Buy Less Stuff - Be Happy

This is my annual plea to encourage folks to appreciate the simpler things in life and forget about the stuff.

We are in a soft recession spurned by our out of control spending. Over the past ten years 40% of buyers purchased their homes with zero money down. We have a near zero savings rate in this country. Most people are financing their over-spending with home equity loans and maxed-out credit cards.

All this is occurring despite the well-established research that finds that purchasing stuff does not make us any happier. I see quite the opposite in my practice as financial worry is one of the top reasons people come to see me. In fact, people that have a materialistic value orientation tend to be less happy than those that are less materialistic.

Whenever I hear one of our national leaders implore people to spend more I cringe. We need to spend less! Isn't that obvious given the above information?

So, this year for the holiday season simply tell your loved ones that you love them very much but you are making a decision to curtail your spending this year and you decided to give them the gift of time instead. Ask them to do the same for you. Or, make them something thoughtful. Or, give them something of your own that is meaningful to you as in the Native American tradition. There are lots of ways to express love besides buying stuff. Try it this year.