The Art of Underconsumption: embracing minimalism during “deals month”

The problem: a season of excess

Every November, countdown timers blink and inboxes overflow with “last chance” offers and limited-time discounts. What was once a single weekend of sales has morphed into Deals Month – a sprawling performance of “buy now.”

In 2024, U.S. consumers spent $10.8 billion on Black Friday and $13.3 billion on Cyber Monday. [1] Globally, Cyber Week reached $315 billion in sales, a 6% increase from the previous year. [2] These numbers speak of abundance and of exhaustion. More ads, more waste, more pressure to consume. The world now thinks, breathes, and buys in the language of “more.”

Yet, amid the chaos of modern-day consumption, a quieter current is gaining strength, a reminder that less can be more. It’s trending under a simple but powerful hashtag: #UnderconsumptionCore.

The movement: minimalism reimagined

Coined on TikTok, Underconsumption Core is a modern reinterpretation of minimalism – an aesthetic of sufficiency rather than austerity. It has gathered hundreds of millions of views across the platform.

Videos show quiet acts: mending a shirt, growing your own vegetables, cooking with simple ingredients. Each is an antidote to overconsumption, and an invitation to slow down, to remember that happiness and satisfaction were never meant to be algorithmic.

According to Omar H. Fares, lecturer in consumer behavior at Toronto Metropolitan University, [3] two forces drive this trend: economic instability and environmental awareness.

“Younger generations are facing immense financial stress while becoming more climate-conscious. This awareness is shifting aspiration away from excess,” he explains.

Such dual pressure – personal and planetary – has made consumerism not just a financial question, but a moral and emotional one.

The practice: 5 steps to live the art of underconsumption

Follow these simple actions to turn Underconsumption Core from a trend you scroll past into a lifestyle you stand by – a mindful rhythm that slows the cycle of want and waste.

1. Pause before you buy.
   Try the 48-hour rule: if the desire lasts three days, it’s genuine. Impulse rarely survives that long.
2. Shop your own closet.
   Rediscover the pieces you loved before algorithms shifted your preferences.
3. Repair as ritual.
   A patch, a polish, a stitch: small acts of care that resist disposability.
   
4. Make circularity your style.
   Swap, rent, borrow, or thrift. What’s old to someone else can be new to you and gentler on the planet.
5. Ask yourself why.
   If the reason is boredom, step outside. The world is free to explore.
6. Try digital decluttering.
   Unfollow what fuels comparison, delete what drains you, and curate a calmer social media space that mirrors your values offline.
   

The future: the luxury of less