The Clallenge of a Spendthrift Nation

Buy this. Buy that.

Buy this thing if you want to be healthy. Buy that if you want to be gorgeous.

Buy these things if you want the nice house.

Buy this stuff if you want to be wealthy.

It’s bullshit, you know.

You can’t buy your way to anything.

Do you want a clean, organized house? Get rid of your excess and clean the crap you keep. If you only have what you use, there is no need for fancy organizers.

Want health? Buy less junk food. Buy no junk food at all if you want to turbocharge it. And while you’re at it, move a bit more. Instead of buying that video game (and spending hours camped out in front of it), go outside and take a walk. Or do some sit ups and push ups.

Keeping clean works wonders for improving health, but you don’t need a bunch of fancy soaps and body washes to accomplish that. A bar of soap and some water work just fine.

Do you want to be fashionable? A simple hairstyle, easy to maintain is perfect. You can use a pair of clippers if you prefer short, or have a hairdresser trim you down to a single length—no layers or fancy trims needed.

If you want layers, there are styles you can create yourself, basic tutorials that you can find on YouTube. A pair of scissors and you can cut your own hair for free.

You can do that stuff at home if you’re adventurous. 

Keep your clothes clean. Mend the spots. Press out the wrinkles, and wear the shit you already have.

Fashion trends are for the poor. It doesn’t make you look wealthy and successful. It makes you look stupid and broke.

As for wealth? 

All of the things I’ve listed above build wealth. Wealth is simply spending less than you earn, so if you rise above the hype, avoid the pressure to buy, then you are ahead of the game.

I’m doing that now.

After spending a year splurging, recovering from a lifetime of living on less because I felt I had to, I needed to see what it was like to live the way normal people live.

I discovered that it’s seriously overrated, so I went back to being me.

If you want to be successful, if you want to ride out the current economy, buy less.

You don’t need the crap they’re selling you anyway.