We all have it once in awhile, it’s what I call material weaknesses.  When you usually don’t need material thing to be happy, there is this period where you have material weakenesses when you just go out buying things you don’t need and probably get stored in a closet a month later. 

As Timothy Ferriss wrote in the 4 hour work week, the new rich collect experiences rather than pocessions.  It’s those that wait till they retire to enjoy themselves that are in a game of collecting material things as some sort of way to be happy. 

The Simple Dollar made a challenge for overcoming his material weaknesses. “Starting today, August 5, I will not buy any books for one year, excepting gifts for others. Not a dime on books of any kind. Instead, I’ll get through the books I have to fuel my reading habit and also rely on my local library and any other sources I have for free books.”

Could you take on this challenge?  What about a similar challenge with movies? Not spending a dime on movies, but rather using only resources like renting or movie theaters.  The list could go on for the the ways to reduce your material positions.

Before I buy something new I always think of the effect it is going to have on my portability.  Rather than own a tv, I have a small projector, and use my pc as a tv.  My sound system is two USB speakers, that fit in my laptop bag.  I’ve reduced my clothes to less than a suitcase.  Really the only non portable thing I own is my DMZ F18 from Panasonic, since I just had to have the 18x optical zoom.  Overall, I could fit almost all my stuff in two bags, and travel with everything I need at any given moment.

To overcome your material weaknesses, ask yourself a few questions:

1. Will I still use this in 1 month?

2. How portable is it?  Is this going to be an anchor dragging me down?

3. Is this a free or better alternative?

4. Is this just an impulse purchase or do I really need this?

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