A Slip and a Question
Jan. 9th, 2010 10:15 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
red_trillium posting in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
actyourwageWe went out today to drop some stuff off at the Salvation Army from recent declutterings. The one we usually donate to had a sign up saying they weren't accepting donations. We found another one, it had the same sign up. While we were in the area my wife suggested we pop into a local bed place as we've been looking for a new headboard.
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We didn't see one but started looking at beds. My wife has chronic back pain and I've been noticing I'm more exhausted after sleeping, partly because of the fact that our bed is old and if I'm starting to doze and she lays down or if our fattest cat jumps up I wake up. The bed is old. The ones in the shop we were looking at were expensive but 'space age materials', more firm, better support and very little movement in the bed if either of us got on or off. And better yet, 30-50% off.
But they were rather expensive to start with. And we'd have to put it on credit, although 6 mths interest free was a bonus.
We ended up going to another store, finding another bed that also was on sale, but cost less and got that. It had 12 months interest free at least on this one.
It's a slip, but it wasn't for a luxury item at least. We have a personal loan that will be paid off in April that I can put towards this. I know we won't get it paid off in the interest free period but fortunately if we pay extra we won't be penalised if we pay it off early. I've been slowly building up the savings but wouldn't be able to save enough for awhile to replace it, and since waiting would cause her pain and me less restful nights, I decided we should get on it sooner rather than later.
And there's something I've been debating, which leads me to my question. When do you make a purchase and justify it as ok to make, not as something to feel guilty about? I've got a subscription to a photo hosting site that I use. It's a monthly $3US fee. I've been paying for it for about 2 or so years. It's something I use regularly and will be using more often. They have a special right now, permanent accounts for $100US, with $25 off if you've had your account 5 months (which I have). So while it's an outlay (and it would go on the credit card), it would pay for itself after awhile.
When do you allow yourself to cross that line, to make those purchases or take advantage of sales or to pass them up? I've resisted our local CD/DVD store's sale pre Christmas and the big one they have going on now.
Thoughts?
(More under the cut to save your friends page)
We didn't see one but started looking at beds. My wife has chronic back pain and I've been noticing I'm more exhausted after sleeping, partly because of the fact that our bed is old and if I'm starting to doze and she lays down or if our fattest cat jumps up I wake up. The bed is old. The ones in the shop we were looking at were expensive but 'space age materials', more firm, better support and very little movement in the bed if either of us got on or off. And better yet, 30-50% off.
But they were rather expensive to start with. And we'd have to put it on credit, although 6 mths interest free was a bonus.
We ended up going to another store, finding another bed that also was on sale, but cost less and got that. It had 12 months interest free at least on this one.
It's a slip, but it wasn't for a luxury item at least. We have a personal loan that will be paid off in April that I can put towards this. I know we won't get it paid off in the interest free period but fortunately if we pay extra we won't be penalised if we pay it off early. I've been slowly building up the savings but wouldn't be able to save enough for awhile to replace it, and since waiting would cause her pain and me less restful nights, I decided we should get on it sooner rather than later.
And there's something I've been debating, which leads me to my question. When do you make a purchase and justify it as ok to make, not as something to feel guilty about? I've got a subscription to a photo hosting site that I use. It's a monthly $3US fee. I've been paying for it for about 2 or so years. It's something I use regularly and will be using more often. They have a special right now, permanent accounts for $100US, with $25 off if you've had your account 5 months (which I have). So while it's an outlay (and it would go on the credit card), it would pay for itself after awhile.
When do you allow yourself to cross that line, to make those purchases or take advantage of sales or to pass them up? I've resisted our local CD/DVD store's sale pre Christmas and the big one they have going on now.
Thoughts?
(no subject)
Date: 2010-01-09 10:22 am (UTC)The photo hosting website: I don't know. You need to ask yourself these things:
Will it contribute towards your finances directly? For instance, an accounting program that you've tried and know you'll use, or a yearly ticket for public transport that costs less than the monthly tickets you'll buy all up. Is it something related to your work that you can claim on cash? Does your photo hosting serve a purpose that could work for you to bring in some extra income?
Will it contribute towards your wellbeing? Will it reduce your stress?
I quilt. It's a reasonably expensive hobby--material costs in excess of $20 a metre, etc. However, I cannot tell you how much it reduces my stress levels. It actually SAVES me money in two ways: if I'm home, I'm not out spending money. If I'm not stressed, I don't feel the urge to buy disposable stuff.
How long will it decrease your stress for? I've worked it out--three metres of fabric keeps me occupied and not spending other money for roughly a month, sometimes a month and a half depending on how complicated the quilt is.
By my calculations, it will take slightly over two and a half years for it to start saving you money. You've used it for nearly that length of time so chances are pretty good you'll continue to use it. Will the permanent account sale come around again? When was the last time they did one? In the two years you've had your account, have they raised your fees?
Bottom line is:
If you get it, will you actually use it or will it be another quick feel-good rat-brain thing that you'll end up paying for later because you'll get stressed over adding to your debt.
It's up to you to make the call. I would personally say no, don't get it--you've just bought the bed. But it depends on how much value you put on getting out of debt. That's my number one priority right now. It doesn't have to be yours?
(no subject)
Date: 2010-01-10 09:39 am (UTC)It does contribute to my well being and stress reduction because photography and journaling both are 2 of my big destressers. I'm saving up for a new lens, that I can do and not worry about putting it on the credit card and I've chosen to with a slightly cheaper lens so I can somewhat feed the "instant" gratification by saving in about 2 1/2 months to 3 months instead of 6 to 7. :)
I haven't seen a permanent acct sale (haven't looked very hard in the past but haven't remembered seeing them) and they haven't raised fees yet.
I used your criteria and questions and went for the bottom line: it's something I use, it relates to my hobbies, my wellbeing and my stress reduction and if I can build on my shops it should help with contributing to finances & went for it. I traded off the short term cost for the long term benefit. I will need to look at offsetting it, perhaps by making slightly higher card payments than I'd planned on though.
Thank you for your thoughts and helping me look at it another way. :)
(no subject)
Date: 2010-01-10 10:16 am (UTC)It's just a trade off, as everything is. I'm not allowed to buy any more fabric until I've completed at least three of my current quilts and have pieced together three more out of existing fabric.
I think the difficulty with anything is balance--if I allow myself something this time, how can I not allow myself something next time? It's a question that everyone has to answer for themselves.
(no subject)
Date: 2010-03-09 02:43 pm (UTC)Except this: "When do you make a purchase and justify it as ok to make, not as something to feel guilty about?"
I, personally, try not to do anything that I'm in danger of feeling guilty about; or, if I find myself feeling guilty afterward, I try to get rid of either the guilt or the reason for it or both. I have found guilt to be one of the least effective motivators and most detrimental influences on my behavior and ability to make responsible and self-respectful choices. Guilt inclines me to think of things as being all "bad" versus "good", instead of considering how they're working for me in my present situation--and inclines me to punish or deprive myself in response to "bad" choices, and reward or indulge in response to "good" ones, thereby further distracting me from considering what will really serve me best.
So if I had any advice, it would be to do your best to keep away from guilt, especially in making what are hoped to be reasoned decisions.
Others' mileage, may, of course, vary.
(no subject)
Date: 2010-03-11 08:34 am (UTC)I have gotten better at being aware of, and controlling, my spending and I think that's a really good start. Reasoned decisions are the best!