Repeat after me – We Will Not Let Anything We Cannot Control Rob Us of Our Joy This Year!!
We have all been through enough these past couple of years to enjoy our peace of mind, our mental well-being, and our joy! Unfortunately, sometimes we have those moments where we see something online, or what someone has and instead of being grateful and content with what we have, we get bitter and jealous.
Not sure of what can be causing you anxiety? Here are five consumer habits that are robbing your joy.
1.) Buying Things You See on Social Media
Oh social media…what a love/hate relationship we have with it, right? While it’s done wonders to connect us as a community by establishing and cultivating new relationships and awareness, it’s also become a breeding ground for a lot of unnecessary spending, thanks to social media advertising.
There is even a whole category called “TikTok Made Me Buy It” content all over the internet, so it is not uncommon to succumb to this. However, try not to buy everything you see on social media, and definitely do not do it if it’s not in your budget and will get you into credit card debt.
2.) Comparing Your Possessions with Others’
Again, where are we most likely doing this? On social media, of course! The quickest way to rob your own joy is to compare yourself to others: “Comparison is the Thief of Joy” is a true statement. I know I have done this myself a few times, where I will see someone going on vacation (again), or get the latest car, the latest iPhone, or do a shopping haul from Sephora or Ulta…my joy was instantly robbed, and I would get jealous and feel less than.
While it can be nice to aspire to become better with our drive or money to become like those who are inspirational to us, it should never come at the expense of our joy and how we view ourselves. In fact, we should do the exact opposite, because remember, social media is just a highlight reel of perfected curated social feeds. We do not know people’s financial situations and real lives behind the filtered pics and videos.
3.) Equating Your Worth to Your Possessions
Running in the same vein as the previous point, something that can rob you of our joy immediately is placing your self-worth on your possessions. Not to sound cliche at all, but your self-worth must come from within and cannot be sought out from external factors, people, or things.
Just because you do not own the latest car, iPhone, or fashion trends, does not mean you are less than anyone else. You are not defined by your possessions, just like you are not defined by what’s in or not in your bank account.
Unfortunately, we live in a society where posting every minute and every purchase is a must for “mini vlogs”, but that is not real life. Let’s start being present in our own lives and being grateful for what we do have, not by what we don’t have.
4.) Impulsive/Emotional Spending
This is something I know about all too well – thinking that buying something will make me feel better, trying to fill an emotional void. When we let our emotions dictate our spending choices, not only are we left with less money in our bank accounts, but also with more feelings of inadequacy. If we are able to fill this void, it’s usually only a temporary fix. This will cause an unhealthy spending cycle, which is definitely something that will not spark joy.
The thing about impulsive spending is that there is no planning involved, and I know for me, there is little room for accountability. The justification for emotional spending is usually the “Oh goodness, I just have been so busy, I need to treat myself” or “I reached this goal, I deserve this new purse”…this type of “logic” will keep you unhappy and unfulfilled.
5.) Spending on Convenience
Now this last point is purely from a monetary standpoint, but do you ever order from a restaurant from GrubHub that’s literally down the street from your home…and you end up paying for your food, taxes, delivery fee, and tip, resulting in about a 30-40% increase in your overall price. If you really think about it, you would be upset at yourself, right? Because you probably could have saved 40-50% of your total cost by just picking it up yourself.
So why do we do this to ourselves to only feel like we’ve wasted money? Convenience of course! Now, do not get me wrong, there are many times where I do not want to cook, did not defrost something properly, or bad weather (Hi Chicago winters), however, I was more annoyed when I would see that 40-50% increase.
I want to try to avoid that feeling of being mad at myself for something I could control, so in 2022 I vowed to myself to cook at least 4 days/week (eating leftovers as well). I wanted to save money, and for me, GrubHub and Uber Eats were detrimental for my bank account and my waistline.
So as you can see, sometimes paying for convenience will rob you of your financial dreams and goals if you are not careful.
Related: 10 Bad Spending Habits that will Hurt You Down the Line
Can you relate to any of these habits? Have you ever quit one of these habits? Let us know!
