Non-Commercial Values
I value health time and money more than things. We buy too much stuff go into debt and do things and waste time on what is not important.
Reducing materialism and consumption involves embracing non-consumerist, non-commercial activities that provide fulfillment without relying on buying things. Here are some meaningful ways to live a more intentional, low-consumption life
1. Engage in Creative Pursuits
Write (journaling, poetry, blogging, short stories).
Draw, paint, or sketch using existing supplies.
Learn an instrument (if you already own one or can borrow one).
Photography (capture everyday life without expensive gear).
Repurpose and upcycle old items into something useful or artistic.
2. Spend Time in Nature
Go for walks or hikes in parks, trails, or green spaces.
Birdwatching – Observe and document birds in your area.
Gardening (grow your own food, even in small spaces).
Foraging (learn about edible wild plants in your region).
Stargazing – Free, fascinating, and educational.
3. Develop Self-Sufficiency Skills
Learn basic repair skills (clothing, electronics, furniture).
Cook from scratch instead of relying on processed food.
Sew or knit your own clothing or repair old clothes.
Learn to mend and fix things instead of replacing them.
Make homemade cleaning products (vinegar, baking soda, and essential oils).
4. Community and Social Activities
Volunteer at shelters, libraries, or local organizations.
Attend free public lectures, workshops, or meetups.
Engage in skill-sharing with friends or neighbors.
Join a book club (or start a free one in your community).
Participate in a time bank (exchange skills instead of money).
5. Reduce Digital & Media Consumption
Limit social media usage (or quit commercialized platforms).
Read books from the library instead of buying new ones.
Listen to free podcasts or community radio.
Write letters or postcards to friends instead of relying on digital communication.
Practice digital minimalism (delete unused apps, unsubscribe from emails).
6. Practice Mindfulness and Reflection
Meditation (even a few minutes daily).
Gratitude journaling – Reflect on what you already have.
Slow living – Do one thing at a time with full attention.
Decluttering – Reduce excess possessions and appreciate simplicity.
7. Enjoy Low-Cost Leisure and Hobbies
Puzzles, board games, or card games (borrow from a library or thrift store).
Learn a new language using free online resources.
Practice yoga or bodyweight exercises (no gym needed).
Go on free museum days (many museums offer them).
Start a zero-cost challenge (e.g., a "no-spend weekend").
8. Engage in Free Cultural & Learning Activities
Visit local historical sites, libraries, or community centers. My libraries page
Explore open-source learning platforms (e.g., MIT OpenCourseWare, Khan Academy).
Learn traditional skills like bread-making, woodworking, or fermentation.
Start a DIY repair club where people help each other fix things.
9. Give Without Spending
Offer your time to others (help a neighbor, tutor someone).
Share surplus items through Buy Nothing groups.
Organize or participate in a local swap event (clothes, books, tools).
10. Cultivate a Philosophy of "Enough"
Reflect on the difference between needs and wants.
Find joy in experiences, not possessions.
Spend more time creating and less time consuming.
Develop an appreciation for what you already own.
Final Thoughts
Breaking free from materialism doesn't mean deprivation—it means shifting your focus to meaningful, fulfilling, and low-cost activities. Many of these ideas also align with environmental sustainability, financial independence, and personal growth.
Tech values
Linux is community owned...
"If you ask anyone in the Linux community the answer is simple: The community owns Linux. A collective of minds, users, and enthusiasts all working (in one way or another) to continue to push the Linux operating system as far forward as possible." see Link
Richard Stallman
creative commons & GNU
"I don't have a problem with someone using their talents to become successful, I just don't think the highest calling is success. Things like freedom and the expansion of knowledge are beyond success, beyond the personal. Personal success is not wrong, but it is limited in importance, and once you have enough of it it is a shame to keep striving for that, instead of for truth, beauty, or justice."
Wikipedia is a free-access, free content Internet encyclopedia, supported and hosted by the non-profit Wikimedia Foundation. Anyone who can access the site can edit almost any of its articles.
Websites & organizations that are noncommercial
links
https://www.reddit.com/r/simpleliving/comments/xt0dha/how_to_avoid_consumerism/
bogleheads.org not-for profit investment advice website no Ads.
Public Spaces & Community Values
Such as Cemetery & Parks along with Public Libraries offer non-commercial spaces
Cemetery are interesting places in that they seem to be the last and sometimes only place that remains of a town or community that has left or died off. My family has a plot section in an old township cemetery that was started in the 1840's and will be my last resting place.
Citizenship & Capitalism over Consumerism!
These forces are manifested in our lives as consumerism. People voluntarily hand over their sovereignty as Americans and citizens in exchange for things and conveniences that sap and paralyze our ability to fight the forces that are weakening our real economy and our ability to affect change in it.
How the language we use & how we define something can change our perspective instead of Citizens we have become just Consumers Vs Taxpayers :(
https://www.socialeurope.eu/2011/04/america-consumerism-and-the-end-of-citizenship/
http://www.valuesandcapitalism.com/capitalism-is-not-the-same-as-consumerism/
http://www.becomingminimalist.com/escaping-excessive-consumerism/
Top 10 Anti-Consumerism Must Haves Link
http://www.verdant.net/society.htm
http://lonerwolf.com/identification-war-sports-patriotism/
Realize that you’re extremely blessed to have food, clean water, shelter, clothing, plumbing, transportation, and Internet. More blessed than most people who ever existed and had to work thrice as hard as we do today in the first world. Anything beyond those necessities is gravy.
https://www.vacounseling.com/hedonic-treadmill/
https://www.reddit.com/r/simpleliving/comments/xt0dha/how_to_avoid_consumerism/
I have a simple rule: 100/24. If it costs more than $100, I don't buy it until I've had 24 hours to think about it.
Blood Donation
I have hit over the Gallon mark in the amount of blood that I have given. I think giving blood just to help other humans is very important I get no money from this I only get free juice and cookies :) http://www.bloodcenter.org/donate-blood/
Science Fiction Anime & Fan Conventions
An important distinction can be made between commercial events (often called "shows") – those run by dedicated companies who specialize in con organization, or by local for-profit firms – and volunteer-run cons.Admission to volunteer cons is usually called "membership",Fan conventions are traditionally organized by fans on a not-for-profit basis. Mindbridge Foundation runs most of the cons in the Eastern Iowa area.
Fred Rogers & Public Media Radios and more...
Fred really influenced a lot of my thinking when I was younger & I think still has an influence today. unlike most children shows he didn't try to push products
PBS is a non-profit public broadcaster It can be viewed via the internet or a TV that can receive Free OTA TV.
another PBS project to empower people to have non commercial values :)
TimeBanking
is a time-based currency its an alternative currency where the unit of exchange is the person-hour. Time Dollars are a tax-exempt complementary currency used as a means of providing mutual credit in Time Banking. I don't see this replacing Capitalism nor would I want it too, but I do think it provides a means for people to get empowered & create an equality of opportunity. I like volunteering & building social capital i think time banking can do this.
I was a member of the Eastern Iowa/Cedar Rapids Area TimeBank that group has since disbanded www.thetapestry.us
Think carefully and in detail about the various reasons that consumerism goes against your values.
Are you against environmental destruction and unnecessary waste?
Are you against wasting money that could be saved to feed an entire family on something that would just be a luxury/novelty to you?
Are you against supporting the corporate machine, which essentially enslaves the middle class and corrupts the entire political system?
Are you against toxic waste and harmful chemical pollution?
Are you against supporting companies that use sweatshop labor?
Are you against unfair wages and layoffs for workers while CEOs take home billions? What other reasons do you have to be anti-consumption?
Everyone is an asset
Some work is beyond a monetary price
Reciprocity in helping
Social networks are necessary
A respect for all human beings
http://www.kcrg.com/subject/news/time-banking-allows-people-to-give-and-receive-20141022
Reddit worth looking at
BIFL buy it once and done link https://www.reddit.com/r/BuyItForLife/?rdt=46267
https://www.reddit.com/r/Frugal/
https://www.reddit.com/r/cordcutters/
https://www.reddit.com/r/Anticonsumption/
https://www.reddit.com/r/povertyfinance/
Additional Info
The Center for a New American Dream is a nonprofit organization with a stated mission to “help Americans to reduce and shift their consumption to improve quality of life, protect the environment, and promote social justice. Website
https://www.newdream.org/resources/2011-07-kasser-consumerism-values-and-what-really-matters
http://faculty.knox.edu/tkasser/aboutme.html
National Do Not Call Registry
call 1-888-382-1222; or register via the website DoNotCall.gov
Junk mail removal
Wait, reuse, fix, borrow, buy used
But let’s say you feel the need to buy something, and you’re convinced it’s you speaking, not society speaking through you.
Could you wait (helps you avoid impulse purchases), reuse what you have (even if worn-out or imperfect), fix it, borrow (eg stuff we use once a year, like a hammer) or buy used? You probably could. https://www.jaakkoj.com/blog/anti-consumerism
I live an anti-consumerist lifestyle - one that is focused on maximizing health, time, and money rather than the acquisition of stuff. https://tobykurien.com/the-anti-consumerist-lifestyle/
https://www.becomingminimalist.com/consumer-isnt/
https://www.streetroots.org/news/2018/02/16/society-addicted-consumerism-movement-anti-consumers
NOAA HAM and commercial Free FM
I feel that radio and verbal commutations are interesting in how much space they are given that is non commercial compared to cell phone and TV space
On the FM broadcast band, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has reserved the lowest 20 channels, 201~220 (88.1~91.9 MHz) for NCE stations only. This is known as the reserved band
noaa weather radio only broadcast weather information no ads nothing else can alert you when a storm is coming. Big deal in the Midwest
ham radio community and non commercial space.
when cable was CATV
So When Cable TV started out it was community antenna television, then it became community access television so places with a lot of hills and
C-Span FCC mandated Local channel for all cable subscribers that only cost 6 cents a month!
BookTV.org a program from C-Span about nonfiction books of interest
Public service, private media: The political economy of the Cable-Satellite Public Affairs Network (C-SPAN)
https://scholarsbank.uoregon.edu/items/1faecb5e-0f07-4476-9f65-9d73859c1c7f
Public-access television is an alternative viewing options instead of watching for profit commercial broadcasting system, and in order to fulfill some of the social potential of cable television its a Free Speech zone of types where anyone who wants to say anything can. FCC requires cable TV providers offer at least 1 public access ch