Joshua Becker's Blog, page 29

Your Neighbor is Giving More Gifts This Christmas

It seems to me there are two forces that come together during the holiday season to influence our behavior around gift-giving (or better said: over gift-giving).

Those two powerful forces are 1) social pressure and 2) love.

The holiday season has become entirely over commercialized and you don’t need me to tell you that.

Now, there is nothing wrong or unusual about showing love by giving gifts.

But when 40% of us express an increase in stress during the holidays, 45% of us feel pressured to spend more money than we have, and almost 60% of us receive gifts we don’t want, the season has become over commercialized. Even worse, we are missing out on both the spirit and the joy of our year-end celebrations because of it.

On one hand, we feel social pressure from marketing campaigns and stores to purchase things for ourselves and others during this season. Every store proudly displays items for sale pressuring you to buy more and more at every turn. That is to be expected.

But there is another social pressure that pervades during this season—one that may not be displayed so boldly on billboards or store windows.

The subconscious pressure is this: Everybody is giving gifts AND everybody is talking about gifts! We talk about what we are giving, what we want, what we wish we could afford, and eventually, what we got.

Even during a doctor’s appointment last January, a doctor I had never met prior to the procedure, made small talk by asking “So what did you get for Christmas?”

The conversation comes up frequently for us as adults. But even more for our kids. I can remember every year, back in school after the Christmas break, the conversation among us kids was always centered on what we got for Christmas. But not just among the kids, even the teachers would ask.

And it doesn’t happen just at school. Take note every time this holiday season you hear someone (or yourself) ask a child about what gifts they want, or what they think they’re going to get, or “what did you get for Christmas” type conversations.

The social pressure­—both loudly and quietly—to conform and make this holiday season primarily about giving gifts is a strong one.

To compound this social pressure, we love our kids and naturally want to make the holiday season magical and memorable for them. Most of us have fond memories that we cherish—and desperately desire for our kids to have the same.

Again, this is good. There is certainly nothing wrong with wanting our kids to love Christmas or whichever holiday you celebrate this season.

The problems arise when we allow these two conversations to converge and overlap.

When society (both consciously and subconsciously) begins measuring Christmas joy in the number of gifts under a tree, and we desperately want our kids to have fond memories of the holiday season, we conflate the two and end up buying more than we need.

We think the physical possessions are going to bring the joy and the memories. And if more gifts makes Christmas morning more fun and brings about better memories, then why would we stop? We don’t. There’s always just one more to add…

So how do we begin to overcome these pressures?

With an important reminder: Your neighbor is going to give more gifts this Christmas.

When we fall into the thinking that more is better (especially in reference to gift-giving), we fall into a cycle with no escape.

Because if we believe the lie that more stuff makes the holiday better for our kids, we will always buy more and more. We want our children to be able to list off all the things they got for Christmas to their friends at school and the adults that will inevitably ask them what they got for Christmas.

But if we’re measuring our child’s happiness in the number of gifts they receive, we’ll never succeed in our metric. There is always going to be somebody who got more.

Oh sure, there is one child in your town who will get the most toys, but that child is probably not yours. So how we measure joy and success during the holiday season for our kids needs to change.

And often times, the most important step in helping our children fully enjoy the holidays is to reject the over commercialization of the season.

Rather than taking time away from your child during this season to do more shopping, be more present.

Rather than adding stress and anxiety worrying that your child won’t get enough stuff this Christmas, be more calm and joyful.

Rather than spending your family into a financial hole this Christmas, provide more margin in your finances for the rest of the year.

Rather than opening your computer to order more things, get down on the floor to play or read a book.

Rather than defining joy in the number of gifts this year, find it in the reason for the season.

And rather than searching for memories on a department store shelf, make them within your four walls.

Social pressure to buy gifts will continue to surround us. But the path to providing a joyful season for your family is not found there. If it were, you’d never find it anyway.

Ten Steps to Stop Living Paycheck to Paycheck

According to a recent study, 7 in 10 Americans live paycheck to paycheck.

If that is you, you are not alone. But it is also probably not a place where you want to remain.

Here are 10 steps to stop living paycheck to paycheck:1. Believe it is possible.

One of the greatest hurdles to overcome for any change we desire in life is the obstacle of doubt.

If someone’s first response to the idea of no longer living paycheck to paycheck is, “That is impossible because of x,” they will never achieve it.

And it doesn’t even matter what x is. If you have decided already that the circumstances of your life are so stacked against you that you can never get ahead financially, then you never will.

The circumstances for you may be more difficult than others, but it is never impossible. Believe it is possible and that you have the power to make a change.

2. Don’t wait for more money.

Just like “this is impossible” thinking will keep you stuck. So is, “I need more money to get ahead.”

It is true, of course, that some people need to make more money to get ahead financially. But when we fall into the trap of thinking we can never get ahead without it, we never even give ourselves the opportunity to find out.

Let me try and prove this:

7 in 10 Americans live paycheck to paycheck. But why do 70% live with no financial margin? Is it because 70% of us don’t make enough money? Or is it because many of us are buying things we don’t need and spending money where it doesn’t need to be spent?

This is an important distinction. Because either we are held hostage by an unfair economic system that needs to be entirely blown up, or we just need to take more personal responsibility with our excess spending. It appears, in many cases, to be the latter.

Look deeper into the numbers and you’ll notice something important:

62% of consumers earning between $50,000 and $100,000 per year live paycheck to paycheck.54% of consumers earning between $100,000 and $150,000 per year live paycheck to paycheck.

To put that into context, the median household income in the United States is $67,000. Over half of American households making twice the median income live paycheck to paycheck!

There are some extenuating circumstances of course, but not for 54% of Americans in the higher income bracket.

All that to say, there is no change possible if we constantly fall into “I just need more money” thinking.

Instead, the more money people make, the more money they end up spending. The time to get out of paycheck to paycheck living is now—not waiting for a big raise.

3. Make it the life change you want most.

There are more important things in life than getting ahead financially. But it is a change worth pursuing because it brings both calm and freedom into your life and family. It is a worthy pursuit.

If you are ready to make it happen, finally, I recommend making it the life change you want most. Changing the way you spend will require focus and intention. It will require a seriousness that forces self-reflection and energy.

Decide today, once and for all, this is the victory you are going to pursue in your life.

And make sure your immediate family is on board with it. When trying to get buy-in from your partner or kids, explain the benefits in a way that resonates with them. Approach the conversation clear on what it is going to take to achieve it. To accomplish that well, you’ll need steps 4 and 5.

4. See the benefits of owning less.

The most essential foundation for financial freedom is to spend less than you earn. If you cut back on your spending, you’ll be able to get out of debt and start saving. We’ve all heard that advice before.

But why is this step so hard to implement?

One reason I believe spending less is such a difficult step for many to take is because the solution sounds unattractive to so many. Buying less sounds a lot like taking a step backwards in life. In a world where success is often defined in material acquisition, spending less sounds boring, unfashionable, and destined for ridicule.

And that’s what I used to think too—until I actually tried it.

Fourteen years ago, I made the intentional decision to own less and buy less. It has turned out to be among the best decisions I have ever made in my life. As a result of paring down most of my possessions and determining to only buy things that are actually needed (rather than everything I ever wanted), I have found my life improving in very significant ways.

Now that I own less and spend less, I have more time, energy, and money available to me than ever before. Because I own fewer things that need to be cared for, I spend less time cleaning, organizing, and managing. I have more opportunity than ever before to pursue my greatest passions in life—however I decide to define them.

Rather than running up a credit card bill by chasing every new product or fashion line sold at the department store, I am able to invest in the things that make my life worthwhile and significant.

In this simple decision to buy and spend less, financial discontent in my life has been resolved. It also paved the way for more intentional living.

See the benefits—and be drawn to the lifestyle.

5. Sit down to do the math.

Overcoming the cycle of paycheck to paycheck living will require you to sit down with a sheet of paper and compare your income to expenses. But this does not have to require a detailed, track your spending every day, monthly budget.

Instead, I recommend crafting a Spending Plan. I have found it to be immensely useful in my life.

To get started, determine your monthly take-home pay (not your gross income before taxes, but your net income—the actual amount on your check or direct deposit).

Second, compare your fixed monthly costs to your monthly take-home pay. These are the expenses you currently have in your life that require some of your income every month—no questions asked. The actual monthly expense may vary (within reason) from month to month, but you know it is going to be there every month.

For example, your fixed monthly costs, might include: Charity, Mortgage, Groceries, Auto Fuel/Maintenance, Savings/Retirement, Utilities (Gas, Electricity, Water, Garbage), Insurance (Auto, Health), College loan repayment, Internet, Cell phone, Home Owner Fees, Kids’ School/Activities, etc.

After you have determined your monthly income and your monthly fixed costs, whatever dollars remain is your monthly discretionary income (the money that you have left over to spend as you desire).

This is your margin to begin getting ahead each month. If you spent no other dollars on golf outings, concerts, eating out, cinnamon rolls, or travel, these are the dollars you could begin saving and use to get ahead of your paycheck.

And of course, if your monthly fixed costs already exceed your monthly income, drastic changes to your baseline standard of living need to be made.

6. Admit that you probably spend more on nonessentials than you think.

According to one poll, the average adult in the USA spends $1,500 a month on nonessential items.

I have cited that statistic before and the comments are always the same:

“That’s absurd.”
“That is unrealistic.”
“Obviously that is only rich people.”
“No way! I don’t spend near that much.”

And to some extent, there is probably truth to those replies. Since that’s the average number, roughly half of us spend below that amount.

But if we are ever going to stop living paycheck to paycheck, we need to admit at some point that we probably spend more money on nonessentials than we care to admit. Once we start buying things and bringing them into our lives, it becomes very easy to no longer imagine life without them—and we start to consider them essential.

Consider this, you may not think you spend $1,500/month on nonessentials. But even if you spend half that amount ($800/month), you could save $10,000 next year by simply not buying things you don’t need.

The choice is yours.

7. Put your savings into a different account.

As you begin to see the benefits of owning less and change your spending habits accordingly, you’ll spend less.

Open a new account at your bank or use an online bank (Capital One, for example) to store those funds. Transfer money every month—automatically or manually. Pick an appropriate dollar amount and transfer it at the beginning of every month or pay period.

Only check the balance in your new account twice/year. Just let it grow slowly every month.

Taking the money out of your usual spending account will keep you from spending it.

If you need a goal to save towards, one paycheck worth in savings would technically remove you from the paycheck-to-paycheck statistic—and that’s the goal here.

Other experts recommend saving 3-6 months of living expenses. There’s nothing wrong with that goal, but it can seem very difficult to someone struggling to just get ahead of one paycheck. So I recommend choosing “one paycheck worth in savings” as your first goal to work towards.

8. Embrace a No Spend Period.

Commit to one month of buying nothing. (Except for some obvious exceptions: food, utilities, health, etc.)

No-buy experiments offer lots of benefits: They help us save money, reset consumeristic tendencies, provide time for other endeavors, and are environmentally friendly.

There are wonderful examples of people who commit to no buy experiments for an entire year—or even longer.

I have never set out for a year-long experiment, nor have I ever had the desire to do so. But I do find inspiration in their example. I see it this way, “If someone else can accomplish this experiment for an entire year, then surely I can do it for one month.”

For most people, just one month of not buying anything would result in almost $1,000 in savings. You might be closer to overcoming paycheck to paycheck living than you think.

PS: It’s important to mention here that getting ahead financially does not require lifelong changes. Adjustments in the short-term alone can help you reach the goal of putting one paycheck into savings. That’s why the predetermined no-spend period can be so helpful.

9. Don’t be afraid to consider drastic changes.

Cost of living numbers vary widely from one part of the country to another. And I can understand why making drastic changes may not be possible for some. But that should never keep us from considering them.

Maybe you are happy living paycheck to paycheck because it allows you to live in a certain part of town or the country.

Of course, if that is the case, you probably didn’t click to read this article in the first place. But if you did, and your mind constantly races to “you don’t understand how much it costs to simply live in my area,” you might be right. And you can always continue to choose that.

But any time we want something new for our lives, changes are required. Sometimes small, sometimes drastic. Don’t be afraid to consider all of them.

10. Be gentle with yourself and give yourself some time.

Overcoming the paycheck-to-paycheck lifestyle is possible. But it may not happen right away, it might take some time. Especially if we have families to get onboard with the decision.

And with any change that takes time, there are bound to be some setbacks and mistakes. Work to intentionally eliminate as many of those as possible, but be patient with yourself when they occur.

Two steps forward and one step back is still one step closer to your goal than never trying.

7 in 10 Americans live paycheck to paycheck. But you don’t need to be one of them.

Inspiring Simplicity. Weekend Reads.

Fill your life with stories to tell, not stuff to show.

The simplicity/minimalism movement is a beautiful community. And I enjoy any opportunity to promote writing that encourages people to live more by owning less.

I invite you to fix yourself a nice warm cup of coffee, cocoa, or tea. Find a quiet moment this weekend. And enjoy some encouraging words to inspire more simplicity in your life today.

This 100-Year-Old Decluttering Rule Might be Just What You Need to Finally Master a Minimalist Home | Livingetc by Lilith Hudson. Sometimes following a simple rule can be all the guidance you need to help you, and that’s why nifty little maxims like the 80/20 principle exist.

The Minimalist Lifestyle Taught Me 5 Important Life Lessons | No Sidebar by Jessalynn Jones. My value as a human being has nothing to do with the things I own. In fact, owning less has helped me grow and develop my personal worth.

How I’ve Saved Thousands of Dollars on Clothes for My Kids | Frugalwoods by Elizabeth Willard Thames. “Our kids know that their clothes are used and I’ve explained our philosophy to them for why we get clothing (and just about everything else) second-hand.”

Mindfulness For Healthy Holidays | Monanock Ledger-Transcript by Ruth Clark. The holidays provide an amazing array of factors that can set you up to fall into the spiral of unwanted weight gain, moodiness and exhaustion. The good news is that there is a lot you can do to control what happens over the holidays.

Recently Released Inspiring Videos

10 Things You Should Get Rid of for the Holidays | YouTube by Joshua Becker. Unfortunately, busy and “rushed” rarely leads to a merry holiday. If you want to enjoy more of your holiday season this year, start by removing these ten things.

35 Gifts Your Children Will Never Forget | YouTube by Joshua Becker. “You give but little when you give of your possessions. It is when you give of yourself that you truly give.” —Kahlil Gibran

Change A Life This Giving Tuesday

Every child deserves a family.

Those five words make up a seemingly simple sentence. But it’s so much more than a phrase to me.

It is a belief that has led to a movement and a mission to change the way the world cares for orphans.

A movement that started here, with the Becoming Minimalist community, and has now grown to change countless lives, all around the world, through the love of a family.

The Hope Effect

In 2015, on this blog, I launched a nonprofit organization called The Hope Effect with the mission to change the way the world cares for orphans.

It was a big goal, but why dream small? With so many lives in this community freed up from the pursuit of material possessions, just think of the good we could bring into the world.

Immediately after announcing the nonprofit, I was overwhelmed by the support and passion from this community as we shared about the global problem we were trying to solve. And I have been continually amazed at the ongoing support from the Becoming Minimalist Community.

You see, millions of children around the world are growing up without the love of a family. The majority of those orphaned and vulnerable children are being cared for in large institutions, commonly referred to as orphanages.

Less than 1% of orphaned children will ever be adopted—so how we care for the remaining 99% matters.

Unfortunately, there is clear and compelling research on the damaging effects of traditional, institutional orphan care that is practiced in so many places around the world. Children who grow up in orphanages don’t receive the individual attention and care found within the structure of a family.

As a result, development is stunted and learning abilities are delayed or lost. And tragically, many children age out of orphanages only to face a future of crime, prostitution, or trafficking—children who grow up in institutional orphanages are 10X more likely to fall into sex work, 40X more likely to have criminal records, and 500X more likely to commit suicide!

The studies are clear—kids do best when they are raised in families. That’s why The Hope Effect is changing orphan care by providing innovative family care, which allows every child the opportunity to flourish and thrive. We believe every child deserves a family.

Over the last seven years, we’ve been pioneering and expanding our model of orphan care in several locations, including Mexico, Honduras, Thailand, and Cambodia. In the care of a family, children receive the individual attention and support they need, while also learning what it means to be part of a stable, loving family.

All across the globe, more kids are growing and thriving in family care. Children like Antonio*—the very first child placed into family care in the state of Sonora, Mexico—have hope for the future through the love of a family.

Just look at the work we’re accomplishing together.

Antonio’s Story

Antonio was born in July 2020 in Hermosillo, the capital city of Sonora. Sadly, he was immediately abandoned in the hospital. Moments after his birth, he was alone in the world, without the love of a family.

In most developing countries around the world, Antonio would have been taken by the authorities and processed into an orphanage, where he would live with other children and be cared for by a rotating staff of employees.

But thankfully, there was another option for Antonio… a better option.

Just a few months before Antonio was born, we had begun working in Sonora. In February 2020, we signed a contract with the Sonoran government, becoming the first nonprofit to receive government approval to provide family care in that location.

When Antonio was abandoned later that year, the government contacted our team in Hermosillo. At just 14 days old, Antonio was welcomed into the loving arms of a family. As the first child in the state of Sonora placed in family care, he never saw the inside of an orphanage.

For the last two years, we’ve watched Antonio grow up in a loving family. It’s been incredible to see him develop and thrive in a caring, supportive, and stable family environment.

Here you can see Antonio’s transformation with your own eyes:

What an incredible example of how the love of a family can change a life. And today, Giving Tuesday, you have a special opportunity to give hope to more orphaned and vulnerable children around the world.

Give Hope On Giving Tuesday

Today is Giving Tuesday, a global day of generosity where people all over the world come together to give back and make a difference. If you want to change the lives of more children like Antonio, join us for Giving Tuesday.

Our goal is to raise $125,000 today to further expand family care in Latin America and Southeast Asia. If you partner with us, you will help more orphaned and vulnerable children, just like Antonio, find the families they need and deserve.

And today, your gift—and your impact—will be doubled. A generous team of supporters is matching every donation dollar for dollar, up to $62,500!

The Hope Effect is a 501(c)(3) organization, so your donation is tax-deductible within the U.S. If you have additional questions about The Hope Effect or our work, send us an email. We love to share our vision and passion for helping kids, and we’re always happy to chat with anyone who would like to learn more.

Thank you so much for supporting The Hope Effect over the last seven years. It is amazing to see all that we’ve accomplished together. We are changing the way the world cares for orphans…because every child deserves a family.

*Name has been changed to protect the privacy of the child.

This Black Friday, Imagine Life Without Shopping

The billboards, commercials, and emails will shout a simple premise today: Buy more stuff to live a happier life.

We’ll be promised deals on electronics to upgrade our life, sales on clothes to become more popular, and offers on appliances required to create the perfect home.

These advertisements will feature smiling children, happy families, and groups of friends enjoying the greatest holiday season ever.

There is no doubt the imagery all around us today (and for the coming month) will paint a picture of how much our life can improve by buying something new.

But today, rather than desiring all the things we don’t have, it would be wise to take a few moments imagining life without shopping.

Think of the possibilities…

Less shopping would mean less regret.

There are legitimate needs in our lives, of course. And sometimes we can find those items on sale. But most of the purchases made on Black Friday weekend have nothing to do with legitimate needs.

In fact, 42% of shoppers say they regret purchases made on Black Friday. No doubt because most purchases on Black Friday are impulse buys not based in necessity.

But look around your home, there are countless purchases and dollars spent we wish we could get back. That regret never shows up in commercials or billboards, we feel it only after we get home.

Less shopping means more time.

Everything we own requires time to purchase, manage, and care for. (And that doesn’t include the time needed to earn the money to buy it in the first place).

On average, Americans spend over 90 minutes per day shopping—that’s 11 hours/week.

Some shopping is required (groceries for example). But just imagine what life could look like with an extra 11 hours every week. Less rush, less stress, more margin, more time for the things you truly love.

Less shopping means more money.

According to some studies, the average American will spend $1,802 on total holiday spending this year with Millennials leading the way at $2,053/person.

(By the way, that statistic is based per person, not per family—so multiply accordingly for your household.)

And given that traditionally, 70% of Americans overspend their holiday budget, a life with less shopping today provides a more joyful and less stressful January for sure.

Less shopping means more attention on family.

One of the greatest deceptions propagated this time of year is that you need to buy a lot of stuff for your family to enjoy the holidays. It’s simply not true.

Stressed, tired, broke parents are not what children need for an enjoyable season. Just the opposite. They need parents present and involved in their lives.

Imagine how different our holiday seasons would look if we spent less time stressing about, shopping for, and wrapping up gifts from a department store and more time giving children our undivided attention instead.

Less shopping means a holiday season more focused on the right things.

Each of us will define the reason for the season differently. I’ll focus on my personal faith; you’ll focus on yours. Or you’ll choose to focus on family or gratitude or end-of-year reflection.

None of us will say the most important reason for the holiday season is consumerism. But many of us will inadvertently live like it is.

We’ll spend time hustling and bustling through online and physical stores. We’ll look closer at sales and advertisements. We’ll spend money on things we don’t need. We’ll stress about getting the perfect gift for the perfect someone. Even 77% of us will buy gifts for ourselves.

But every hour spent shopping and every dollar spent at the store is one less dollar and hour spent in remembrance for the deeper meaning of this holiday season.

Certainly, we’ll live a bit differently this time of year than the other 11 months—and for good reason. But let’s not let shopping overshadow the true meaning of the holidays.

Today, and over the coming months, we’ll be painted a glamorized picture of how shopping will improve our holiday season.

We should all slow down long enough—starting today— to imagine the inverse: a holiday season built on our own terms.

With less shopping, we can all enjoy a more intentional holiday season this coming year.

10 Things You Can Do This Week Instead of Online Shopping

I was recently asked by a friend, “What’s your best advice to avoid online shopping?”

My answer, probably blunter than expected, was simply, “Close the computer and walk away.”

And that is the truth. If you close the computer and walk away, or put down the phone, you won’t be able to online shop.

Of course, that step is easier said than done.

This week, and the entire coming month, we will be bombarded with countless online messages to buy stuff we don’t need. They will all be strategically placed, crowd-tested, crafted by professionals, and designed to part you with your money.

But this year, probably more than ever, we need to take the step of resisting their appeal.

Online shopping is unique. And the temptation to buy can often be more seductive than shopping in-person in stores.

Consider this: online stores are always open, it’s easier to find individual items, the transaction can be finished in a matter of seconds, often times we don’t even need to pull out a payment card because our computer already has the information stored.

Making it even worse, we often find ourselves shopping at our weakest moments. For example, when we are tired, stressed, bored, rushed, or even inebriated. The thought enters our mind of something we’d like to own, and 30 seconds later it can be purchased and out for delivery.

76% of us shop online. And with the temptation available 24 hours/day, 7 days/week, finding the strength to shut the computer, put away the phone, and walk away is not an easy task.

For that reason, it can be helpful to not just put down the phone, but to do so with purpose. Choosing a different activity other than staring at a retail store through a screen helps us put space, time, and energy between the temptation to buy and the actual purchase.

This week, when you feel the impulse to buy something online, close the computer and choose one activity from this list instead.

Ten things we could do instead of online shopping:

1. Go for a walk. (Except for you Buffalo.)

2. Read a chapter of a book.

3. Bake muffins.

4. Take a shower.

5. Play a board game with your kids.

6. Clean the kitchen.

7. Cross an item off your to-do list.

8. Call a family member or friend.

9. Sit quietly with a cup of coffee.

10. Go to bed.

Maybe you’ll find it most helpful to return to the same exercise over and over again this week and month. Maybe you’ll find it helpful to slowly work through each idea one at a time over the coming month.

Or maybe, most likely, this list will spark new ideas for your own life of pursuits and activities this holiday season more worthy of your time and energy than buying physical possessions.

When the Founder of Amazon Encourages You to Stop Buying…

Recently, during an interview with CNN, Jeff Bezos recommended Americans “consider putting off buying big ticket items they’ve been eyeing.”

The Founder of Amazon recommended “American households delay big-ticket purchases such as new TVs, refrigerators, and cars, given the risk that economic conditions worsen.”

I didn’t hear him mention refraining from Amazon’s Prime Day deals or Black Friday offers, but I personally recommend adding those items to your “do not buy list” as well.

Personal finance experts (and even retail billionaires apparently) are encouraging us to buy less. However, at the exact same time, retailers are working overtime to pressure us to buy.

This year, more than any other in recent memory, Black Friday, Christmas sales, and Year-End deals are going to be everywhere offering deep discounts. In many places, the push has already begun.

This is for several reasons:

Retail inventories are high.Consumers purchased lots of durable goods during the pandemic.Companies are looking to have cash on-hand for a looming recession.

When the wise thing to do is delay purchases, companies and marketers are going to be working harder to compel you to spend. This crescendo will reach a fever pitch over the next two months.

So how do we keep from falling into their trap?

Here are seven helpful steps:

1. Realize the promises of consumerism are always short-lived.

Every upcoming advertisement during the holiday season will promise you the same thing: a better life.

They will work to convince you that their latest product will make you more attractive, will bring you more friends, will create a more beautiful holiday season, or will bring happiness that you can’t find anywhere else.

Those promises are false. See through them. Fulfillment and a better life are not on-sale at a department store.

2. Consider the benefits of owning less.

Owning fewer possessions results in countless life-giving benefits: more time for those we love the most, more money for meaningful pursuits, more energy for things that matter.

Owning fewer possessions results in less stress, more peace, and more intentionality.

Minimalism frees us to pursue our greatest passions—however we choose to define them.

To overcome the pressures of consumerism about to exert themselves upon us, recognize how owning less has improved your life (or can improve your life). When you do, you’ll be less inclined to buy more.

3. Know that money on-hand will be more helpful to ride out a recession than a purchase at the mall.

According to some surveys, 70% of Americans live paycheck to paycheck.

As with any economic statistic, there are countless variables that contribute to it. But the fact that 62% of consumers earning between $50,000 and $100,000 live paycheck-to-paycheck and 54% of consumers who make between $100,000 and $150,000 annually live paycheck to paycheck should help us see that this reality is not entirely a product of low wages.

We are a culture addicted to buying things we don’t need.

But as a recession looms and talks of downsizing increase, your safest bet for riding out a recession is savings. The experts recommend dual-income families save at least 3 months’ worth expenses and single earners put aside 6 months or more.

70% of you will want to get started right away.

4. Set a budget for this holiday season (and stick to it).

It’s likely you are going to give some gifts this holiday season. We will as well.

But set a holiday budget and stick to it. Traditionally, 70% of us overspend our holiday budget. This is the year to stick to it.

5. Turn off marketing messages.

The more ads we see, the more likely we are to buy.

So turn them off whenever and wherever possible.

For example, begin unsubscribing from retail email lists now. It only takes about 2-3 weeks of clicking unsubscribe on every single marketing email that you receive to change your inbox (and life) forever.

Get started today.

6. Don’t fall into a scarcity mindset.

There is a temptation to fall into a scarcity mindset around the holidays, especially when sales are prevalent.

“This is my chance to buy this thing at a super-discounted price! I can’t pass that up.”

Remember, if you didn’t need an item before it went on sale, you don’t need it now.

7. Look for people you can help.

Inflation and a recession will impact lots of people negatively. In fact, our local food bank here in Phoenix is serving more families in need today than any point in their history.

Our money is only as valuable as what we choose to spend it on.

To overcome the pressures of consumerism this holiday season, look for the people you can help. Your financial gifts may be needed more today than ever before.

Every holiday season is marked with excess consumerism. This year, the pressure to buy will be greater than ever. Likewise, the need to overcome that pressure is also more important than ever.

Encouraging Simplicity. Weekend Reads.

Never underestimate the importance of removing stuff you don’t need.

Encouragement provides us with motivation to persevere. It invites us to dream dreams of significance for our lives. And it begs us to work diligently with optimism and promise.

Overcoming the pull of consumerism is a difficult challenge regardless of our stage in life. Simplicity requires encouragement. To that end, I hope you will find motivation in these articles below.

Each post was intentionally chosen to inspire simplicity in your life. For maximum effect, find a quiet moment this weekend and enjoy them with a fresh cup of coffee or tea.

When You’re Overwhelmed, Simplify | Zen Habits by Leo Babauta. The feeling of being overwhelmed is extremely common in the people I talk to, and it’s becoming more and more clear to me that this is the default state for most of us.

10 Ways to Make Your Kids Less Materialistic During the Holidays | Yahoo News by Jason Keil. The season is upon us: Mailboxes are filling up with letters from children to a jolly bearded toymaker/reindeer breeder while we frantically shop for the things our children think will make them happy. But are these items really going to spark joy for them in the months—or even weeks—ahead.

The Simple Steps to Creating a Minimalist Schedule You Can Stick To | The Fun Sized Life by Renee Benes. Often times people think of minimalism in terms of “stuff” and the things that we own and accumulate. This is all true and plays a huge roll in the minimalist lifestyle. Today, however, I want to get down to the lesser known struggle of minimalism. The side you can’t see.

7 Simple Things to Ask Yourself Before You Buy Anything | No Sidebar by Emma Jayne. You see, it’s one thing to declutter your stuff and make new space, but resisting the consumer itch is another beast entirely. Everywhere we go we’re bombarded with marketing, and it’s cleverer and more subtle than ever.

How to Make Gratitude a Daily Habit | Joshua Becker on YouTube. It is hard to be thankful when your world is crashing down. And yet, those are the days we need it most—those are the seasons of life when its strength, optimism, and perspective carry us through.

15 Cleaning Tasks to Teach Your Kids

“Give the ones you love wings to fly, roots to come back, and reasons to stay.” —Dalai Lama.

The goal of parenting is to provide both roots and wings for your kids.

Roots to know where they came from, and wings to make the most of their lives when they leave.

To accomplish that, here are 15 cleaning tasks to teach your kids that will help them create a peaceful, stable, and life-giving home in the future.

1. Make beds.

And change the sheets.

2. Put away their own stuff.

For best results, start at a young age teaching kids everything has a home.

3. Wash and fold laundry.

Whites, darks, lights, delicates. Wash, dry, fold, and put away.

4. Clean toilets.

Not the most enjoyable cleaning task in the world, but an essential one for cleanliness and health.

5. Wash the dishes.

Both by hand and the dishwasher.

6. Take out the trash.

7. Vacuum.

They don’t have to be able to spell it, but they need to know how to do it.

8. Mopping.

Don’t overlook this.

8. Cleaning surfaces.

Dusting, sure. But also countertops, tabletops, and stovetops.

9. Declutter.

Teach them early how to declutter the things they don’t need. Whether that be toys, clothes, collections, or artwork.

10. Scrub the bathtub and shower.

In fact, if you need a refresher, here you go.

11. Wash the car.

Both exterior and interior.

12. Pet care.

13. Wash windows.

Again, if you need a refresher, here you go.

14. Clean out the fridge/expired foods.

Teach your kids what to look for and how you make these decisions.

15. Clean the blinds and/or window treatments.

And if you’re wondering what chores are age-appropriate for kids to get started around the house, WebMD has a helpful breakdown that I think is entirely appropriate.

12 Simple Ways to Create Good on the Internet

“Be the change you want to see in the world.”

When we spend time on the Internet and our devices, we use our energy in one of two ways: creation or consumption.

When we create, we write emails, produce videos, post photos, record podcasts, write reviews, do work, use the Internet for good.

When we consume, on the other hand, we scroll mindlessly, watch videos, listen to podcasts, play games, browse shopping sites, laugh at memes.

There is nothing wrong with a certain level of consumption—especially when it is beneficial to us. But when there is excessive consumption, too much of our time is wasted and life is frittered away. Not to mention, this is when many of the negative effects of Internet usage begin to appear.

As a society do we spend too much time consuming online? I’ll let you decide.

According to the most recent statistics:

+ The average Internet user aged 16 to 64 spends six hours and 58 minutes online per day.

+ On average, Americans check their phones 344 times per day (once every 4 minutes).

+ 47% of us self-report being “addicted” to our phones.

Rather than using the Internet and our mobile devices for mindless and excess consumption, we would all be wise to use it intentionally.

Not just for consumption, but for creation. And not just creation, but creation for good.

Rather than complaining about the state of the Internet, let’s be the change we want to see online.

Here are 12 Ways We Can Create Good Online:

1. Send an encouraging email or private message to a friend.

2. Teach something you’re an expert in.

3. Post encouraging images or pictures that inspire others.

4. Send a text to someone who is lonely.

5. Share an article that’s insightful.

6. Recommend a movie, restaurant, or book you recently enjoyed.

7. Draw attention to a cause you believe in. Or better yet, start a fundraiser for it.

8. Communicate the needs of others, such as a neighbor who is sick and could use pre-made meals.

9. Write a positive review for a local business or a friend’s new company.

10. Click “like” or write kind words on a friend’s post.

11. Share real-life photos of your life that seek to connect rather than foster jealousy.

12. Post pics of belongings you want to give away.

The Internet is a large place with carefully-designed temptations for mindless consumption at every turn.

And there are never enough positive contributors to the Internet. So let’s all try to do just that.