Stop Buying Stuff You Don’t Need: Material Goods Don’t Bring Us Joy
Our entire society is driven by the desire for material goods. How can we not be?
From the ads we see, to now the social media “lifestyle” bloggers selling us the idea of how our lives should be in order to be happy,
it’s no wonder that we pursue the goods to get the good life. But we need to stop buying stuff!
Not only is most of it unnecessary, it also is not a path to happiness.
While material goods do have a place in our lives (you definitely should have a roof over your head and clothes on your body),
buying unnecessary items just leads to clutter and discontent.
Why Stuff Can’t Make You Happy
Stuff Can Only Do So Much.
Products are designed to solve problems, but buying products you don’t need can create problems that you never had in the first place.
More stuff means more potential for breaking, malfunctioning, cost for maintenance, or worse,
you end up not using it at all and the money you spent is basically down the drain.
Having stuff and the ability to buy stuff is liberating. It’s nice to be able to afford the things that you want.
But turning to stuff to fulfill a deeper desire? It doesn’t work.
Despite what all those happy people in the commercials are telling you, buying a certain product will not bring you happiness or fulfillment.
Can certain things enhance your life or make it easier? Sure.
It’s always nice to have a vacuum versus not; but that product cannot bring you anything more than a clean room.
Stuff Can't Make You Happy
There are many examples of people who can buy whatever they want and are still not happy.
You would think if the secret to life were about what we can purchase, these people would be the happiest on earth.
But life doesn't work that way.
When we create the habit of spending our money and purchasing things as a way to fill the empty void in our lives, this creates an infinite loop that can't be satisfied.
There is always something new you can find that you want, and there is no purchase that will satisfy that craving.
Stuff is stuff — nothing more, and nothing less.
I'm personally trying to learn how to gauge whether or not an item will bring value to my life.
There are a ton of "cool" products out there that get me excited about how awesome they are, but that in itself is not a reason to own that item.
Material Possessions Cost More Than Money
You find something you want to buy, and you get it.
Now you have to figure out where to store it, and you have to remember to use it.
The more stuff you have, the more work it takes to organize it in a way where you can easily find it.
The American garage is full of stuff that sits there and doesn't get used.
Just look at how much stuff people end up selling at garage sales.
It is insane how much we end up purchasing thinking it will be useful, only to have it sit around and collect dust.
I wonder how much we would save if we did the following:
● Only buy things we use regularly
● Borrow items that we don't need to use regularly
How much less stuff would we have? And how much more money would we have to save, invest or experience life with?
How much more time would we have not having to deal with the excess?
How To Shift Your Mindset
Seek What Cannot Be Replaced
Stuff decays, breaks down, loses value, can get stolen, and sometimes explodes.
But memories with my family and friends? Once in a lifetime experiences ? These are invaluable.
I have some friends who value the things they can buy over the experiences they can have because “things last longer and you use them everyday”.
My counterpoint to this: things go out of style, lose their value, and tomorrow there will be a new thing that you want instead.
Things are replaceable. Memories and time are not. So, let’s stop buying stuff and start prioritizing buying time, experiences and memories instead.
The way I see it, I’m young once; my ability to do certain things is now. This time isn’t coming back.
There isn't one item that I am going to buy that is going to be on my "top 10 best decisions of my life" list when I'm on my deathbed.
Rather, there will be regret for things I didn’t do, didn’t say, or experiences I decided to “do later”.
It’s difficult to develop and keep this mindset when we are inundated with outside messages that say otherwise.
But once you start scaling back on those replaceable purchases you’ll realize how much you never needed them in the first place.
Quality Beats Quantity (usually)
Over the last few years, I've become more intentional about what I'm purchasing.
If I find something I need and will use regularly, I do a cost analysis on whether or not it makes sense to spend extra for an item that will last longer.
Sometimes I find myself going through mental gymnastics in justifying a purchase.
"Even if I don't use this item very often, when I do use it, it will be awesome!"
It is like my mind is trying to convince me of purchasing something I will regret.
But if I use the item regularly, it usually means buying a more durable product will be cost-effective over the long-term.
I won't have to replace the item as often, and it usually will perform the job better and be easier to use, than cheaper products.
I'm learning to do the following:
● If I will use something regularly, it is better to get something that lasts longer
● I need to set the bar high in justifying expensive purchases. It needs to be used frequently to make the cost worth it.
● There is no value in owning something if it doesn't get used.
However, with this said, there might be exceptions where cheaper items are durable and useful enough to not need to splurge on the higher-end version of that product.
This is why it is essential to look into what you want to buy, and to see if upgrading to the more premium product is worth the cost.
Understand Your Why
If you’re the type of person to engage in retail therapy every time something emotional happens, stop and analyze why you do so.
Not every happy occasion needs a present, and not every sad situation requires you to fill emotional holes with material goods.
In fact, using stuff in this way just leads to further avoidance of the real issues you are dealing with.
So take some time away from shopping to understand your why. What’s driving the desire to purchase, and what emotional gaps are you trying to fill?
Material Goods Don’t Bring Joy
The whole purpose of this discussion is to emphasize that material goods don’t bring joy or emotional satisfaction.
We cannot rely on finding happiness outside of ourselves. Rather, we need to be happy with who we are and what we already have..
One way to be happy with our lives is to express gratitude for the things we already have, and not focus on the things we don’t.
Give thanks for the real life necessities that you are able to afford and provide for your families, because at the end of the day that matters more than anything else.
When I find myself getting upset that things aren’t going my way, or that “life sucks”, the first thing I do is stop and remind myself of why my life actually doesn’t suck.
We all have a lot of positives going for us; remember that and you’ll be less likely to look for expensive solutions.
Final Thoughts
Changing your spending habits and money mindset takes time.
But work on it and on yourself.
You’ll learn something new everyday about who you are and it’ll become easier for you to make any necessary changes.
Remember, your daily spending decisions should be all about what works for you, your life, and your values, not anyone else’s.
Above all, work on finding joy within and you won’t be concerned about anything else.
Bio: Sanjana is a physician anesthesiologist, avid traveler, and entrepreneur. She founded The Female Professional in order to give women a voice, a community, and provide resources to help them overcome hurdles and achieve success. With her experiences as a physician, as a CEO of a startup, and as a writer, she understands the struggles and frustrations that women face. She also understands what it takes to move past those things and come out on top. Through this platform, Sanjana aims to empower women to be their best, authentic, selves, achieve work/life balance, and live life to the fullest.
