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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4 responses so far ↓
1 Cassie // Oct 22, 2009 at 4:35 pm
I also put stuff back when I’m shopping and say I will come back for it at the end of my shopping trip. I find that most times I don’t even remember about the item until later that day – sometimes days later! It’s a good way to see if you really NEED/WANT something.
2 David/Yourfinances101 // Oct 23, 2009 at 6:08 am
Great post. I have two systems in place. With regards to getting rid of stuff I already have–at least once every three months I take a quick walk thru all the closets in the house and the garage. If it hasn’t been used in six months-it goes. Period.
On the front end, the first commenter brought up a very good point. When I am shopping, I don’t just ask myself one question seriously (Do I really WANT it?), but I throw in the second one as well—Do I NEED it?
Works like a charm almost every time.
3 tiffany // Oct 23, 2009 at 10:00 am
When I declutter an area of my home, I try to step back and notice how much happier I actually am without the stuff. If I am having a hard time letting go of something, I stick it in a box and see how long it takes me to retrieve it to use it. 9 times out of 10, I totally forget about it, and that helps me to be ok with letting go of it!
4 marci @ onlinecolleges // Oct 29, 2009 at 7:31 pm
For me, if the purchase price is over like 10-15 dollars, then I think it over for like 2 weeks before buying it. I can find great clothes I think I have to have but go home empty-handed and if I’m still dreaming about it 2 weeks later, then I’ll go back and buy it. Or a lot of times I’ll buy something little and then realize I don’t need it. I am more than happy to make returns with my receipts because it feels like I was saving my money in an investment. Lol.
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