Our culture is so enticing!  And dang, it looks good on screen!  Shiny things and cool personas, perfect kitchens and live edge coffee tables, big screens, big phones, big cars,  legs days at the gym chased by salted caramel macchiotos, and everything wrapped in sterile plastic bubbles.

I want stuff!  If I just buy this thing, my life will be better.  I’ll be happier.  That’s the promise from marketers.  In some instances, it’s true, others not so much.

The next time the impulse to buy shows up, remember there are a lot of folks who work really hard to make you feel this way.  Beware our materialist culture whispering in your ear to buy things that will make you feel something.  Will the feelings last or will they subside and need to be bolstered by a new purchase?

To bring consciousness to your buying decision, ask the following questions:

• Do I really need this?
• Will it hold it’s value for me 6 months from now?
• If I couldn’t buy this, what other options are there to meet this need?
• Will it add to the quality of my life?
• Will it make me happier?

Choose to spend time on things that really make you happy.  Shopping is not recreation.  Postpone instant gratification in favour of long-term satisfaction.