True life: I am addicted to online shopping. Yes, I said it. I'm sure many of you can relate. America is a consumer nation. We love buying things and we always feel as if we need more of everything. The American dream is painted as having a lavish wedding, buying the perfect house, driving the most expensive car, wearing the trendiest clothes, and updating people about our perfect lives via the latest and most expensive technology devices. Every day we see the message of buying our way to happiness. But can we truly be happy from stuff?
My answer is no, and I've made a vow to myself to stop spending money on things and to start spending money on experiences. Things are temporary, and there will always be new clothing, new devices, and new cars coming out. Memories however, those are priceless. There's nothing more valuable than being able to look back at pictures of a vacation and remember all of the incredible places you've seen and the people you've met. Many researchers have found that people who spend money on traveling rather than material things are some of the happiest people in the world. Why? Because they realize the thrill of material things will soon fade away, but the happiness and fulfillment of adventures can last a lifetime.
I am the ultimate consumer and I definitely buy into this culture, but as I get older and I'm getting opportunities to travel more often, I would much rather spend my money on lifelong memories than the new Urban Decay eyeshadow palette (that probably looks like the other 50 palettes I already have). With this being said, how can I begin to accomplish this goal? For all of us. What are some life changes we all can make so we can stop spending unnecessarily when we could be investing money in ourselves and true fulfillment in our lives? I'm always quick to online shop, but lately I've been making small changes that have truly helped me see the bigger picture.
1. Don't buy it right at that moment.
Most of the time when I online shop, I feel extremely impulsive. I know I don't necessarily need these things, I just want them. Lately what I've been doing is filling my shopping cart online, then I'll wait 48 hours to buy. If I forget about those items in the cart, that means I didn't really need them. If I feel as if these are still things I really need, then I'll buy. This new way of shopping helps me eliminate impulsive purchases and only buy things that I need.
2. Make a dream board.
I used to make these all the time on Pinterest, but for a while I stopped. I stopped dreaming of traveling, and I focused on instant gratification. Every since I've started pinning on my dream board over this last month, I have been on a budget craze. Sometimes when we visualize our goals, it helps us put things into perspective. Visualize the experiences you want to have, and save money accordingly. I'm already itching to plan my next adventure, and I can't wait to see what's next!
3. Feeling good is better than looking good.
Though I think it's possible to do both, I also believe that how you feel is more important. Yes, a pair of $200 jeans might look good in your closet right now, but there is no true pay off in the end. Even if you won't spend this money on vacation, there are many places this money could go to. Spend it on a gym membership, yoga classes, or bi-weekly trips to the spa. Not only are you taking control of your health, but you're also pampering yourself.
