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How to Trick Your Brain Into Spending Less

2026-06-20 · Short · Ali · recording, 1:17 · watch on YouTube

Topic: Money and investing · mode: Answering questions

Asked why it is so hard to say no to yourself about spending, Ali blames a consumerist society that teaches the next purchase will solve your problems, and suggests replacing the purchase rather than denying it: "not this, but that instead", such as putting the $1,000 for a MacBook into an S&P 500 index fund.

What is said

The parts of the video and what is said in each (★ — how much it matters to the video).

00:00:00 — Why it is hard to say no to spending, and replacing a purchase instead of denying it

  • ★★ Saying no to yourself about spending is hard, Ali says, because in our consumerist capitalist society, society, advertising and media teach us from a young age that the next purchase will solve our problems. — 00:00:13

  • ★★★ Ali finds it really hard to say no to yourself about a purchase but much easier to say "not this, but that instead": replacing the purchase rather than focusing your mind on depriving yourself. — 00:00:23

    “Not this, but that instead.”

  • ★★ Ali's example of replacing a purchase: tempted by a new M4 MacBook Air he does not need, he would put the $1,000 into an S&P 500 index fund, knowing the money will grow over time. — 00:00:38 · MacBook, S&P 500

  • ★★ Having redirected the money, Ali says, you are no longer depriving yourself of a new MacBook every time you walk into the Apple store: you have already spent it on something more valuable to you, such as the stock market, books or a course. — 00:01:03 · Apple, MacBook

Threads in this video

  • first on record · How do you resist the urge to spend money? — Ali finds it really hard to say no to yourself about a purchase but much easier to say "not this, but that instead": replacing the purchase rather than focusing your mind on depriving yourself. (00:00:23)

Mentioned

Apple · index fund · MacBook · S&P 500

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