Changing Up the Holidays
When you are in your 3rd Act of life, it is time for a major mind shift. You don’t want to accumulate much more stuff. Time to focus on consumable stuff. We have been brainwashed to believe that more stuff equals more enjoyment and more status and more _______ (you fill in the blank).
As we face the holidays we seniors need to look ourselves in the mirror and ask — how can I cut off the inflow of stuff? The reality is most of us have too much stuff and more stuff would just add to our problem.
Here are some ideas to stop the inflow of stuff:
Stop receiving or giving material things – talk this over with your family and friends. They will understand if you explain things to them. ask for a gift card to a restaurant or grocery store if they insist on getting you a gift. Or just say “We no longer want to exchange gifts”. We want to focus on the real meaning of the holidays – family and friends and experiences together. Tell them you don’t want any more stuff!
Think about giving to a good charity instead – Samaritans Purse is an excellent organization that meets the needs of so many.
www.samaritanspurse.org
Think about doing something together for the holidays instead of focusing on gifts.
Get rid of credit card shopping. It is a trap and you know it. Get to zero debt and stay there.
For help on this go to:
www.ramseysolutions.com
Find a Financial Freedom workshop near you and go to the classes!
Stay out of the stores and if you do go – shop for items on a list to avoid impulse buying.
Online shopping can be a problem too. Amazon or something similar makes it really easy to purchase something with just one click of the button. This can be a dangerous thing. The advertising department in the stores are out to get your money and convince you that you need a certain something.
Just because something is on sale does not mean it belongs in your home. Even if it is a used item and a really low price- bargain shopping is also a trap.
Ask yourself: Do I really need this item?
Focus on getting rid of stuff instead of acquiring stuff
Look around your home and see if you can find some stuff to sell or donate:
Christmas decorations, gift bags, hobby stuff you no longer desire to use anymore, tools you never use, jewelry you no longer wear, clothes you no longer wear, school supplies, winter hats and scarves, baking items you no longer use, books you will never read again, etc. By donating some of these things to others, you can brighten someone’s holiday and really make a difference in someone’s life.
Hopefully, you will discover: LESS STUFF really does equal MORE JOY!