How Changing Your Spending Habits Can Save You Money

Have you ever walked into Target for “a couple of things” and walked out an hour later with a full cart and a busted budget? And to add insult to injury, you forgot one of the things you came in for originally?

Or have you ever gone online to order something specific, then found yourself looking at Amazon’s recommendations and pressing the Buy Now button before you knew what you were doing?

Good news, you’re not alone. Bad news, we’re all in debt together.

If you’re struggling to save money and get out of the debt pit, it probably has a lot to do with spending. There’s only two things we really do with money — save it and spend it. Saving is usually the better choice, though there are important things that money can and should be spent on (e.g. groceries, utilities, donations, etc.).

But a lot of us wrestle with our spending impulses. Not because we don’t want to save, but because we no longer can tell the difference between what we need and what we want.

When I was first married, we would go to the grocery store and shop together. I think we can all agree that food is a need, but I would pull things off the shelf that were definitely wants. A lot of wants. It took me years to curb the impulse to purchase whatever I wanted at the store, and instead, follow a list. I had completely confused my desire to try different foods with my need to eat for sustenance.

I once knew someone who was addicted to As Seen On TV gadgets. She honestly believed that she needed this thing or the other because it would clean her shower or de-lint her clothes or cut her fruit and vegetables better than what she already had. She thought she needed these things to do her daily tasks around the house, but really, she just wanted them. Really wanted them.

We all want a better life — for us, for our spouse, for our kids. We want a nice home, we want to dress well, we want to eat well, and we want to do and see things. We want to have a good life and pass it down to the next generation. But of all those things, how many are actually needs?

For me, I have to come to terms with the fact that most of the things that I spend my money on are not meeting my needs. My needs are to be healthy, faithful, and loving, and to provide a home that offers that to my family. That may sound a little broad, or perhaps too narrow, depending on how you look at it, but that’s really all I need.

The things we spend our money on aren’t always going to help us fulfill our needs. We may delude ourselves into thinking that it does, but it isn’t long before we see the reality. How many times do we buy something, like a new workout outfit, because we “need” it to get into shape? With a new outfit, we will definitely go to the gym more. But when that outfit gets used about as often as the old one, we see that we just wanted to buy the new one, and it doesn’t get us any closer to our need to be fit.

I know this may sound harsh, but I’m not innocent of this myself. I was so out of control with my spending that I once had to call my college roommate to pick me up at the mall because I couldn’t transport all of the things I had purchased, including a life-sized teddy bear, home.

And, by the way, it was all on my credit card because I didn’t actually have any money.

Wanting isn’t wrong. But letting yourself run headlong into debt with spending is. Frugality is like your diet. Not “a diet,” but “your diet,” how you eat. Variety, moderation, and good choices can lead to a long, healthy, and strong life. If you binge constantly on junk food, you set yourself up for a hard time when it catches up to you.

Money is the same way. Make good choices in how you spend so that you can have a healthy relationship with it as you age, leading to financial stability and freedom. Spend indiscriminately on your wants and you’ll soon find yourself suffering in debt and a low-quality of life. I’ve lived on both sides of this, and I have to say that I definitely prefer the former.

So, what’s the takeaway?

• Want vs. Need. Know the difference so that you can step back from purchases that aren’t really necessary. Be honest with yourself. And remember that it will be there next time if you decide not to buy it this time. Should you really need it, you can still get it. But, I doubt you will.

• 

  Reuse, Repurpose, Recycle. Before you spend money that could be used elsewhere, or even saved, consider whether you can reuse it (e.g. a take-out container than can hold your leftovers week after week) or repurpose it (e.g. a shoe box that now holds crayons and markers). If you know someone who might be able to use it when you can’t, like baby clothes or a crockpot, then give it to them and recycle it.

• Don’t Deprive Yourself. Just as with eating, if you keep yourself from enjoying things, eventually, you’ll binge. So don’t put yourself into a position to want too much. Meet your needs and indulge your wants once in a while. A reward for your frugality isn’t detrimental. It can reinforce what you’re doing and also make that one reward so much more valuable for its uniqueness.

Realizing the difference between what you want and what you need to live your life can guide your spending habits in the right direction, freeing your money for more important things — paying for necessities, decreasing debt, and providing a more stable financial future for you and your family. You’re not just choosing Need over Want, you’re choosing Tomorrow over Today. And your future is definitely worth it.

 

Have you ever struggled with your spending habits? How has recognizing the difference between your wants and needs helped you save money? Let me know in the comments!