One of the hardest financial decisions to talk myself out of is when I convince myself that I "deserve" something. I deserve a lot of things...I work hard, I sacrifice a lot, and I am a good person. When I was putting myself through college I would often reward myself with material things after a particularly difficult term. A digital camera, a laptop, a night out with friends, and one time a vacation. I really felt like I "deserved" it after working so hard! Well, a lot of those little presents to myself really added up, and I guess I am now paying for that. Dave Ramsey makes a good point about dealing with this this dilemma: he wants to know if you really "deserve" to struggle with debt, stress about paying bills, and arguing with your spouse, or if you "deserve" to life free of financial burdens and live with peace. I have always loved this thought, but I still struggle with saying no to myself when I feel like I just NEED to pamper myself with something fancy to feel better after a rough day or week. It is so frustrating to me that my peers are able to take vacations, go out to dinner for special events, and buy new cars and furniture when they want. I work just as hard as they do, so why can't I have the same abilities to reward myself.
I had an epiphany the other day. I started thinking back to my baby shower a year ago, and although I loved all of the little washcloths and toys and outfits that I got, I really wished that a few of those people had gotten together to buy me something larger that I really needed like a crib, a stroller, or a play set. That made me start thinking about what I really wanted for my own life. I want a new pair of shoes, I want a new pair of Capri pants, I want a dishwasher, I want to take a vacation, and I want to throw my son a kick-butt first birthday party. But what I want more than any of those things is to buy a house. I really started putting these two ideas together and I started thinking that I can have all of these little things that I want, or I can focus on putting all of my focus on getting the one big thing. My husband and I decided that from now on, before we make ANY purchases, we will ask ourselves: "is this going to get us in a house faster, or slower?" If the answer is slower, than we really need to judge whether it is worth it.
I hope I can stick with this motivation. I am so determined to buy our own home and I hope that my friends and family will be good influences and help me reach my goal!!
Sarah
I had an epiphany the other day. I started thinking back to my baby shower a year ago, and although I loved all of the little washcloths and toys and outfits that I got, I really wished that a few of those people had gotten together to buy me something larger that I really needed like a crib, a stroller, or a play set. That made me start thinking about what I really wanted for my own life. I want a new pair of shoes, I want a new pair of Capri pants, I want a dishwasher, I want to take a vacation, and I want to throw my son a kick-butt first birthday party. But what I want more than any of those things is to buy a house. I really started putting these two ideas together and I started thinking that I can have all of these little things that I want, or I can focus on putting all of my focus on getting the one big thing. My husband and I decided that from now on, before we make ANY purchases, we will ask ourselves: "is this going to get us in a house faster, or slower?" If the answer is slower, than we really need to judge whether it is worth it. 
No comments:
Post a Comment