This piece of wisdom was hidden in the comments of yesterday’s Five Frugal Things blog post.
Wonderful, succinct and too perfect to not share.
Thank you, Lee!
Katy Wolk-Stanley
“Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without.”
Click HERE to follow The Non-Consumer Advocate on Twitter.
Click HERE to follow The Non-Consumer Advocate on Instagram.
Click HERE to join The Non-Consumer Advocate Facebook group.
Click HERE to follow The Non-Consumer Advocate on Pinterest.
{ 9 comments… read them below or add one }
I find myself looking forward to your posts more than the “money saving” posts that I’ve bookmarked. I aspire to have a lifestyle like yours, not dependent on consumerism. You inspire me.
I so agree! Too much stuff….too much upkeep, too many accompanying expenses, etc.
I like the phrase…..Happiness is not so much having what you want, but wanting what you have. If you have too much stuff….you obviously have stuff you really and honestly don’t want….or need.
Too true.
We have friends who I used to envy. They have a huge house, new cars and enough money to buy what they want (which they do) and go wherever they want (France, England). But in the past year they’ve had 2 miscarriages. She has left her job in the hopes of being a stay at home mom. They own 3 properties and are desperately trying to sell one. Meanwhile, we have a house half the size of theirs and a 13 year-old car (we just replaced my 12 year-old car). I just got a full time job and love what I do. Despite the fact that they’re better off than us financially and asset-wise, I think they’re much less happy, my friend especially. Yup, money and stuff definitely don’t buy happiness.
Totally agree!
Comparison is the thief of joy.
-Theodore Roosevelt
So true!! I am so unhappy with too much stuff!
Absolutely!
In the past 5 years we’ve ended up with lots of items that belonged to both sets of parents. So, not only am I having to purge my own stuff, I’m having to purge things that belonged to our parents too – and my Mom was a hoarder.
It has become so overwhelming at times that I’ve ended up depressed and unable to figure out where to begin.
Do yourselves a favor, if you are a young family – DO NOT put so much value on stuff. Enjoy your kids, your extended family and vacations, but don’t hoard stuff.
It only leaves problems for the next generation to deal with.
I’m not there yet but I can look at my parent’s house and see clearly that this will be my future (barring some unexpected change of heart/mind on their part). Sadly, my grandparents have all passed away over the past year and so now another generation is being added to what they already have.
All this to say that I am sympathetic to what you are going through and my personal plan for a 60th birthday gift to myself is to divest myself of my possessions to spare my own children and future grandchildren from this ordeal!
On behalf of my nine year old, thank you!