“Our own relentless search for novelty and social status locks us into an iron cage of consumerism. Affluence has itself betrayed us.” – Tim Jackson

We are wired to always want something new.  It gives us a high, a shot of dopamine, when we acquire a new item or a new experience.  This need has lead us to become the advanced civilization that we are. Where this gets us in trouble is that this need often conflicts with our financial goals, making us buy things or take vacations when financially we shouldn’t.  The key is not to suppress this want for novelty, as we should never suppress any feeling or emotion. The key is to channel it in a direction that is aligned with our financial goals. There are ton of things out there that can feed this need for novelty without having to spend money we shouldn’t be spending. Instead of buying new furniture, rearrange the current one and paint the room. Pick up a new hobby, better yet, look for a hobby that involves learning something new or that involves giving to others and you’ll be fulfilling two of your needs at once, adding growth and/or giving to it. Create something new, pick something that you know can be better, at work or at home, and challenge yourself to come up with an innovative solution to improve it.

Is this as easy as hitting “place order now” for that item you must have or “book now” for that trip you must take, no, the better choices often are not the easiest. But it is just as rewarding and the best part is that it doesn’t come accompanied with the stress of being in debt or not being able to achieve financial freedom.

“You must gain control over your money or the lack of it will forever control you.” – Dave Ramsey