Submitted by Vox Bikol on
MANY PEOPLE who have been affected by the economic downturn or have simply lost their jobs due to retrenchment have realized the importance of spending wisely every single centavo in their pockets. The basic question is always "Do I need to buy this?" Need becomes the criterion for spending. Instead of buying clothes, shoes and other stuff, many are becoming more conscious to prioritize food, medicine and utilities in their budget. "Let's face it: Most people spend way too much money on things they don't really need. The more money we make, the more we tend to spend. This endless cycle of materialism has led many people to confuse the word "need" with the word "want." As in, "we need a big-screen TV for our new home theater." Or, "I need a new pair of shoes to go with my new outfit."
I always feel challenged to live simply according to need. In fact, there are many occasions that I find myself wrestling with wanting to have something and having only what I need. One of the great temptations is to accumulate things without really seriously thinking about the reason for buying them.
While spending some time with a priest-friend, he shared with me how it is easy even for priests to accumulate a lot of things. He was saying this from experience because after seventeen years in the parish as a pastor, he was being moved to a new assignment and he was surprised to find out when he was packing up that he had many things that he did not even use. He needed two trucks to take all his stuff out of the rectory and bring them to his new assignment. He told me that he would need some time to sort out all his tuff and throw away and even give away anything that he would not need. Well, I do not have to wait for seventeen years before I throw away something or give away anything. More important than throwing away something is to learn the art of buying only what I need.
Stick to need. No more, no less.
In order to avoid the temptation of buying just anything, I think the basic rule is to make a need-list. In other words, before heading out to the supermarket or department store, one has to have a shopping list. This is easier said than done but I think it takes a lot of will to resist the temptation of consumerism. One of the strategies that can be used to stick to need is to have a regular inventory of one's personal properties or belongings. It is not surprising for one to find out a couple of unused things that have been kept in the closet for a long time still nicely wrapped in their original packaging. A regular inventory can give a clear picture of what has to be thrown away or what has to be given away. I like the suggestion of one of my friends when she shared how she tries not to accumulate many things. When she receives a gift, she tries to take out of her closet something to be given away to somebody beginning with her house helpers or workers. Another suggestion is to observe which clothes, for example, have not been worn for a whole year and that could be an indication that that shirt or dress is not really needed.
"Studies have shown that the more advertising a person is exposed to, the more they buy and consume. What does this mean to you? The more television you watch, the more magazines you subscribe to or read, the more money you want to spend on things you don't really need. Marketers are taught that success comes from selling to wants not needs."
Let us learn to live on less until it becomes a habit. Peace and happiness come from living simply.