We have been convinced that the more stuff we have, the happier we will be, but all the research shows just the opposite. That there are many other things—like being of service—that are much more likely to make us happy.
Meanwhile, we find ourselves buying more and more stuff almost without thinking about it and the ‘stuff spiral’ we are in is killing our habitat. Here are three tips to help put a cap on mindless spending.
1. Don’t make shopping a social activity
Cook, don’t shop (Credit/Unsplash)
Shopping on its own has become a social activity. What usually happens is that you end up spending unnecessarily when you actually just want to spend time with your friends. So just do something else. Plan to cook together, craft together, exercise together, or play games together—but don’t plan to shop together.
2. Leave your credit cards at home
(Credit/Pixabay)
All the studies show that we don’t feel we are spending our money when we use credit cards, so we are more likely to buy things we can’t afford and don’t really want or need. One study out of Purdue University showed that people who merely saw a credit card logo were willing to pay three times more for a piece of clothing than people who didn’t see it. In another study, MBA students at MIT were willing to pay more than twice as much for sports tickets when they could use a credit card instead of cash. Fill your wallet only with what cash you can afford to spend and leave credit cards at home.
3. Never shop on your mobile device
… boop beep boop buy (Credit/Pixabay)
Research says we spend more when we shop on our mobile devices. Why? Partly because online retailers turn shopping into a game and take advantage of those boring commuting or waiting-in-line moments. Read, knit, solve puzzles, or listen to music when you are bored, but don’t shop on your mobile device.