9 Reasons You Buy Things You Don’t Need
Last Updated on by Bree
We’re all guilty of overspending on certain things to reward ourselves.
But what if the issue gets out of hand, and you start developing a habit of getting items you don’t need?
Buying more stuff than you need can result in budgeting problems.
And loads of unused items that fill up your home.
While you can’t entirely avoid shopping occasionally, it’s best to try reducing it as much as possible.
Read on to know why you’re overshopping and how to stop!
9 Reasons you purchase things more than you need
If you want to reduce the number of unnecessary purchases you make, you first need to know what drives you to buy more stuff.
Here are a few reasons why we buy things we don’t need:
1. You buy things hoping to impress other people
In this society, people want to display wealth, status, and success through material possessions for external validation.
We often think that having the latest phone, a luxury bag, or a new car makes people like us more.
With the growth of technology, trends change quickly.
Making you purchase more stuff to impress your friends, family, and other people.
As you try to keep up this habit, you’ll get more clutter while overspending more than you can afford.
At the end of the day, trying to impress other people is a waste of time and money.
There’s no need to brag and pretend around the people that love you.
Since they’ll accept you unconditionally.
2. You get jealous of other people is why you buy things you don’t need
Comparison is a part of our human nature, for better or worse.
While we can use comparison to improve ourselves, it can also make us envious of people with more things.
When we see what our friends, family, or people we idolize buy, we tend to get the same things to feel that we belong.
Other people around us affect our tendency to shop more.
Especially if we’re competitive with them.
However, there’s no point in competing with your friends and family regarding consumption.
Most things you buy today won’t matter in a few months or years.
3. You think that having more things can make you happier
Everyone wants happiness and contentment in their lives.
Since it’s hard to find happiness, people purchase more material possessions expecting to become happier because of them.
As such, they pursue the latest gadgets, new cars, and branded clothing for satisfaction.
Unfortunately, this feeling of happiness doesn’t last long.
Leading you to a cycle where you’ll need to buy more and more to feel happy.
It’s better to chase moments and experiences with people you love to make you happy instead of physical possessions.
4. You see advertisements everywhere is why you buy stuff you don’t need
Companies spend billions on advertisements every year, showing their products wherever possible.
You’ll find commercials anywhere you go, especially if you live in a city, making avoiding them harder.
Whether you’re watching TV, browsing online, or walking down the street, you’ll see advertisements that try to influence your decisions.
Seeing countless advertisements, especially relatable ones, affects our minds subtly, making us wonder if we need their product or service even if we don’t.
5. You tend to fall for sales and promotions
Our eyes light up when we see discounts and sales while browsing for things we want to buy at the mall, grocery stores, or online shops.
This marketing strategy makes us think we’ll save money when we buy the product or service.
Suppose you got a new shirt for half its original price, thinking you got a good deal.
While you believe you saved a couple of bucks, you spent money on another shirt you don’t need.
As you keep getting more items on sale, you think you’re saving more money, but you’re draining your bank account instead.
We’re not saying that you shouldn’t shop during sales and discounts.
But before you decide, think carefully about the importance of the item you want.
6. You shop when you’re sad
When going through rough patches in our lives, we do different things to distract us from feeling sad or lost.
Some of us resort to shopping sprees, thinking we’ll feel better.
To be fair, shopping will earn you temporary satisfaction and relief when you spoil yourself with a new purchase.
But unfortunately, it won’t solve your problems in the long term since you’re only distracting yourself.
After some time, you’ll realize you’re over your budget while trying to avoid your problems.
7. You have a lot of free time
Boredom can make you shop for more items than you need to entertain yourself in your free time.
Luckily, that’s an easy issue to fix.
If you’re spending a lot of time shopping to combat boredom, you can try different hobbies that won’t result in buying more stuff.
On the other hand, you can also check your unused items and see if you can do something about them, like recycling or remodeling.
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8. You finally have the money to spend
If you grew up on average income and didn’t have the option to shop as much as you’d liked, there’s a chance you’re shopping excessively because you finally have the money to do it.
It doesn’t have to do with the item you’re buying as much as it has to do with the feeling that you’re getting what you want.
However, you should combat this feeling before it drains your bank account and only buy the items you really need.
9. You’re not practicing gratitude
Being thankful for what you have can help shift your focus from material possessions to what really matters.
So when you take time to appreciate what you have, you may not see the need to buy things you don’t need constantly.
How can you avoid buying things you don’t need?
Since spending on unnecessary things can result in overspending and unwanted clutter, you should try and fix this issue, but how?
Here are a few tips to help you avoid buying stuff you don’t need:
- Take your time before deciding.
- Mind your monthly budget.
- Check what you currently have.
- Create a financial goal.
- Stay away from malls and online shopping companies.
We understand that you can’t completely avoid shopping.
However, having a plan and understanding the reasons behind your impulse to buy things can help you spend less.
Aside from these tips, you can ask one of your friends to keep you accountable for your purchases.
This way, you’ll have an easier time tracking your expenses while having someone to hold you back from splurging.
So why do I keep buying things I don’t need?
There’s no single reason why you purchase more things than you need.
Our society, community, friends, family, and circumstances affect our regular shopping urges.
But it’s essential to know that, in the end, the shopping decision depends on you entirely.
That’s why knowing the reason you buy more than what you need can help you avoid overshopping in the future.
