A lot of us need to change our relationship with consumption and money. Economic times are hard, and it’s a good time for us to reevaluate things. Over the course of the 2010s, overconsumption has had disastrous effects on Americans. Now, the chickens have come home to roost, and I’m not the only person writing articles or making videos of this nature. This is because we really do need to stop consuming. I want to encourage everyone reading to keep using their stuff. Save, do what you love, and avoid pointless consumption.
You don’t always need the newest gadgets
When it comes to tech, you should force yourself to buy it in a cyclical manner. If a piece of technology breaks ahead of schedule, just don’t buy a replacement until the cycle is completed. I decided I’m going to do this with my cell phone. I can’t buy a new one for two years, no matter what. Saving money on tech will help you on the front end, but it will also cause you to be more sociable and work harder. You’ll also buy better tech when you have money and spend more time taking better care of it.
Clothes can be thrifted and mended
Clothes do need to be bought and replaced frequently, but you can do this with thrifted clothing, and there are plenty of way to fix broken clothes with sewing. I have the good fortune of living with a family member who sews. It pays dividends. While you don’t need to take a ton of time learning how to fix your clothes in today’s era, you should be thrifting everything in today’s era.
Food can be stored and cooked
A lot of people waste a lot of money on food. Whether it’s random days eating out or at home. The way to save money on food, especially if living alone, is to cook food in batches using the slow cooker. If you’re working in a job which requires you to pack your own lunch and commute. Cooking is also an underrated hobby. If you learn how to cook properly, you can always learn to satisfy others.
You don’t need a ton of space
If you’re in a city, you probably don’t have a ton of space. That’s ok, because you really don’t need it, provided that each occupant of your home or apartment has their own bedroom. If you have a balcony or a backyard, a small indoor space can feel big. If you spend most of your time either working or going outside, a small place can work great. I think a small place makes sense for most young people on the come up.
Hard work in a peaceful environment is a lot to be given
If you have the ability to do that, you should thank your lucky stars. Most people on the planet don’t get that opportunity. You want a good environment in which to work, and you want to work. That’s actually pretty much all we can ask for in today’s world, if we’re being realistic. So many people are still so poor. The good news is that the global floor has been rising and continues to rise. Although perhaps not fast enough
The harder we all work, the faster society improves
This is the positive thing about life. The more we work, the better we do, generally speaking. This is because people will outcompete each other, and create the best of whatever they get involved in. The more people we have involved, the more competition there is. The more we work hard and cut down on our consumption, the better off the world will be in the long run. This is counterintuitive, but I truly believe it.
Smoking and drinking are a 100% no go unless you’re building a scalable business
That way, you’re able to save more than you’re spending on your addictions. You can just live like a hermit/mad scientist as you build. But as I exit that mode, I realize that smoking and drinking make absolutely no sense. You don’t need to be smoking and drinking. You need a cheap lifestyle in a place that makes you feel safe, some work to do, along with some hope. Smoking and drinking are a sign that something is “wrong”. It might be something benign like idiosyncratic work habits, but there’s always something off if you’re using drugs.
Learning to not buy new stuff is a skill. It always feels like you need something, and there’s a lot of cool stuff to check out online and on TV. But avoiding overconsumption is essential to living the ideal life, as far as I’m concerned. The world has gotten addicted to debt and Western lifestyles, and we all need to get back to reality. The best way for everyone to do this is to face the facts of their finances, and bring their consumption within the realm of reality. It doesn’t matter if it hurts the economy in the short run. Life will improve dramatically over the long term.
Thanks for paying attention.
