A Life Less Throwaway: The lost art of buying for life

A Life Less Throwaway: The lost art of buying for life
Tara Button

Now more than ever, we live in a society where we covet new and shiny things. Not only has consumption risen dramatically over the last 60 years, but we are damaging the environment at the same time. That is why buying quality and why Tara Button’s Buy Me Once brand has such popular appeal.Tara Button has become a champion of a lifestyle called ‘mindful curation’ – a way of living in which we carefully choose each object in our lives, making sure we have the best, most classic, most pleasing and longest lasting – kettles, desks, pots & pans, scissors, coats and dresses, instead of surrounding ourselves with throwaway stuff and appliances with built-in obsolescence. Tara advocates a life that celebrates what lasts, what is classic and what really suits a person.There are 10 steps to master mindful curation and each is explained in this book, from understanding and using techniques to freeing yourself from external manipulations. Finding your purpose and priorities and identifying your core tastes and style. Learning how to let go of the superfluous and how to make wise choices going forwards.Mindful curation is a lifestyle choice that will make you happier, healthier and more fulfilled spiritual as well as helping save the planet.

Copyright (#ulink_f650fd0d-4920-5af1-b128-b5f6a313f2cc)

While every effort has been made to trace the owners of copyright material reproduced herein and secure permissions, the publishers would like to apologise for any omissions and will be pleased to incorporate missing acknowledgements in any future edition of this book.

This book reports information and opinions which may be of general interest to the reader. Neither the author nor the publisher can accept responsibility for any accident, injury or damage that results from using the ideas, information or advice offered in this book.

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First published by HarperCollinsPublishers 2018

FIRST EDITION

© Tara Button 2018

Tara Button asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work

A catalogue record of this book is available from the British Library

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Source ISBN: ISBN 9780008217716

Ebook Edition © December 2018 ISBN: 9780008217723

Version: 2018-12-23

Dedication (#ulink_5e74e639-5b97-5f9d-b0e1-d8ef6d50e309)

For my great makers:

My parents, who made me,

Mark, the one making dreams come true,

Juliet, the best maid of honour,

and Howard, who makes me happy every day

Contents

Cover (#u2b06c2ba-52b5-5aa8-9ab7-bd7fbd3ea8f9)

Title Page (#u785068ee-6a21-5acf-b744-70b89f2d932c)

Copyright (#ulink_04acf7e1-4fa0-5c86-b183-cb1b959e168f)

Dedication (#ulink_69b77712-9355-5b1b-bc8c-aca4f857e34b)

Introduction: Or why I want my grandmother’s tights (#ulink_c7424c50-e4de-5b3d-a30d-abc89b2525f3)

List of Exercises (#ulink_56848b85-2ace-5b19-9b9e-edc0a2be9835)

PART I (#ulink_12491786-d94c-5c86-805b-91ff7513671d)

BROKEN BEHAVIOUR (#ulink_12491786-d94c-5c86-805b-91ff7513671d)

1 Mindful Curation: Or how to resist a world that’s trying to make us broke and lonely (#ulink_b839a5e8-c2d3-519a-baee-8723e50caa72)

2 Planned Obsolescence: Or why they don’t make ’em like they used to (#ulink_af8a36b8-ca8b-59c5-b923-969ef3e47d34)

3 Psychological Obsolescence: Or why no one wants their parents’ old settee

4 Advertising: Or how many people does it take to sell a lightbulb?

5 Marketing: Or the ten tactics that make us spend

6 Fashion and Identity: Or why everyone should dress like my friend Ben

7 Faster and Faster Fashion: Or how to get off the trend treadmill

8 Born to Shop: Or how our monkey brain influences what we buy

PART II

LIVING A LIFE LESS THROWAWAY

9 Becoming a Curator: Or how to begin buying with purpose

10 Taking Stock: Or where did all this stuff come from?

11 Before You Shop: Or ‘A Tale of Two Shoppers’

12 Out at the Shops: Or how scents, shelves and salespeople get us spending

13 The BuyMeOnce Buying Guide: Or how to find the best stuff on the planet

14 Keeping and Caring: Or how to hold on to the things you love

15 On Money and Happiness: Or how to be happy in a cash-mad world

Conclusion: Or what does success look like in a life less throwaway?

Ten Steps to Master Mindful Curation

Appendix I: Care and Repair

Appendix II: Choosing Materials for Clothing

Appendix III: Brand Values

Appendix IV: Know Your Warranties

Endnotes

Further Reading