Friday, February 24, 2012

unnecessary things people buy

What if we took the money we routinely waste on mindless or even harmful addictions or habits, and put it into our retirement accounts instead?

It is truly amazing, if you think about it, the ridiculous things people will spend their money on:
4-dollar coffees
cigarettes
mixed drinks
new cars
too-big cars
gas to drive too-big cars
too-big houses
utility bills for too-big houses
designer purses
junk food
soda
diet soda
bottled water
status symbols (clothing, shoes, etc.)
expensive jewelry
new things (when used is a viable alternative)
clothing to be worn once
fake nails/manicures
granite counter tops
shiny stainless steel appliances
impulse purchases
overpriced pre-portioned snacks
elective plastic surgery
unnecessary/high-end cosmetics
expensive haircuts at trendy salons
high-maintenance hair-coloring regimens
gym memberships
over-the-top weddings
status-symbol electronic gadgetry
paper-thin wall-sized television sets
...................................................................

I have been guilty of wasting my money on a number of these in the past-- and, at the same time, am glad to not be tempted by quite a few of these money-traps-- but I hope to not make any of these particular mistakes in my financial future.  The things you can resolve to live without may be quite different from mine.  But we all have things we know we will never have a valid reason to spend our hard-earned money on.

What expenses or purchases could you think a little more critically about, starting now?

1 comment:

  1. Agreed-- but my preferred reward is chocolate. I guess the things listed above are things that it is relatively easy-- and even preferable-- for me to live without consuming.

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