The desire to collect “stuff” is responsible for a lot of overspending. You’ve seen it before, right? There are women who have more clothes than they could ever really wear, men who have tools that rival the workshops of professional mechanics or woodworkers, and even children who have as many toys as a daycare center. It’s the pursuit of all of this stuff that causes family to spend more than they should and get into all kinds of debt.
If we could all just let go of this stuff, we could lead much happier lives. We wouldn’t have to work so many hours. We wouldn’t stress ourselves out about trying to pay bills that we can’t afford. The problem is that letting go of stuff is easier said than done.
Are you fighting your own battle to get rid of stuff? What steps are you taking to try to exorcise the quest for stuff from your household? Although we are still battling this problem, I thought I would share some of the stuff that has worked for us.
Focus on experiences rather than material things. When we go on vacation, we try to focus on seeing things and collecting memories, rather than buying souvenirs. Likewise, we also skip gift shops at local activities.
Ponder purchases for at least fifteen minutes. If I pick up something in the store that wasn’t on my shopping list for the day, I put it back and promise myself that I’ll come back for it later. If I don’t remember to think of it when I’m finished with my shopping, then I assume I didn’t really need it.
Think about the sacrifices that are required to get stuff. This habit is useful whenever I feel like I want something that I see a friend or neighbor has. Maybe my sister gets a new gadget for her craft room that I wish I had. Rather than rush out and buy one of my own, I think to myself, “How much stress is she under trying to pay off her debts due to purchases like this?” I would rather have my peace of mind than her gadget. (You know a part of me is thinking that she’ll let me borrow her new tool, though.)
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