My Dad has taught me a lot! There's one lesson that sticks out in my mind when it comes to finances. It may not seem like the most important or valuable one. It's probably not. It is one that stuck and that I can appreciate now. I find it's especially useful as I try to slow down and not collect stuff and clutter.
I was young, a teenage girl, and I had just got back from the mall. I was excited about my purchases. I can't even remember exactly what they were. Clothes I'm sure, including a t-shirt. I was happily showing my parents. I was bragging about how I got a great deal! What my Dad said next, kind of threw me off for a minute. I thought they'd be proud of my bargains.
He said, "It's only a good deal if you needed it in the first place."
Huh, Hmmm....did I really need the new t-shirt? No, when I thought about it. I had plenty already. When I really thought about it, I wasn't even sure there was room in my closet for it.
So, was the few dollars I spend on it actually worth it? It was a good price. It was not something I needed. I could have saved those few dollars and put it towards something else. Something I actually did need or something I wanted more.
Now, I was a teenage girl, I'm sure I made this same decision over and over again. Buying things based on their low price just because I wanted something new. I'm sure I still do it, somewhat.
I do think about it now. It helps to ask these question in the store when you are about to purchase something. Do I really need it? If it's really this cheap, is it even going to be worth it? It is going to break easily or fall apart? I know it's only a couple of dollars, but is there a better use for that money?
Sometimes it's still okay to splurge on something fun. Just don't let your excuse be that it was a good deal and you just couldn't pass it up. You can buy things that you want, just recognize them as such. There's a difference between a want and a need. There's a difference between a deal and buying something simply because it's cheap.
In the end, did I get some use out of the t-shirt I bought as a teenager? Yeah, I did. I still wore it and liked it. I was also able to recognize, even though it was on sale for a good price, it didn't mean it was necessarily a good deal. It was cheap, it lost its shape quickly. It was fun, but not quite as worth it as I had hoped. It was not the good deal I thought it was.
This can apply to just about every purchase. Remember this as you are shopping the sales.
"It's only a good deal if you needed it in the first place."
Thanks Dad, this has saved me from making unnecessary purchases many times.
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