I’ve been thinking about this for a while. I’ve never been a shopaholic, but I still used to spend a lot of money on gas, coffee, eating out, and especially activities.

Two years ago, my husband and I moved from a big city to a very small town. The first year was hard. We missed going out, doing things, spending money. It felt like that “small life” wasn’t for us.

But over time, those cravings just disappeared.

And that’s when I started paying more attention.

I began noticing how much of consumption feels almost like a routine or even a duty. People shop every season, throw away clothes because trends change, upgrade perfectly working phones, buy new devices they don’t even fully use.

I’ve never really followed trends. My clothes reflect my personality, not seasonal trends. We chose our furniture based on what we liked, not what was popular. We even designed a colorful home when everything was white, beige, and grey.

So I used to think I wasn’t really affected by any of this.

But then I noticed something else. Once the “social” pressure disappeared, the manipulation found another way.

I started questioning if my home was clean enough. If I needed more tools like steam cleaners, cordless vacuums, or all these “advanced” cleaning devices. If something was “missing.” I spent so much time trying to make my home “perfect” before I even questioned what I was doing.

We’ve never been that perfectly organized, aesthetic couple. We live more like college students. Snacks, video games, and we genuinely enjoy it.

And that’s when it hit me:

Maybe the system doesn’t need to change you. It just finds another entry point.