The Philosophy of Space and Savings is the function the dynamic ecosystem and the directly influence on financial health.
By practicing delayed gratification, I was able to determine rightfully so the meaning of intentional purchases and distinguish the ones that would have drained by bank account.
The understanding of strategies allocation of resources by making do of the savings you have, is what makes it more meaningful in your life in terms of materialist items
By adopting a mindset of intentional consumerism, I discovered that financial freedom often hides in plain sight—specifically, in the items we choose not to buy and the seemingly small indulgences we choose to embrace.
Below, I break down the specific items I bought and the ones I skipped, explaining the economic and psychological reasoning behind each choice.
If you are looking to reshape your budget and your living space simultaneously, these insights offer a roadmap to a richer life with less clutter.
1. The Sanctuary of Thought – Why I Bought a Reading Chair
When I first moved into my current space, only thought about a work desk for my computer. And after a year, decided to give myself a mental and eye break with a dining table, understanding that my wellness and health came first instead of staring at the screen while eating.
From a discretionary standpoint, life a constant reminder in your space that each items added the space is a succession of milestone completions of your life instead of buying everything at once.
This wasn’t an impulse buy found in a clearance aisle or a sale item (even though it was an added bonus), it was a targeted investment in my intellectual growth.
We live based on decisions not on a spreadsheets and numbers, but this purchase remains undeniable from a financial perspective as I know it is an investment into my mental wellbeing and financial learnings into the future in relaxing environment against the confines of consumerism and targeted advertising from social media.
When you’re working hard to save, you will be able to afford it just relative to time you want to make it happen as the goals you have set it out to be. You don’t have a specific reason to save, just executing on it with what you can affording when you’re able to without any debt and owning anybody money is the best feeling ever.
2. No Bed Frame
Cultural norms dictate that a “grown-up” bedroom requires a headboard, a footboard, and slats lifting you off the ground. But in the Eastern part of the world, is completely normal to not have one.
The bed frame itself, often a purely aesthetic structure costing hundreds or thousands of dollars, struck me as a capital sink that offered zero utility for sleep quality.
By skipping this non-essential item, I prioritized actual sleep comfort over the appearance of a traditional bedroom, effectively putting my money where my dreams—quite literally—were. Instead, I bought an eye-mask so I sleep during the day when I am tired.
3. The Library Expansion – Why I Bought More Books
While I practiced extreme restraint with furniture, I aggressively bought more books. In the age of digital minimalism and e-readers, filling shelves with physical volumes might seem counterintuitive to saving money.
However, this is just a personal preference to buy the physical copy because books are a constant reminder that could potentially alter your lifestyle decisions financially.
However, I view books not as consumables, but as appreciating assets of the mind and and investment into myself just like the reading chair.
Every book on finance, biography, history, or skill development I purchased cost roughly less than $50 but often contained ideas worth thousands. I always view quality over quantity of the books because I read online reviews out there and see how these ideas could be applied my own lifestyle choices.
The classic I have bought recently are “1929: Inside the Greatest Crash in Wall Street History–and How It Shattered a Nation”, “Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones”, “Mastering The Market Cycle: Getting the Odds on Your Side”, “The Richest Man in Babylon – The Original 1926 Classic (Reader’s Library Classics)”.
Furthermore, having a home library creates an environment of curiosity. Instead of going out for expensive dinners or paying for high-priced entertainment on weekends, I often find deep satisfaction in staying home and reading.
This hobby is definitely a great alternative to movies, binge watching shows, streaming content, and online entertainment platforms if you do have the time.
The cost-per-hour of entertainment for a book is pennies compared to a night out, making this habit a cornerstone of my strategy to get financially ahead.
4. The Living Room Rebellion – Why I Didn’t Buy a Couch and TV
Perhaps the most radical decision I made was regarding the living room. For years, I didn’t buy a couch and TV. In most Western households, the television is the hearth, and the couch is the altar. We orient our entire domestic lives around a glowing rectangle. By refusing to purchase these two items immediately, I disrupted the default behavior of coming home and “zoning out.” Without a giant screen dominating the room, I found myself engaging in active hobbies, cooking, or working on side hustles that generated extra income.
Financially, this was a massive win. A quality sectional and a modern 4K television can easily total $3,000. Additionally, there are the hidden costs of cable subscriptions, streaming services, and the electricity to run them. By abstaining, I saved the upfront capital and the recurring monthly expenses.
Eventually, I am planning to use my reading chair and eventually buying projector would be more purposeful in the bedroom, maintaining a multi-purpose space.
This setup prevented me from succumbing to the advertising constantly beamed through televisions, which subtly encourages more spending. My living room became a space of production rather than consumption.
5. Investing In Durability – Why I Bought Outdoor Clothing
Living in a space to get financially ahead isn’t just about indoor items; it’s about how you equip yourself to leave that space. Sometimes your indoor space is just as important as your outdoor space, whether you’re travelling or doing a staycation or doing outdoor activities like hiking for your mental health and physical wellbeing.
I deliberately bought outdoor clothing from premium brands known for lifetime warranties and extreme durability.
I notice this year has been alot of sales and pretty deep discounts in terms of high-end brands like The North Face and Adidas. This holiday season I easily spent alot but I was able to budget that amount knowing that it will last a very long time.
I’ve been a huge proponent of buying high quality items even though it will cost alot more than “fast-fashion” items are they are usually a couple times use and then you have to throw them away. Over the years, I still wear items I have from 10+ years ago because of really good quality items.
6. Culinary Economics – Why I Bought High Quality Kitchenware & Accessories
Takeout and restaurant meals are the silent killers of most budgets. Consequently, I bought high quality kitchenware such as a stainless steel pan and accessories.
I checked out Zwilling Warehouse Sale this holiday season and if you know this brand, they typically have high quality kitchen items and was able to score those deals with up to 50% off most items I bought. I highly recommend buying from this place as I tried to look for quality items that are going to last a long time.
This includes buying a vacuum pump and large vacuum bags. These are super useful in times when you have to bulk buy and save money in a time when groceries are expensive for individuals and for families so your food can last 5 times longer in the freezer and refrigerator.
Don’t be afraid to walk away from high prices and shop around to save money. For example, when I went to Costco it was $75 for a 5 pack of steak all cut up but if you cut up your own rib roast (you can cut it up and freeze it to 5 pieces) it was only $30 at another local grocery store.
Now I am seriously looking to buying meats such as steak, pork and chicken in bulk so I can budget even more effectively.
7. All Weather Tires Instead of Winter Tires
One time big expensive I had the budget for and thought about for a very long time was switching from my all-season tires to better all weather tires.
You will know when you have to switch out your old tires based on the date code, the tread depth, and the side wall starting for form cracks on the tire wall of the tires.
All of these factors made me think about how to budget on buying a set of 4 new all weather tires instead for year of noticing these potential issues.
Instead of rotating and installing them twice a year and switching them to all season, I decided to pay up more for the all weather tires and have them installed once and then plan to use them until the life of the tire is starting to end.
I believe down the road it will save me money in terms of switching out the tires twice a year which also includes labour and storage of the tires is going to save my hundred of dollars in the future.
Conclusion – The Balance Sheet of a Life Well-Lived
Looking back at these several years, the items I bought and haven’t bought paint a clear picture of my priorities and my own unique personality. I directed capital toward health (kitchenware), knowledge (books, reading chair), and experiences (outdoor clothing). I withdrew capital from passive entertainment (TV) and aesthetic norms (bed frame).
This wasn’t about deprivation; it was about aggressive allocation.
To get financially ahead, you must view your home not as a showroom, but as a headquarters for your life’s mission. Every object you bring in should have a job. If it doesn’t work for you, it is working against you by tying up your cash and occupying your mental bandwidth. By curating your space with this level of ruthlessness and intent, you build a bank account—and a lifestyle—that is resilient, abundant, and uniquely yours.