I found this wonderful post at Real Simple about how to stop spending your money. The points made are very relevant because frugal people such as myself make excuses like these.1. But It's On Sale!
This one will suck me in many times. I love shopping at Burke's Outlet because they have so many good deals and they have a loyalty card that lets me save an additional 15% on Fridays! However, they're also one of those stores that has the "compare to x-amount-of-money at department stores" phrase on their tags, making it seem like a really, really good deal when you see the clearance price. But you need to ignore the base price and consider things like, "Do I really need this?" or "Is this within my budget?"
2. I Deserve It!
We all work hard, but that should never be an excuse to spend money. Unless you get paid proportionately to how hard you work (if you do, let me know what your profession is!), this phrase should never pass your lips.
3. I'm Getting a Raise Soon!
This is the same excuse that gets credit card holders in trouble. Fronting money that you don't have is NEVER a good idea. Life is not predictable and you never know what could happen. My husband and I have one credit card that we are using to build our credit so that we can buy a house). However, we only spend a certain small amount every month so that we know we can pay it off.
4. It's A New Fashion Season!
Everyone loves when new seasonal lines hit the stores because it's exciting to see the possibilities of new outfits! You look at your short sleeve shirt and see a woman all wrapped up in her cozy winter gear and you think you have to have it! But you don't. You probably have an immense amount of winter gear in a bin (or bins in my case) waiting to be brought out when the seasons change.
5. I Could Need It One Day!
I'm kind of a minimalist, so this is not a big one for me. But for those of you who like to dream big, just because you one day dream of spending Christmas in London does not give you an excuse to buy that expensive parka when you live in Florida. Don't buy clothes for the person you want to be, but buy them for your current lifestyle. When you finally plan that trip to London, then feel free to buy things as needed.
6. Everyone Else Is Getting Something!
The hardest part about going shopping with other people is that you are more likely to buy something you don't need simply because everyone else has bought something. Ignore that urge and only buy something that is within your budget. Or if it's too much temptation, politely decline your friends invitation to go shopping until you have money.
7. It's A Special Occasion!
I got married 9 months ago and I can attest to how easily it is to get sucked into buying things for myself with the justification that it was my special day! I love shoe shopping and so what better excuse to go shoe shopping but for your wedding? Except I needed red shoes and I already had both red high heels and red ballet flats. I wore the flats that I already owned (for comfort sake) and saved myself some money! Don't let a special occasion suck you into buying something you don't really need.
8. I Can Return It!
Not only is this sneaky and dishonest, it's not likely to work. Most times, when you bring something home you grow attached and it's not probable that you'll bring it back. Don't put your money on the line with this reasoning.
9. I've Already Blown My Budget!
This is a typical excuse for dieters. Their logic is that they've already blown their diet, so what's another pint of Ben and Jerry's. Wrong. Pick up the pieces and move on. The same goes with your budget. Just because you've already gone over certainly does not make it okay to spiral yourself into further debt. Start the next day afresh and let you spending mistakes propel you to make smarter choices next time.
