We would love to start a great new experiment, where everyone would catalog all of their impulse purchases for the course of one year. Everything from that cheap pack of gum to the “whatsit” that we really don’t need would have to be recorded. At the end of the year, everything would be totaled up to see just how quickly we are all nickel and diming ourselves to the poorhouse. The old saying is true, “The rich are rich because they don’t spend any money.”
So, how can you put this to work in your life, without being excessively frugal? Chances are, you probably buy more than you realize and a lot of it is probably unnecessary. Impulse buys are the bread and butter of many industries and there is a reason that those little items are so easy to buy. It’s so easy to fall into that trap of “well it only costs a quarter,” without realizing that we are easily spending way too many quarters every month.
If you’re finding that you are always out of money at the end of the month, or you just can’t seem to get ahead, it is definitely time to break free of that cycle. It’s time to develop a “needer” instead of a “wanter.” We live in a society where instant gratification is king and many of us have “wanters” that are out of control. It’s simply just so easy to focus on what we want instead of what we really need.
The first step towards putting a leash on your wanter is to take a hard look at everything you buy. Ask yourself whether or not you want to work at McDonalds at the age of 78. This is probably the easiest way to gain perspective on what you purchase.
When you look at everything as the tipping point between spending the rest of your life in ease, or working in a burger joint, it casts a harsh light on your spending habits. Yes, it’s a little extreme, but if you do end up nickel and diming yourself to poverty, it will be too late to do anything about it. Sometimes, you need to get extreme in order to train yourself into better spending habits.
Instead of going a whole year, do the experiment for just one month and see how much you really spend on frivolities. Now, next month, take that exact same amount and put it to work for you instead of against you. Leverage that towards creating a second income or put it in a savings account. Chances are, you’ll surprise yourself at how much money you can make in the place of that pack of gum. Your future is in your hands and it is up to you as to where you will spend your retirement. It is never too early to start making the right choices that could affect your financial future and the rest of your life.
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Originally posted 2008-08-14 05:36:07. Republished by Blog Post Promoter
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2 comments ↓
I know a lot of people who could save a lot of nickels and dimes by staying out of Starbucks. I would love to see an economist write a paper about the Starbucks-cash drain phenomenon.
I think it’s okay to visit Starbucks or to buy gum or any other luxury if, and only if, you have budgeted for it. I think the real poverty trap is making unplanned purchases, which, as the article rightly says, add up very quickly. If you can plan to buy a luxury then you can enjoy it all the more knowing that you have not sacrificed something necessary to get it.
I spent much of my life making silly, unplanned purchases and paid the price. Recently, I have taken control, and this is the first time I have started a New Year with some savings stashed up. It isn’t much, but it makes me feel a lot more comfortable than I did when I knew that I didn’t even have enough saved to last a week. From now on, it’s discipline and thinking before I buy!
Thanks for a good article!
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