Stop “Treating Yourself” To Debt
The constant cycle of buying things you don’t need to make you happy because you’re broke is just making you more broke. We’ve become such mindless consumers that we’re throwing away our financial futures for fleeting happiness. It’s time for a consumerism detox.
I know I’m not the only one talking about this. I’ve seen multiple videos on YouTube about overconsumption and how we’re being influenced to stay broke. Social Symone has a really good video on this topic. While some people are waking up to the influencer scam, millions more are literally buying into their every word.
We are being influenced into debt. Every social media platform you go on, someone’s trying to sell you something. Even if it’s not an ad, hauls and unboxing videos are just as toxic. They encourage people to go out and buy more things and create a feeling of never having enough.
That’s how companies are getting to us. They’re using influencers to sell us this idea that we need the latest and greatest shiny new thing for our lives to be better, to mean something. There’s also such a defeatist attitude behind these purchases; “I’m already broke, I might as well be broke and happy.” Really though?
Question Your Idea of Happy
If you’re broke, do you actually think going into more debt to “be happy” is going to solve anything? What if you tried creating your own happiness not tied to spending money? When did spending money become the only way to feel happy?
If you ask yourself why buying things makes you happy, what do you come up with? It’s something shiny and new, and there are emotions tied to it. Other people may envy you or be impressed. Maybe you feel like you’ll be more valuable with these possessions.
But your worth isn’t tied to your possessions, and the hit of dopamine you get when you buy something new quickly fades. Then you’re stuck in a cycle of buying to feel good. And how much of that stuff are you actually gonna use, or even keep? That’s why we need a detox from consumerism – it’s like weaning off a drug.
Detox Yourself from Excessive Consumerism
Social media is a scourge upon a lot of people’s bank accounts. The influence and reach to market products is unprecedented and too many people willingly let themselves sell their souls and first born child for makeup, fast fashion, and cheap plastic.
You need to combat what I like to call the “Stanley effect” (needing to have a water bottle in every color) of social media influencers by being mindful and intentional about how you spend your money. It’s become way too common to have multiple versions of the same thing, which is just a waste of your money and space in your home. This clutter can cause anxiety, provoking you to spend more money as a coping mechanism. It’s a vicious cycle where you lose every time.
Ask yourself questions before you make a purchase and always wait at least a week before buying to see if you still want it.
Questions to ask yourself for mindful purchasing:
- Do I really need this?
- Will it make my life better?
- Do I already have something similar to this? If so, is it still usable?
- Where will I store this? Do I have enough room for it?
- Do I plan on having this for a long period of time?
Mindset Shifts for Consumerism Detox
In order to change your behavior, you must first change your mindset. If you believe that buying things is the only way to be happy, question those thoughts. What non material things are valuable and bring happiness? Perhaps financial stability, family & friends, enjoying nature. Whatever you come up with is what you need to shift your focus to instead of mindless consumerism.
Complaining about your situation does nothing to change it, especially if you keep repeating the same harmful behaviors. You have more control over your finances than you think, especially if you’re out here coping via a shopping addiction. It’s easy to blame outside factors (i.e., inflation, the President), but Joe Biden ain’t the one putting all those Amazon charges on your card. Take accountability. Is everyone except you the reason you’re broke? BFFR.
Speaking of other people, stop caring about what they think. They’re all too self absorbed to notice anyway. Why are you spending money on frivolities and throwing away your financial future to impress other people? Shift your mindset away from needing to keep up with whatever the newest trend is to focusing on the long game. You’re gonna be around a lot longer than whatever’s trending this week. So, ya know, planning for that is pretty important.
Your self worth and value are not tied to what you own. I feel like it’s easy to, at best, feel left out and, at worst, less than for not having shiny new things or keeping up with the latest trends. Your worth is inherent to the person you are at your core. Your sense of humor, the way you care about your friends, being kind to strangers – those aspects of yourself are what matter, not the extrinsic, consumeristic bullshit.