This post is more of the warm, fuzzy philosophical type. You won't find a whole lot of numerical advice for your bank account (Thank goodness! She's finally laid off the rules). Right. so along with the "be generous" motto, money rule number seven gets into your head rather than your wallet.
Live simply. We're getting into the vein of minimal living here, but I'm not going to ask you to move into a shipping crate or anything. However, the less stuff you have, the less money it'll cost you. But here's the catch, it's not just about up front costs - it's about breaking the cycle of consumerism.
Living in the United States, consumerism is as American as apple pie and baseball. Unless you've swam upstream of the culture river, you're probably another victim of this mindset. I am too: I have 5 different kinds of Neutrogena Moisture Shine Lip Gloss. FIVE. Even three would've been murder but I've got two on top of that. Gold star. Except not really.
Each of these tubes cost $7.99 each (sidenote: a ripoff, but I like them). Simple math: I'm approaching fifty bucks on lip gloss! The final kicker: with each one I acquire, I want to buy two more in different colors. Buying more makes me want to buy EVEN more. Amiright? Amiright? There is no quenching this beast. I want all the lip gloss everywhere 4ever.
Now I'm gonna talk about two books, because 1. I'm a book nerd and 2. These authors explain the concept at least 823 times better than I do.
If you're intrigued about cutting down on the excess in your life, Jen Hatmaker has a great book called The 7 Experiment. The author basically addresses seven different areas of her life: food, possessions, spending, waste, media, clothes, and stress, and attempts to simplify and reduce the excess in each category. It's challenging, it's interactive, and she gets at the heart of the problem. Some of the things I did following a workbook study of her book:
- Gave away multiple possessions every day for a week
- Counted my clothes (ah! I was up to 400 and didn't even delve into my under-bed storage)
- Ate the same seven things for a week (I've never been more grateful for spices)
- Only spent money seven times in a week
However, if you're the kind of person that is more drawn to the economical perks of living below your means, the book for you is The Millionaire Next Door. It was written in the '90s, but basically makes it on the Top 10 books for finance people even now. The premise: People that look rich aren't necessarily actually rich. The authors spent 20 years interviewing millionaires for market research, and this book is a summary of their findings. I'll share a few:
- The most common cars driven by millionaires are Toyota and Ford.
- In fact, 86% of luxury car buyers (Mercedes, BMW, Audi) are not millionaires.
- 50% of millionaires interviewed had lived in the same house for 20 years.
- Most millionaires have a budget (what a sexy stat to finish off the list).
So check out those books from your local library, give 'em a read. What does this "living simply" mean for you? Well it requires a bit of self-assessment. How much money do you really need for morning frou-frou drinks? Do you feel the need to appear wealthy? Is the brand worth the price? And to myself: do I really need another tube of lipgloss??
I give you all my Irish blessing! To living simply (raise my invisible glass). *Clink*