We are the generation of “treat yo self.” It’s a phrase that I see at least once a day captioning something on Instagram, Snapchat, or basically any form of social media. You hear people using it as an excuse when they are in their favorite clothing store or even in line at the frozen yogurt shop. Thanks, Tom Haverford. It’s gotten to the point that we are now treating ourselves to pretty much everything. It’s gone too far.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m just as guilty of saying it after a long day’s work while in line at Starbucks or when I’m stress-shopping online after studying all night for a final. On those occasions, I guess it’s fine…to an extent. After finishing my first year of college on Dean’s List, I bought myself a new bracelet. That was a treat after working hard all year-long. But do I really need a treat every other night for reading a chapter of my text book? Plus, it makes it very difficult when buying presents for someone. What do you get a person who has everything because they already buy it for themselves whenever they want it?
We have to splurge on certain things and indulge every now and then to keep life upbeat and show ourselves a little love, but how much is too much? What is a treat and what is just simply excessive? It’s hard in the modern world to simply stop buying things for ourselves. We have the entire world at our fingertips, quite literally. That iPhone in your hand (that you NEED the new model of every September, at least that’s what we tell ourselves) can buy you anything. So why not?
Don’t like your purse anymore? Buy a new one.
Tired and bored of your phone case? Ehh it’s only another $20.
Want that new Taylor Swift vinyl? Treat yo self.
That’s the current philosophy toward pretty much any material item and it has gone too far. I bet you are a hard-working individual who deserves a treat every now and then. We all do. But we have to be careful what we are determining as treats and how often we are doing this. Limit yourself to some extent. Maybe a cup of coffee from the cute little shop around the corner before that night class you have once a week. Or you’ve been studying for that anatomy exam for six hours; you could use a break to go to Chipotle as a special treat. That’s okay.
Set yourself a budget, $10 worth of your paycheck every week for a special treat for yourself. Or save it for two weeks and have $20 for something a little nicer. Wow look at you go. That’s a treat. Something small to brighten your day. Maybe a monetary budget doesn’t work for you, so limit it to a certain day. Or if you are Tom Haverford and Donna from Parks and Recreation, go out once a year with your best friend and treat yourself to a luxurious day. Doing something like that every week is over the top. But once a year is manageable. Think as you say those words to yourself, is that a treat or is it a bit extreme and unnecessary?
We’ve grown to feel like we are entitled to these things as hard workers; news flash – you’re not entitled to anything. These are the things we have to be careful of because if not, soon we will be a completely materialistic culture, and that is something to fear. A generation where no one cares about feelings or being responsible, as long as they have all the items and belongings they want. Do these physical things matter that much? In a world of so much beauty filled with adventures waiting to be explored, do you need that new sweater or should you put that money towards something more important? It’s a balance, really. You need treats and splurges every now and then, but you also need to pay for your college education. Do you want to spend all your days at home on your newest iPhone, or would you rather spend time traveling the world and investing in that? Ask yourself the next time you go to treat yourself, is it a treat, is it necessary, is it really worth it?
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