Waste Everywhere

Since I really started adopt the minimalist mindset as a foundation for my life, I notice how much waste is everywhere. This shows that I am grasping the concept completely. I am happy with the progress that is being made with my mental outlook. It is amazing to realize how the decisions people make shows how they are into living as slaves.

The other day, we went to drop off the converter box to the cable company. This was one of the steps I took over the last year to reduce my financial indebtedness to the large corporations. Getting rid of cable and the associated bill that went with it was one of the best things that I did. (If you really want to change your life, call your television provider and cancel it right now). Nevertheless, while standing in line, the lady ahead of us was going in the opposite direction. She was getting her service hooked up and she got the entire enchilada. When all was completed she got 6 HD boxes with two of them having the recording capability. Of course, this means that at her house there are already 6 HD televisions which shows a huge expenditure even on the low end. Now she will have a $220 a month bill on top of it all.

What is the waste here? How important is television really? Consider for a second that mankind survived thousands of years without this medium. Therefore, unlike food or water, it is something that we can do without. This particular lady is throwing her financial freedom away to help the profits of some faceless corporation. The sad fact is that she has no idea what it is costing her.

Here is an example of how much it costs her. $220 a month over the course of 5 years will come to $15,317.04 if invested at 5% return (my math might be off since I did it all by hand but you get the point). Now, let me ask you, do you think this person could use this money for a better purpose? Can you imagine the trip one could go on with this type of vacation fund? Instead, each month she will make a payment towards supporting someone else to entertain her family. In my opinion it is a high price to pay.

Freedom is a valuable commodity that people toss away with every decision they make. The above example show how this woman is sacrificing her future ability to do what she wants by having a service that ultimately provides little value in return. Sure there are lots of wonderful programs on television. But, I stand by my assertion that none of them are worth the price ultimately paid.

Freedomquest is the process of retaking our freedom back. To me, this all starts in the mind. Noticing where other people waste their precious resources is just one step in the process of acquiring the freedom mindset. Being a minimalist allows one to look at all the physical items that people spend money on. The ultimate question always is was value received for it? Many will claim yes based upon their consumption mentality. However, the truth is that few really understand the difference between a want and a need. This is paramount to the minimalist lifestyle. Eliminating all excess is a freeing experience. There is some pain involved because of the conditioning that we have. Nevertheless, we can see with clarity how much is wasted throughout our lives.

Start to notice the waste that is around you. Be mindful of what others are spending money on. Relate this back to your own life. I am certain you will see how your freedom is being given away with each purchase.