We live in a world where companies encourage us to spend, even when we don’t need to, for example, to keep up with the latest trends.
The practice of spending more upon getting an income boost, is known as “lifestyle inflation.”
Instead of keeping up with the latest trends, a better way to approach this phenomenon is to ask ourselves, “Why do we need to keep up in the first place?”
Most often than not, you’ll realize that the reason why you’re keeping up with the latest trends is a desire to belong.
Love and belonging occupy the third level of Abraham Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. According to Maslow, humans are social creatures that crave interaction with others. The need for love and belonging leads to friendship, intimacy, family, and love. Humans need to give and receive love in order to feel they belong to a group.
Most of us also reach a point in life where we want to leave a mark: some sort of legacy, whether public or even just to be remembered by people whose lives we impacted in a positive way. Instead of buying the latest “whatever,” how about the simple act of giving?
Giving doesn’t have to just be money, as I discussed in this post.
Money or not, by channeling what we can into giving, we will feel a sense of contentment that no trendy purchase can fulfill.
Be well,
David