How come we define status through material things? How is it that industrial society has taken us in that direction? Is it really status to work around the clock, never having time for your family, your own interests or to recover? We work so hard today to maintain an economic and social status in society but is it really worth it? I've been thinking about this material status thing and I've come to the conclusion that it should be the other way around. Status should be about how much time you can spend with your family, your hobbies and your own well-being and still live well.
In fact, we live a busy life to afford our material things. As soon as you really get into this with your finances, you will clearly see how much money you spend on things you don't actually need or sometimes even want. People often have a pattern of shopping for everything superfluous after the bills are paid. Many of these things then just sit in the closet and some clothes never lose their price tag because not everything is used. If we think logically, we clearly see that in industrial societies we have far too much of, for example, clothes. Can you close your eyes and without thinking list all your clothes? I can do that because I don't have an abundance of clothes. My wardrobe is minimalist which means that I only have clothes that I love to use or are used for practical reasons.
I haven't always been like this. In fact, I have been a shopaholic who spent all my excess money on shopping. I used to sit in the catalogs in those days and call in everything I liked and then order everything I liked without thinking. I shopped for clothes, decor, hobby materials, yes everything to fill a kind of void where I felt I was missing something in life. It was only when I discovered minimalism that I realized that less is actually more.
What do I mean by less is more? I mean that the more shopping I reduced, the more time I had for other things in life. The end of my excessive shopping finally led to me being able to fulfill one of my wishes, namely getting a dog. Today I have two dogs that give me lots of love, love that I thought shopping gave me but it was only a false image because no matter how much I shopped, I never filled the void that was in me. Buy one thing and you will immediately start looking around for the next thing.
The way we look at clothes today is a disaster for the environment. Fast fashion, as it is called, means that we consume an enormous amount of clothes in a short time and which neither hold up particularly well in terms of quality, nor in appearance. Do you think it's worth working hard, long and every day to buy clothes or other things that you don't have time to use because your time is spent saving up money so you can spend even more? If you feel like I once did, here are some tips and advice on how to get out of that habit.
- Start by motivating yourself to change your behavior. You can do that by finding out what is really important to you. For example, if environmental issues are important to you, perhaps you should consider that your shopping does not lead to a better environment, but rather the other way around.
- Go through the finances. It's good to have a budget, but it can also be unmotivating, so start by writing down every penny you spend and on what, and you'll soon see what you spend your money on and how your distribution looks like.
- Figure out how much you actually need of each variety. For example, I decide that I need to have 7 sweaters, one for each day of the week and you do that with everything you own.
- If you are not sure which brands or materials to choose, you can start keeping a diary about this. Write down the material, company, how much you used the item of clothing/gadget during a predetermined time and price if that interests you. Then you will probably see after a period of time, say 6 months, what you buy that you use a lot of and what material it is, as well as what you bought that you use less often.
- Buy only things and clothes that you know you absolutely need. Therefore, it is beneficial to write a shopping list that you let sit and mature for a while. Never buy anything on sale unless it's absolutely something on your list. If there's something you want on the list and on sale, it's a good deal, but don't buy just because it's cheap, it usually ends up never being used.
- Stick to what you love. I have found my favorite brands in, for example, make-up and skincare and I stick to these. I rarely try anything new because why remove a winning concept that you know works for you.
- Keep yourself motivated by treating yourself to something when you've experienced progress. I don't mean material things. Treat yourself instead to a dinner with a close friend, a walk in the woods in peace and quiet, read a book you've wanted to read for a long time or bake yourself something delicious.
And perhaps the most important. Don't give up. It takes time to change habitual behavior, but with a will to succeed, you will go a long way. I believe in you. Now you just have to believe in yourself. Get in touch if you want to know more and update me on how it goes. Good luck
