Even though men often make fun of women shopping, women just might have the right idea. We often try to be practical by living with older things and getting every last use out of them. Although, is always being practical good for us or even healthy? Learn how buying things can help?

Not all of us of course can afford to go out and buy something every day. However, it can boost your spirit or plain brighten your day by buying something for yourself. There can be an abuse of buying things when you don’t need them but at the same time, buying things can also be an improvement. The trick is knowing when obtaining things is a good thing or bad.

How Being Practical Isn’t Always Good

So, if you have a car that isn’t completely reliable, or a cell phone that is temperamental and old. And you rely on these things for your job, you are putting your income at risk and you know it. With your transportation always giving you grief and your phone malfunctioning all the time. This causes you to be angry and frustrated. The now lack of focus on your job and life increases your stress levels. What should be something that takes a second is now taking more time than you can count.

This all leads to depression and taints your spirit. So, do you look at this as saving a few dollars trying to be practical worth it? Granted we all don’t have money to go out and buy a car on a whim. However, losing your job because they can’t rely on you to get to work on time. Or get a hold of you when they need to can cost you more than spending the money you need to make money.

Being practical has its advantages, there is nothing wrong with making things last. It is a good thing to appreciate what you have but there is a point when it anchors your life. Trying to keep old or antiquated things that are part of your everyday life, can take you down hard. There are those that just refuse to keep up with the times. I know people that refuse to get off of Windows XP. Not because they can’t afford it, but it is what they know. However, the frustration of trying to make it work with current technology is time consuming or sometimes impossible. Don’t let things strap you into being dysfunctional.

Keeping What You Have Organized

I think organization is the true key to making the day to day flow of things more peaceful. Knowing where your things are, puts you more in control and feeling more confident and successful. Granted life shouldn’t be mapped out from the time you get up to the time you go to bed. We all need to have some surprises and challenges. But for the more routine task you have control of, better prepares you for the unexpected.

I started working from home as a single full-time dad. I wanted that kind of life style to always be available for my child. It took me forever to get a routine, I felt so dysfunctional and like everything was out of control. When I worked from 8 to 5 everyday, that routine cascaded to other routines. Cleaning house; laundry; cooking; yard work and still had personal time. Once I started my home career, I couldn’t figure out how I managed all those things before. I certainly wasn’t doing very good working from home in the beginning. Eventually, I disciplined myself and found my groove. A new routine was found, which put me in a more confident position to handle surprises.




I learned that when any type of tech or tool was slowing me down, I replaced it. Time is money and when you are a one man show, buying things can help in productivity. Buying things to help keep me organized also improved my life. New things made me feel better about myself and more successful.

Buying Things To Be More Efficient

Technology is an amazing thing. Every day we come up with something that makes life a little easier. Especially for those that run on a tight wire for time. They now have wearable technology and that is pretty cool. Imagine wearing your phone on your wrist or a camera on a sweatband. Of course, there have been medical monitors for some time. Medical devices that you can wear to monitor your health or keep up with your exercising.

3D printing is now a reality. Imagine the amount of time that is going to save people like engineers, cake decorators or designers. They will be able to create what they design on a computer, then print out a full model replica of it. Home entertainment is also jumping into a new era with Smart, Curved and 3D televisions. We now have Smart Homes and cars that can drive by themselves. How all of this can help disabled people or elderly people.

Buying things like this can not only be a feel-good purchase, but make less fortunate people’s lives easier. However, these new-found technologies can also hurt us. It’s OK to keep skills like driving and other mundane task to keep our minds sharp. But when it comes to buying things to help your life be more efficient or easier, those are good purchases.

Be Good To Yourself

A lot of us always sacrifice those little things we would like to have. Either because of bills, those unexpected expense or for our kids. But it is those little things we would like to have that often gives us a sense of an upgrade. It gives that sense of something new that goes towards a “Self-Improvement.” Keep in mind, no one needs to be selfish or greedy, we do have responsibilities. So going out and spending all your money on things to make you feel better isn’t going to be the answer. However, splurging now and then is a good thing. Being nice to yourself and treating yourself for all the hard work you do. Giving a little reward for all the sacrifices you make, is perfectly OK.

There are many, including myself, that won’t spend money on themselves. This can be a noble trait, but also lead to frustrations with life. It makes life boring and so routine that you want to die. Everyone needs a vacation. You have to step out of the ring from time to time to take a break. There is nothing wrong with stopping, step back for a breather and start new again.

When you are feeling down about life, and especially when you are more on your own than others. Treat yourself, buy yourself an ice-cream. Take yourself to a movie or go to a restaurant you always wanted to go to. Remember, there is no one that knows you better than you. So, you know the things you like more than anyone. Don’t deny yourself a little happiness by being to practical. Our lives are short, be good to yourself while you are here.

Listen To A Woman

Now I am not stereotyping women at all, there are just as many women that hate shopping as much as men. However, growing up in my days, it was pretty common to hear a woman say. “Go shopping when life has you down.” So in my opinion, I would say listen to those women from my time period or any of these times that stand by that philosophy.

When life is getting you down, even if you buy something or not. Allow yourself to dream, let your imagination breathe a little. Even if it is a pack of gum, buy yourself something to make your day a little brighter.