It’s fine to buy a few things that are WANTS (although even they can be bought more cheaply used), but I want to stick mostly to my NEEDS, so we can continue to afford to care for this baby after it’s born!

If you want me to wear a shirt with “Nike” on it, Nike better damn well pay ME!

@Shana:
I think the problem really is that too many people are buying too much of what they don’t need, and ignoring/hurting what they DO need. Example: The person who buys a new pair of shoes every weekend, instead of investing in their retirement. If you are funding your emergency fund, have no debt, and are well on your way to your retirement: Buy those cloths!

I do have to agree that having TV is a way to increase your spending. I can’t believe the amount of food commercials there are.. no wonder we are getting bigger and spending more.

I didn’t have cable for 8 months and loved it. I just got it turned back on but want to cut it off already.

Also consuming less is not only good for your budget but also good for the environment. That’s the whole motto of sustainable living and so I think that personal finance and green living can go hand in hand.

thanks ,

tracy ho
wisdomgettingloaded

Last year I bought new carpeted floor mats. Why? Because I felt my car (purchased in 2001) was getting totally ratty. Why? Because every time I’d get into it, the floor looked ratty. Why? Dirty, carpet-worn-away floor mats.

I could’ve fixed this with a new car. Instead I fixed it with new floor mats.

For that matter, I recently realized that the reason I vacuum and clean the inside of my car (dash, controls, etc) 2-3 times a month is to serve the same perceived need.

A clean car, to me, feels luxurious. Vacuuming & cleaner doesn’t cost much. So I enjoy.

I was in shock at how much shopping I do. Most of which are impulse. And for a while, I was in denial on how much I spent (thinking that I was spending beneath my means). After several months of tracking my spending, I realize that whether or not I’ve alloted a shopping budget, I would still shop anyway. Meaning, there is a pattern on my spending. Since I cannot go cold turkey on shopping I’ve decided to allot an allowance for shopping so that I can buy stuff guilt-free - and I know I have the money for it.

I think for me, the most important is to understand my motivation for shopping. I find that a lot of times when I am anxious, upset, sad, excited, and/or bored, I shop. I need to find alternative solutions to soothing myself in these “bad” times. I can’t be shopping just because there’s nothing else to do, or because I am feeling upset. And besides, I would love to shop guilt-free and enjoy my purchases after the shopping.

Some things you can’t skimp on however. Never buy shoes just because they are cheap. Your feet need comfort and support, not disforming pain. If you need a dresshirt, don’t go to Nordstroms proper… go to Nordstrom’s Rack and buy last year’s model for 1/5 of the price… again, just because you spend less does not mean you have to sacrifice luxury or comfort. It’s good to be confident that you look sharp and didn’t spend a rich man’s pay to get there. In the same breath, don’t buy five shirts just because they’re cheap - especially if you don’t need five. Get one or two and save the rest of your hard earned dough. You will feel even richer for that.

My former shopping buddy is coming to my city for a visit at the end of the month, and I’m searching for ways I can avoid spending money on things I don’t need, just because shopping will probably be one of the main features of our weekend.

In addition to avoiding Target, malls, and Banana Republic on a daily basis, I’ll be trying out more of these tips in a couple of weeks!

But new hobbies often need a lot of ’stuff’ to go with them, so I don’t think we are saving any money (yet.)

This doesn’t apply to just big-ticket items, either: I know that I’ve rationalized expensive beer by way of store-brand pretzels.

http://www.storyofstuff.com/

Yipe. Now, I did need shoes, since most of mine are about worn out–I only buy shoes about once every 18 months to two years. And it is true I got three pair of Clarks and one pair of (extremely cute! pink!! wow!!!) Rockports for what I would normally pay for one pair of shoes. And it’s true that the Rockports are the first pair of heels I’ve been able to wear in almost 20 years that don’t hurt my feet, and that they look mighty nice on me and I even painted my toenails to go with them, which was a great psychological lift.

However, it prob’ly would have been a great deal more practical to have bought a new pair of Danskos, since all these new purchases are slides, which fall off my feet unless I walk very gingerly…not great when you have to walk to hell & gone across a university campus. Guess I’ll carry a pair into the office and have them there to wear in the building, and then wear the old clunkers for the hike back and forth from the car.

I would have thought about that had I been alone (well…had I been alone, a trip to a mall wouldn’t have entered my mind). In the unlikely event that I had gone into the mall, I might have bought one pair of shoes, but without the reinforcing effect of shopping with a friend, I would have stopped.

Neither of us was sad, BTW. We were having a GREAT time!

They made half the people watch a sad video, then half watch a neutral video. They then asked them to write an essay, and they said “That part of the survey is over, how much would you pay for this water bottle?” The people who watch the sad video were willing to pay 300% of what the neutral ones were. They also claimed that the effect was greater for the people who’s essays were more self centered.

She made it clear that that doesn’t mean shopping makes you happy, just that people want to buy more when they are sad. The conclusion was basically that the self centered people who were sad, felt bad about themselves, and they thought the bottle would make them think better of themselves.

I don’t get tempted by the “must have” items because I don’t even know they exist! In this area of my life, ignorance really is bliss

Because sometimes I buy things I don’t really need, or based on a fantasy, but at other times I’m reluctant to spend any money at all — like, it was really hard to convince myself to get an electric blanket, even though I was too cold to sleep.

What will happen if I don’t buy this?

While Betsy’s tips are great for fighting the urge to splurge (or at least mitigating the urge), I found that the best thing for me to do was to address the underlying issues. What was it that was causing me to spend? Once I came to terms with my need to possess Stuff, I was in much better shape to handle my consumerism.

I really need help with seeking style though. I’d love to hear any suggestions others have successfully used. I’m just starting to re-fashion clothes, but I’d love other tips.