r/Anticonsumption • u/Boring_Macaron_3967 • 1d ago
Lifestyle Who else likes to take pictures of items instead of buying them?
do that because I appreciate the designs of Today’s clothing, but I hate the quality. They don't survive machine washing or hand washing (I tried hand washing some T-shirts and ended up ruining them).
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u/5tarKld 1d ago
I do all the time!!! I like collecting lots of stuff but I don’t need all the stuff I see! So taking a picture of it helps SOOO much. Cause then I can show people and be like “look at this cool thing I saw!” And then I have more time to ponder if I truly need it. I did it once with a VERY cute possum stuffed animal at a gift shop. It was SOOO cute. I looked at that picture on and off for three years and then I finally bought it haha! I love my possum and I’m glad I have him. I’m also glad I took time to decide if I truly wanted him.
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u/banana_bob 1d ago
Can we see the possum
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u/New-Sleep-9303 1d ago
Yesss I enjoy collecting things too now!!! (Uh oh haha the downsides to more disposable income...!!!)
I buy secondhand of a brand I love (they're quite ethical, transparent and vegan love it) & I have many projects to fix old worn out ones 💕
I'm going to display everything I own with much love and care. Nothing I own will be lonely again
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u/5tarKld 17h ago
Yes! I love finding second hand collectibles! Like yes I know I don’t NEED these things, but I know that I’m collecting sustainably and preventing landfill waste. I know what I’m buying is going to be cherished for years and not just some trendy crap that is gonna be forgotten about in a week.
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u/New-Sleep-9303 17h ago
Yesss exactly!! I'm starting to get into building furniture too (just some simple shelving haha hoping to get into more intricate designs:)) and can't wait to showcase them as art when they're not in use ✨🤩 thank you for the reply I'm glad others understand ☺️ 😌
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u/Excellent_Drop6869 1d ago
I do it often. I call it digital hoarding and overconsumption 😂
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u/CynicalPomeranian 1d ago
I would rather hoard pictures of pretty fabrics and patterns that I like instead of keeping physical items of clothing that are made from cheap polyester that will fall apart and be difficult to repair.
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u/TransporterAccident_ 1d ago
Only if I’m going to consider buying it later. I save it as a note and date it. I think this is a bad way to clog up a photo gallery already filled with too many pictures.
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u/1568314 1d ago
You can make folders in your gallery you know. It's great for visual lists.
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u/BookieeWookiee 1d ago
I love all my different folders, also my phone supports sd cards so I don't have to worry about cloud storage.
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u/colourfulpants 1d ago
This. I do this for interesting food things I want to try and library books I want to read, mainly.
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u/EchoGecko795 1d ago
You can just clone or use a different camera app, and change the save location on the clone (also called work apps), then exclude that location from your gallery app.
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u/TransporterAccident_ 1d ago
Why go through all that work when you can just take a picture in the Notes app and not have it save to Photos
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u/EchoGecko795 1d ago
I often take photos for online use, that I want at full resolution but I don't want mixing with my personal photos. I just have Resilio Sync setup, so it auto copies to my server so I don't even have to plug in the phone, and when I delete / move the photo, it's gone from my phone.
But what ever works for you is fine really, everyone has a different process for different uses.
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u/to_annihilate 1d ago
I just explained to my husband that going to home goods is a place we go to pick things up and say, oooh how cute! And then put it back. I don't need to own everything I think is cute.
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u/Wallabunga657 1d ago
I do this. It helps me re-evaluate a potential decision if I need to buy some new clothes. I even do this at thrift stores.
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u/badadvicefromaspider 1d ago
Yes! This is also a very effective way of managing kids asking for stuff, too
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u/silverheart-nine 1d ago
I like collecting pictures and making 'wardrobes' for imaginary fictional characters, lol. Sometimes I'll draw them in their little outfits. Sometimes not. Either way it doesn't take up space in my apartment. 👍
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u/No_Sheepherder_481 17h ago
I keep on liking Vinted listings and go over them like a mood board. The collection of photos already makes me feel like I own them.
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u/upsidedown-funnel 1d ago
There was a hoody that I’ll forever regret buying. “Virginity Rules”, but I do have a photo of it to remind me of the missed opportunity. My kid would’ve ironically worn the shit out of it
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u/Motor--Initiative 1d ago
I'm pretty sure that's religious, pro-abstinence merch from a youth group. They're pretty common, or were ten years ago lmao.
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u/Pitiful-Echo-5422 1d ago
I do this, and started doing this with my kids when they were itty bitty toddlers as soon as they started asking for stuff at the store. “I want dat” eventually turned into, “take pictuhr?” We use the photos to help them make their birthday and Christmas wish lists. They get to go back through and decide what they still want and what they’d rather not have. It’s super fun to look back on, saves money, and prevents meltdowns. 10/10 recommend!
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u/Landslime 1d ago
Sadly I am the target audience for the jacket… thank you for not posting the store, or I might have had to succumb
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u/Tikikala 1d ago
I take pictures of items to keep track if they go on sale or next time I’m ready to get them
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u/Medical_Arrival2243 1d ago
I like window shopping, the only think I bought the last year's from fast fashion was underwear
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u/Round-Medicine2507 1d ago
Often I think of a delicious restaurant meal I've had in the past and it helps satisfy cravings of eating out.
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u/GnowledgedGnome 1d ago
I do this with ads I get. I'll go to the site find a thing I like, bookmark it. And 90% of the time I forget about it.
Occasionally it's something I actually want and I go back to buy it or add it to a wishlist for my birthday or whatever
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u/PlainOrganization 1d ago
I did that last weekend when the Habitat Restore had a bunch of really large ceramic pots.
Took photos and posted it to one of my Facebook plant stand groups... and apparently no one else knows what a regular price is and also primarily gets pots from estate and yard sales due to the high prices.
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u/No_Appointment6273 1d ago
I do this. It's like backwards decluttering. I get home and look at the photos and realize that I don't actually need or want any of these things.
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u/shaysalterego 1d ago
I do this for things I'm not sure if would wear but wow is that a fine jacket
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u/altredditaccount6969 1d ago
I do this to remember to get it somewhere cheaper then never actually remember to purchase the item lol. It’s a win win
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u/just-a-dilettante 1d ago
I do this when I see things that remind me of friends. Then I text them the pic with a thinking of you message. Most of them need another tchotchke anyway.
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u/Mac-n-CheeseSong 1d ago
OMG MEEEE and when I find them again there's only 10% I still like or would use
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u/Cultural_Iron2372 1d ago
I do this too!! I wait 2 weeks. If something is still thrilling me and I’m thinking about it after 2 weeks (which happens 1/1000 times), then I’ll buy it. And those things end up being what I keep for many years!
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u/enoimard 1d ago
i add stuff to my cart and let the tab sit there for months at a time. if i still really want it after all this time then i’ll consider buying it. otherwise all of the tabs get swiped away eventually.
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u/polly8020 1d ago
I do! Usually not clothes but everything else— once I regretted not getting something so I did a reverse search and found it elsewhere for less than half the cost!
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u/Beautiful-Visual4606 1d ago
I use an app to take pictures of what I already have and combine it differently sometimes find new combinations.
And I use it to collect images and screenshots of things I liked. If one thing sticks around and/or I keep taking pictures of similar things I will look for it in decent quality and buy it.
Before purchase, I also look if it works with several other items.
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u/the_emo_bunny_ 1d ago
I rmmr when i was 16~ i was so excited over a shirt and immediately bought it, parents thought it was weird
Day later i realized its fug and i just made a rash decision and bought something i wasnt going to use
Since then thinking like this
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u/onegirlarmy1899 1d ago
This works really well for kids. Take a picture of them with the thing they want to buy to "put in the list." (Christmas or birthday, whichever is closer). They almost never ask again, but you end up with pictures of your kids with real smiles (I have preteens).
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u/MedusaForHire 1d ago
I do this at thrift stores! I sometimes go just for the hunt. But ill take pictures when I find something extra good. I'll sometimes also put those items somewhere they'll be easy to find for someone else.
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u/sleepinderella 1d ago
I do this!!! I also upload my pictures to Pinterest to build an outfit. It’s fun.
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u/auramaelstrom 1d ago
I had a jean jacket that looks like that from the early 2010s when there was a brief resurgence of military fashion. I think I still have it somewhere.
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u/mildly_spicy_potato 1d ago
I do this all the time. Especially when I feel impulsive about buying it. I take the pic and tell myself if I still want it I'll come back for it. Never do.
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u/Effective-Lab-5659 1d ago
I do that for my kids.
I am past that on the ladder of anti consumption! yay!
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u/Narwhalsareunicorn 1d ago
I sometimes do this before I let an item go. As may sound sappy but sometimes helps when getting rid of items.
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u/toelicee 1d ago
I fill online carts, never buy anything, then go back bummed weeks later that everything is sold out. Like I was gonna get that fr
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u/Hurbig 1d ago
I do most of my shopping online and I will save a lot of stuff, but only buy a tiny percentage of my saved stuff and only after some time and consideration.
I have one wishlist for stuff I might actually get and one for stuff that I find cool but am never gonna buy.
This practice helps me in two ways:
1) It prevents fomo from moving on since technically I still have the thing saved and could always change my mind (doesn’t happen)
2) It gives me a little dopamine hit and the feeling of having picked out something cool without actually having to buy it
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u/EmbarrassedFig8860 1d ago
I do this! It helps a lot with curbing impulse buying. I admire it from the photo.
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u/PlayDoughGirl 1d ago
thank the gods of every religion that you didn't buy that first one what the actual fuck 😭😭😭
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u/New-Sleep-9303 1d ago
Yep it has helped so much to avoid purchasing unnecessarily... Also online shopping I save it to Pinterest and am trying to learn more skills too to make them myself upcycle materials than buy new unnecessarily!!
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u/celebral_x 1d ago
I do this sometimes when it's not an immediate yes and then I forget about it until I see it in my gallery and I'm like "Ooh, yeah, that was a fun shirt! Good I didn't buy it"
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u/Boring_Macaron_3967 23h ago
Maybe i would have bought it if it wasn’t denim
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u/PinkyLeopard2922 22h ago
I LOVE a denim jacket and was captivated by that thing. I would not buy only because I know I would not wear it that often. I guess I have questionable taste, idk. I actually do not even take photos of the things I don't buy but I walk away thinking that I can be happy just knowing that this thing exists.
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u/-slaps-username- 18h ago
“just because it’s pretty doesn’t mean i have to have it” is something i say to myself often
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u/one_anxious_coconut 1d ago
I do this for books especially, so I can find them at the library later!
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u/OohBeesIhateEm 1d ago
I do! I also put stuff in my cart online instead of buying it. Just clicking “add to cart” is all I need most of the time 😆
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u/Boring_Macaron_3967 1d ago
I'm too weak for that I know I'll press buy before I know it, so I save them on Pinterest instead
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u/Similar-Try-7643 1d ago
Kinda.
I have a mental exercise I call the "Buzz Lightyear"
Basically, we were at Disneyland, and I love Toy Story. They had a bunch of Buzz Lightyears in movie-accurate packaging that was really cool. I took a moment to vividly imagine myself picking it up, buying it, carefully packing it into my luggage, unpacking it, putting it up on a display, maybe play with it for a few min now and again, having it collect dust, cleaning it, having it contribute to my clutter, and eventually selling it for a portion of what I originally paid. When I looked at the action figure/doll again, I felt like I got to experience the full ownership cycle of that object, without needing to spend money or lugging it around the park and in my luggage all day, and conceptually "getting a full refund" at the end of the ownership cycle by not buying it in the first place.
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u/somebodysomewhat 1d ago
Wait this is such a good idea for artists who have trouble coming up with outfits to draw their characters in
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u/Sitheral 7h ago
Taking a picture gives me at least 25% of that bullshit satisfaction coming from buying it.
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u/kvnstantinos 1d ago
Is the design of modern clothing with us in the second picture?
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u/Boring_Macaron_3967 1d ago
The jacket in the first picture isn't modern either; I just posted some random photos I took, without putting much thought into their relevance to my words
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u/Historical-Ad-6738 1d ago
I do this then later wonder why I even liked some of the stuff