No more compulsive purchases and falling in love with irresistible promotions. The BISOU method is an easy-to-remember technique for consuming soberly and responsibly. It gives you the opportunity to think before pulling out the bank card and avoid falling for something you don’t need. So, what is the Kiss method?
There KISS method was introduced in the book Responsible consumption 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 both demand from political authorities the collective reduction of CO2 emissions and, at the same time, increase our individual consumption.
In fact, we all need to make an effort to buy less stuff!
I’ll explain why to you three arguments :
- If we take into account transport and the 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, this is equivalent to the production of 1 kg of cotton which requires between 5,000 and 25,000 liters of water, 75 g of pesticides and 2 kg of chemical fertilizers…
- As soon as you give up buying a manufactured product, you de facto save the necessary energy to make it! It’s simple.
If you want to do your partyou can apply the KISS method for all opportunities to purchase goods and services. The idea is not to say that you should not buy anything but rather that you must consume consciously, with ethics and responsibility. This approach will lead you towards a little more sobriety.
The BISOU method: what is it?
It is a practical tool aimed at responsible consumption and sobriety. The concept involves using a series of five essential questions before each product or service purchase. KISS is actually a mnemonic process to remember the questions to ask before buying anything. Practical !
KISS means Need, Immediate, Similar, Origin and Useful. Now let’s look at this in detail…
1. Validate your Need
Do I really need to make this purchase? This question is the first to ask ourselves when we want an object or service. In case of positive responseask yourself if this need is motivated by its use (you buy a phone because it is broken, lost or beyond repair 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’s an absolute emergency. This is about escaping the pressures of marketing stress which offers lightning offers 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 out of fashion) in the drawers of our fellow citizens. It’s nerd.
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 traveled halfway across the planet to land in your living room.
Perhaps it was assembled by exploited labor? Perhaps it contributed to deforestation? If the object that makes you salivate comes from far away or it seems ethically suspect to you, could you buy it second-hand on Le Bon Coin or in a recycling center?
5. Finally, rate its Usefulness
You’ve already assumed you need to make this purchase, but is your dream item essential to your organization or can you do without it? Will it bring you essential comfort and if so, how have you managed without it until now?
Take the example of a drill that you may use four times a year; you need it at the moment, 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 neighbors?
If the desired product passes these five filters in turn, then yes, perhaps it has a place in your home!
The idea of the BISOU method is not to say that you should not buy anything but rather that you should consume consciouslywith 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 only buying what you need. You will also reduce your personal impact on the planet.
