Recently, I moved to Spain, and I realized how freeing it can be to live with few possessions. Before I moved here, I lived in Sweden. I lived a simple life there, but now it’s even simpler, and it feels good.
In Spain, I rent a fully furnished apartment, which allows me to basically only own a laptop, clothes, and a few other items. My happiness has greatly improved from consuming less and realizing that I do not need a lot of stuff to be happy.
When you consume, ask yourself, why are you consuming? What hole are you artificially trying to fill by purchasing more and more things?
I’ve learned a lot in the last few months about keeping my life simple and consuming less. Here are seven of the strategies that I use to overcome the urge of consumption:
1. Pay with Cash
When you pay with cold hard cash, you’ll be more conscious of your spending. Paying with a debit or credit card is easier, because after all, it’s only a plastic card. I’ve talked with a few people who have drastically cut their spending by eliminating the use of any kind of cards.
Why do you think banks want us to use these cards? Because it increases consumption, and that’s good for business. But what’s good for business might not be good for you in the long run.
2. Leave Your Wallet
When I’m out roaming the streets, I come across opportunities to buy all the time. Here in Southern Spain, we have a lot of restaurants, so the smell of the food is constantly beckoning me to come and taste the delicious dishes that are available.
I only take my wallet with me if I really need to. I decide beforehand what I need to buy and if I really need to buy it. I’m mostly spending money on food, rent, and other necessities. If I bring my wallet everywhere I go, it’s too easy for me to go into a zombie-like state and start buying.
3. Realize What’s Important
What do you really value in life? Examples from my own life would be relationships, doing what I love, and having fun. Yours might be completely different, but almost all human beings want to be happy and find passion in their life.
We’ve been taught to consume and to buy. We’ve been programmed to believe that having a lot of nice stuff automatically equals success. But there’s something left out of that equation, and that’s the fact that success does not equal happiness. This is assuming that material wealth equals success.
When you’re looking at that new phone, computer, or car, do you really need it? If you already have one at home, use that, because there are more important things you can spend your money on.
4. Acknowledge the Urge
Whenever I feel the urge to buy something, I become aware of it and accept it. The only time you can get caught up in the urge to consume is when you’re unaware of its influence over you.
When you shine the light on your need to purchase, you’re instantly conscious about your choices. You can go ahead and buy something, but you’ll be doing it consciously, while knowing the consequences.
5. Explore the Deeper Meaning
Why do we consume? What are we trying to do? We all know people who never seem to stop hoarding and consuming. They fill up their houses with stuff. After a while, they need a bigger house to store all of their stuff in.
It’s a never-ending cycle. What is the deeper meaning of your desire to consume? I know I want a nice phone, a car, and a house, but I realize that they will not make me happy. They are merely preferences, not necessities.
