One of the key guiding principles in the path of Yoga coming from the Ashtanga of Patanjali ( a sage who wrote a dedicated text on Yoga approximately 2500 years ago ) is the principle of Apraigraha ( Non Grasping or Non Hoarding )
The yogis say, " Take as much as you Need, Not as much as you Want ". Every shopping that we must do, every purchase we must make should be conscious choice of understanding we are buying only after assessing whether we really need something for making something happen or are we buying it because we merely desire it.
The path of spirituality, the path of healing encourages us to not posses too much, not acquire or hoard things. Today the media, the newspapers, the ad hoardings everywhere keep encouraging us to buy the latest, best and most glamorous phone, clothing, car, watch etc. We are being driven to believe that be happy in our lives - we need to buy the best, the fastest the most glamorous objects.
Do we actually stop to think - Do I really need it - or Do I really want it since I desire it as a status symbol ?
The principle is simple - the lesser you posses, the lesser you buy - the lesser will be your distraction to outside objects. The one who is able to keep his/her attention focused within - is the one who can really generate a deeper awareness of his / her own being and existence and can really work on purifying her/his own mind.
Our inner nature, our core inner being/self is full of happiness - just like a child who is always happy and cries only for the reasons of being hungry, sick, uncomfortable or on being scared. With the exception of above reasons - a child is always happy, always content and truly happy. Whether you gift a small child a branch of wood from the garden or an expensive toy - the child is simply happy to see you, and receive something from you. It is the energy of love , it is your attention that makes the child happy.
Even without anyone's attention if we were to observe a child, a child is always happy. The child represents our core being - without any consciousness. As we grow conscious of who we are, as we develop understanding , as we develop ego we start believing that for us to be happy we must acquire something outside our body, we are distracted to believe some thing, some one, some place , some event , will make us happy.
Yogis have always understood that this is a farce. This is only to create an illusion, since the one who is truly happy - is never seeking this feeling or joy in objects or people outside of himself/herself. Happiness is the greatest gift of our lifetimes and even though we are constantly seeking it outsides of ourselves, it lies deep within covered by layers of false subconsciousness belief that buying new things, or other people are responsible for our happiness.