Over the years, I have learned that some people have a great talent — being able to reason why they need a new car, new house, why they need a new laptop.. or why they might need a new pair of shoes.
Thankfully … I don’t have that talent. But usually one person in a marriage does – I can’t say my husband has that talent either though, thank goodness for that!
Chances are, at some point in time, you or someone you know may be just as creative in justifying n expensive or purchase you could indeed live without.
So why do we do it?
It’s hard to say exactly why we justify buying things we could necessarily live without. But in many cases we might just purchase something to help us fit better with how we view ourselves in the bigger picture…
For example, if you stay home all day and look/feel like a frugal stay at home mom, you might justify dropping $100 – $200 on new clothes so you can see yourself as being a little more professional & not so frumpy. (Why do I say this? Because at one point or another I may have tried to justify this myself…)
One of the first steps to overcoming this addiction of talking yourself into purchases you might not need, is to admit that you do have that problem. Self – admittal is one of the biggest and most difficult hurdles.
I Worked Hard so I Deserve It
Many of us work hard – right? Fortunately the most effective way to use your money you worked so hard for is to buy happiness through experiences – spending time with the loved ones you were away from. OR, buying something that will afford you the opportunity to make better life choices later.
Putting away NOW will help you make some pretty nice choices later on when you can have more flexibility in life. You can still reward yourself for hard work done, but just reward yourself in a way that will be longer lasting than an immediate gratification.
I Had a Bad Day
Kids were a handful – they got sick, they were fighting, you had a doozie of a day and you justify the purchase to make yourself feel better. Instead of spending money on the things that are expensive (or, heading to Starbucks to justify your bad day)... forget about your bad day by choosing an avenue that doesn’t require spending money.
Put the kids to bed early and watch a movie or your favorite show with your favorite meal for 30 – 45 minutes … or splurge and eat some chocolate ice cream while watching your favorite show for 30 minutes. You will feel less guilty later in the day, and even better, you won’t have to jump in the car to go anywhere.
I’ll Start Saving when I Make More
Procrastination can be amazing… but not in every case. While it can help prevent you from spending, if you procrastinate at the wrong time, it can also cost you dearly too.
Delaying your savings until you make more is probably one of the worst things you can do – as they say, time IS money, and by procrastination, you are delaying the opportunity for compound interest and time – two things that will propel your savings/retirement into greater depths.
If you aren’t currently saving a portion of your savings, you definitely aren’t going ton start when you make more – get in the habit of automating the process now – if you don’t, it’ll be darn near impossible to catch up later.
It’s for a Good Reason
There are an abundance of reasons why we should all give to good causes in the world right now ~ and everywhere you turn, you are faced with the opportunity to donate, if it’s to GoFundMe accounts, local families in a time of need, even family members.
And while helping others is great, it’s only justifiable if your own financial priorities are covered.
Spending money on others can give you a great feeling ~ but if you are not financially straight, it can also lead way to some stress and grief in the end, too.
Your financial well being is more important; you and your family are also just as worthy of a cause – just give it some thought before you go and turn your wallet inside out for someone else.
Finding it hard to conjure up the money to save? Earlier this year, we mentioned 8 reasons why you never have enough money – it’s a great read, and some of it might resonate with you.