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Have you heard this saying that ‘Money can’t buy you love’? Well guess what! Money can’t buy you happiness either.

Research shows that possessions and purchases don’t buy us happiness. In today’s materialistic world we’re always looking to have the coolest gadgets, the latest fashion, and bigger are always better.

Many of us don’t realize that we’re being pushed towards materialism, not for our own happiness but for the monetary gain by corporations. Finding happiness in other ways other than just buy stuff online or finding joy in the mall, it’s hard to escape materialism in our daily lives – but it’s possible.

Here are some tips that can help you find a materialism-free life and discover true happiness.

Escaping Materialism

Everywhere we turn, all over the Internet, we see continuous advertising trying to get us to purchase a product or service. Switch on the radio or open up a newspaper or magazine, and you’re showered with more advertising. Go to a shopping center/mall, and the urge to buy comes from every direction. It’s inescapable… well, almost.

Here are some suggestions:

Limit television. Are the kind of person enjoys watching TV for hours? Think about which show you really really love and only watch during that time. You can even give up cable TV entirely, if you’re strong enough — I have, and it’s one of the best things I’ve ever done.

Steer clear of the news. Journalists will never tell you this, but the news is all about driving traffic to the advertising. So whenever you’re reading or watching news really and truly you’re being pulled in to advertising. Try stop watching the news for a week. I’ve done it for the past 6 months, and guess what – it hasn’t hurt me not one bit, in fact it has helped me.

Read books instead of Magazines. Try reading an ad-free book instead. It’s a much better use of your time. Unlike magazines which are designed with advertising in mind and rarely give you much value.

Don’t go to the mall or supermarket. If you just want a place to spend your Saturday afternoon, find a place where you don’t need to spend money to have fun or just relax — a park or a beach, are great places to start. Malls and Supermarkets only purpose is for you to spend money. I suggest if you need to buy something, go to a single store, and go in and get what you need…avoid browsing around.

Monitor your urges. Keep track of the number of times you want to buy something. Keep a little notebook or index card, and just put tally marks. Once you become more aware of your urges to buy things, you can start to control them.

Declutter. It’s pretty amazing to see all the crap I buy over a period of years. It’s a gratifying process whenever I’ve to start getting rid of stuff, and at the same time it makes me realize how useless carp I spend money on. Try getting rid of some stuff that you don’t need and are just lying around; you may be less likely to buy more stuff - especially if you enjoy the decluttered look.

True Path to Happiness

How can you find true happiness, if you’re able to escape materialism? Here are some things I suggest trying:

• Thankful list. Give thanks for all things about which you’re grateful in your life.
• Think positive. Try eliminating negative thinking from your life, and thinking positive instead.
• Simple pleasures. Make a list of small things that give you great pleasure. Sprinkle them throughout your day.
• Kindness. Help those in need. Volunteer. Make someone smile.
• Know yourself. Learn about what you love, and about your ability to love. Become in tune to what brings you happiness.

What brings you true happiness? How do you feel about materialism, and is it worth trying to escape it? Let us know in the comments.