Need v. Want

From my perspective a lot of wasteful spending of money comes down to need versus want. This is particularly the case with clothing purchases. Surely this screams self sacrifice to many of you, but consider how freeing it is to make a conscience choice about whether your purchase is a need or a want. Chances are, a great deal of expenses would fall into the "want" category. Here are couple of ideas of ways to think about the issue.

In a consumer driven world consider what good adopting the less is more philosophy would be on a large scale. You can start at home with this fun reminder glass, but you might only want it and not need it....

While this can be used for just about everything in our lives, I've used the example of clothes shopping to illustrate this point. Consider whether it is that you need something or want something. Many people make purchases that we don't necessarily need. Here are some questions to ask yourself:

• Think about your actual needs before you head out to go shopping, not just shopping for shopping's sake (if you like shopping for entertainment then leave your money at home)
• Give yourself a budget and stick to it
• Don't buy something just because it is on sale
• Make sure you look and feel good in the item
• If you hesitate about whether you need this or not, you probably don't
• Make sure that it works with items you already have - mix and match is a great way to build a wardrobe
• Consider how much you will wear this - is it worth it?
• Consider how you will feel when you go through your closet to de-clutter, will this be an item you won't really need but hold on to because you spent the money on it?
• If you go shopping with friends, make sure that it is your style and not your friends
• Don't buy under the pressure of friends - sometimes shopping alone is better for your wallet
• De-clutter - consider that you might actually have too many clothes rather than not enough
  

My inspiration for writing this was a friend visiting my closet the other day and wondering in awe at how I could be such a minimalist. When it comes down to it, it isn't as if I have no clothing. It is more a matter of being very strategic with what I buy. I guess it comes in part from having that style in packing.

From my perspective it is much more freeing not to have excess clothing staring at you out of the closet. Chances are that it won't make it easier to get dressed in the morning. While this approach might seem like a sacrifice to some who like their shopping, it might even feel freeing to lighten your load. According to the principles of feng shui, just de-cluttering your current closet will make room for the new.

Just think of how much money you could save by shaving off a couple of hundred dollars off your shopping bill each year. Every little bit helps.

Cheers!

Miel