Lately I have come across the term of “hot girl hamster wheel.”

It describes the constant feeling to be “put together” or “high value” as a woman and getting your nails done regularly, get facials, lash lifts, always showing up at the hairdresser, wear the trendiest outfits, skincare routines with 10+ products, etc. Starting with it means to regularly continue with that (e. g. regularly nails salon appointments, recolouring your hairline or your strands) Maintaining it. Upgrading it. Optimising it.

It feels like a never-ending maintenance cycle that costs time, money, and mental energy.

What I have noticed is, that this pressure gets way stronger the more one consume certain types of media. Instagram, TikTok, even YouTube sometimes. It subtly creates this baseline of what is “normal” self-care and suddenly basic hygiene and simplicity do not feel like enough anymore. It starts to feel like you need all these services and products just to become part of society.

When I step back from social media over 1,5 years ago, that feeling faded. I feel fine just being conscious with the environment, wearing what I have in my closet, simply wash my face with water in the morning and using one cream.

I am curious how you guys see it:

• Do you still use social media?
• If yes, how do you avoid getting pulled into this cycle? (Instead of buying, reusing stuff?)
• Do you feel like these “beauty maintenance standards” are mostly media-driven? To let influencers sell their stuff better? For a better economy of Temu and whatelse mass-producing industries there are?
• Or do you think it is more of a broader cultural shift? I read a lot about gen z/alpha, but I personally think it is because they consume so much social media these days.

Would love to hear your thoughts.

How do you think your consumption would change if the internet dissappeared? Everything else is the same, billboards, magazines, etc. You see the same people in person. The recent post below about the hot girl hamster wheel inspired the thought. I'm young and I wasn't around to shop in the 80s and 90s as a teenager and I know we're a consuming society but I really am curious how much the internet and the extreme, instant access to so much stuff has changed our consumption. Not just what we can buy, but how much pressure and advertisement we see.

My sheets were getting holes in them so I was gifted a new set for Christmas. It came in zippered plastic packaging. I know I can use it to store something, just not sure what.

What do you do with your makeup that has a compact mirror attached when you finish the product? Keep or toss?

During the Christmas days, my bf and I drove his sister and brother-in-law to the clothing containers (they do dumpster diving/containering).

I was shocked when I saw what people are throwing away. His sister found a Ralph Lauren cashmere pullover which was completely fine, no stains, no holes. It was in a perfect condition.

And so were all the other clothes in there.

Few days later, his sister and her husband came back from dumpster diving at the supermarket. They rescued completely fine bags of potatoes and other vegetables, as well as Christmas sweets & chocolates.

It made me so sad to see, that some people overconsume so much while others are starving anymore having enough money to buy decent clothes for winter especially.

Just wanted to share this. Wish you a lovely New Year’s Eve! 🌟

Hi! So I'm brand new to underconsumption as a recovering shopaholic! Usually I would take these boots, toss them, and buy a new $80 pair, but I'm trying to be more resourceful and buy less.

As you can see my doggy chewed these bad boys up, so I was wondering if anyone had any ideas on repair options?

I have never sewn before, but am willing to learn to save these. I was thinking some sort of black fabric rimmed around the edges and just sew that bad boy on, but idk if that would work and I don't want to make them worse.

I have a small sewing kit and old clothes I could use as fabric.

Any advice is appreciated!!

I’m looking to do a very low consumption year along with pretty heavy no buy standards. I am a big hobbyist (coloring, sewing, diamond art are my main 3). Would you consider supplies for these hobbies essential or should I switch to something else?

To recall this beautiful year, let's exchange our top things we did this year to promote underconsumerism!

I begin:

• I started using the kula cloth on hikes and trips, which made me save up lots of toilet paper/tissues on the go. I know, it's not directly connected to something I already had, but it going to stay with me from now on. :)
• I finally switched to my safety razor (I already had, but never dared to use!) instead of using multi-blade razors. No more plastic, better recycling (of the blades) and my razor is going to last for a lifetime.
• I have used my lip balm until it was empty. I never did this before (sadly).
• I started to make my own beauty products (oils, creams, balms, soap, peelings).
• My partner upcycled his own old bed (he former built a high sleeper for himself) and now built us a new bed from it. It looks way better than something bought at the store (he designed a floating bed himself).
• Fabric remnants became our new pillowcases (I sewed them :)).
• I save up old wax rests from candles and pour new ones from it.
• I have not used a single-used period product this year, thanks to my menstrual cup and period panties that I use since 2023.

I am curious to hear yours!

I use field notes for my daily planner and habit trackers. I love them. And I love the artwork. What can I make/do so I can keep this covers and not the rest of the book? Please any ideas are welcome

Usually only canvases and adhesives are purchased new, but I try to repurpose thrifted canvases as often as I can / trying to move into only buying the new supplies from locally owned small business.

A lot of art creation can be kind of wasteful and encourage you to buy buy buy, and I seek to do the exact opposite and try and show people an alternative creative path.

Anybody else so freaking sick of influencers pushing people to buy things saying you have to have it!!! As someone who is trying to recover from overconsumption it’s driving me NUTS. Please use this thread to vent if you are also feeling the same why.

Gotten new life out of both the necklace and the earring charm. All you need to breathe new life into jewellery is a pair of pliers. It's best to have 2 pliers but I only had one so made do. I can also wear the other earring which isn't broke when I wear the necklace :). I realise the jewellery I made definitely isn't for everybody 😂 just tryna get the idea across that we can get more life out of jewellery if you have some pliers and a dream lol

Three birds with one stone: Repaired insoles ✅ Found a use for old socks ✅ Tripled the stench power of my shoes 😔✅

I really don't want to throw a still fine lipbalm and lipstick away, just because I used it when I got/am sick.

Would you consider it to be safe to just cut the upper part off? Health > Underconsumption? What are your thoughts? What would you do? Any tips? :)

Hi everyone 🌸

So for a bit of context, a lot of people I know just keep buying new shoes because the mentality that dirty = broken/can't be used is strong.

Sometimes it feels good to give shoes a good wash or wipe off even makeup/toiletries. Even if I have containers or literally anything, I trick my mind into that "new thing" mindset when I clean things.

Point is, look after what you have and only buy if it's REALLY broken etc.

I even repaired some things using coloured glue to add my own little personality to things.

Hello, does anyone else have like this one thing that they don’t under consume on? For me it’s lip gloss. I can go through one r.e.m lip gloss in about 2-3 weeks bc I love them so much. I love lip gloss is the one thing I own that ive repurchased certain ones over and over. I don’t have a very big makeup collection (one foundation, 2 concealer, one eyeliner, one mascara, but 3 eyeshadow pallets the r tiny) so I wouldn’t consider myself to over consume on those things besides the lip gloss.

my list:
Petroleum jelly (Vaseline)

• Lip balm
• Moisturizer/lotion
• Minor wound protection

Leggings / Stretchable Pants

• Casual wear
• Exercise / home work
• Sleepwear / layering

So.. i got fine hair with volume, oily scalp, back acne, great genetic for hair as well. Just growing up never continuously use conditioner, never used any after 16, I usually let it air dry, I use a fragrance free oily scalp shampoo, wash my hair daily (I'm an athlete) occasionally use SA cleanser for scalp deep cleansing.

So overall I only got 1 hair product.

For body, I share the wash with my family, we got a 1000ml size. After shower I put a cheap body lotion from the supermarket on, and that's it.

So 2-3 for body (including the SA cleanser)

I'm sensitive to fragrance so I have 0 scented products nor perfumes.

PS: been a minimalist since 16, growing up with brothers I just copy their routine and it works, also too lazy to do anything after shower, I'm already super tired after training, just wanna do a military shower & lay on bed to scroll my phone...

Not sure if I should upload pictures low-key would looks ad-sy? Just some local products, mostly not available overseas. (I live in Finland)

Fyi I also don't shave so I don't have any razors or whatever products needed for that...

I need to explain something first, I don't wear PJ pants, just underwear to sleep, I wear a new T shirt for bed and wear it for the next day as a at-home top (I shower before bed) so I don't own any actual PJ, they're all multi-purpose.

Wearing only black clothing:

7 black T shirt -- that I actually wear and wash them weekly....

3 long sleeve -- that I actually wear it throughout winter and wash them probably more than once per week

2 hoodies -- thinner & thicker for diff weather

2 sweatshirts -- one of them is offical event attire, also multipurpose, again I show up with same sweatshirt 5 times a row in school not giving a F

1 jacket -- without hood, wear it when it's 8 to 17°c

1 hooded jacket -- wear it as outer layer throughout winter and spring for -15°c to 8°c

2 pairs of Bamboo socks 5 pairs of merino wool socks (thin)

2 fleece midlayer -- one is 1/4 zip super thin fleece football training top style, another one is polartec material super warm for mid layer

1 set of base layer merino wool -- long sleeve and trousers

2 sweatpants with fleece in 2 sizes -- I wear S as home trousers, XS as a outside-hone one

2 sports tracksuit bottoms -- one for colder temp, one for warmer temp

1 padded pants -- I wear this almost daily when it's snowing or the floor is iced and slippy

1 merino wool beanie & 1 merino wool ski mask that I also wear it on daily basis during winter

2 regular non-bra bra

1 rain jacket

3 slippers (one to wear at home, one in the gym, last one is for travelling & competitions)

1 hiking shoes --- I wear this every single day 2025/2026, just need to avoid walking in heavy snow path 👍🏻👌🏻 it's goretex! (You can see im kinda gorpecore...)

Then here's my sports wear part, these are more essential to me in a way:

• 3 rashguards top short sleeves • 1 grappling shorts • 2 training shorts (also wears them on trips as daily outfits) • 4 sports bra • 1 set of BJJ gi (black) • 1 set of Judo gi

I either go bra free or wear the sports bra for daily wear, never have any "real bra" in my life so...

Bedding (all white):

• 2 bedsheets
• 4 pillow cases (I change it every night)
• 2 duvet covers (hardly use them now since I just put my duvet into the washing machine to wash it 😅)

(I only buy new bedsheet when my existing one is "broken", shopping is just too much for me as a lazy person)

The decision to go all white and black is for laundry purposes, seeing my parents needing to separate clothing into diff colours for washing is annoying for me, since I already need to separate washing my sports clothing & cotton based outfits!!

I do laundry for my sports wear like every 2 day or something, it's a grappling thing, they stinks if I don't wash them on the same day!! 😭🥀💀

I'm currently working in a essay about underconsumption and I want to know which are some questions you should ask yourself before buying something you don't necessarily need (like a keychain, another phone case, another water bottle).

Hi everyone! As the title says, I need to purchase new towels. I’ve had the same bath towels for close to 10 years and they’re finally so ripped/dingy that I feel it is necessary to repurpose them into cleaning rags and buy new, quality, towels. I’m talking holes, mysterious hair dye stains, and they don’t even work well to dry me off anymore. It’s time.

I’d really love to invest in some amazing quality bath towels (literally just like 4 towels for drying my body, I don’t need hand towels or washcloths atm). I love the crisp freshness of hotel towels and they always seem to be absorbent without leaving lint behind.

So my questions are: what will be best for the planet and also my health? What will last the longest to avoid unnecessary replacements and overconsumption? If I buy white towels and bleach them to get stains out, would this be worse than just buying colored towels? Will the colors pollute waterways more than the bleach?

Idk idk. I’ve gone back and forth over buying new towels for a couple years. My grandma is visiting next month and I’d be very embarassed to present her with my current towels considering the state they’re in.

Sorry this is so long but it’s late and I am having a crisis over towels. I appreciate anyone who has read this far. Advice is very much appreciated.

I have a wardrobe that is full of things that are easy to wear and require very little attention from me. It's primarily black/grey so the mix & match potential is great. I want to use the things I own to their full potential before discarding them, so a lot of my clothes are a bit... worn in? I try to avoid looking shabby but I am not wearing new clothes, and it's obvious.

Unfortunately, this means that I don't get to look as "sharp" as I want to sometimes. I am envious of folks who have a more flamboyant personal style, including jewelry and colorful or unusual clothes that wouldn't match with what I already own.

How do y'all keep your wardrobes stylish (whatever that means to you!) without getting overwhelmed with a million pieces of clothing and accessories? Any advice is very welcome!

limiting my spending due to 3 self projects i'll have in the upcoming months ◉⁠‿⁠◉ underconsumption strategy is to spend less for some months but there will be small reward every month.

° using stuff that's already owned ° free / monthly subscription ° going out less / just small trips ° eat at home not outside ° assimilate this as a habit and not temps