My personal experience with owning less has been that it drastically reduces the pressure of constantly needing money.
By limiting what I own or buy, I have been motivated to find meaning and enjoyment in everything I own and have.
And as controversial as this sounds, I believe it to be true that discipline creates freedom.
These advantages only became clear to me after I pursued a traditional life of material ownership.
Allow me to explain.
After college, I spent the first three years of my life trying to find my feet in the world.
Once I found them, I started to earn a stable income, and that sent me down to every mall in a 50-mile radius to shop.
I walked from store to store, seeking out my next dose of instant gratification.
It was like I had been possessed by a financially reckless ancestor.
Rather than saving or focusing on meaningful purchases that actually brought me long-term joy or comfort, I sought the highs of impulsive, flashy, and spontaneous purchases.
With each new purchase, the dopamine will spike and crash in a shorter space of time.
Then, the pursuit of even more expensive items began.
I reached this point where all I did was browse car catalogs and watch videos of properties that I needed to work towards.
On the surface, there’s nothing wrong with an ambitious goal, but when it’s rooted in the mistaken belief that it will finally make you happy, then it becomes a problem.
I couldn’t comprehend this for a long time, especially when I was broke in my early twenties, but happiness is not a destination; it’s a choice.
If the journey towards a material-based goal is a source of unending stress, misery, depression, and dissatisfaction, the happiness from the goal will never last.
This is the reason why I chose minimalism.
Finding gratitude and joy in what I already possess brings me far more fulfillment and far less stress than ever before.
It’s a slow journey but an enjoyable one because I constantly seek out ways to have fun and be joyful without swiping my credit card or shopping online.
Do I still buy new things?
Yes, absolutely.
Lately, my sister and I have invested in a professional camera for videography.
But the act of purchasing wasn’t the focus for us. It was a means to a greater end, which was videography, an art form that we love.
I’ve spent so many hours filming content since we made this purchase that you’d think I had the aspiration to be the next Tarintino.
Whereas in the past, I’d buy a new item like a gaming console or a high-end tablet just to use it a handful of times before seeking out my next purchase and abandoning it.
I hope that I didn’t spend too much time yapping on and on about my personal experience, but I felt like it was important to share the biggest advantage of owning less and how it improved my life.
Related article: Why I’m choosing to become a minimalist
How Minimalism Will Improve Your Life
Here’s a look at the advantages of owning less and how it may improve your life:
1. You may feel less daily stress
The hustle and bustle of trying to keep up with the ever-increasing prices of material items causes immense stress for many of us.
Owning less and being a minimalist reduces this problem. You may still purchase expensive goods, but you’ll be more intentional about it.
This will improve the likelihood that you mostly spend money on things you really need.
2. You learn how to find joy in what you own
Through ongoing shopping, you may notice that your brain rewires to only get dopamine and enjoyment from the act of spending money or collecting goods rather than enjoying what you own.
By owning less and spending less, a greater appreciation for what you own manifests, which directly creates a feeling of desire to use and enjoy those things.
I love what I possess because my eyes are not fixed on the next shiny object.
3. It improves your relationship with money
Money is amazing, but it can be perceived as something more than it actually is.
When people base their identity on their possessions, they never truly experience bliss or security.
Constant competition with others plagues their lives, and the never-ending pursuit for more wealth turns vapid. In my opinion, money is only a means to an end, not the end itself.
I highly recommend reading this article by Clever Girl Finance on the steps to transforming your relationship with money.
4. It may inspire you to seek out new experiences
Instead of falling into a pattern of consumption, you can divert your money, effort, and attention towards creating.
When I was in a cycle of consuming takeout food, buying things, and visiting the cinema, I thought that I was “happy.”. Little did I know that I was gradually destroying my mind, body, and spirit with unhealthy consumption of things.
Since owning less and becoming a minimalist, I have found new ways to experience fulfilment, happiness, and excitement. I took up sports, writing, videography, reading books digitally, and gardening.
These new experiences and activities have helped me to grow as a person, and I barely get bored because I have so much to do every day.
It’s ironic, but some of the most resourceful and creative people are those who choose to consume less and create more.
At the same time, you seek out thrills and excitement in socializing with family and friends. That’s a huge indirect effect of owning less and detaching from the incessant pursuit of more money and things.
You’ll never regret making valuable memories with your loved ones.
5. Maintaining a clean and organized home is easier
Less things equal less clutter.
It’s really a numbers game when it comes to cleaning and decluttering a home.
At one point, I owned 100 console games that I barely played and 40 or 50 books that sat on my bookshelf after reading.
They took up space and accumulated too much dust every week.
Couple that with all the other miscellaneous items I’d impulsively buy, and my home turned into a storage facility.
Slowly but surely, I’ve gotten rid of my clutter and non-essential items, which have improved my living conditions.
I don’t need to dust or clean as frequently as I used to, and I’m sure you won’t need to do that either.
Related article: 8 Tips to clear clutter from your home
I hope that this article inspired you to chase a life of experiences and fulfilment over highly inflated material objects that really have no real impact on your happiness. I’d love to hear your thoughts on this subject, so please feel free to leave a comment down below.