I'm such a hypocrite.
I tell hubby, "We don't really need that right now...it'll just contribute to our credit card debt."
"If we stop using the credit cards, we could use the money we WERE spending to pay them off to set aside a down payment for a house..."
" WHY do you need that again?"
So then, I spend $15 here, $10 here, $40 here on stuff that I don't really need, but I rationalize it because it's on sale, because it's something for the baby, because I'm not wearing maternity clothes anymore and I really need that new dress.
Grr.
I went into my favorite store today and I had a coupon. Great, I thought. I can get something to wear for Lancelot's christening in two weeks.
Did I?
No. But I did get a tank top, two necklaces, and a dress to wear that'll look GREAT when we go out to dinner with friends tonight, but wouldn't really be appropriate for an infant baptism.
This isn't the exact dress I purchased, but it's in this same style. It's that pink color with a black print. I love it.
Should I take the stuff back?
It was on sale...
I tell hubby, "We don't really need that right now...it'll just contribute to our credit card debt."
"If we stop using the credit cards, we could use the money we WERE spending to pay them off to set aside a down payment for a house..."
" WHY do you need that again?"
So then, I spend $15 here, $10 here, $40 here on stuff that I don't really need, but I rationalize it because it's on sale, because it's something for the baby, because I'm not wearing maternity clothes anymore and I really need that new dress.
Grr.
I went into my favorite store today and I had a coupon. Great, I thought. I can get something to wear for Lancelot's christening in two weeks.
Did I?
No. But I did get a tank top, two necklaces, and a dress to wear that'll look GREAT when we go out to dinner with friends tonight, but wouldn't really be appropriate for an infant baptism.
This isn't the exact dress I purchased, but it's in this same style. It's that pink color with a black print. I love it.Should I take the stuff back?
It was on sale...
5 comments:
Well now, you can't go to a party naked! Er, or maybe you can...nevermind...
If you love it and will wear it, keep it! I have the bad habit of buying clothes I love, but don't wear them. Not that I really shop, but on the rare occasion.
OK, I'm going to tell you that I would keep it...I am horrible like that. I have gotten better over the years because I live with my DH.
DH who is a financial wizard, and counselor, says we do NOT buy stuff just because it's on sale. We buy what we "need". You could rationalize that you "need" a new dress tonight and leave it at that....OR you could look in your closet and see if there is something that you could wear and look just as good. The bottom line is, when we "skip" a few deals (and it really doesn't take many)...and we make ourselves question our motives for the purchase, then we end up saving quite a bit over time.
Here's an interesting thing that DH used to tell couples to do with their credit cards...FREEZE them in a gallon jug of water. Freeze half the jug, wrap the card in plastic and drop it in. Then, fill the other half of the jug. If you want something, set the jug on the counter to thaw it out. If you still "need/want" something when it's thaw, then you can go ahead and get it.
I've seen couples use it and love it.
I am sure you didn't want THAT much "advice"...just some thoughts that rolled around in my head when I read your post.
:-) Susan
I think you need to put yourself on a budget for impulse purchases. To be fair, you and the hubby shold have the same budget (say, $30-$80/mo. for "fun" purchases, depending on how much you realistically think is fair for each of you to spend.) Then figure out a way to regulate yourself. The easiest way, the way I do it, is to withdraw my budget for the month in cash. Then I ONLY spend that cash on impulse purchases, clothes, whatever, and spend ONLY that cash. When it's gone, it's gone. And that's the budget for the month. If you have any left over, you can either deposit it in savings or roll it over as additional play money for the next month. If you both do it, it might open both your eyes as to how much you actually spend. And it really helps with controlling expenses, if you can stick to it.
I'm of the opinion if you still feel badly about the whole thing after sleeping on it, then it just isn't worth it in the end. That is also how I know I should have bought a pair of shoes I passed on last year: I STILL can't get them out of my mind!
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