I discovered The Happiness Lab with Dr. Laurie Santos recently and jumped straight into one of the latest episodes: Why More Stuff Doesn’t Make You Happier. You can listen directly here or below via Spotify.

It was an interesting listen! I’m definitely someone who buys things in order to feel better. There was a period where if I was upset, that meant getting a new pair of earrings. And I’d intentionally look for bargains because that meant I could buy more! I still do this, but I now leave things in my cart longer and I’m constantly asking myself if I need them.

The podcast was somewhat validating because I’m working hard not to waste money on things I won’t use. They go into how the high of buying something tends to evaporate once we’ve got it in our hands and I relate to that so much.

There are so many times I’ll order something and the package sits there for weeks. My very urgent purchase stops feeling so immediate once I have it in sight. Or worse, I unwrap it and squeeze it into a space in my room and forget all about it.

My most recent frivolous purchases are: earrings (I had a weak moment), a book (I already had a digital copy) and five pairs of trousers when I only needed one.

Going forward, I’m going to consider if I need something, where I intend to put it and…whether I’ll still want it in two months time before I acquire more stuff.

If you have time to listen, drop a comment below to let me know your thoughts!

Helpful links:

https://ideas.ted.com/got-clutter-you-cant-seem-to-shift-here-are-5-smart-tricks-to-make-it-move/

https://ideas.ted.com/got-too-much-stuff-try-these-7-tips-to-help-pare-down/

https://www.powerofpositivity.com/too-much-stuff-holds-you-back/