1. The difference between wants & needs:

On page 54 of the PSCD workbook fill in what according to you are your wants and needs.
b. Watch this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QyuU4wFIz3o
c: When you really want something, you try to convince yourself that you really need it and you cannot live without it. Does this sound familiar? In your reflective diary, write when this happens and why.

2. Reflecting on my spending patterns:

a.Now go to your room and carefully have a look at all the things that you own, that you bought or convinced your caregivers to buy for you.
b.Put these into two categories:
i. NEEDS
Think about the things that you cannot live without, not because they have a sentimental value, or they are cool, but because they are essential to your life, like a pair of shoes!
– Think about the objects that you listed under this category and think about:
o Did you have to spend that much money on this item?
o Had it been of a different cheaper brand (such a pair of jeans), wouldn’t it serve its purpose just the same?
ii. WANTS
Now look at the things that at that moment, you bought because you WANTED them, not needed them and answer:
– Are these items still important to you as when you bought them?
o Did you buy them on the spur of the moment?
o Did someone convince you to buy them such as your friends? Where they exactly as advertised?
o How much life are you willing to take of these objects?

3. Advertisements: How Ads Get Us to Buy Things We Don’t Need
We are constantly being bombarded with ads on social media, streaming services. Most websites collect your private data to analyse your likes, habits and purchases, that’s why you get ads of things you most probably would love to buy.
a. Watch this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Urny4oFBbto
b. What do you think now about your spending habits? How do you think advertisements effect your self esteem? What do you need to do to protect yourself from such messages?

4. Go to your room once again and think about:
a how much money you would have saved if you didn’t purchase the items you don’t actually need, or if you got a cheaper option of the items
b what’s the impact on the environment on producing those items for you to buy and what will happen when you don’t need these items anymore

5. Fill in page 55 of the PSCD Reflective Workbook and list the items according to their importance. Think about the top 3 items and write why you are grateful to have them. Go over the list you wrote on page 54, do you still agree with what you wrote down at the beginning of the lesson?

Final Note:
Happiness is not having what you want, but wanting what you have!