One week from now, at this time, we'll be on a plane to Houston.
We've been packing our stuff for the past few days into boxes and into our luggage, and planning what we need in US before our shipment arrives.
And I'm reminded about how little we really need.
As I repack the boxes, many of the items haven't been used these 6 months.
Many items are consumables which I brought over from SG. Which I overstocked.
I'm reminded that I don't need to, and shouldn't have stocked up on so many dishwashing detergents, laundry detergents, etc...
Actually one bottle lasts for many months.
Unfortunately, I stocked up quite a lot and will have to bring them over, so it's troublesome.
I saved a little cash cos I get it free in SG due to my AIA vouchers, but instead I made it more troublesome for myself. Which to me, I feel isn't worth it.
It's really only a couple of bucks every few months.
In reality, we only need some furniture in our homes, some clothes, some consumables, food, washing equipment, utilities, insurance, transport.
And most of us already have all these settled.
What's expensive in life is pretty much... lifestyle choices.
Such as... owning a car, taking Grab/Uber.
Eating out, or eating nicer things. Most countries have affordable food options. It's whether we decide to consume the more economical options rather than the more expensive ones.
Or spa packages, nail packages, facials, holidays, toys...
The thing is... I think for many countries, we have grown past struggling to survive, but yet many people don't save enough or plan enough for their future, due to lifestyle choices.
My time in Paris has proven to me, even more, that we don't need a lot in life.
I can buy more things, but it will just be clutter. Which is what many of us face in SG. We have a lot of things but then in the end we end up having to buy more storage space to store them, or keep things in the storeroom, or throw them away.
My Paris apartment is half the size of my place in SG.
The more space we have, the more we want to fill it up. Because my place in Paris is small, I want less things, cos things just clutter up and make it hard to move around, and clutter annoys me.
However, in a bigger place, the stuff doesn't look as cluttered cos there's space. In SG, I have more things but similarly, I don't use many of the items.
It's interesting. Cos throughout our lives, it's always about more, more consumption, things will make us happier, spending more money will make us happier, money is the answer to everything.
But as I live my life, yes, money helps. But being contented with less helps even more.
Being contented with an ok job, a fair enough lifestyle, that's ok as well...
But comparing with others, and keep wanting more... I find that that keeps people dissatisfied with what they have.
When actually, they already have a lot.
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