Are we overspending?. Just like earning, spending is one of…
By: Mahesh Madhusudan Gugwad
Tags: Spending Habits, Consumerism, Money, Saving

Just like earning, spending is one of the essential thing that we have to do for survival.

We all spend money, spending money is good for the economy, right? – It creates jobs for others to survive.

But there is one question which always arise in mind,

Are we not, as individuals, overspending?

Overspending not only in the name of essential basic needs but also on other fewer things just to prove ourselves or someone(“sometimes”) that we are not less than anyone. It’s an addictive behaviour (thanks to ads) where sufferers spend in order to get relief from other problems in their lives such as anxiety or stress.

In this act of spending, I feel, we are stealing from ourselves?

A Swedish Proverb ( believe me, it’s not gender specific :)) says -

“HE WHO BUYS WHAT HE DOES NOT NEED, STEALS FROM HIMSELF”

Why are we adding more wants and consuming more than ever? What makes us to buy what we can’t afford?

I guess there are few kind of devil in disguise doing this, they are,

Peer pressure & Easy consumer loan

they are making us crazy spenders and we are possessing more and more things that we can’t afford?

We all have seen that, nowadays

– parents buy whatever their kids points at, thanks to plastic money that kids are happy and so are the parents (till monthly billing cycle)

– some buy phones costing 2–3 times of their monthly earnings, thanks to no cost EMI.

– people want to just follow new fashion. Remember, we will always be following it and will never catch it.

– expensive marriages, where guests don’t know what to eat and from where to start – filling their plates just to taste and waste.

– kids first year birthday party, where birthday kid is clueless, crying by seeing burning candles and the flashes coming out of 48 megapixel camera phones of “professional” photographing uncles and aunties.

The list is never-ending.

I wonder, what are we doing? (By the way, I am also sailing the same boat:) need to cut down on few things.)

I feel, we should

– strive to see from “where and how” the stuffs that we consume to satisfy our wants come from.

– know what it takes for diamonds to reach stores just to prove someone’s worth?

– know how garments are made and at what and whose cost?

– know where are we dumping all the discarded stuffs?

I see many people saying that they can’t stop overspending and I feel they will not (one can’t stop something that they are enjoying) unless they realise that it’s actually ruling them.

It is estimated that we need atleast 3–5 planets for us to exploit for our stuff at this rate of consumption.

Let’s not make mindless spending a part of our culture,

— buy things which last long.

— give away things that we are not using.

— if possible buy used ones, it saves money.

— don’t buy expensive gifts, give cash or gift vouchers instead.

— please stop return gifting on birthday celebrations, this has become unnecessary obligations in recent times and has put burden on parents who can’t afford.

I could list out more than 50 points which can make us spend less without compromise, but I will limit myself here.

If we spend less, we are not only saving money but also the planet.

Let’s not spend like there is no tomorrow, if we do then for sure there will be no tomorrow for future beings.

Spend wisely.