-throw-away culture so I can afford to buy me and my family clothes and stock our home with household items. Lots of us poor/ low income people do.

That's the thing the environmental virtue signallers don't tell you, of course.

I need people to adopt a buy-new-and-throw-away culture so I can afford to buy me and my family clothes and stock our home with household items.
I never diss my suppliers the buy-new-and-thow-away-ers. OP will simply be helping them to dispose of their stuff in an ethical way. Win / win!

Pretty sure there is plenty to go around!
From another low income household!

Why do you assume I am not low-income too? I happen to have more freedom (as stated in my OP) because the area I live is very cheap and I have more disposable income than someone in a different part of the country, but I am by no means well off! It’s not a competition about who is worse off, and virtue signalling, the thread is for all incomes but just recognised some can do more than others.

I think the biggest thing in the UK that threatens democracy is the GB news/roundabout painting stuff that seems to be stoked up by bots so I try to teach my children (as well as general chatting to those around me) about how important it is to have conversations in real life and assess reported facts in the media.

Would you consider reducing air travel?

second hand uniform at my children’s private school does BOOMING business. You have to be faster than a whippet on opening days!

@queenofwandss you'll probably get cross with me for posting as well, but hey, it's a free country (kind of)

Does anyone remember a guy called Rene Carayol (sp). He was a financial journalist and he had a TV show about paying off as much of your mortgage as you could. When he was interviewed, he used to say that he could not believe people prioritised having a house full of stuff as opposed to paying off that house.

I agreed with him. Was that 20 years ago? And I thought people would ultimately consume less in order to work less.

Obviously, I was hugely wrong! I didn't foresee that food delivery would be such a huge thing - I mean restaurant food being delivered.

I don't see it as any kind of fight back. I've always been really careful about spending money.

So it's strange to me that it's being phrased as a fight back and I had no idea what this thread was going to be about. I have never spent money because of any kind of social pressure.

I'll grant you my friends used to be annoyed with me when I wouldn't attend certain things because I said they were too expensive, and you could see them thinking "but she earns good money" - I was always careful with it though.

I also don't see not eating UPFs as any kind of fightback. It seems strange to me that anybody would.

I'll grant you my friends used to be annoyed with me when I wouldn't attend certain things because I said they were too expensive, and you could see them thinking "but she earns good money" - I was always careful with it though

this sounds like missing out on experiences with friends for the sake of saving money rather than what the OP is really about.

@Butonlyjust it was only ever dinners and drinks. But I got the impression OP was saying that saving money was important? Which it is - in my view.

I’d always prioritise getting together with friends over dinner over “stuff”.

Always.

So would I

I wasn't buying "stuff" either

Did you read my post?!

I was always happy to see my friends. I just didn't want a really expensive dinner alongside it. I think some people want to spend the money IYSWIM - they enjoy spending.

@Butonlyjust this was in my 20s/ early 30s - so these people disappeared into getting married and having children anyway. It wasn't a "decline" in the sense of refusing to see them, I would've seen them in a bar that same week and I'd have been the one driving them home.

I've noticed with the cost of living crisis, people are fine now if you say you can't afford something. I tend to phrase it as "too expensive" "not my thing" or simply say that I'm busy.

I lost my main friends during lockdown. I posted about it a lot on here but I've made peace with it and met new people. (too long story to expand on here and not the point of OP's topic).

This has made me even more wary of spending money in order to hang out with people. Everyone's always welcome at mine and I will happily provide food and drink, but I would still say I haven't got 50 quid to spend on food unless it's a special occasion. Like someone's birthday.

maybe I'm just not well off especially compared to MN!

Yes it all depends on disposable income

I only buy from Vinted. Not been abroad for 6yrs, holiday in the UK now. Eat fewer UPFs. I'm looking after my health to reduce my NHS burden.

Most importantly, I call out misogynists every time. I also repost anti Reform videos. I completely understand that it's a protest vote against "the old school politics that have done nuffick for us, they're all the same blah blah" but jumping into Putins pocket and dismantling the NHS would hurt those voters the most. And I really hate the bots.

Not cross at all, thank you for replying!

I think the actions I am talking about are more than just frugality (though I am working on this too!) but more about trying to help change the trajectory the world seems to be on. Obviously the current politics can change as they have historically, but the massive overconsumption is new and many people seem not to really think about their impact on the world.

I also love hosting friends and cooking but that is less about a conscious decision to not go for dinner- I just really love cooking for people. So I wouldn’t class that as any sort of “fight back” (I know it’s a crap phrase!).

For those saying they don’t eat UPFs, I’m genuinely curious- do you not eat crisps, biscuits, chocolate ever?! Philadelphia cream cheese? Juices? Sliced bread? I’m not talking ready meals or pot noodles.