Everyone enjoys a splurge or pampering every now and then. In this often stress-filled world, it feels like an escape. But consistent spending can become an addiction. We grow accustomed to acquiring things when we feel the urge.
Now I am not talking about regular necessary spending like the mortgage, fueling up the car, and meals on the table. It is habits of spending and "treating ourselves" that can cause us to lose perspective.
We can feel that we are owed a splurge every now and then, but there is freedom in choosing not to. And when we exercise self-control to deny our desires, we might just discover that our spending "fast" brings greater joy than our latest purchase could.
So perhaps as we close out a month where we focused on the freedoms we have in our culture, we could choose to go on a fast from spending on unnecessary things. It might be for a weekend, a week, a month, or longer. You decide.
If you accept the challenge, during this fast, record your thoughts. What did you feel that you could not do without? How did you feel at the beginning and at the end of your spending fast? Here are some benefits you might discover when you lay down your right to spend and choose to take a break from mindless habitual spending.
Fueling Gratitude
Taking an occasional break from spending can remind us to enjoy what we already have. Instead of fueling a quest to satisfy the hunger for more, we instead fuel gratitude for what is already ours.
Feeling Joy
It is exciting when we get the latest greatest, but deciding instead to give what we did not spend to someone else who is needing help with their basic needs produces joy indescribable.
Filling Our Heart's Satisfaction
Rather than the temporary satisfaction that comes with a purchase, we notice that when we fill our hearts with time with people rather than more things, our hearts are full.
Freedom to Spend More
One of the worst feelings is when we have overspent. But when we discover that we don't have to give in to that temptation, we experience new freedom that just might change our spending patterns. Over the long haul, it might give us more spending power for the things we never thought we could indulge in. Limiting spending now might mean greater freedom in the future.
Yours for Wise Stewardship,
Jeff Rogers