I’ve got a controversial confession to make.
I’m not a materialistic person, at all.
I say it’s controversial because I’m aware that we live in a society that is very much driven by materialism, something which is largely fueled by our incessant need to always be consuming. We find settling for what we have difficult, and we therefore seek to always have the latest stuff. The problem is, in a society that operates in such a way, rejecting consumerism and materialism, as I am doing, makes me feel like a bit of a ‘black sheep’ (i.e., I am going against the norm.)
I don’t reject this consumerist driven culture because I can’t afford to buy the latest things, in fact, that’s not the case at all. I have been saving up my money pretty much my whole life, so I have a lot of disposable income readily available for me to spend, should I want to. But the thing is, I just don’t want to.
Why?
The reason is quite simple.
I just don’t like spending money.
Why don’t I like spending money?
Again, a fairly simple explanation:
I don’t believe that ‘stuff’ matters, and nor am I driven by material possessions, and so I see no point in buying things that I just don’t believe in, hence why I live a minimalist lifestyle.
This is also why, when my trainers got a hole in them, I waited until the last possible moment to buy a pair of new ones. Despite the fact that I could’ve quite easily gone to Flannels and spent over £500 on a pair of Balenciaga’s, I didn’t. Instead, I shopped around for the cheapest possible pair, opting for a £12.99 pair from Shoe zone.
Its strange really, how I’m so driven by money, yet I very rarely spend it.
You see, I’d much rather save up for holidays where happy memories can be made, as opposed to splashing out on the latest ‘trends’ that will undoubtedly go out of fashion just as quickly as they came in fashion. Memories, on the other hand, they will not ‘go out of fashion.’ No, memories will last, enduring the test of time, throughout it all.
Now don’t get me wrong, I do enjoy ‘treating myself’ occasionally, but I don’t get the same sense of excitement from buying myself things, or receiving gifts, as I think other people probably do. This is where I differ. I differ in the way I view material possessions. I struggle to see the value in things because the way I view it all is like this; you can’t take anything with you when you die, the only thing guaranteed to remain with you is your soul, therefore you should strive to do the things that genuinely make your soul happy, not the things that society convinces you will make you happy.
After all, happiness is an inside job, something that cannot be found in a shopping bag, for only you can bring yourself happiness.
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