Guilty, guilty, guilty; I am not even kidding about the fact that I can justify a splurge at any moment in time. My husband and I are spending a long weekend in Chicago so we can have dinner at this one restaurant we’ve been dying to try – in a month. We are leaving the kids, flying out of Florida and having some good, cold fun. It’s cold there, and that means we Floridians will be quite chilly so I’ve already splurged on two new pair of Hunter Wellingtons in case in snows, a winter coat I will wear for one weekend and three designer hats.
Do I need these items? No; I’ll hardly ever wear them. But I splurged because it’s going to be a fun weekend. If you’re like me and you can justify any splurge with a barely reasonable explanation, perhaps it is time for you to do like me and learn how to say no to splurging on things you really don’t need.
Write Down Your Feelings
Seriously, I’m not even joking. It turns out that many of us want to spend money when we are down, upset, nervous or worried. It helps us to feel much better since we are feeling things we cannot control at the moment. That means we need to identify our feelings and learn to recognize them so we can avoid shopping when we experience them.
Walk Away
If you have to fill up your online cart and then put your phone down and walk away, do it. It helps to get away. Take an hour to distract yourself with something else. Chances are good you will get over your urge to splurge in no time at all.
Consider the Ramifications
Okay, so you want to buy that gorgeous bag that’s $2,500. You can afford it, so you think there’s no reason not to. But how will it affect you later on? What if you decide you’d like to take a weekend away but it’s not in the budget after that? What if there is something wrong with your car or your house after that? Is there any reason you should not spend that money because it might affect you negatively in the future? Think that through before you splurge.
Photo Credit – Getty Images
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