you don't need to spend more to enjoy your twenties

A few years ago, I genuinely believed buying something new would make me feel more like the person I wanted to become. A new outfit would make me more confident. A new notebook would suddenly make me productive. A new skincare product would somehow transform my life overnight.

And for a moment, it worked. The excitement of waiting for a package, the temporary dopamine hit, the feeling of reinvention. But eventually, the novelty always faded, and I’d find myself searching for the next thing to consume.

What I’ve slowly realised in my twenties is that the moments I remember most vividly were rarely attached to things. They were attached to experiences. Long conversations over dinner. Last-minute road trips. Books that changed the way I thought. Watching sunsets with friends. Exploring a new city alone. Sitting in a cinema feeling emotionally wrecked by a film.

The older I get, the more I want a life that feels full rather than just one that looks full. And often, that means consuming less so I can actually experience more. Less impulse shopping. Less trend chasing. Less trying to buy an identity. More presence. More creativity. More memories. More intentional living.

This isn’t about becoming a perfect minimalist or never buying yourself nice things. It’s about creating enough space — mentally, financially, and emotionally — to prioritise the parts of life that actually stay with you.

So here are some small mindset shifts and habits that have genuinely helped me consume less while feeling like I’m living more fully.

Helpful resources for you:

• track all your favourite films and shows using a media tracker template.

• organise all your reading and books with my book notion template

• earn cash shopping with your favourite brands online with TopCashback

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Long-form content

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Media I consumed this week that sparked my curiosity

• The Men Who Lie About Their Height

• There’s a Name for the People Who Drain You “Hasslers” make life more difficult—and we can’t escape them.

• Our Warming Planet Is a Petri Dish for New and Deadly Microbes

• A Crisis of Agency The feeling of losing control to AI is real.

• Facial recognition data is a key to your identity – if stolen, you can’t just change the locks

The rest of this post is for paid subscribers, and here’s what you can expect:

• An exclusive list of mindset shifts that are helping me spend less but still enjoy my twenties.

• List of resources I’ve never shared before that save me money in my twenties

• List of courses I recommend doing in your twenties

• Access to my full archive of previous pay-walled content.

• An exclusive growing collection of community Q&As, where I respond to reader questions (and you’re always welcome to send your own). Here are past questions I’ve answered in my paid newsletter:

  • What are some lifestyle shifts you should make in your twenties to prepare for your thirties?

  • What are the life skills I should master before my 20s/30s?

  • Any advice for switching career paths in your twenties?

  • What are your passive incomes, and any advice for starting your own?

It’s $7 for the month (the price of a cup of coffee), but the knowledge you might learn might change your career, productivity and life in between for the better, just like it did for me!