I’ve got stuff. In fact, I have a lot of stuff; more than I can use. Lately, I’ve been getting rid of stuff I don’t need. I’ve done this before, and the effect lasts only as long as I put off going out and getting more stuff. Therefore, I needed a way to make it more difficult to go out and get more stuff.
Credit cards—especially store credit cards—make it very easy to get more stuff. Cut them up? Well, maybe. But what if I find myself in the midst of another Appliance Plague, or some comparable situation? Putting anything in a “safe place” is asking for trouble; I’ve got so many “safe places” that I’m lucky I know where anything is. My ultimate solution was to freeze the cards inside a block of ice. Most importantly, the cards are out of my wallet; out of sight, out of mind. Secondly, if I want to use a card, I have to want it badly enough to wait for a block of ice to thaw in my sink—microwaving/heating the plastic is definitely not recommended.
Program yourself to appreciate consumables. What I mean is…focus on a fascination with things that don’t last long (that does NOT mean buy a bird and stop feeding it).
Become a connosieur cook or an origami pro! Focus on something you can appreciate that was meant to go away. Order fruits from Virgin Islands or start carving apple faces! Or, if you MUST acquire long-term things…make it the VERY best…something that costs a bundle but keeps you from buying any more.