Dangers of Living A Materialistic Life

A lot of people nowadays tend to think that valuables have the ability to make them happy. They believe that having a new car or a new television is just what they need in life to be happier. While it is very hard for us to fight this sensation, it is quite normal to have. Our society tends to mislead us to the fact that it is necessary to spend money to buy the latest and greatest gadgets. In all reality, there are actually many negative consequences of having a materialistic mindset. In this article, we will discuss some of the reasons why you should refrain from being materialistic.

Do material items really make you happier?

In short, no. Material items alone will not make you happy. So why do we continue to overspend in order to have new items? Most of the time we do so in order to impress others. How often have you bought a brand new outfit but didn't show it off? What about a flashy car? Ever heard of someone buying an beautiful Nissan 350z just to keep in their garage? Probably not. Long story short, we usually buy new and expensive things because we want to look good in front of others. Chances are, you may have bought something new because you saw someone else with one of their own. This chain of events causes us to slowly develop a longing for material items and turns us into materialistic people.

What are the negative effects of becoming materialistic?

Becoming attached to material items and seeking happiness through them can lead to a lot of negative effects. One of which is that you will become strayed from the fact that your purchases are worth more than you think. What this means is that your purchases shouldn't be measured in dollars, but the amount of time it took you to earn those dollars.

Someone who makes minimum wage may only earn around $8 an hour. After taxes, that number will be even lower. Say they decide to buy that new pair of shoes that everyone is talking about. If those shoes cost them $150, they will be paying for them with almost 20 hours of their time. What about if they bought a flashy car? Or a pool? Over time, unnecessary materialistic-based purchases can add up to years of hard work.

Another great point is that someone will always have more. Trying to catch up to others by buying things that they have will only provide you with a short-lived pleasure. Someone will always have more money, a bigger house, a nicer car, etc. Trying to keep up with everyone around you will never work. One final reason that becoming materialistic is harmful is that it prevents you from reaching financial freedom. When you become attached to material items, it can sidetrack you from saving money and reaching goals. Additionally, 68% of people live paycheck to paycheck. This means that 68 out of 100 people don't have the money to spend on extras. Being materialistic can make the act of not spending money very hard to do.

Things to keep in mind

Spending money on material items is not a black and white topic. There is no telling exactly how many material objects that one should acquire throughout a lifetime. By no means should you save every penny you make and refuse to ever reward yourself. That is not the point that this article intends to get across. What you shouldn't do though, is buy items just because you see others with them. You also should not expect a material item to bring you happiness. Whatever makes you happy, you should do. Don't get me wrong, material items aren't a horrible thing. In fact, a nice outfit can boost your confidence and potentially help you to be happy. Fastcompany.com even covered an article as to why buying things can make you happy. Whatever you do in life, value the people around you more than you value the objects around you.