No more compulsive purchases and crushes in front of irresistible promotions. The BISOU method is an easy-to-remember technique for consuming in a sober and responsible way. It gives you the opportunity to think before drawing the bank card and to avoid falling for something you don’t need. So what is the Bisou method?
The BISOU method was introduced in the book Responsible consumer abuse makes you happy by Marie Duboin and Herveline Giraudeau, made famous by their Facebook page Budget management, mutual aid and minimalism which has 200,000 followers.
One small step to do your part
As consumers, we all have a big responsibility: we cannot demand from political authorities the collective reduction of CO2 emissions and, at the same time, increase our individual consumption.
In fact, we all have to make efforts to buy less stuff!
I explain to you why three arguments :
- If we take into account the transport and heating associated with them, industry and services (which produce the goods we buy and the services we consume) are, in France, at the origin of 50% of emissions of greenhouse gases.
- When you buy a new computer, you generate a corresponding emission close to 300 kg CO2e. When you buy new jeans, it is equivalent to the production of 1 kg of cotton which requires between 5000 and 25000 liters of water, 75 g of pesticides and 2 kg of chemical fertilizers…
- As soon as you stop buying a manufactured product, you de facto save the necessary energy to make it! It’s simple.
If you want to do your part, you can apply the BISOU method for all opportunities to purchase goods and services. The idea is not to say that you shouldn’t buy anything, but rather that you have to consume in conscience, with ethics and responsibility. This approach will lead you to a little more sobriety.
The BISOU method: what is it?
It is a practical tool that aims at responsible consumption and sobriety. The concept is to use a series of five essential questions before each purchase of a product or service. BISOU is actually a mnemonic device to remember the questions to ask before buying anything. Practice !
BISOU means Need, Immediate, Similar, Origin and Useful. Now, let’s see this in detail…
1. Validate your Need
Do I really need to make this purchase? This question is the first to arise when an object or service appeals to us. In case of positive answerask yourself if this need is motivated by its use (you buy a phone because it is broken, lost or irreparable and not to show off in front of your friends next week.
2. Confirm if the purchase should be Immediate
Ask yourself if you can wait a few days to think about it or if it is absolutely urgent. This is about escaping the marketing stress pressures which offers lightning deals with a countdown and constantly reminds you that there are only a few hours left to take advantage of this incredible discount.
3. Check first!
If the fruit of your desire serves the same purpose as an object, gadget or item of clothing that you already have at home, ask yourself if this investment is really justified. You might end up with duplicates.
For example, there are tons of mobile phones in perfect working order (but outdated) in the drawers of our fellow citizens. It’s too bad.
4. Ask yourself about the Origin of the product
Today, it’s more important than ever to ask yourself if the product you want was made on the other side of the world and if it crossed half the planet to land in your living room.
Perhaps it was assembled by an exploited workforce? Could it have contributed to deforestation? If the object that makes your mouth water comes from afar or seems ethically suspect, could you buy it second-hand on Le Bon Coin or in a recycling center?
5. Finally, Assess Its Usefulness
You have already assumed that you need to make this purchase, but is the object of your dreams essential to your organization or can you do without it? Will it bring you essential comfort and if so, how did you do without it until now?
Take the example of a drill that you might use four times a year; you need it right now, but it’s likely to sit in your cupboards 99% of the time. Wouldn’t it be better rent it or, even better, borrow it to your neighbours?
If the coveted product passes these five filters in turn, then yes, maybe it has a place in your home!
The idea of the BISOU method is not to say that you shouldn’t buy anything, but rather that you have to consume mindfully, with a sense of ethics and in the most responsible way possible. This approach gradually leads you towards more sobriety.
By applying the Bisou method, you will save money by buying only what you need. You will also reduce your personal impact on the planet.
