Money Listens

Why do you want to buy an elephant?

Because everyone has one. I’ll really be cool if I have one. Those families on TV riding together on an elephant look so happy. I know I’ll look good on one. Because my kids have always wanted one. I need it for working in the yard. It’s on sale today. My old one doesn’t have an iPod jack.

Are there any hidden motives behind your purchase? See if you’ve been influenced by an advertisement, or a desire to keep up with the Jones’. Will an elephant make you feel good?

Some questions to ask yourself before buying something new are:

1. Is my old one still working fine?
2. Do I own anything else that will do the job?
3. Can I borrow one?
4. I this something that I am going to use often?
5. Can I wait a little longer before buying this?

You’ve just saved yourself some money. And you’ve probably realized you have a hidden motive for wanting the new item. The one that always gets me is about the kids. I’m more likely to spend money if it’s for someone else. I want to make them happy. But I know more stuff isn’t the way to do it. Stuff (even elephants) won’t make me happy. And buying things for the wrong motive won’t get me to financial peace any quicker.

This entry (Permalink) was posted on Friday, April 18th, 2008 at 10:00 am and is filed under A to Z, Dave Says, Spending Less and Less. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response , or trackback from your own site.