Why Does Spending Money Make Us Feel Good?

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Sure, we need to have stuff and to have stuff in today’s world we buy it with money.

Yet is that the root of happiness?

The old barter system was a conversation between people who needed items or services. They would swap their talents to accomplish each other’s needs without using money. The reward was the agreement and reaching the goal.

Today, we work to earn money. Whatever the skill level or financial reward, we perform duties for others to earn enough cash to provide food, water, clothing, shelter and safety to our families and ourselves.

Beyond our basic needs, our “stuff” is all gravy. With more income than needed for necessaries, we can live the American dream of consumerism.

But why does that purchasing a new car or television or jewelry give us a good feeling?

Advertising tells us the new and improved is much better than last years model, so we must buy the latest version, but once we have that, there is another newer version on the market.

So our closets and garages are filled with books and records and clothing and electronics that are outdated or never used.

Yet, we must go out and buy new stuff. But the question is why? And why does it make our being feels better after the purchase?

Like a drug rush, we stand in line and hand over plastic or paper equal to the price on the tag to stuff in a bag and bring home. Once home we display our purchase with pride but quickly dull the excitement from the trading hours of work for a few penance to bring home a product constructed on the other side of the world by individuals who will never be rewarded for their labor.

Is it the sense that we can consume whatever we see and want? Is it that more money in our pocket goes to waste unless we spend it? Is it that the more we have stacked up in piles makes us a more powerful individual?

And with “credit” we can buy more than what we can pay for. Bigger and more expensive items fill our void while we try to pay the interest.

Bums rush as they say. Got to go and buy some shorts because these have holes in them.

I hate shopping.