What if we are overpaying for nothing every time we buy instead of renting? Do we really need all these purchases when it’s often cheaper to rent?
It is believed that if you have bought something expensive, it means that you have achieved a certain position in society. This is true in a sense, because you have to earn money to make these purchases. But what if the purchase is not a necessity at all?
How about a car? You’re buying a car – forever? Even if you don’t replace it, how long will it last you? 10-20 years? Then it will go to the junkyard, and once it was all yours. So buying a car is also a long-term lease.
What about human life? The human body, which is given to us for free, does not last forever either. In fact, we rent our bodies, some for 30 years, some for 60, some for 90. We do our own renovations inside, choose high quality gasoline, take our bodies to doctors for checkups. But the body is still not ours, because it is not eternal. We cannot possess something for eternity, so we cannot call it possession in the full sense of the word.
Is there one thing in this world that we can truly possess? Hardly. Houses will crumble, cars will break and rust, and former “owners” will pass away.
So why do we buy?
A person living in a world of instability is willing to pay double the price for at least some security. When we buy an apartment, we hope that no one will evict us from there and that the repairs can be done to our liking, without entering into disputes with the owner. Buying a car, we want to be sure that when we need it, it will always be available. And we buy new clothes to make sure that no one has worn them before us and that they will always be on hand.
A person only has 24 hours in a day. How much time can you devote to your things? A couple of hours for your car, 10 hours for your suit, a few hours for your phone and e-book, 20 minutes for your bike. The rest of the time these things sit idle while they could serve someone else. But after all, you paid for the full time – isn’t that an overpayment?
When we buy something we can rent, we’re paying extra for a sense of security. And that feeling often has little to do with reality, both in the case of cataclysms, wars and earthquakes that can flatten your house, and in the case of ordinary household mishaps like a stolen car or accidentally torn jeans – there are no guarantees anywhere.
So if you see a man who’s living in a rental with peace of mind, take off your hat. He has the stamina of steel, he doesn’t need guarantees. But if the person has a clear love for shopping and an excessive desire to save for a house/yacht/boat/plane, then perhaps he is trying to compensate for his fears, to feel secure and in control of his life this way. Give him a pat on the shoulder.