Why do we Buy Things we don't Need

Living the frugal way we do, where most shekels are accounted for and where we have “rules” of how much we can spend and on what, has got me into some interesting conversations with people around me. Some think that it is weird, others that it is cheap and others don’t notice at all. What they do notice is that we are both home most of the time and most days pick the kids up directly after school and that normally sparks an interest.

I have encountered people who think that having no dryer is a thing of the past and that manually hanging your clothes out to dry is a waste of time. I have also met people who think that riding the bus is a sign that you don’t have the funds to buy a car. We don’t have a dryer but do have a car (but still ride the bus sometimes) and anyway, these are just examples.

It is not so important what it is that you have or don’t, but it got me thinking on how much we are impacted by the things we think that we should or shouldn’t have. It impacts the things that we do and impacts the way we spend our money – often not in the most beneficial way. Instead of making our own choices we often conform to those of the society and culture that we live in. Because of things like these, we buy things that we don’t need and sometimes even cannot afford.

So our way might look a bit strange to some, but is our way that we believe will benefit us and our kids in the best way possible.