Shopping and consuming: Does it really make you happy?
- What is really important in life?
- Do we really need all those things we buy?
- All those must-haves we are willing to get?
- How important is it to possess all those things?
- Do we really need them?
Most people love to go shopping and buy things. They feel happy about it, are proud to indulge in something and they feel proud to be able to consume whatever they want. But how long does this happiness hold on? More often than not it's a short-term happiness.
How important are the things you bought to you in two days, two weeks, two months or even two years?
Are you still happy about them, feeling proud and lucky?
Investing in yourself instead
And what about investing money in experiences, adventures, personal development?
Maybe you can't feel the same intensive kind of happiness at once as if you are going to buy things.
But these are the investments which really cause long-term happiness. The feeling of happiness holds on when you are investing in yourself and your living, your joy and your experiences. It even makes you constantly happier because you will change something in your life when you invest in yourself and your development.
And I don't know if we will be able to take something with us when we leave this life behind us and die. But IF we are able to do so, we will not carry any consumer goods with us - but the experiences of your life and our memories.
What do you really need of all the things you buy?
What do you do with your money?
Do you just spend it without even thinking about it? Or are you conscious investing in yourself?
What kind of things do you just buy because your friends and neighbours do?
Do you really need all this stuff - a big car, a big house, the trendily dresses?
What REALLY makes you happy?
It's not bad at all to spend money :-) It just depends on how you spend it.
Collect moments not things!
"Collect moments not things" - that's my motto and I recently designed a picture with one of my paintings for it :-)
What about you? How do you spend your money? Are you aware of your investments?
Great post. I would include actual investments in investing in yourself too :) for your future self! With material items or experiences, try to live within your means. Meeting this challenge is part of the fun for me :)
Thanks for sharing!
You're absolutely right about this! :-)
From time to time some of the stuff I bought I feel like starting over just taking the few things with me that I really want. Now they are just hoarded, not in eyesight. But on the other hand I find it a waste to just throw away unless it can be reshaped into something new or make someone else happy.
Cosumerism as we know it today is unsustainable, products are created to be sold on profit rather then quality and longitivity often without recycling options for the future producing more and more waste over time. Its kind of a paralel being stuck into companies selling garbarge whilst manipulating the human mind into buying more, that even while being aware of it its hard to stop.
Thank you for your comment! I agree with you that it's a waste to just throw things away you don't need any more. I like to make other people happy with things I don't need any more or to help someone else with it.
I love to invest in companies that help to change the world markets and create a new and responsible way of producing and selling products.
Cool question. Upvoted and followed. I started practicing minimalism ten years ago, and I only spend money on things I have a passion for. Food, cars, cryptocurrencies, investing stocks and my three year old son. I have no material needs, even though as I am growing older and more refined, I try to dress a little more appropriate to my age not always wearing sneakers and hoodies :) In my twenties I was like most 20 year olds in the west, spending my money on material things. I´m sure i produced some hormones while doing it, because i felt pleasure, but the hangover came just as fast..worrying about spending too much money. Now, luckily I never worry when I have to spend some money, because I know what I almost never buy anything that I dont need. What makes me truly happy is being able to follow my dreams and live the life that I want. Not having a nine to five, not doing what everyone else does (putting themselves in life long debt forcing them to make a certain amount of money each month, which never lets them take any chances on anything) Do I really need a nice car? No..do I love cars? Yes. I love the engineering, I love certain designs, I love the passion behind it. And I love driving. Do I personally own a fast expensive car? Nope. Luckily I can borrow one if the urge is too big :) And other than that I put on my headphones and watch a documentary about some classic car. Every human needs passions..and passions often do cost money. I´ve probably spent more than reasonable on fishing gear. But I do love flyfishing, and for that I need some expensive stuff. But it´s different than mindless shopping in my opinion :)
Thanks for your comment and for following me! Just followed you back! :-) I am practicing minimalism for a few years now and it's a very light and happy way of life for me. Even if it's not always easy to reduce things and also fulfill the wishes of your children :-D
In my twenties I was like you, spending a lot of money in things I didn't really need. Today I am more aware of what I buy. I totally agree with you don't always have to possess the things you have a passion for, you can just see, admire, borrow them. It's more the way of enjoying those things as to know they are yours.
But I also have passions that cost money and I am happy to spend it for them. But this is also something which goes together with my lifestyle and my individual way of living and making experiences, so this is okay for me :-)
It's another way of spending money than just going shopping :-)
Thank you so much for your answer, which is inspiring for me! <3
Awesome :) Exactly..One needs to check the premise of things. If the important thing is to OWN that nice fast car, well you´re just shallow and wants to brag. If the important thing is the car itself, the performance, the engineering, the driving experience there are ways to enjoy that without buying it. Sure..people who own exotic cars might own them for the right reasons..not saying that. :)
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