Consumerism: 11 Signs You’re a Victim of Over-consumption

Ref. Practical Tips to Stop Sabotaging Your Financial Future

We are all consumers. We all have to buy things to survive. However, how much is too much? The biggest challenge many people have is balancing the right amount of consumerism that benefits your life in a way that promotes financial growth for your future. Balancing all of this isn't easy considering corporation marketing isn't designed for our best interest and life demands begin to creep up. So we need to be the superheroes of our own lives. If you're not sure if you are over-consuming, I've listed 11 signs that you are a victim of consumerism and a few tips you can do to change.

11 Signs You Are Over-Consuming

1. You try to justify and give excuses for your unnecessary purchase. “Life’s too short”, “I really needed this to make me (insert excuse)”, “I’ve really wanted it since I was a kid”, "I worked hard, I deserve this”, “It’s for someone else”, “I’ll start my budget after I buy this”, etc. Sound familiar? You're essentially applying reasonable reasons to an unreasonable purchase.

2. You can’t miss out on a sale. You probably need nothing but because there is a sale, you are jumping up for the opportunity to spend money “on a good deal.” Again, reasonable reasons to an unreasonable purchase. Stay disciplined to your goals. People fail to realize that once their goals are achieved, sales and discounts don’t matter as much because you saved enough to get what you actually want at any time in your life. There are ALWAYS sales! Try to challenge yourself not to buy the next bargain for 3 weeks. At the end of the day, they are just material possessions.

3. Retail therapy. Material possessions are connected to your happiness. You may experience buyer’s remorse after purchases because you used shopping as therapy buy don’t actually use every single item you buy. If you only use/wear an item once, it’s not something you NEED. Because of these actions, your home may be getting cluttered as a consequence. A cluttered home also affects your mental state. As a shopaholic, you might want to believe you NEED organizers for the things you bought that you only used once. STOP! You are now spiraling. Go back to the bare necessities.

4. You are buying to either impress others or to fit in. Honestly, the main thing you accomplish here is showing people A.) You have money and B.) How gullible you are spending it on people so carelessly. Don’t do this to yourself. Most people don’t actually care about your status unless they want something from you. Buy what you need and live within your means (i.e. your paycheck).

5. You’re starting to hide/not share your purchases because you are ashamed. This is a sign for you to change your habits. Your purchases, when necessary, don’t make you feel ashamed. You know you need something, you buy a product/service to fulfill that need, it’s consumed and the natural order of finances is resumed.

6. When you can’t buy something, you feel terrible. This is assuming you have everything you need but you still feel discontent because you don’t have money to buy more (i.e. buying more desires and wants). Have appreciation and gratitude for the things and people you have. Start using the things you impulse bought previously.

7. You spend what you don’t have. You use payment plans like Klarna, Affirm Pay, or installment plans regularly even though you don’t have ready cash in your checking account. In a situation like this, it’s important for you to have a visual and physical representation of the money you actually have in your name: get cash! Having a cash allowance savings can help you stay disciplined with what you actually have. If you don’t have cash, write the amount of money on a piece of paper or on a digital note and stick it to your actual credit/debit card. If that amount is negative, that’s a sign you don’t need to buy anything until that number is positive. Update the amount regularly.

8. You still have price tags on things (like clothes). You obviously haven’t worn them which is a sign you were a victim of consumerism. Ads promoting consumerism are hoping you’re stupid. They hope that you haven’t applied critical thinking skills to your purchases. Donate some items to shelters or sell them on marketplaces. But whatever you do, don’t buy more unless your body size has physically changed.

9. You spend money when you’re bored. Have a list of things you can do when you’re bored that don’t require spending money (e.g. reading a book, calling a friend, etc.)

10. You spoil your kids. Give simple meaningful gifts. You’re the person that sets the rules of your family life so don’t build unrealistic expectations for your children.

11. Peer pressure influences you. Walk away from peer pressure suggestions. If you suffer from peer pressure, resist the temptation to spend money on unplanned purchases. Your default answer to non-necessities should be "No." This avoids you feeling pressured to make an unplanned purchase and it also gives you time to decide if you really need it in your future. You can always change your mind in the future but the focus here is to avoid the pressure from your peers so you can think about it for yourself.

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