Let's face it; I'm not really made to be frugal. However, in today's society, frugality can be a necessity. So, I try. I have saved money using cloth diapers, making my own baby food and home-cooked meals without going to the grocery store; I gave up clothes shopping for Lent (probably my greatest Lenten sacrifice to date)...I'm making a real effort at not spending money.
The difficult thing is that I have wants. They're not needs. They're not, "I can't survive without it" or "That will make work so much easier." No, they are wants...I want what others around me have. I want the nicer car, the exotic travel, the ease of life that seems to come if I just get that newer gadget...you get the idea. These are all a part of the "I see - I need" syndrome which I have to resist on an hourly basis.
It's not easy to resist these urges. I am the person that marketing departments are trying to get when they put items in the checkout lane or sale signs on windows. I am the person you invite to your at-home candle/basket/housewares/food party. These things call out to me. I can feel that inner desire to go in, find any item, and buy it. But, I'm not made of money; therefore, I must resist.
So, how do I do it? Well, it's one minute at a time - sometimes even one second at a time. I try to stay away from areas where I'll spend money. But, you can't do this forever. I would have to stay locked away to truly avoid spending money.
I am not perfect. I stumble weekly. Then, I pick myself up and start again. I'm making progress. I have set goals of things that I would like to have in my life. I've planned my dream vacation to Europe. I've priced it. Now, I'm saving for it. It may never come. With each stumble I have, I fall further away from it. But, with each purchase I avoid, I get closer to it...eventually my avoidance will bring me closer to my goal. Until I reach it, I'll try to continue resisting - one second at a time.
How do you resist the "I see - I need" urge?
I think the key is to remove yourself from the marketing conversation until you have already identified a "need." Take yourself off of your favorite stores' mailing lists, don't subscribe to "deal site" notifications, skip the ads in media you watch by using a DVR, etc. Wait until you know you need something and then do your research to find the deals. Don't let the "deals" come to you.
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