April 6, 2009 in Articles by Joshua Matthews

Sell More to Spend Less

No one get’s married once.  First, we marry our spouse, then we marry our possessions and sometimes we marry our job.  Knowing this, my wife and I decided to get separated…from some of our possessions.  20% of everything is going, going, gone – and not to just make more room for more stuff.  We’re selling on Craigslist, Ebay, Tag Sales, and donating to charities.  Now, we’ve got a pretty big house and plenty of room for all this stuff, but it just sits there – barely used or untouched at all.  Meanwhile, there are plenty of people who would be thrilled to have what we’re bored with.  It’s great to see a bidding war on a 40 year old camera and get tons of calls for an older elliptical machine.  The reality is, people want what others have.  People want what YOU have.  Selling and buying often stimulate the same pleasure centers of our brains.  Know any sales people who love buying stuff?  For those with a spending problem, selling what you own you is a great start to a cure.  It can change the way you look at needless items on a shelf or in a catalog and help you come to grips with how much something really is worth.  When we come face to face with saying good bye to what we once thought was a good buy, we free ourselves not only of more STUFF, but of WANTING MORE STUFF.  It’s liberating, green and an experience worth having.