We live in a world filled with empty consumeristic promises.
- To get the girl, buy this cologne.
- To be the life of the party, get this television.
- To impress your friends, buy this watch.
- To turn heads, drive this car.
- To raise a better family, buy this bigger house.
These promises bombard our senses incessantly—even within the comforts of our home. And more than we realize, these messages begin to shape our conscious and subconscious thoughts.
As a result, too often, we buy stuff we don’t need. Our closets become crowded, our drawers overfill, our garages can’t fit our cars, and our homes fill with countless products we thought were a good idea at the time; but in reality, rarely get used.
Our lives soon become buried under everything we own.
To counter these empty promises, I want to offer a simple, life-transforming question—five simple words to ask before making any purchase.
The question is this: But what if I don’t?
Whenever you feel the pull of consumerism, simply ask yourself the shortened version of this thought, “What might I be able to do if I didn’t make this purchase?”
Every purchase contains an opportunity cost. The question, “But what if I don’t?”, forces us to recognize and articulate it.
For example:
If you don’t buy that large screen television, how much debt could you pay off?
If you don’t buy the bigger house, how much more money would you have to travel?
If you don’t go clothes-shopping today, how could you build up an emergency fund?
If you don’t make this purchase on Amazon, what good could you accomplish in the world with the money instead?
You know what you’ve been promised if you buy… but what if you don’t? How would your life improve if you said ‘no?’
With every purchase we make, we sacrifice a small amount of freedom. This one, simple question helps us recognize exactly what it is.
Zarine says
Well yess.its a very difficult thing to do..But once done its so much satisfying.I am trying to declutter and decongest bit by bit.With no support from my husband and two grown up sons it is very frustrating when they dnt participate.
Jeff says
I like your work “decongest.” It is like having a stopped up nose, then getting unstopped. What relief! You never want to go back being congested again!
Carolyn says
“Decongest” — another great term!
Lily says
This could not have come at a better time. I literally had an online shopping cart full of stuff I thought I supposedly “needed” when I glanced over at my facebook page and saw this article. After reading, I closed out of the shopping browser immediately and am so happy I did. Thank you!
beachmama says
Love it!
Ms. Montana says
We thought about buying a larger house after our family size went from 3 to 7 in 2 years. But then we realized that the upgrade would be $700 a month. We can do a lot of fun things for $700 a month. We decided to take a year off of work and are really enjoying this sabbatical in our smaller house.
Barbara says
Wow! That`s a great thing to do!
sonja says
Good advice. Following the death of my husband I was forced to go on a very strict budget and discovered a lot about living with less.
Jay says
“Will this enrich my life?”
It sounds simple enough but can often be a difficult path to follow in a world geared for consumerism. I love this blog. It’s a healthy reminder that buying stuff is not a way to help cultivate a happy full life.
Justin says
This is what I use Jay, although a slight variation….”will it enrich or enhance mine or my family’s life?”
Jeff says
I am learning this at the age of 63. My wife and I are both dedicated to massive de-owning and decluttering. We are both better equipped to deal with shopping temptations now after reading your latest book (we are reading it out loud to each other) and taking a good, hard look at ourselves and our buying habits. It was been brought home to us- like a “2×4 up side of the head”- after visiting her ailing parents last week. I call it “clean hoarding” because, although there is no trash on the floor, “clean” trash is stuffed in every corner, drawer, and on top of every flat surface. Food hoarding, too. Some had expiration dates of 2002! (We threw out numerous bags of expired food) We came home with a renewed respect for our beautiful home and a renewed determination to continue our efforts here. I’ve begun a journal chronicling our efforts to keep our momentum up. Now, when I pass those new tvs or another piece of furniture or….whatever, I will ask the question, “What if I don’t buy this?” Thanks, Joshua, for really changing our lives for the better.
beachmama says
I LOVE that you’re reading Joshua’s book out loud to each other!!
Donna says
I agree!
Ellen says
I love “de-owning.” Great word!
Carolyn says
Me, too! I’m in the same place, at 67!
Deb says
Same here Jeff, my parents loved going to auctions but rarely used anything after they brought it home! Now I’m stuck cleaning out their home after their deaths and I can’t breathe in the house because of the hoarding clutter. I keep a running box for Goodwill at my house and add to it frequently.
kris keena says
Such a huge job Deb, my husband and I just finished my 90 year old mother-in-law’s house-So. Much. Stuff. One thing that felt really great to do was to invite all her college age and millennial grandchildren and their friends to a private “yard sale” once all the kids took what they wanted. A bunch of them are trying to furnish first apartments, they paid almost nothing, a great deal of useful but excess energy was wisely dispersed, and very little actually ended up at Goodwill or recycle.
trish says
that is brilliant!
David Hall says
Great idea!
Amanda says
I love this! I also ask myself, “What if I don’t buy this veggie slicer?” The answer is, I’ll use a knife like I always have and have more room in my kitchen cabinets.
Dana says
Yeah, I agree whenever I buy something I make sure that I’m not duplicating something, or repurposing what I already own instead. There will be a few additional purchases here and there, and replacement of broken items, but overall if we reduce the unnecessary, then we’re really reducing our carbon footprint.
Kitty says
Something I started asking myself every time I’m attracted to some neat kitchen gadget is “Do I really want to have to clean all those parts each time I use this or is cleaning a knife and cutting board much simpler?” Especially since I would keep the knife and board anyway.
Justin @ I don't have a blog says
Great article. I love simple thought provoking things like this!
Maureen @ A Debt Free Mess Free Life says
It’s all about choice and this post points out how this one simple question can lead us down a path that allows us to make more meaningful choices in our lives.
Daisy @ Simplicity Relished says
You’re exactly right, Maureen. We’re given options throughout the day and we’re constantly faced with opportunity cost. I love this question because we can always ask what purchase (or other use of that money) is going to bring lasting joy and an impact outside ourselves. Loved this post, Joshua!
Tina Fernandes says
I do fully agree, however this habit takes alot to get rid of. I’m getting there..