“The Things You Own End Up Owning You”
Rethinking Financial Freedom and Control
There’s a scene in Fight Club where Tyler Durden delivers a line that cuts sharper than any financial tool ever could:
“The things you own, end up owning you.”
It’s one of those lines that lingers. Because whether we realize it or not, most of us live in a world where ownership equals identity. The truck. The house. The boat. The brand-name gear. It’s easy to feel like we’re building a life—but often what we’re really building is a cage.
Here’s the question that matters most:
Do you control your money, or does your money—and the stuff you buy with it—control you?
Financial Freedom vs. Financial Bondage
We talk a lot about financial literacy in public safety. About how to budget, save, and invest. All important, all necessary. But before any of that matters, you have to get honest with yourself:
Are your financial choices aligning with your values?
Do your possessions make you feel free, or do they keep you working overtime to keep up with the payments?
Are you choosing purchases that bring you peace, or chasing things that leave you needing more?
We live in a world that confuses worth with wealth. But financial wellness isn’t about having the biggest truck or the nicest house. It’s about having control over your life. Over your time. Over your stress levels. Over your future.
And too often, the things we think we own—the debt, the car, the credit card balance—end up dictating our hours, our health, and our peace of mind.
The Psychology Behind Spending
Before you spend another dollar, stop and ask:
What am I really buying?
Am I buying this because I need it—or because I’m stressed, tired, or trying to keep up?
Is this purchase a reflection of who I truly want to be—or who I think I have to look like?
Impulse purchases feel good in the moment. But over time, they can add up to a life where you’re stuck—working to pay for things you don’t even really value anymore. That’s not freedom. That’s quiet financial captivity.
Money = Power. But Only If You Keep It.
Let’s be clear: money is not the enemy. In fact, money is one of the greatest tools you have. It can buy you time, options, rest, safety, opportunity, and freedom.
But only if you stop giving it away to things that don’t give you that back.
If you invest $400 a month for 20 years with an average 7% return, you’ll have over $208,000. That’s freedom you bought with consistent choices, not with another brand-new truck. If you invest $300 a month over 30 years? That grows to over $340,000.
Every dollar you spend today is a vote for your future—or against it.
This Week’s Challenge: Audit Your Spending Habits
Take one day this week to pause and reflect on your financial life:
Look at your last 10 purchases. How many were truly intentional?
Choose one “want” you normally buy (daily coffee, subscription, impulse buy) and skip it.
Take that money—however small—and transfer it to savings or a retirement account.
Ask yourself: What am I working for? What kind of life am I building?
Then, answer this final question with honesty:
Are you owning your life—or are your possessions owning you?
The truth is, financial freedom isn’t about sacrifice. It’s about choosing to live in a way that aligns with your values, your future, and your worth.
You deserve that freedom. And you have the power to create it—one intentional choice at a time.