Have you ever bought something with the excuse of, “I deserve it?” Sometimes we shop to get over a stressful, frustrating, or just plain bad turn of events. Other times, we buy things when we are supposedly rewarding ourselves for something we are proud of.
If you are like me, then thoughts like these have entered your mind:
“I worked hard this week and now I deserve to take a trip to the spa for a pedicure.”
“Since nobody else wants to hang out with me, then I will just go buy some ice cream.”
“It has been a long time since I bought a new pair of shoes. It?s about time I reward myself by getting this pair that I really like.”
On the surface, it might not seem like there is anything wrong with these statements. After all, what is wrong with rewarding ourselves every now and then?
Actually the problem might arise when we are using excuses to purchase things that we really shouldn’t be spending our money on anyway. There is nothing wrong with buying yourself a new pair of shoes if it is within your budget and you have planned ahead to buy them. However, sometimes we try to pretend that deserving something is reason enough to buy it, even if we know that spending the money is wrong. A person can get into a lot of debt if they feel like they deserve more than they can actually afford.
What to do about it?
So, how do we get over the “I deserve that” mentality? Let me suggest a few different methods for overcoming the impulse to spend money on something you feel you deserve:
1. Postpone the purchase. Decide that you will not buy the item right away. Instead, give yourself enough time to evaluate your budget and determine whether or not you should buy that specific item. A little time to think will give you the opportunity to make sure your finances are in order before you buy. Many times you will find that you really don’t need the item as much as you thought you did previously. Many of our shopping mistakes can be avoided if we do not act on impulse.
2. Reward yourself in a different way. Our hard work should pay off. If, however, being proud leads us to spend unnecessary money, then our hard work isn’t paying off as much as it could. Find a different way to reward yourself for hard work aside from spending money. Try just spending some time to yourself, soaking in the tub or reading a good book.
3. Take a real look at what’s bothering you. If you are binge spending because you are trying to make up for something that is bothering you, you will only create more problems for yourself in the end. Instead, find a way to confront your problems, perhaps by talking to a friend or writing in a journal. If you need a pick-me-up, find something fun to do that you won’t regret afterward.
Follow some of these steps and learn to take control of your spending. Use your future financial goals as a motivation for when the going gets tough.