Buyerarchy of Needs

I love the concept of “Buyerarchy of Needs.” Similar to Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs or maybe the food pyramid it places buying something as the last resort.

How many times do you buy something you don’t need? Maybe you thought you needed it but you really didn’t.  I think of this every Christmas when my husband and his two brothers, brother-in-law and father all get the same tools each other already has.  Wouldn’t it be a wiser investment to purchase a trailer like a carpenter and drive it to wherever it is needed? Since they don’t work on projects at the same time I think this would be a perfect solution.  But in our world everyone wants to own their own.

I’m just as guilty with the things I buy. I’m sure I could borrow more and buy less or get by with less. It just takes time to really think about each purchase. I hope you’ll do better than me.

From-Living Green 365

Buy less stuff
“A house is just a place to keep your stuff while you go out and get more stuff.” George Carlin, comedian

I recently discovered a schematic on the internet called the “Buyerarchy of Needs” by Sarah Lazarovic. The graphic, modeled after Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, cleverly captures and presents a strategy for reducing wasteful purchases. Working from the bottom up, it encourages us to consider other options before buying new products.

Consumer goods that are cheaper to throw away than to repair have become common. The volume of goods that many of us purchase, use, and then discard has risen over time. This affects the environment in lots of negative ways.

You can reduce your ecological footprint by following the Buyerarchy approach. Here are some questions to ask yourself before heading to the store or the internet to shop:

Do I truly need this (new phone or gadget, clothing item, other consumer product) or can I get by without it?
Can I borrow, rent, or trade for this item?
If a purchase is required, can I obtain it used/second-hand?
Can I make this item with materials I already have on hand?
If you do buy new, look for products with a Lifetime Warranty.