Our possessions should be suited to our bodies and lives, just as our shoes are suited to our feet.
Epictetus
I recently read The Manual: A Philosopher’s Guide to Life and have been pondering over the above quote from that book.
That’s the philosophy I apply when I buy things, from the clothes I wear to my phone and even the car I drive.
I vividly remember in 2008 iPhone 3G was hot, and I really yearned for it. I could have stretched my savings, but I wasn’t feeling great about my life overall. So I withheld the iPhone purchase until I can comfortably afford iPhone 4 in 2010, and importantly, when I felt some hope for my overall life situation.
I think we can extrapolate this rule to any material possessions: Anything I buy should first be within my means. And then it should fit my overall lifestyle. I don’t stretch my money and myself to buy things that aren’t congruent with my lifestyle. No point in owning flashy things when you are empty and miserable inside.
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