High Prices Got You Down? Choose Experiences with One Bag Life of a Mental Health Warrior
- Bruce Schutter
- 3 days ago
- 5 min read
The other day, I was at home trying to enjoy a quiet moment with a diet soda when I heard frantic paw-steps thundering up my porch. A second later, the front door burst open and in strutted Marvin the “Mental Health Warrior” Cat like he had just been appointed Secretary of Emotional Defense.
He had one paw gripping a copy of my book, One Bag Life of a Mental Health Warrior, and the other waving what looked suspiciously like a rolled-up grocery receipt.
“Bruce!” he shouted. “We have a problem. Eggs cost too much. Snacks cost too much. Gas costs too much. I just looked at the price of cat treats and nearly needed smelling salts.”
He flopped dramatically onto my couch. “I cannot go on like this,” he declared. “At this rate, I’ll have to start chasing actual mice again. Do you know how humiliating that would be for a cat with standards?”
I took a sip of my diet soda. “So what’s the plan, Marvin?”
“The plan,” he said, thumping my book with his paw, “is this masterpiece right here — One Bag Life of a Mental Health Warrior.
This book reminded me of something powerful: Less Stuff, More Experiences!”
“Stuff keeps getting more expensive. But a sunset? Still free. A walk? Free. Sitting on the porch and judging the neighborhood squirrels? Also free — and deeply therapeutic.”
“The answer,” he said, “is to stop letting rising prices steal our joy. We need to become Mental Health Warriors who choose experiences. Less stuff. More living.”
The Warrior Program
Now Marvin knows my story. For 20 years, I battled Bipolar, Alcoholism, Anxiety Disorders and PTSD — challenges that left me feeling so powerless, I tried to end my life.
But in that darkness, I discovered something that changed everything: mental health is the key to overcoming any challenge.
That truth became the foundation for the Mental Health Warrior Program — a bold SELF-HELP approach that puts YOU in charge.
So you can take charge of your emotions, triumph over challenges and build the life you really want.
And One Bag Life of a Mental Health Warrior is a powerful part of that program.
The message of the book is simple but life-changing: Less Stuff, More Experiences.
When life gets expensive, stressful and overwhelming, it is easy to feel like joy is slipping out of reach. But experiences remind us that life is still happening all around us. A conversation. A walk. A silly adventure.
Those things still matter. Those things still heal. Those things still help us feel alive.
And Marvin shared three simple ways to fight back against high prices by choosing more experiences.
Marvin’s Plan 1:The Fancy Free Adventure
Marvin puffed out his chest. “My first strategy is what I call the Fancy Free Adventure. Instead of spending money to feel alive, I pick one simple place and turn it into an event.”
He explained that this could mean going to the local park, walking downtown, sitting by a pond or even heading to a bench with a drink and a dramatic attitude.
“The key,” Marvin said, “is presentation. Do not merely go outside. Announce that you are embarking on a grand emotional reset expedition.”
He swished his tail. “Yesterday, I walked to the park, sat on a bench and watched ducks like I was a wealthy Victorian gentleman surveying his estate.
Cost? Zero dollars. Emotional value? Off the charts!”
Our Turn:
I loved this one because it shows exactly how experiences begin to shift your mindset. You stop waiting for life to become affordable enough to enjoy and start choosing to enjoy what is already available.
I used Marvin’s idea by taking a simple walk and treating it like it mattered. No rushing. No errands attached. No multitasking. Just me, fresh air and a little room to breathe.
And that is the power of experiences. They remind you that life is more than bills — it is about enjoying the moments right in front of you.
Marvin’s Plan 2: The Porch Kingdom
Marvin leaped onto my windowsill and pointed outside like a furry general preparing his troops.
“Too many people think they need a vacation budget when what they really need is a folding chair and ten minutes,” he said.
His second strategy was to claim a simple space and turn it into an experience. A porch. A yard. A step. A balcony. A patch of sunlight near a window.
“I call this building your Porch Kingdom,” Marvin said. “You sit. You sip. You breathe. You observe the world as if you are both peaceful and mildly in charge of it.”
Then he gave a firm nod. “It says, ‘Yes, prices are ridiculous, but I am still having a moment.’”
Our Turn:
I used this idea by making time to sit outside without an agenda. No phone. No to-do list. No pressure to solve anything. Just a quiet moment in the day.
And that simple experience did something important: it slowed everything down.
When prices rise, stress rises with them. That stress can make you feel trapped, irritable and defeated. But a moment like this helps you reset. It reminds your nervous system that you are allowed to pause.
That is not weakness — that is how a Warrior takes back control.
Marvin’s Plan 3: The Memory Mission
By this point, Marvin was pacing my living room like a motivational speaker who had consumed too much tuna.
“Here is my third and greatest strategy,” he said. “Make memories on purpose.”
He explained that instead of focusing on what he could not buy, he wanted to create moments he would actually remember. A funny outing. A conversation with someone he cared about. A sunset walk. A goofy photo. A ridiculous roadside stop. Something simple but real.
“Stuff gives you clutter,” Marvin said. “Experiences give you stories. And stories are way better than another overpriced item that ends up in a closet.”
Our Turn:
I used Marvin’s suggestion by being more intentional about creating small moments that actually meant something. A conversation. A simple outing. A laugh with someone I care about. Those moments do not have to be grand to matter.
That is one of the most important lessons from One Bag Life of a Mental Health Warrior. When you chase experiences, you stop measuring your life by what you own and start measuring it by how you live.
That shift is powerful for mental health because it gets you moving toward life instead of sitting in frustration. It helps you feel connected, present and in charge again.
Wrap Up
Before Marvin left, he tucked One Bag Life of a Mental Health Warrior under his arm like a furry professor who had just solved inflation with porch sitting.
He paused at the door, looked back at me and said, “Bruce, I finally get it. High prices can take a lot of things. But they do not get to take my ability to live. They do not get to take my joy. And they definitely do not get to take my porch time.”
I smiled. “That’s it, Marvin. That’s the Warrior way.”
The truth is high prices can absolutely wear on us. They can frustrate us, stress us out and make life feel heavy. But that is exactly why we need to fight back by becoming Mental Health Warriors.
So, the next time high prices start to overwhelm you, remember this: the answer to an expensive world is less stuff, more experiences!
Bruce Schutter ⚔️
Every day is a chance to choose strength — because YOU'RE IN CHARGE!
Comments