Making Meaningful Purchases

We make purchases all the time. We exchange it for services, satisfaction, and more. But within the recent years, the ideology of buying something has changed. Many buy things for that temporary satisfaction, to impress peers, or to even look better than they actually are. For many nowadays, the things you buy are now more of a “status symbol” rather than personal need. Things like the highest end porsche, the newest iPhone, that new pair of Valentino pants, all point towards the same idea. So with all that “negative influence” around us, how can we really make meaningful purchases? How do we buy the things that are really going to add value to our lives?

The answer is quite straightforward: Buy the things you really need. Things that add sentimental value and mean something to you. Not to impress your friends or to get that short bump of excitement. Something that would keep you satisfied in the long run.

Here’s a 3 step guide on making meaningful purchases I found on youtube:

1. Can you afford it?
2. How is your current device (or the object you’ll replace) holding up?
3. Is the difference worth it?

Take what I do as an example: As a content creator, I need gear to make things. I’ve been using my phone the whole time to make videos, simply because I don’t need an actual video camera yet. When do I know I need to upgrade? It’s when the gear I have is limiting me from creating better content. When I’m being restrained from making better videos. And so far, I haven’t ran into the problem yet. It’s that easy. Just don’t over think it.

And this concept applies to everyday objects like our phones as well. When we buy a new phone, initially the phone most likely runs well. But as time passes, the frustration goes up. Things like software bugs, bluetooth, slow responsiveness make the experience worse. We get more and more annoyed about the limits and capabilities of what our phones can do. Eventually we reach a breaking point and we need a new phone. That’s when you know you should switch.

Here’s a diagram made by Matt D’Avella that explains the whole situation:

As time passes, the level of frustration goes up until it hits the breaking point

So this is the new iPad Pro. It is an incredible tablet. Still an iPad though — MKBHD

This quote really hits me since it talks of no matter how upgraded, in this case, the new tech is, is still what it is. The phone might be upgraded, but it’s still a phone. This cool chair is cool, but it still does what any other chair does, lets you sit. Sometimes we need to reconsider what we’re buying and realize that the things we buy can ultimately does the same thing with what we already have, but with a few unnoticeable features. However, there is always a point where you need to upgrade. Just don’t overdo it.

We also need to be cautious the circumstances we have when we buy in. When there’s a discount, it doesn’t mean you buy it (unless you need it of course). If you already have a crap ton of t-shirts, please don’t buy another one even when there’s a discount. 100% off is better than a 20% discount. It’s free to not buy something you don’t need. Constantly buying something not needed is why many have a cluttered life. Take a look at your closet. Chances are that only 50% are the things you wear quite often. The remainder of that are the ones you wore only once or twice.

*A little shameless plug here, but check out a podcast I made with my good friend Lucas on making meaningful purchases last year:

All in all, we need to purchase things more intentionally over what other’s tell us to. We need to control what we consume and take it into consideration. With proper mentality and reasoning, buying will be more like a long term investment rather than just a quick rush of excitement.

If you’re interested, here’s a video that goes deeper into consumerism:

Peace ✌️