For a while I believed that I could keep track of my essential needs in my head without writing them down. But I’ve realized that by identifying my basic needs in writing, finding products that solves them well, and organizing them in prioritized lists, I’ve become a better and more intentional consumer – less waste and more value.
Two types of lists to rule them all
These days I use the app Any.do (available for the web, iPhone and Apple Watch) to organize my planned purchases. I’ve created two types of lists: activity needs (surfing, traveling, biking, road trips et cetera) and brand (Apple, Patagonia, REI et cetera).