So have you ever had one of those moments where you look around and wonder, “Why are we all chasing so much?” Not building so much but “chasing so much.” I had that that type of moment just a few days ago, in a bar watching the Barcelona vs. Inter Milan game, sitting with a friend and with my favorite drink, watching people step out of cars, maybe, just maybe they probably can’t comfortably afford, rushing into stores to buy things they probably don’t need and I realized something that has been quietly reshaping my life: Less is luxury.

Not the type of luxury you see in magazines or Instagram reels, I am talking about a different kind; I am talking about the luxury of breathing space, peace and room; the luxury of not stressing every time a bill comes in; the luxury of saying no to things that do not matter because you have said yes to what really does matter to you, in form peace, not seeking and craving attention from others with possession, simple but yet having more than enough, not status signaling.

We have been sold a version of success that is loud, shiny, and expensive, but what if we have been lied to? What if the real flex; the one that actually matters is living below your means, not because you have to, but because you want to? Because you have found a kind of richness that can not be swiped with a card or parked in a driveway and that is the idea I want us to talk about together.

Table of Contents

The Illusion of Wealth: When More Becomes a Burden

I used to think that if I just made a little more money, life would get easier and that I would finally relax and yes to a very great extent that is true, but you know what happened when I started earning more? I spent more, Lol. Not on purpose, it just kind of happened. Nicer and better clothes, fancier dinners, and more and more. But here is the truth and it is not like I did not know it before now: More money does not fix everything, especially if your mindset is stuck in “I deserve this” mode, Omo. When we start tying our self-worth to what we own, we start piling on the weight of appearances and the burden of looking successful replaces the freedom we were chasing in the first place.

And it can be very very sneaky because society rewards visible wealth; the big house; the designer bag; the first-class ticket, but what it does not show you is the credit card debt, the sleepless nights, the jobs people hate just to maintain the image and that is not wealth; that is a performance and a stressful one at that.

I do not know about you, but personally I got tired of performing and most importantly, I got tired of going broke before the end of every month, wondering where it all went, Lol, despite “doing well” and that was my wake-up call. I was not building wealth, I was burning it.

So if you have ever felt that weird disconnection, where you are earning more but feeling less secure, you are not alone, trust me, I know that feeling too. Most of us were never taught how to live within our means, let alone below them, but that is where everything starts to shift: Not when we get more but when we need less.

What It Really Means to Be Wealthy

You know what is wild, maybe funny, weird or kind of off? It is that some if not most of the wealthiest people we have met or seen online do not look rich at all. They drive old cars, wear plain clothes, and half the time you would not even notice them in a room, but when you talk to them for five minutes or more you will realize; they are just simple, clean and free.

No boss breathing down their neck, no debt hanging over their head, no stress about bills, even if something unexpected pops up; they have got time, space, and peace and that is when it hits me hard: That this is what rich really looks like, time, space and peace of mind, and as much as money is important you do not have to be as wealthy as them in order to live your life like that.

We have either been trained or subconsciously learnt to equate wealth with luxury but most of that luxury is rented. You can look at it like this, what if we flipped that whole idea on its head? What if being rich was not about what you spend, but what you keep? Or better still, what you do not need?

Because and honestly, the richest I have ever felt was not after a paycheck or a bonus; it was the moment I realized I had enough saved to take a break from work if I needed to. Or when I walked past something shiny in a store, smiled, and kept walking not because I could not afford it, but because I did not need it to feel good about myself and here is the beautiful part: Once we stop chasing the image of wealth, we finally have space to build the reality of it.

So let’s redefine what “rich” means, at least for me; not for social media; not for strangers, but for you and me: Rich in time! Rich in health! Rich in options! Rich in sleep! Rich in sanity! Rich in relationships!

That is the kind of rich I want to build and it starts by living not just within our means, but intentionally below them.

Why Do We Buy Things We Don’t Need

Let me be real with you here, I have bought things just to feel better and NOT because I needed them, not even because I really wanted them, but because I was stressed, bored, or trying to fill a gap or void I could not quite name. A new gadget, a nicer shirt, another delivery order and that quick hit of dopamine felt like a tiny reward for getting through the day.

And for a moment, it worked, but the high never lasted, and afterward? Guilt. A shrinking bank balance, a closet full of stuff I barely used. I started asking myself: Why do we do this? Why do we spend like this?

The truth is that sometimes and more for some other people, a lot of our spending has nothing to do with logic; it is emotional. We buy because we are tired, we buy because we are trying to prove something to others or to ourselves, we buy because we think it will make us feel more “enough.” That is what consumer culture does so well, it whispers, “If you just had this one more thing, you would be happier, cooler, more successful.” And we believe it, again and again, even when the package hits our doorstep and the magic wears off in a day.

But when we start paying attention and really noticing those little urges to spend, we give ourselves a chance to pause and to ask, “What am I really feeling right now?” Am I bored? Lonely? Comparing myself to someone I saw online? And that has been a game-changer for me, just recently, in fact, it is why I am writing this article. It is not about never spending, it is about spending with intention, choosing to buy things that actually add value to our lives instead of trying to fill a void. Because and honestly, here is the thing: No purchase can fix what is emotional; that is inner work, and when we do that work; the need to buy fades. We start choosing freedom over fleeting satisfaction and that is a powerful place to be.

Simplicity: The New Status Symbol

After a couple of things I have learnt and definitely still learning; you know what impresses me these days? Not someone rolling up in a brand new car or flashing the latest tech. What really gets me is someone who lives simply and still has options, someone who is not drowning in payments, someone who can take a random Tuesday off because they are not stretched to the edge and that, to me, is the new status symbol: A calm life! A life you are not constantly trying to escape from.

I used to think that “making it” meant more, a bigger house, fancier vacations, and work, but lately, I think there is a quiet revolution happening at least in my own mind or more people, or maybe just you and I are starting to crave less, less clutter, less pressure, less performing, while still having and living in abundance, and I hope this part does not sound like a paradox to you.

Simplicity is not about being cheap, not at all; it is about being clear, knowing what matters and cutting the rest and that is what makes it powerful. When you are not chasing every trend or trying to outdo the next person, you get to opt out of the race entirely and honestly? That is where peace lives.

I have seen people trade luxury for freedom, and you know what? They look lighter and more alive; there is something magnetic and interesting about someone who knows who they are and does not need to prove it; they are not shouting, but they are steady and that kind of quiet confidence? That is certainly what I want. We do not talk about it enough, but simplicity takes courage, honestly. It means saying, “I don’t need to keep up.” It means resisting the pull of more and choosing enough and in our world today obsessed with more, enough is radical, enough should be the goal, enough is peace, enough is the state of the mind and enough is enough.

So yes, I think simplicity is the new flex, at least for me, not because it looks good, but because it feels good, even great, and maybe that is the kind of life we all or most of us have been looking for all along, the one that does not need a filter or a fancy tag to feel rich.

Living Below Your Means: A Strategy, Not a Sacrifice

When I first heard the phrase “live below your means,” to be honest, it sounded kind of sad, Lol, honestly, it did. Like settling, like giving up nice things and living a life of constant restriction, but the more I leaned into it, the more I realized that could not be further from the truth.

Living below your means is not about deprivation, it is about design, it is about building a life that fits comfortably within your financial reach so you are not always standing on the edge. It is not a punishment; it is a plan, a way to give yourself breathing space, mentally, emotionally, and financially. I used to think I had to reward myself for working hard by spending more, and again that is also very very far from the truth, what I have learned is that the real reward is not needing to. Walk with me here, imagine paying your bills with ease, saving without stressing, and having the freedom to say no to toxic jobs or situations because your lifestyle does not demand that you grind yourself into the ground: That is not sacrifice; that is power!

And no, it does not mean living like a monk, Lol. I still enjoy things, not just but rich food, travel, the occasional dinner out, and I’m currently planning one for next month, do with that information, whatever you like, Lol. But now I choose those moments; they are not habits; they are intentional and because I am not overextended, they feel even better and special. So, if you are wondering how to start, do not overthink it, just track your spending for a month, find one area where you can cut back, just one or maybe more. Cook at home a little more, cancel a subscription you forgot you had and maybe downgrade something no one even notices but you because it is not about going without, but it is about living with clarity and intentionality.

Living below your means is not flashy, and that is the point; it is the quiet confidence of knowing you are very very okay and with time great, not because of what you have, but because of how you manage what you have and that is not just smart; that is a strategy for a life of real freedom.

The Compound Power of Restraint

Let me tell you something that I am still learning and that is changing the way I see money: Small choices add up fast and not always in flashy, exciting ways, but in quiet, steady ones that build momentum over time. And when we talk about living below our means, this is where the magic really starts to happen. There is a kind of power in restraint not the rigid, joyless kind; I am talking about the simple decision to say “not right now” to something that does not truly serve you, so you can say “absolutely yes” to something bigger later, like the special dinner I am planning for next month, do with information whatever you like, Lol. That is where real wealth begins: Not in the big windfalls, but in the boring, consistent wins that most people overlook.

Like say, you started saving $100 a month, at the beginning it would not feel like much at all, barely making a dent in my day-to-day life, but over time, that little habit will build a cushion; then an emergency fund; then the confidence to invest and suddenly, you will discover that you are not just surviving month to month but that you are also growing. That is the compound effect, not just in money, but in mindset. Every time we choose patience over impulse, every time we put a little aside instead of spending, we are building something bigger than what we can see at the moment.

And this is the beautiful part here: Restraint does not mean we are missing out; it means we are positioning ourselves, for stability, for choice, for peace; it is not flashy and it won’t go viral, but it is real and it is good and with time, great!

I think about all the times I rushed into purchases, thinking, “It is just this once,” but those “just this once” moments stack up too and in the wrong direction, but what if we flipped that? What if we let the quiet wins stack instead?

So again, yes, restraint might not feel luxurious in the moment, but wait a few months or a few years and suddenly you will look around and realize: This is freedom and that is a luxury money can not buy but living below your means can build.

Freedom Over Flexing

You know another thing I have started to admire most? People who live with what I call “quiet wealth.” Not the flashy type you see in movies or on social media, I am talking about the ones who are free, who have built lives that do not require constant validation; the ones who live below their means and use their time, energy, and money to create the life they want on their terms; this is the new “rich.” It is not the car or the house or the watch; it is the ability to say, “I’m doing this for me.” To choose to live in a way that does not require constant spending or performance, and the beauty of it is, it is not just for the very wealthy; it is for any of us who are willing to make the decision to live with intention.

So I urge you and myself, let us ask ourselves: What is more impressive to us? A new car, or the freedom to say “no” to the things that do not align with our values? A luxury vacation, or the ability to take time off without worrying about finances? The “new rich” is not about what you own; it is about what you do not need to feel wealthy.

Conclusion

So, at this point and after talking through all this, I hope one thing stands clear to you: Living below your means is not about giving up anything important; it is not about losing out on life’s pleasures; it is about choosing the ones that matter, and letting go of the ones that do not.

Because true luxury is not about filling your space with things you do not need, or trying to keep up with everyone else’s expectations; it is about owning your life; your time; your choices. When we stop letting stuff define us, we make room for something much more valuable: Freedom.

And remember things don’t make the man!

After listening to a Podcast about “Things Don’t Make The Man,” I decided to take some hours to think deeply about it, and after hours of thinking, not like I don’t know this before now, but then again think and walk with me. We obviously live in a world that confuses price tags with personal worth. Luxury cars, designer labels, the latest tech are all sold as symbols of success, but here is the truth some won’t say out loud: none of it defines you, because real value doesn’t come from what you wear, drive, or post online, it comes from who you are especially when no one is watching.

This is how I like to see it: Character does! Integrity does! Purpose does!

This is NOT just a message, it’s a reminder; that in a culture obsessed with having, the real flex is BEING and just like me, if you’re ready to build something that lasts longer than trends, you’re reading the right article and while you read I will strategically drop the same verse of a scripture on different translations starting now.

Then he said to them, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.” – Luke 12:15 NIV

In today’s world that is constantly telling you and I to buy more and show more, it’s very easy to lose sight of what really truly matters. We’re surrounded by carefully crafted images of success: the luxury watch, the fast car, the sleek apartment, and more. We’re told that these things signal power, status, and respect, but again, the truth is that they are just that, things and things DON’T make the man.
Continue Reading: Things Don’t Make The Man

And that is the kind of wealth we can all create; it is not about being rich in things; it is about being rich in peace, in possibility, and in options. It is about waking up every day knowing you are not controlled by what you own, but empowered by what you have chosen to leave behind.

So, my dear friend and reader, if you are ready to embrace a life of true wealth, it starts with small shifts: Cutting back, simplifying, and building habits that bring you closer to freedom; it is not a sacrifice; it is a choice, and that choice, when made consistently, will lead to a life where less really is luxury. Let us make the bold decision to live for what truly matters; let us redefine what it means to be rich, and let us do it together, one intentional step at a time.