Questions to Ask Before You Buy

“Too many people spend money they haven’t earned, to buy things they don’t want, to impress people they don’t like.” —Will Rogers

In our society, it seems to always be about more. Having more, making more, spending more, doing more. But it doesn’t seem like this focus on more is really bringing us more happiness. In fact, it seems to bring us more stress, more anxiety, and more struggle.

We live in a culture where we have a huge spending and consuming problem. Where it is normal to buy more than we need. Spending more than we have is far too common. Even companies plan in obsolescence into their products!

Before discovering minimalism and the importance of sustainability, I was totally guilty of over-consumption. I worked in retail and was expected to always be wearing the latest fashion trends. As a result, I had a closet that was totally out of control. Tons of stuff still had the tags on them and even more that I had never worn or only worn once.

I was a sucker for a sale even if I didn’t need it at the time. It was easy to justify the spending because it was such a good deal, I would need it at some point in the future so why not buy it now. Shopping was something I did to fill my time, not something I did when I needed something. This mindset resulted in having more stuff than I would ever need, it created unnecessary stress, and unconscious consumption and spending.

Any of this strike a chord for you? Maybe you have had a similar mindset or have wanted your life to look a certain way from the outside. And maybe you are ready to make a change just like I did.

Since embracing a sustainable and minimalist lifestyle I have learned that I would much rather buy things that last. Its important to me to buy things that do not harm our environment when they are being made and when they are being disposed of. And I have also learned that having less brings me so much more happiness and peace in my life.