If more people practiced minimalism, there would be significantly less debt.
A European guy said, “Americans don’t use their garages to park their cars; they’re filled with junk instead.”
He wasn’t entirely wrong.
Many Americans fill their garages and houses with stupid stuff.
That’s right, I said, “Stupid Stuff.”
If you have storage or boxes full of stuff, that means you’ve bought too much stupid stuff.
What classifies as stupid?
Anything you don’t use.
Anything you had to buy with debt.
Anything you buy to impress someone.
Anything that is outside of your budget meter.
Anything you buy that will potentially cause you to go into debt.
Anything you could sell to get you out of debt you don’t need.
I saw a bunch of light-up masks on sale (and no, these weren’t for Halloween) and rolled my eyes. I get it. Some stuff is just fun to buy, but come on!
That $50 that many consumers use to buy that dumbass mask could be used to invest, save, and get themselves out of debt.
If 85% of people have a car note, that means most people are in debt.
And a car note is only one part of their entire debt situation.
If you’re in debt, shopping trips should not be part of your routine.
Yet many regularly shop when the paycheck comes in, a new credit card, their credit card balance decreases, or their credit card limit increases.
Society is addicted to buying stuff they don’t need.
Most purchases are unplanned.
An average of 73% of purchases are unplanned.
Disagree?
Look around you.
How much of the stuff you own was planned?
My Purchases Go Through A Ruthless Process
If I’m not waiting for years, like I do on many large purchases that I don’t want after all, I’m waiting days or weeks at a time.
If I wasn’t planning on buying you at the grocery store, you’re not coming into my basket.
If I was thinking about you after I hopped on the Amazon shopping app, you’re not getting bought.
If a friend recommends I buy something, that’s great, but it ain’t happening unless it makes sense.
If I get a book recommendation, I get it from the library, borrow a copy, or get the PDF.
I’m not cheap; I’m intentional and hate waste.
If you’re not ruthless with your money, everything available to buy will take advantage of YOU and YOUR MONEY.
Financial boundaries are something not many have.
It’s easy to make the purchase.
It’s easy not to think about the long-term consequences of consistent “stupid” purchases.
But eventually, you’re going to feel the pain.
Debt is an insidious type of pain.
It creeps and crawls into your life until it overtakes you, and you’re wondering how it became such a monster.
Let me lay it out for you:
MOST OF THE STUFF YOU BUY, YOU PROBABLY DON’T NEED.
And the stuff you think you need, you probably don’t.
More examples of stupid stuff:
Houses with “too big” payments
Rent or buy a house you can afford without sweating bricks every month.
Pre-packaged meals
Buy food that will last for a whole week instead.
New cars
Buy a used car that you can pay cash for, or don’t get one.
Fast food
Eat in and cook your meals.
Clothes you know you’ll never wear
Wear the same clothes and only buy clothes you LOVE.
Stupid stuff will keep you in debt, prevent you from investing at your full potential, and keep your financial outcomes mediocre.
I gave up buying stupid stuff years ago.
Now and then, when I have a blip, I do my best to return the item or get rid of it.
But most importantly, I refuse to go into debt for stupid purchases.
When you have excess money, are on track with your financial and investment goals, and are out of debt, it creates more options for what you can buy, but you should still avoid buying stupid stuff. Only buy things with complete intention.
Check out this article to see all the “Stupid Stuff” people regret buying.
You might cringe a few times or relate :)
Thanx for stopping buy!
This article is for informational purposes only. It should not be considered Financial or Legal Advice. Not all information will be accurate. Consult a financial professional before making any major financial decisions.