Precisamente mientras leía algunas entradas, incluso el post original para esta iniciativa, descubrí que existe un día muy especial, el día de usar menos las cosas. La verdad es que yo no tenía idea de que existía, porque a pesar de lo que otros pudieran pensar debido a la crisis financiera y la inflación que afecta incluso el dólar, Venezuela (el país en el que vivo) es altamente consumista, la verdad es que no todos estamos en la misma situación económica, hay quienes tienen muy poco y quienes tienen mucho, pero si vas cualquier día de la semana al centro de la ciudad donde está la vida comercial, ustedes podrán ver aquel mar de gente entrando y saliendo de tiendas con bolsas repletas, mayormente tiendas de ropa y zapaterías, pero también los almacenes de juguetes y electrodomésticos. Unos reciben divisas del extranjeros, otros porque tienen buenos sueldos y algunos porque simplemente recibieron buenos bonos llamados a "aguinaldos" en sus empleos, el caso es que siempre ha sido así y parece que nada va a cambiar eso, simplemente el que tiene gasta y muchas veces no se detiene a pensar en prioridades, por esa razón oímos a algunos quejarse de X o Y situación, y es que cuando deberían reflexionar acerca de sus hábitos consumistas.

While reading some posts, including the original post for this initiative, I discovered that there is a very special day, a day to use things less. The truth is that I had no idea it existed, because despite what others might think due to the financial crisis and inflation that even affects the dollar, Venezuela (the country where I live) is highly consumerist. The truth is that we are not all in the same economic situation; there are those who have very little and those who have a lot. But if you go any day of the week to the city center where commercial life is, you will see a sea of people entering and leaving stores with bags full of purchases, mostly clothing and shoe stores, but also toy and appliance stores. Some receive foreign currency, others because they have good salaries, and some because they simply received good bonuses called “aguinaldos” at their jobs. The fact is that it has always been this way and it seems that nothing is going to change that. Simply put, those who have money spend it and often do not stop to think about priorities. For that reason, we hear some people complain about X or Y situation, when they should be reflecting on their consumerist habits.

But the truth is that, personally, I don't consider myself a consumerist at all, although to be completely honest, I don't consider myself a minimalist either, you know, those people who live a rather austere lifestyle to live with only the bare necessities. If it's within my means, of course I like to shop, but I like to buy things that I'm really going to use. I've never agreed with buying things on a whim, only to see them gather dust later. No, I only buy something when I'm sure I want it, need it, and can afford it, because otherwise it would be a huge waste of money, time, and space.

I have never liked spending money just for the sake of spending it, but rather with a specific purpose in mind. However, the financial crisis made me think even more carefully about how to spend every penny, because, as I said, not all of us have the same privileges. There are those who earn more money or have more opportunities, and those who earn less. That's not to say that if I have the opportunity to treat myself, I don't, but I don't like to do it on a whim. I like to make sure that what I'm going to buy will serve me well and for a long time. I also look for deals and discounts to stretch my budget. I've never been a fan of impulse buying or buying something just because it's trendy. That's absurd. That's why, rather than “using less,” I would say use what you need, get the most out of it, get rid of what you don't use, and make room for what you do need and what can improve your quality of life.

Well, friends, that's my opinion, my entry for the @Hiveargentina initiative, so I hope you'll join in and give us your personal opinion. I'd like to invite my daughter @Betehyjade and my wife @Carmen1659.

(Imagen hecha con el editor de canva)

Image made with the Canva editor