Good list, or rather, a good survival kit: things you have to buy for yourself because the system will never provide them. They've turned basic human maintenance--eating real food, staying healthy, managing stress--into luxury consumer products. Then they sell it back to you as 'self-care'. It's a brilliant grift. The real investment is building enough capital so you don't need a massage just to escape your life in the first place. That's the long game.
Exactly, you said it perfectly. It’s wild how basic maintenance got rebranded as luxury. For me, massages aren’t an escape but a pleasure—something I enjoy, not something I need to survive the week. The real goal is what you said: building a life you don’t have to constantly recover from.
It reminded me that not all spending is bad spending—some of it is actually the foundation for a calmer, healthier, more energized version of ourselves. I especially loved how you framed things like massages, life insurance, and even a clean car as investments, not indulgences. That shift in mindset is powerful.
We’ve been conditioned to see self-care as optional or frivolous, when in reality, it’s often the thing that keeps us going.
Thank you for this grounded, thoughtful reminder that intentional spending can be deeply aligned with our values and goals.
Thank you—that means a lot. I think we forget how powerful it is to spend in ways that actually sustain us. It’s about choosing what genuinely adds peace and energy back into our lives. That shift changes everything.
Great read
Thanks Tajh!
Good list, or rather, a good survival kit: things you have to buy for yourself because the system will never provide them. They've turned basic human maintenance--eating real food, staying healthy, managing stress--into luxury consumer products. Then they sell it back to you as 'self-care'. It's a brilliant grift. The real investment is building enough capital so you don't need a massage just to escape your life in the first place. That's the long game.
Exactly, you said it perfectly. It’s wild how basic maintenance got rebranded as luxury. For me, massages aren’t an escape but a pleasure—something I enjoy, not something I need to survive the week. The real goal is what you said: building a life you don’t have to constantly recover from.
This was such a refreshing perspective.
It reminded me that not all spending is bad spending—some of it is actually the foundation for a calmer, healthier, more energized version of ourselves. I especially loved how you framed things like massages, life insurance, and even a clean car as investments, not indulgences. That shift in mindset is powerful.
We’ve been conditioned to see self-care as optional or frivolous, when in reality, it’s often the thing that keeps us going.
Thank you for this grounded, thoughtful reminder that intentional spending can be deeply aligned with our values and goals.
Thank you—that means a lot. I think we forget how powerful it is to spend in ways that actually sustain us. It’s about choosing what genuinely adds peace and energy back into our lives. That shift changes everything.
Yes! 🙌
https://substack.com/profile/387954688-oliver-orlandini/note/c-165257087?r=6ez7r4&utm_source=notes-share-action&utm_medium=web