Stop buying things that require you to buy more things
Minimalism sure is trending these days—Instagram is full of bare rooms with white walls and a shelf with one thing on it. But even if tidying up hasn’t sparked joy for you, you can incorporate lessons from minimalism to take control of your spending. Beyond just buying less, you should buy smarter—and one concrete way to do that is avoid complementary goods.
Complementary goods
When you need a minimum of two items at one time to fulfill a desire (i.e. needle and thread).
Most of us are aware of the big obvious purchase that requires other purchases: the car. If you buy your own wheels you must pay for a whole slew of extra stuff including gas, tolls, insurance, and maintenance. But there are many other complementary goods in our life that with a little adjustment, we can absolutely live without and save money in the process. Read on for a list of non-obvious things that require you to buy more things:
Tech
If you buy an iPad you must also buy a data plan
I don’t have an alternative here since I really do love my iPad which I use for reading sheet music, books, and recipes. But needing to buy the $25 monthly data plan somehow surprised me at the checkout counter.
If you buy black and brown shoes, you’re likely to buy more belts/clothes to match.
This is just my personal style, but I’ve always worn black clothes with black shoes and blue clothes with brown shoes. When I phased out my brown leather shoes (and belts!), I achieved a smaller, but more versatile wardrobe.
Ask yourself
If I buy this, will I be tempted to buy something else to go with it?
As you can see, none of these purchases are “essential” and they usually lead to more purchases. The best way to avoid the pitfalls of complementary goods is to ask yourself: If I buy this, will I be tempted to buy something else to go with it? If the answer is yes, try going 2 weeks without it. Then check in to see if you still feel like parting with your hard earned money. You might find yourself saving money and becoming a minimalist in the process.
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