Overconsumption is among the major social and economic issues of modern society. Especially it is ridiculous to compare the opportunities and the levels of consumption in the developed and some undeveloped agrarian countries. Besides, overconsumption is damaging to the consumers, the economy, and the world environment because it diminishes positive emotions and raises material aspirations. The authors of the essay writing service toronto present the idea of the possibility of obtaining more benefits from spending less to prompt the readers to evaluate their possessions and needs. Overconsumption leads to more demands, a large ecological footprint, and exhausted resources. It may cause such negative consequences as distressing debts and a low level of happiness. On the other hand, thrift becomes a wise and efficient practice of using various resources. It provides moral and economic benefits and allows enjoying life without excessive purchasing. Individuals who strive for having financial success have low levels of social functioning, less satisfaction with family life, and are lacking in pleasure. Instead, the article describes several strategies which enable people to receive pleasure by spending less money.
“Disdain the chain” is a strategy of elimination of negative experiences as a part of well-being. The “Stretching happiness” strategy is the way to make people enjoy positive changes longer. The regular practice of appreciation, savoring and gratitude increases the level and length of the well-being of individuals. Dividing consumption into smaller “doses” and using them separately from time to time can multiply the appreciation episodes and prolong the period of pleasure. Moreover, people's attention drives their subjective experience and they receive more benefits from anticipating a forthcoming adventure and cherished possessions than from the actual process of acting. “Recycling happiness” is another strategy that allows people to enjoy something again and relive their experiences. For example, using an existing purchase in new ways or new conditions can create a new burst of pleasure. People can still extract positive memories and feelings from preparing for traditional family holidays or trips or looking through family photos. The “Renting happiness” strategy is based on the idea of the identical experience the person may derive from owning and renting objects. Besides, renting gives freedom from some duties, additional spending, and entanglements. According to the “pursuing what matters” strategy, not all purchases make the person happy. The level of pleasure often depends on the level of need. The needs or goals can be divided into intrinsic and extrinsic. The actions directed to the fulfillment of intrinsic goals produce higher levels of happiness than those generated by extrinsic goals.
In general, the authors encourage the readers to think about ways to feel satisfaction without overconsumption or spending too much. They describe a few strategies that allow people to feel happy in everyday life. According to the article, gratitude leads to greater well-being. Since an individual can prolong the sense of gratitude by dividing the consumption into “doses”, the feeling of happiness can be also extended. Such prolongation leads not only to the extended feeling of satisfaction but to save the sources. As a result, thrift is a source of happiness. Every person is capable of obtaining more benefits from spending less and should use these opportunities.
