Saving money wisely is the cornerstone of building your own wealth. And this does not fit in with the inflated ego, which requires the continuous satisfaction of base desires through the acquisition of more and more new things and services, the importance of which, thanks to the ingenious efforts of marketers, the society does not question.
The inability to control your impulses always leads to unwise and excessive spending, even if there are certain financial goals. Surprisingly, the vast majority of people live a life that they cannot afford based on their own income.
Researchers find signs of overconsumption throughout modern history. True, in the past the term “consumer” had a strongly negative connotation and was used exclusively derogatoryly. However, this did not change the fact that the lower class wanted to be like the middle class, and the middle class wanted to be like the upper class, without making large and long-term efforts to create capital.
Today, the practice of consuming unnecessary, but fashionable goods has become so common that in order to stand out from the crowd and say “I’m not like everyone else”, something new was needed. Thus, minimalism and the “simple life” are now in vogue, where the value of goods is downgraded, and the pursuit of impressions and spirituality is more valued. Than marketers are willing to use, selling various kinds of tours. Thus, one type of consumption was replaced by another.
It is probably a mistake to think that rampant consumption is a characteristic of modern society. But the latest generations are definitely in a more vulnerable position due to their deep integration with digital technologies, as well as greater opportunities as consumers, including ease of lending.
And this began in the capitalist countries since the traditional purpose of producing commodities, because of their self-evident utility, was replaced solely by the purpose of making profit and the need for a mechanism of seduction.
Be that as it may, the principle of saving and investing, which provides future capital and a carefree retirement, despite its extreme simplicity, was very difficult for people of the past and remains just as difficult for people of the present. Although for several different reasons.
We are not interested in the past, we are interested in the future. To achieve not only our own goals and financial freedom, but the well-being of the entire planet, we need to remove our ego from the equation.