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to the furthest extent you can as an experiment in asceticism. Ask yourself if you want something or need something but be strict with your definition of need. Tell yourself no more often than you would like! Reevaluate your priorities. Find simpler pleasures to indulge in! Try to buy secondhand whenever possible.
May 12, 2024

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Going off of this I feel like it’s good to know EXACTLY what you want. Sometimes I want to go out to a coffee shop and it’s because I want this exact drink when other times it’s because I want to get out of the house so I can opt for something less spendy or go to the library and not spend at all.
May 14, 2024
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I agree, practicing restraint is good because it helps developing contentment.
May 12, 2024
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be 19 and read siddhartha but then get addicted to natural alternative enjoyments but then get addicted to weed and then get addicted to buying things online while youre on weed and then turn 25 and atone for this by only buying things from second-hand stores and reduced to clear discount grocery stores.
May 12, 2024
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I'm still trying to practice what I preach here. Capitalism makes it pretty hard; they want to keep us buying things so instant pleasure and gratification is marketed and thrown at us everywhere, and makes us feel like to be accepted in society, we must always have the latest "thing." But I've started to realize nothing deeply good can come easy, or cheap for that matter. It feels way more satisfying to know I've purchased something of quality, something that means something to me, something that'll last, rather than a cheap fad that'll have to be replaced soon anyway. Not to mention knowing and caring WHERE your money is going (small businesses over large corporations, looking into what the company stands for.) There are so many times I've told myself I can't afford something I really want and am drawn to, when I've realized how much I've spent on stupid little cheap things that don't matter to me. For yourself, for others, for the planet, spend INTENTIONALLY. And if that means you end up owning less, good! And while you're at it, do a bit of Marie Condo-ing (but please, donate what you can for christ's sake.) You might experience a little withdraw with the lack of stuff and lack of spending, but I think overall you'll feel lighter, freer and more satisfied!
Jun 19, 2024
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Technically I’m using this term wrong—it’s from the “marshmallow experiment” (iykyk). But in the last year, I have been developing a stronger muscle for delayed gratification as a counter to instant gratification. We live in a very wild moment in modernity / late-stage capitalism where seemingly everything we desire (to own, to know) is at our fingertips. And I’m not entirely convinced we were meant to live like this. Yearning, waiting, longing for something, being patient—these are an important part of the human experience. So why deny ourselves the distinct pleasure of waiting for or working toward something by instantly having it? Slowing down is very very good for us and part of what keeps me going.
Here are some ways I practice my delayed gratification:
🕐 film photography, it takes a long while to finish a roll and more time to get the pictures developed ⏲️ borrowing media from the library (bonus points for requesting the library purchase something for me, then hoping and waiting with no guarantee) 🕰️ buying myself a present and then not opening it until the right moment. both of the gold charms that i wear daily i waited a couple of months to open to mark major life milestones ⏰ making sourdough bread. i have to decide three days in advance that i want to bake it and start feeding my starter so she’s ready to bake with. ⏱️ keeping a wishlist instead of buying something the second i want it. this gives me time to consider the purpose it serves, determine if i already own something similar (especially clothing), figure out if i can get by borrowing it (books! music! tools!), and ultimately save up for it. also our shopping impulses are often a response to something deeper inside of us, which is how we often accumulate so much stuff!  💌 sending letters / having pen pals, which gives us the chance to slow down our responsiveness and availability. i love anticipating their letters and sitting down to draft my own.  🪷 having an orchid in my house. she blooms once a year, but i nurture her throughout the year to reach that moment each spring. 
Mar 25, 2025
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going through my old clothes before getting new ones, believing i can stick to a budget, stretching, learning to stay the course when trying new foods
Mar 27, 2025

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