I am a self-diagnosed shopaholic. No seriously it’s a real issue. Materialism has its claws in deep with me and I know it. I try to stop, I really do.
Over the next month I’m going to try and embark on a new journey… toot toot there’s a (hopeful) minimalist on the orient express.
My goal here is to stop being so wasteful, and really try take on a minimalist lifestyle, and I’d like to take you along with me because if I can do it, anyone can.
Day One (First attempt).
Ok, I had every intention of being good today, but I just needed one more fix. I saw a really cute pair of boots in a shop window this morning and they were on sale £43 down to £25. Girl math tells me I’m losing money if I don’t buy those boots. I asked them to put my size aside so I could go back in later (I had the dog with me so I couldn’t go in).
…Oh, but wait I’m picturing a really cute dress that will go with them, and ‘since its my last day of being materialistic, I might as well treat myself and get the dress too?’, or so I tell myself...
Still day one, and I’m back from getting the boots, it doesn’t even feel good, I’ve let myself down, I was meant to start today. I know this was wasteful but at least the boots are cute right? I’m justifying it by telling myself all the nice outfits I already have that they will look good with… maybe I won’t buy the dress and if we girl math that then I’m making money really, right?
Back to the advice
Okay I bought the boots before staring writing any of this, and that was materialism, and its heavy puppet stings it has welded to my brain… but I’m now ready to bid farewell to excess and say hello to the simplicity and freedom that minimalism has to offer.
Don’t get me wrong I get the appeal, buying new stuff is fun, and it makes you feel good to treat yourself, and heck you should treat yourself – God knows you deserve it.
But there must be a line, a cut off. I’m at the point with materialism where it weighs me down, and leaves me feeling overwhelmed, it’s a constant pursuit for possessions and the more I buy the emptier I’m left feeling. Sure, there’s the initial buzz of it but for me the deeper you are the less of a buzz you get from it.
It’s almost like you’re always searching for the next high.
Money doesn’t buy happiness.
When I was younger my Mum would always say ‘money doesn’t buy happiness’, to which I would roll my eyes and just think to myself ‘no but it can buy you nice stuff, and nice stuff can make you happy.’ I guess this is where with age truly does come wisdom because the older I get the more I realise the pursuit of physical possessions is never going to reach an end goal, you can say to yourself ‘I’ll be happy once I have this’, ‘I’ll be happy once I have that’, but the thing is there’s always going to be another shiny thing that catches your attention right around the corner.
Everything you purchase eventually fades and becomes obsolete whether it’s the latest gadgets or trendy fashion items, it only brings a temporary joy, and its value diminishes over time.
Side note: damn I’m feeling even worse about those new boots now.
Ok, lets get to it: how to live better with less?
1. Who are you buying it for?
Is this item really for you or is it because everyone else has it? Or even worse to impress someone else – remember as cheesy as it sounds true happiness comes from within.
2. Spend money on experiences NOT possessions.
Trust me this is going to bring so much more fulfilment and lasting memories, when your possessions have faded in significance, you’ll still remember that weekend trip away.
3. Declutter!
By decluttering you are going to really see how much truth there is in the fact that possessions lose significance.
When you see that new top you 'had to buy', or that cute little ornament that was 'perfect for your living room', sitting in the bag that's going to the charity shop or the skip, it will be apparent that you didn't actually need it, and that it was just another wasteful materialistic purchase.
Start small, perhaps your ‘junk drawer’, the clues in the name of the drawer itself, I’m sure there’s things in there you don’t need. Then move on one room at a time.
4. Ask yourself meaningful questions.
It can be hard to get rid of all the possessions you have accumulated but when deciding if you should keep an item or not ask yourself ‘does this item serve any purpose, does it bring me any joy’. If the answer is no, let it go.
5. Practice mindful consumption.
Ok, I’m not saying you can’t buy anything ever again but before buying something ask yourself ‘do I really need this’.
My mum used to always tell my siblings and I ‘do you want it or do you need it’, shame I’m only now deciding to take on this advice. And most importantly stop impulse buying and make mindful choices.
TOP TIP
Write down why you want to change your habits, you want more savings? Write it down.
You want to have more experiences than possessions? Write it down. You want to declutter and simplify your space? Write it down. You’re sick of consumerism? You guessed it, write it down.
Physically writing these things down is going to help you see your intentions clearly and set a strong goal, so go grab a pen and paper and let your reasons take shape on the page.
CHALLENGE ALERT
Now we have covered some basic tips and advice, I say it’s time to see if we can turn our lives around, are you with me??
BUY NOTHING FOR 30 DAYS (Hasta La Vista Materialism Challenge)
Don’t worry gal I’m scared too!! Together we can do this, I’m going to keep you updated on a separate post how I get on…
I have attached a free printable 30-day sheet, for you to mark off the days as you go!
The Rules.
· There are some exceptions, you can obviously buy necessities, and girl don’t give me ‘well clothes are a necessity’, as you have the clothes to get you through 30 days!
· You can spend money on activities, just not on materialistic objects.
· For each day that you don’t waste money you can colour your circle in green
· If you give in to temptation and buy something pointless... perhaps you see a cute little household accessory, you colour your circle in red.
· If you give in to temptation and buy something, remember it’s okay to slip up, as nobody is perfect, but keep going to the end of the 30 days see how many green circles you have.
· If you have a couple red circles at the end, keep restarting the cycle until you can get 30 days green.
· Remember, be honest! You’re only cheating yourself.
So, in the words of Mario… Let’s-a-go!!
u can do it🧘🏻♀️
I feel your pain with the shopaholic 😂 I’ll have to try this x
This makes my bank account very happy