Getting Caught Up With Consumerism
Hey folks! Transparency Disclosure- Some of the links in this commodity are affiliate links. That means I'll receive a small commission if you determine to click on it and buy something. Don't worry, it doesn't toll y'all annihilation extra!
We all like to buy things sometimes. I mean what'due south the point of making money if you aren't going to spend it, right? And the marketers make ownership everything sound so amazing! Purchase this and your life will be perfect! Information technology'south too easy to get defenseless upwardly with consumerism. It's everywhere.
Getting Caught upwardly with Consumerism
I've been defenseless upwardly with consumerism. Haven't we all felt the demand to purchase all the things at some signal? Or thought that spending your money on stuff would be the primal to happiness? I was that person once (and let's exist honest- Boozer Melanie still is!).
At 1 point, I bought a two-hundred-dollar juicer. Why? I had never juiced earlier in my life! Yes, I was curious and thought it would be cool, just did I really demand this top of the line brand new machine? Probably non. I also learned that juicing is messy and quite wasteful, and I would have been amend served past buying a decent blender (which I didn't practise, exercise yous think perchance I've learned my lesson?).
Buying all the things!
Information technology's non just fancy kitchen gadgets that catch my attention. I'd also stock up on ten books that I might never read whenever I went to the bookstore. When I left California, I had to downsize my collection, just honestly, I don't miss them. I learned that I don't need to ain a ton of books to be happy.
To be fair, I still own a ton of books. About two volume cases full. But I've stopped buying books that I know I won't read, and am trying really difficult to read the books that I do have!
New shoes and accessories also caused bug for me. I was never really into name-brands (thank god!), but I would go to places similar Payless and outlet malls to stock up. Information technology wouldn't exist unheard of for me to come habitation with 5 new pairs of shoes from my latest trip to Payless! That'southward absurd!
I likewise take a serious scarf trouble. I probably take at least 50 of the things, and I but always wear about ten of them. Drunk Melanie thought it would be a skillful idea to buy v scarves during her trip to Peru. Why do I need five Peruvian scarves? Drunk Melanie is no longer in charge of shopping (usually).
My sister would always scoff at my cheap accessories' habit, especially when she was in her super bougie "only Christian Dior volition do" phase. Simply I can get then many pairs of shoes at payless for the price of but 1 item at her fancy name brand stores! I was being frugal!
In reality, buying inexpensive crap you lot don't need is just every bit silly as buying expensive crap you don't need. It'due south all needless consumerism.
Happiness Doesn't Come from Things
Equally I got older, I realized that happiness doesn't come from the things that you purchase. I still accept tons of scarves and books, merely I've made a huge endeavour to not buy any more than, and I'grand no less happy than when I was buying all the things all the time. I however purchase things for the house, simply I focus just on what I need. That fancy juicer didn't increase my happiness in any meaningful way, and then why buy something else that would take the aforementioned impact?
What does affect my life in a meaningful way is having experiences. And I admit that I still get caught up in consumerism when it comes to those. I'll drop everything and book a final-minute trip somewhere, or spend 50 bucks to go to renaissance faire. For me, experiences are where its at. Simply is that whatsoever less consumeristic?
Getting Caught up with Consuming Experiences
I still get caught up with consumerism – it'southward simply the things that I'one thousand consuming that are changing. You retrieve airlines, hotels, theme parks, and all those companies that sell adventures aren't simply vying to take your hard-earned money? They are selling you just as much as the people hawking stuff are. Purchase these plane tickets to this exotic location and your life will be corking! Visit Disney Land for the time of your life! We buy into this crap too. Experiences are the new things.
Is it Bad to get Caught upwardly in Consumerism?
I'm a finance blogger, so you're probably assuming that I think consumerism is wrong. Save all your money! Yous don't need any things or experiences!
But that's not the case, and it wouldn't really fit in with the spirit of financial independence. There is absolutely zip wrong with a good for you level of consumerism. It drives the economic system. And equally much equally everyone likes to pretend like it doesn't, a little but of consuming does make people happy.
Going on trips makes me happy. The aforementioned goes for attending fairs, festivals, and theme parks. And I'1000 sure that having tons of shoes, scarves, books, movies, games, toys or whatever else makes a lot of people happy. Who am I to judge what makes you happy?
When Consumerism Goes Bad
It'southward non consumerism that is bad, but getting defenseless up in it can be. If yous're spending so much money on stuff that you can't pay your bills and don't relieve annihilation, information technology'due south absolutely a bad affair bad. You should be paying yourself kickoff and setting money aside in your budget for the random things you desire to buy.
Fifty-fifty if you have a healthy savings rate and tin can pay all your bills, I'd debate that if the things you are consuming don't really brand you happy or improve your life in some way, it'southward too bad. If you're ownership stuff just considering yous've fallen for the insidious marketing ploy that is the American Dream, then it's probably bad. But the proficient news is that information technology doesn't have to be that way. You lot can identify the things that don't actually make yous happy, and commencement working to build your dream life instead!
A Healthy Level of Consumerism
Having a good for you level of consumerism is a neat thing. The economy depends on nearly people consuming things, and modest things can actually make people happy. The trick is to not get caught upward in it. What practise you call up?
Source: https://partnersinfire.com/lifestyle/caught-up-with-consumerism/
Post a Comment for "Getting Caught Up With Consumerism"