Underconsumption Core

“My stove is old. My wallpaper is old. It’s the same wallpaper from when I moved here and I never changed it. Why would I change it? I just keep it clean. If you take better care of things, you can hold onto them longer. That’s how I still run things. If it works, I keep it. If it doesn’t, I see if I can use it for something else. If I can’t, and I usually can, I toss it.” —

Clara Cannucciari, Clara’s Kitchen: Wisdom, Memories, and Recipes from the Great Depression

Why I Hate Consumerism and Retail

At one point in my life, I had the soul devouring responsibility of selling Target RedCards, a store credit card that went against all of my financial values and morals. The cards, which give you 5% off purchases, are not discounts when the APR (Annual Percentage Rate) is 29.95%. You’re not saving anything when you keep a balance and are charged 29.95% annually in interest. Plus, just knowing you can “save” 5% for every purchase, could psychologically manipulate you into actually spending more.

At the front of the store, cashier managers were pitted against each other to see who could get the most, and they had to keep track of which cashiers got the most. As cashiers, we learned to subtly break the rules by giving customers massive discounts in exchange for RedCard signups just to keep the managers quiet and off our butts. Lack of RedCard signups resulted in daily interrogations. I was even told by a manager, “You are nothing without RedCards.” She wasn’t being particularly mean, but she was warning me about the expectations of the business.

We were all kept in a consumerist web of lies, constantly selling, constantly cheating to sell, and cheating our managers by pretending we were selling when, in actuality, we just wanted them to leave us alone so we could perform the basics of the job and go home.

I ended up absolutely abhorring this line of work, and it pretty much radicalized me against predatory capitalist practices. And, with the Trump administration in my country implementing policies that make necessities even more expensive (tariffs, gutting the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, and performing some terrifying federal deregulations of clean air, medicine, water, and climate), I was inspired to change how I approach my survival.

It all has me contemplating… how do I under-consume to maintain my livelihood? My Peace? Conduct Civil Disobedience? The answer is Underconsumption and Minimalism.

As annoyed as I am of adding “Core” to the end of every little thing, I do like the trend (and hopefully mainstay) of Underconsumption Core: the age old tactic of maximizing the lifespan of existing items…. I’m not sure why we gave a name to something most people throughout history did, and what plenty of people do today. In the context of developed nations, it’s actually an insulting concept that some of us have to consciously reduce our consumption. However, in our defense, some of us also have to fight against the need to spend because excessive marketing is a real threat.

Underconsumption Core shouldn’t be a trend. It should be a reality—especially and particularly for those higher up on the food chain. According to Development Aid, about 2.01 billion metric tons of solid waste is produced each year, with a predicted increase to 3.40 billion metric tons by 2055. The United States alone produces 268 million tons annually, and only nine countries (Germany, Austria, Slovenia, the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, Italy, Switzerland, and Latvia recycle 50% of their waste.

This is unsustainable and exacerbates climate change, degrades natural habitats, and impacts human health. Countries abundant in “stuff” should truly think whether we really need an item, or whether it will shortly become trash.

Underconsumption Core encourages people to use what they already own to the best of their ability. It serves as a way to reduce financial stress, build savings, and priorities quality over quantity.

Underconsumption vs. Minimalism

Underconsumption Core sounds a lot like Minimalism, only minimalism is stresses that we should make deliberate choices about what to keep and what to get rid of. As a result, we are to find freedom and meaning beyond material wealth, leaving more room for personal aspirations. It is more of a philosophy vs. a reality of life. Underconsumption is based on necessity. Minimalism is more intentional, and relies on a healthy economy and product availability.

We can be forced into Underconsumption at any time.

While my home does not have a super modern layout with empty shelves and obsessive compulsive organization, it also does not have mountains and piles of things. I still consider myself a minimalist since I work hard to scrutinize what comes in and out of my house.

Of course, there should be exceptions to the rule. Exceptions should include emergency supplies, food, medicine, and any other goods required for safety and survival. There is nothing wrong with being prepared for disasters. We should also exempt supplies and goods related to our personal goals: reasonable amounts of items for hobbies, work, and/or school. A stash of fun items is acceptable, so long as it doesn’t transition into hoarding or unwanted stress.

Capitalism vs. Commerce

Last December, I read an uplifting book called Less Is More: How Degrowth Will Save the World by Jason Hickel. Dr. Hickel is an economic anthropologist who focuses on ecological economics, post-development, and global inequality. The book serves as an answer to climate change, ecological collapse, and a world post capitalism—a world that many at the top fear. However, with AI being developed full speed ahead, we may be reaching post-capitalism sooner than anticipated.

“All living organisms grow. But in nature there is a self-limiting logic to growth: organisms grow to a point of maturity, and then maintain a state of healthy equilibrium. When growth fails to stop – when cells keep replicating just for the sake of it – it’s because of a coding error, like what happens with cancer. This kind of growth quickly becomes deadly,” (Hickel, 2020). Sound familiar?

To be clear, I am NOT anti-business or anti-commerce. Commerce or business is “the exchange or trading of goods and services. It has been around since human societies have existed, but in different forms: from barter trading… to using currency…” (Yada, 2019).

“Capitalism, on the other hand, is only one way of organizing that commerce. It’s a philosophy that’s only a couple hundred years old, where private hands own businesses instead of the public. It also tends to value profit above all else, and can sometimes provide a ‘survival of the fittest’ type of environment,” (Yada, 2019).

Unadulterated capitalism requires exploitation. On the other hand, commerce does not necessarily utilize exploitation. Commerce can exist while ensuring integrity for the environment and dignity for its workers. For example, a business that uses renewable energy, pays a living wage, and offers win-win solutions for its owners, employees, the environment, and its customers, would be considered a business that takes part in commerce without the exploitative practices of capitalism. Capitalism, however, seeks to take from the environment AND provide the bare minimum for its employees and customers. In the long run, the business owner reaps incredible wealth, however, at the expense of everything else…including the owner’s ability to survive in the world he or she exploited.

Capitalism disempowers the public. Commerce empowers the public.

Underconsumption Core: A Trade War at Home

Dorothea Lange’s photography has been hitting home lately. It feels as though the world she photographed is returning—this time, with pictures people will not believe.

Surviving in 2025 is going to require a shift in perspective from the American people. To the outside world, American consumption is looked upon with a plethora of emotions from awe to disgust. Owning such high quantities of consumer goods and having the ability to flaunt them on the internet is a testament to our privilege and greed. With a new economic world order on the horizon, we are going to have to go from living with convenience to living with scarcity of convenience. Underconsumption can help us prepare for this new reality.

The “Trade War” here at home consists of the top 1% vs. the middle class and below. If there is a Trade War the 1% desires, then it is a trade war they will have. As the people, we certainly do vote with our dollars. We do not have to buy from companies that have donated to hideous causes. The best way to get massive corporations in line is to stop fueling them with cash. The best way we can not only survive but also win is to under consume.

Before people come at with with pitch forks and knives, absolutely purchase your necessities from where you can. If the only store near you is the Walmart an hour away, of course be reasonable with yourself and shop at Walmart for your necessities. Purchase your needs. Purchase what you require in order to function in our post-modern world. What we do not need are excess expenses. Pay off your debts where you can. If your phone is paid off, don’t buy a new one. If your car is paid off, don’t buy a new one. If there is nothing wrong with your clothes, don’t buy new ones. If something is broken, get it repaired. We are far more than what we buy.

References

European Parliament, (2025). Circular economy: definition, importance and benefits. Retrieved from europarl.europa.eu/topics/en/article/20151201STO05603/circular-economy-definition-importance-and-benefits#:~:text=What%20is%20the%20circular%20economy,products%20as%20long%20as%20possible.

Hickel, J. (2020). Less is more: How degrowth will save the world. William Heinemann.

Yada, S., (2019). Commerce vs. capitalism – why ethical business owners should know the difference. The Medium. Retrieved from https://medium.com/@suzanneyada/commerce-vs-capitalism-why-ethical-business-owners-should-know-the-difference-63ef70a0d548