So after discovering minimalism and really exploring this idea of simple living, I used
this time as an opportunity to not only simplify my life, but to learn about myself and how
my mind functions around consuming.
Now I've bought plenty of things since I've been practicing minimalism but I've also told
myself no a handful of times as well.
So today, I want to share some questions we should be asking ourselves before we buy anything
new.
And the first questions is, am I buying this for me or for someone else?
It's not a coincidence that this is the first question on my list because I truly believe
that the answer you give to this questions will influence the answer you give to every
question I mention throughout the rest of this conversation.
See getting clear on your intentions and understanding why you want to buy something is key.
And the most honest question you can ask yourself is, am I buying this for me or for someone
else?
Now it takes more than just asking this question.
We also have to answer it honestly, and that in itself is easier said than done.
However if you find yourself fighting with this question internally, I want to challenge
you to 1.
acknowledge that this is a hurdle for you and 2.
take a step back from everything and just breathe, reflect and have a serious conversation
with yourself.
And that conversation, may include something like;
If I went without this, what space would my mind default to first.
Disappointment because I don't have this item for me.
Or disappointment because I don't have this item and now I'm worried what others may think
of me.
Let that sink in for a second.
Ok, the second question is, can I really afford this?
In other words is this in my budget?
Like I mentioned earlier, I truly believe that the answer you give the question we talked
about will influence your answer to this questions and the others I have lined up to share.
Being able to afford something in my opinion, does not include credit.
And having a budget doesn't mean you're cheap.
To me these questions speak towards responsibility.
So when you ask yourself, can I really afford this?, or if this in my budget?
Take a moment to think about more than just the price you see on the tag.
We have to really consider the lifetime cost of any item we purchase.
Which brings me to the third question, which is will this have a positive ROI?
(Return on investment)
A simple way of thinking about this is anything you spend money on, or invest in.
You should always shoot to receive 100% of your investment back.
Now how this works with everyday purchases is a little different, because you won't receive
100% of your money back on a lamp you bought for your bedroom.
So in instance think of ROI from a different perspective.
Instead of money, think about time and use.
For example if an item cost $100.
Ask yourself, how much time do I plan to give to this item or how much will I use it?
Will that be enough to justify the $100 investment.
Ok, number four is this an impulse decision?
Have you seriously thought about every aspect of this purchase before you swiped your debit
card, or was buying said item the result of impulse.
With very little to no thought at all.
See buying things out of pure impulse is an easy way to end up with an excessive amount
of clutter.
Now this can easily be avoided, by simply slowing down and thinking through every purchase
we make.
It's being intentional, purposeful and responsible.
But don't get me wrong, this doesn't mean we can't but things for fun or because we
want to try it.
It just means we have to make sure that we're conscious and aware of where our money is
going.
Alright, number five is do I already own something like this? or similar to this? and if so,
is this different enough to justify purchasing.
See the purpose of asking ourselves this question is so we can avoid a common clutter mistake.
Duplicates.
Now I know I'm not the only one who has stumbled across things I forgot I had or didn't realize
I had multiple of.
I mean, I remember a time when I was looking at an item at the store and I was sitting
there having a full on debate with myself about whether or not what I had was similar.
And every time, I somehow found a way to justify the new item being different enough to purchase.
But it wasn't until I started decluttering, that I realized that this was an issue and
an area I needed to be conscious of.
So again if you find this question or any of the other questions we talked about difficult,
I really want to encourage you and challenge you to take a step back from everything and
just breathe, reflect and have a serious conversation with yourself.
I hope you enjoyed this video, I hope it resonated with you as well and if it did make sure you
give it a thumbs up for me and comment below.
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Also, if you're loving these conversations then I'm sure you're also going to love the
open and honest conversations we have in my patreon community.
Over there we let our guards down and have real conversations through a private podcast,
so if that interest you, I'll leave a link to my community down below.
As always stay true to you and I'll see you in the next one.
Peace!