I describe a want as something you do not need for any reason, but you feel the need to purchase it to entertain yourself or your kids, or show off to someone. I am sure there are many other reasons for “wanting” to go out and spend money but I just wanted to show that I am not talking about things you need. Anyway, here are some tips BEFORE you spend.
Shop your stuff. I say this all the time but I say it because it works. If you really want a video game look through what you have at home and find something you already have to play. If you really don’t want to play any of your old games at least take some with you to the store to trade in toward your new purchase.
Get something free. I have saved so much money by using the library in the past year. I don’t know why I never thought of it before (I mean I AM a librarian, lol) but I always went out and bought books instead of borrowing. Now if they don’t have the exact book I want I try to find something similar just to keep from spending. You can also find a local chapter of freecycle to see if they have the item you are looking for, and get rid of some of your old stuff as well!! Another thing that often keeps me from buying is getting free samples in the mail. You can go to Volition.com to search for sites that offer truly free samples. Hint: Set up a new email address at hotmail to keep from getting any spam in your regular inbox.
Do the 30 day list. The Simple Dollar and Get Rich Slowly have been talking about this for a while. When you want to make a big purchase, put it on a list and make yourself wait at least 30 days. If you still want it after that time then you can buy it, but chances are if you are truly trying to fix your finances your will talk yourself out of it.
These are just some tips to get you started. If you have some tips of your own feel free to add them here!!
Thursday, February 21, 2008
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