When Stuff Doesn't Satisfy

Finding Contentment in a Culture That Always Wants More

As we step into November, we’re surrounded by sales, deals, and countdowns to Black Friday. Every ad promises something — comfort, joy, status, satisfaction — if only we buy the right thing.

The numbers are staggering. In 2024, consumers spent:

$10.8 billion online on Black Friday

$13.3 billion on Cyber Monday.

Toy sales rose by 680%, appliance sales by 464%

Shopify merchants reached $4.1 billion in global sales — a 22% increase from the previous year.

Those figures are hard to wrap our minds around — especially in an economy where so many are struggling to make ends meet. It makes you wonder: why are we still spending so much?

The Hidden Reason Behind Our Spending

Some would say it’s because we’re hunting for deals, trying to save. But I think it goes deeper than that. Marketers know exactly how to reach us — they appeal to our emotions long before they ever reach our wallets.

Behind every click and purchase, there’s often a longing for something more — comfort, joy, control, identity, even belonging.

There’s nothing wrong with wanting to create a beautiful home or enjoy nice things. But our pursuit of “more” can quietly lead to discontentment — the kind that steals satisfaction from our present circumstances.

“I can’t get no satisfaction.” — Mick Jagger

Sometimes a rock lyric says it all.

When “Enough” Didn’t Feel Like Enough

A few years after we built our home, we truly had everything we needed. It was warm, welcoming, and ours. Yet, I still found myself flipping through home design magazines and binge-watching HGTV.

At first, it felt harmless — just curiosity. But over time, I began to feel that familiar pull toward wanting something newer, trendier, better.

Then one evening, while watching a renovation show, my husband casually said,

“That’s really nice — that would be nice in our kitchen.”

He wasn’t serious, but those words hit me hard. In that moment, I realized how easily comparison sneaks in.

We already had a beautiful kitchen — one that served us well and reflected our story. But just hearing that comment exposed the subtle shift happening in my heart. I wasn’t being fully grateful. I had started measuring what I had against what I saw.

That night, I made a decision. I stopped buying home design magazines and took a break from HGTV. It might sound drastic, but I knew:

“The feet follow where the mind goes.”

When my thoughts were filled with “what’s next,” my contentment faded with “what’s now.”

Recognizing the Comparison Trap

It’s astonishing how quietly discontentment can creep in. The more we get, the more we want.

Stuff can bring a spark of joy — but it’s fleeting. It can’t fill the deeper spaces in our souls that were meant for peace, purpose, and connection.

“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth,
where moths and rust destroy…”
— Matthew 6:19 (NIV)

God knows that things only provide temporary fulfillment. He offers something better — a satisfaction that endures.

Cultivating True Contentment

True contentment doesn’t come from a full cart, a perfect home, or the next delivery box on your doorstep.

It comes from living with gratitude — recognizing how much we already have and investing in what lasts: our faith, family, purpose, and relationships.

As you navigate this season of sales and spending, pause and ask yourself:

• Am I buying this because I need it, or because I’m trying to fill a void?
  
  
  

• Will this purchase bring lasting joy, or just a temporary thrill?
  
  
  

• What do I already have that I can be grateful for today?
  
  
  

“You can never get enough of what you don’t really need to make you happy.”
— Eric Hoffer

Heart Check: A 5-Minute Reflection Before You Spend

Before your next purchase, pause for five minutes to reflect and realign your heart.

Download this free printable resource to help you spend with greater purpose and peace.

👉 Download the “Heart Check” Reflection Guide

This simple journaling prompt will help you:

• Reflect on your motives before spending

• Reconnect with gratitude

• Refocus on what truly satisfies

Final Thoughts: Spending Well from the Heart

Simplifying isn’t about denying yourself — it’s about making space for what satisfies most.

This November, let’s spend well — not just with our money, but with our hearts. Let’s invest in gratitude, generosity, and contentment that can’t be bought.

You don’t have to buy more to live beautifully.

You just have to see the beauty that’s already here.