I received the following comment today from a reader about my earlier post Simple Solutions to Staying Out of Debt:
“All good advice - sadly, it is harder than it sounds. But then again, the more you make the more you can spend, so figuring out how to live within your means is a lesson we should all learn at an early age!”
Yes, it is harder than it sounds; almost everything is. But what it all boils down to is common sense, self-discipline and keeping your priorities in mind. It is true that it would be ideal to learn such lessons at an early age, but there is no reason why an adult can’t learn to control his spending and live within his means if he truly wants to.
Don’t get me wrong. I am human and I know how hard it can be to resist spending on things you want. For example, here is just a snippet of some of the things I have been coveting for a long time - some for years.
- A laptop computer
- My favorite TV shows on DVD (Friends, X-Files and many more)
- Subscription to cable (which we haven’t had since 2001)
- A cushy armchair for reading in my bedroom
- The complete British and French editions of the Harry Potter books (I collect foreign editions of Harry Potter books)
These are just a few of the things that cross my mind at the moment, but I know there are more. Over the years, I have been tempted more than once to buy some or all of these things, but I know the danger of giving in to the urge to splurge, because spending or getting what you want is addictive. Oftentimes, when you get one thing, you want or need to get more things to go with it.
I know it’s annoying to hear these words because they’re so “self-help-ish” (I myself can’t stand self-helpers and trite inspirational “don’t underestimate the power of the mind” stuff), but -
The tools for fighting the urge to spend are:
- Recognizing your priorities
- Rational thinking (not rationalizing)
- Self-discipline/self-control
- Will power
- Rewarding yourself
Recognizing Your Priorities
For most of us, our main goal is simply to “save money” or “save as much money as possible,” and that works well enough. But maybe for some of us, that goal simply isn’t enough. If you have a strong penchant for spending, you may need more clearcut reasons than “to save money” in order to curb your spending. So you will need to contemplate the following question.
Why do you want or need to save money?
Is it …
- To save for a down payment on a house of your own?
- To save for a replacement car?
- To save for marriage and a family?
- To save for a personal or family emergency?
- To stay out of debt?
- To get out of debt?
- To achieve financial freedom?
- To make sure your loved ones are provided for?
- To make sure you have enough to live on should you lose your job?
- To be able to retire when you want or need to?
- To make sure you have enough to last through your retirement?
Knowing and reminding yourself of your priorities at all times will help make achieving your goals easier.
Rational Thinking
Rational thought is necessary in order to succeed at anything including spending and saving money. When tempted to spend on something you don’t need or can’t really afford -
Try to look at the item in question with objectivity (without emotion) and ask yourself the following questions (The “it” in the following questions can apply to any kind of expenditure. Buying a tangible item, a service, eating out, etc.):
- Do you really need it?
- If yes, why do you need it?
- Are your reasons for needing it valid?
- Can you really afford it?
- What do you already have that can be used instead?
- What will its value be 6 months down the road? 1 year? 5 years?
- If it is a tangible item will you still be using it?
- If it is an intangible or transient item, is it really worth spending money on it that you would otherwise never see again?
Also consider:
- The potential value of the money saved from not spending it and saving or investing it. Use the savings calculator on Prune Your Spending and Watch the Savings Grow to see how much a little money saved over time can become.
- If you really think you have enough money saved for your future or financial goals.
Self-Discipline/Self-Control
No one likes hearing about discipline. It implies strictness, lack of freedom, and unpleasant tasks. But without self-discipline, one can never achieve success or financial freedom. So when confronted with a tempting expenditure:
- Plan A: Walk Away
The best way to exercise your self-discipline when confronted with temptation is to simply walk away - or close the browser window (and clear your browsing history and cache to make it harder to accidentally happen on it again.)
- Plan B: If you can’t walk away, then wait.
If you have a hard time walking away from the temptation, then at least wait. Convince yourself that you are not flat-out denying yourself what you want, but rather waiting for a sale or a price reduction. You will often find that by the time the price has decreased, so has your desire for the item.
If it turns out you do still want the item, at least you will be spending less on it. Also, by delaying your expenditure, you can earn a little more interest on the money to be spent.
Will Power
You will find that as you practice self-discipline, your will power will grow. There will come a time when you can see something you really like and simply be able to admire it and move on without a struggle.
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