Learn to see the product, not the price. Site after site talks about how to budget your spending, but they rarely touch on the cause of spending problems. They question shouldn't be "Can I afford it?", the question needs to be "Do I really NEED it?". Now I am not saying you should buy that $300 dress because you need a new dress. Take the price into consideration obviously, but don't let that outweigh whether or not the item is actually necessary. This is also not to say that you should never indulge yourself, but it shouldn't be a regular occurrence. When you're shopping, it's easy to be dazzled by whatever new displays catch your eye, but it's there that you let your money slip through your fingers. I have certain techniques I use when shopping for different things.
- When grocery shopping, ALWAYS make a list before heading out, and stick to it. If you happen to see something that sparks your attention, ask yourself how much you want it. Have you been craving that thing a lot lately and haven't had the chance to buy it? Or are you just craving it right now upon seeing it?
- When looking for new clothing, think about what exactly your wardrobe is lacking before heading into the store. If you're really only shopping for a cold weather dress, don't be distracted by shoes or new jeans. Then again, sometimes something else really grabs you, despite being focused on your goal. Whenever I find myself unexpectedly in love with something not on my list, I set it down and continue on my way. My rule is that after leaving the store, if whatever that thing is keeps popping up in my mind days and days later, then I can go back and get it after a week. More often than not though, I completely forget about whatever that item was. And if I can't even remember it, then how fabulous was it really?
- Electronics are a bare necessity category for me. If I have a digital camera that works fine, then I do not need a better one. If my TV works great but it's smaller than everyone else's... too damn bad. You completely forget about the size anyways once it's on. And cell phones? If it works, you keep it. End of story. I've had Tracfone since I was in high school, trust me, unless it's part of your job, you don't need a phone with all the bells and whistles. If I managed to survive all throughout college with a phone that has zero internet access, you can probably survive too. (however I will be switching to Ting soon, and I'll write an entire post later reviewing it. It SHOULD be a huge money saver for me)
- When you are buying something expensive, you need to do your research. I see people do the same thing time after time, they walk into the store and buy something on the spot. That is NOT SMART. When you are buying a cell phone, car, tv, video game, computer, etc. look online for reviews. Cnet has good ones, but look at as many websites as you can, and don't rush into anything. You will absolutely regret not taking the 20 minutes to check online before heading to the store. Of course when doing research, don't just look at the rating, read the actual reviews. I was looking for a new cell phone for my switch to Ting recently, and was checking websites online. One I initially liked was getting crummy ratings, but upon reading the reviews, it was only getting low scores for a feature I wouldn't be using anyways.
I could go into much greater detail here, but I think I'll save that for later posts. I hope you get where I'm coming from when I say to see the item and not the price. It's really about purchasing something that will last, something that you really need- not something you want at that moment. Living on impulse will only lead to bad choices, so think before you buy. I hope this article has helps!
~Krista
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