5 Reasons Not to Buy New Things

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It’s the season of materialism and without realizing it we want new things!

We want things that promise to make life better and more exciting.

We think that we can’t live without these things even though we’ve lived without them our entire lives up to this point!

Before we follow the herd to local shopping malls and online dealers here are a couple of things to contemplate.

New things tend to wear out faster

When we first got married our dining room table was one that my grandparents bought in the 1920’s it was well built! 100 years ago when people bought new things they expected them to last a lifetime and sometimes longer! Today you’re lucky if that new thing is still working great a year or two down the road!

New things cost more

It’s usually cheaper to fix the old then buy a new one! There are also hidden costs in that new thing. For instance, you might be able to get a good deal on new iphone 5 but then you end up getting a case, a car charger and a few other accessories. All together you could easily spend 100-200$ than you weren’t planning on.

New things only make us feel better for a short time

That Christmas morning excitement that we feel when we hold our new thing in our hands doesn’t last for long. Once the shiny feeling has been tarnished we set out looking for more. The more often we buy new things the quicker we lose the “new thing feeling”.

New things are wasteful

I’m not just talking about the 10 layers of packaging on every new gadget. New things waste a lot of other things!

• They waste space in our home
• They waste our time as we try to figure out how to use them
• They waste our money

New things make us want more new things

I once spent a week cleaning out the house of someone who was addicted to QVC! Over the years she spent nearly $100,000 on things she didn’t need and couldn’t use. Eventually the entire house was stacked to the ceiling with unopened boxes. Her family had to temporarily move out because there was no room left for them!

This is the greatest problem with new things -they tend to make us greedy, materialistic and can be very addicting!

I’m not opposed to buying new things every once in awhile but we need to carefully consider our options.

If you decide not to buy something new, here are a few alternatives.

Invest in the old

My dad used to say (and probably still says!) “If I can’t fix it then it ain’t broken!” No doubt he saved our family thousands of dollars over the years by just fixing things!

Fix something broken and make it new again. Use your hands and your brain to repurpose old things you have laying around your house.

• Paint an old dresser
• Fix a broken chair
• Mend some clothes

Invest in relationships

Too often our shiny new things replace valuable time and energy that we could be investing into relationships!

• Invite a neighbor over for tea
• Make a phone call or even a trip to see friends far away
• Write a handwritten note
• Play with your kids
• Have a cup of coffee with your spouse

Invest in the eternal

How about giving to something we know will last forever? Consider a special gift to your church, helping out a missionary (I know a good one!)

or looking for opportunities to share Jesus by serving your community!

The truth is Christmas is not about new things rather it is about a new life, a new heart and a new hope! Don’t let new things drown out the Joy of new life that Jesus came to give on the first Christmas!

Question: How do you deal with the materialism of Christmas season?