I know this screams of 1st world problems, a grown man who doesn’t know what to buy or have any desire to purchase anything.
So over the last few years I have lost any appetite to purchase anything. I don’t earn a huge amount of money and I feel I really value what I make. I would say I am comfortable, with little debt and no real expenses beyond the regular month to month, so I do have disposable income.
My wife will spend money on what I see as ‘junk’, be it clothes, or just ‘stuff’ for the want of a better word. I on the other hand just look at 90% of items as just crap and overpriced.
It’s weird, I just don’t see any value in anything. Maybe I am tight, but I don’t think so. I have no problem buying anything for my wife but for me personally I am like ‘meh i’m good, don’t bother buying it’.
I know it’s not a problem as such but I am curious if anyone else feels this way?
6 comments
well, all the minimalists do.
generally, men do not buy ‘stuff’. we buy things we actually need. tools, shoes, sports equipment. it has to do the job.
I started to lose the appetite for spending around the age of 33. I learned that the initial high from shopping was so fleeting and stopped chasing it.
It’s crazy to see how we are bombarded with the consumer mindset though. I’m fully aware of it and still feel the initial impulse to get something I don’t need on occasion. Luckily I can usually squash that reaction.
I have my hobbies and there is always more to declutter but I’m far from the typical American consumer.
I’m sort of the same way. I don’t buy myself stuff, or at least not cheap stuff that feels like a waste. If I decide I want something, I weigh pros and cons and price points and then buy the one I think fits my needs.
I play video games occasionally but I never buy games unless they are heavily discounted and only if I’ve completed all my ofger games. I buy tools, but only when I need them and I typically do a lot of research on what makes a specific tool “good” before buying one.
My friends and wife make jokes about me being cheap, and I sort of play along with it. But I think I’m just reasonable. I’m fine splurging on a big vacation, or a nice date night with my wife, but if it’s just me, I don’t need much.
I love buying tech and appliances – upgrading the kitchen really helped reducing restaurant activity. But in general I want few other things. Like happy to buy super thick jeans that last 15 years. And frustrated when my only pair of shoes only last 2.
Most people I’ve known only buy for status. And different genders, classes, and cultures have different rules on what qualifies as status makers.
You don’t have to be a material girl to live in a material world.
Yeah. When I was studying I was dying to graduate so I could buy this and that and just have money to do things. Well guess what, now I’m graduated and I have (some) money but I don’t want to buy all that much anymore. A lot of the stuff has become just a burden and something that just devours more money if you make the mistake of purchasing it.
I’m not a minimalist or a scrooge tho, I did get a wardrobe full of nice clothes and all sorts of knick knacks once I finally started to make dough, but apparently there’s a limit of what you need to be satisfied. And it’s much lower than I originally thought.