Joy and freedom are the results of owning less, according to author Joshua Becker. He and his family intentionally changed their lives forever by slashing their possessions by over 70%, and he shares seven areas of improvement that resulted. These include lowering debt, less time spent dealing with the accumulation and care of “things,” less… Continue reading 7 Common Problems Solved by Owning Less
Category: Money Psychology
Protect Me From What I Want
Do we know what we truly want? Can those things be purchased? Jill Chivers, author of “My Year Without Clothes Shopping,” suggests that overshopping can be a way of compensating for deeper needs such as meaningful work, connections with others, life experiences that make us happy, and being seen and known for who we really… Continue reading Protect Me From What I Want
Focusing on What Is Most Important Leads to a Better Life
It is very easy in a consumer-driven, capitalistic society to both lose our focus and to lose track of the things most important in life. Instead of forming our own values and being true to them, many of us adopt the desires thrust on us from advertisements and cultural pressures. We have no idea what… Continue reading Focusing on What Is Most Important Leads to a Better Life
How Simplicity Appeals to the Heart
Joshua Becker defines minimalism as “the intentional promotion of the things I most value and the removal of everything that distracts me from it.” In his writing and speaking, he has come to believe that simplicity leads to joy and so appeals to our hearts. Our hearts know the truth, Becker suggests; that possessions don’t… Continue reading How Simplicity Appeals to the Heart
Let’s Not Be Too Hasty: Part 2
Decision Fatigue: Tales and Tips on How to Avoid It In the first part of this blog post, we looked at the compelling evidence behind decision fatigue, that previously unrecognized effect that renders us less and less capable of sensible decisions as we make more and more of them. Self control, we noted, turns out… Continue reading Let’s Not Be Too Hasty: Part 2
Let’s Not Be Too Hasty
Decision Fatigue: The more decisions we make, the less sound they are In a fascinating article in The New York Times (Aug 17, 2011), John Tierney examines the solid experimental work behind the emerging concept of “decision fatigue,” a powerful, demonstrable, and previously unrecognized effect that renders us less and less capable of sensible decisions… Continue reading Let’s Not Be Too Hasty
Are Some People Born to Spend?
In a word, yes. And others are born to save. This is the rough conclusion of Savita Iyer-Ahristani in her overview of a careful study of Swedish twins done by Stephan Siegel, at the University of Washington’s Foster School of Business, and Henrik Cronkvist, at Claremont McKenna College in California. Specifically, Siegel and Cronkvist conclude… Continue reading Are Some People Born to Spend?
BUI: Buying Under the Influence
We all know that a DUI can result in major consequences, but what about Buying Under the Influence? Learn how to catch yourself before you slip! Well, we’ve just passed the autumnal equinox; summer’s given way to fall. This means we can begin to hope for some relief from the heat. It also means that… Continue reading BUI: Buying Under the Influence
Shop ‘til You Drop: The Crisis of Consumerism
The Media Education Foundation’s film Shop ‘Til You Drop: The Crisis of Consumerism is a refreshingly contemporary and interdisciplinary peek into the machinery of American consumerism and advertising. Though it sees no end in sight to our appetite for overconsumption, it documents an end to the capacity of our planet, with its limited resources, to… Continue reading Shop ‘til You Drop: The Crisis of Consumerism
Danshari: Ditching Materialism for the Simple Life
Michael Hoffman, in an interesting new article in The Japan Times Online, describes danshari, a lifestyle idea that complements three other stuff-minimal concepts, voluntary simplicity, wabi sabi, and true wealth. Voluntary simplicity, you may recall, has origins in the 19th century and calls into question the values of material wealth and status; it focuses instead… Continue reading Danshari: Ditching Materialism for the Simple Life