On a fun thread I was reading, people were asked what justifications had you heard from people to explain their spending? The list was quite fun and amusing. Here’s a rundown of the list.
1. I work hard, I deserve it.
2. Once you’ve had quality, it’s hard to go back.
3. You’ll always have a car payment, might as well account for it.
4. We can’t afford a stay at home parent (Person drives away in BMW).
5. I have to work or we can’t afford daycare.
6. If we waited to afford it, then we’d never afford it.
7. It was on sale! It was such a deal we couldn’t pass it up.
8. Live a little, Life is Short!
9. Kids are only young once.
10. Lotto – you gotta play to win
11. My parents will leave me a big inheritance.
12. It makes me happy.
13. You can’t take it with you, so buy what you can now.
I had to laugh about all these. I’m sure even the most frugal of us, have been guilty of using one of these reasons to buy something. MYSELF and DH included. There have been moments where stupidity takes over and we just do something dumb.
Fortunately it hasn’t been large items or very often. But I can understand how using these reasons above can easily snowball someone into debt.
Everyone does something dumb sometimes. It’s just human nature. Don’t beat yourself up too badly. Got any more reasons you’ve heard or used to keep on spending? Add to the list!
8 responses so far ↓
1 Sara // Jun 3, 2008 at 2:15 am
“Lotto – you gotta play to win.” That’s my kryptonite. But “I deserve it” just drives me crazy. If you have to justify your purchase by saying that, it’s a pretty good sign that you don’t actually deserve it. (At least in my case!)
2 Mom @ Wide Open Wallet // Jun 3, 2008 at 4:26 pm
The kids are only young once is the only one I use. But it’s true!!! They are only young once.
4 Meg // Jun 4, 2008 at 4:29 am
And lot’s not forget, good ol’ “Keeping up with the Joneses” and “What will the other parents think?!”
I don’t get the “I deserve it” because the people I hear that from seem to deserve it less than anyone else I know. Good deals can be hard to pass up, but I try to stick to stuff that I already need/want.
I can understand “It makes me happy” — if it truly does, which seems rather rare. I have a friend that loves good smelling things. She has more scented lotions and potions than anyone I know, whereas I could care less about such things. Sometimes I’m tempted by the thought that she’d be better off to give them up, but I’ve spent a lot more money on things that didn’t bring me half as much pleasure — maybe a small reason why she’s better off financially than me. Since I’ve started focusing on those things that really bring *me* pleasure, I’ve found myself spending less in general.
6 fengshui // Jun 30, 2009 at 8:12 pm
“We can’t afford a stay at home parent (Person drives away in BMW)”.
“I have to work or we can’t afford daycare”
This is sometimes a personal decision/ priorities rather than a financial one. Being a SAHP isn’t for everyone. I personally have no desire to ever be a full time SAHM. I would like to stay working part time, even if only 12-16 hours a week. If daycare is cost effective, then I would do that. I honestly don’t know how people in my city afford daycare. For young ones, the average cost is around $1,100 a month. After taxes and benefits, that is probably 50% or more of someone’s take home (if using the “average” salary for my county). So, working 80 hours a month to put your kid in day care seems counterintuitive, in my opnion….. ?
7 fengshui // Jun 30, 2009 at 8:22 pm
No one really thinks that we are ever “justified” to spoil ourselves occasionally? When I graduated with my master’s degree I bought myself a pair of very small diamond earings as a “reward” for all of my lost sleep, writing papers, etc. I felt a sense of accomplishment and wanted to reward myself. Why is that so bad?
8 LAL // Jun 30, 2009 at 11:58 pm
Fengshui, there is nothing wrong with working if you want to. BUT the person driving the BMW? Wanna bet they say I can’t not afford to work because I have to pay for daycare and BMW?
Well I hate to point out, without a BMW and not working you don’t need a fancy car. So this mother is JUSTIFYING driving a fancy car and being jealous of a mom staying at home driving a 1999 corolla.
Um, priorities. Nothing wrong with prioritizing working or prioritizing staying at home.
You seem to think that many women want to work. Truth is many MEN and WOMEN I know don’t want to work. BUT they “think” they can’t afford to stay at home. Because they have a very expensive home and fancy car.
Again priorities. Nothing wrong with driving a fancy car, but if you want a BMW instead of staying at home, make sure you realize it. Or if you work because you like working, make sure you understand that’s why you are working.
NOT because you have to pay for a BMW.
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