Why spending less gives you more
You’re probably thinking I am crazy. Spending less money literally means you buy less stuff.
Less stuff = getting less of what you want. Right?
Wrong. Or at least half wrong.
We live in a culture where we are programed to want to consume. When we are born all we really need is the comfort of our loving caregiver, a safe place to sleep and lot’s of that yummy, nourishing breast milk.
But then comes the toys. With each stage of development the toys get more and more expensive. First it’s a rattle and maybe a children’s book.
But then it’s a phone because all your friends have a phone.
Then a car when it’s your 16th birthday. Then expensive vacations once you land your first steady job. Then a condo, a house, a fancy car, the list goes on.
Now let’s not forget all the purchases along the way. You go to the store and you see something cute and you think “that would look good in that corner of my new place.” or “I need pillows to match the throw that I got last week that matches the couch.” and “I need a bar stand to hold all my wine.” Oh and “I saw this ad when scrolling instagram with this girl with the cutest bag, I definitely need that!” And while you’re out shopping for all this stuff you get hungry so you grab a to-go sandwich, and of course you’r thirsty so you need a drink to go with. And you’re tired from all this shopping so you need a second coffee. That looks good, I’ll have that.
These things all seem so important at the time. You want them, you got them. Isn’t there a popular song about that by Ariana Grande? “I want it, I got it, I want it, I got it”.
But then a few things happen that are not so great.
You spent all this money and you don’t even know where it went
You have all this stuff that just ends up in your closet never to be seen again until you do a “spring cleaning”.
This is just a way of life for many of us. We do it mindlessly, and end up in a circle of spending on things that don’t matter and then wondering where all of the money went.
I blame our culture. We are programmed to believe consuming is what brings happiness, but it’s not true.
It may be cultures fault, but it’s our responsibility to make a change.
Imagine what life would look like if you only spent money on things that actually mattered to you? What would that look like? Would your closets be full of stuff that you forget about?
Would you constantly be grabbing food to go that is made from low-quality ingredients when you could be eating delicious nutrient dense meals at home?
Would your home be filled with beautiful, high-quality items that bring you joy every day?
The thing about spending less that gives you more is that you get intentional. You no longer buy things out of “I need that now” syndrome. You buy things that actually add value to your life in a thoughtful, intensional way.
You can break the cycle of more stuff = more happiness. It just take the decision to take a beat, and ask yourself, do I really want this?
