Spendy Sally vs. Savey Susie

This week was pretty hard, I had difficult battles with my spending and saving angels. Spendy Sally was like, “just buy it, who cares if the envelope is empty borrow from the entertainment envelope.” Or she’ll say “Don’t worry about it, you’ll make it up next time you get paid.” It’s just so hard to ignore her and listen to Savey Susie because she says, “Don’t buy it, yes the item can be handy to have, but you don’t need it today.” Or she’ll say, “If you don’t listen to me you’ll never be able to learn how to save and get rid of your bad habit to buy on impulse, which leads to debt.”

Dave’s Five Keys to Gaining Power Over Your Purchases is:

1.     Waiting OVERNIGHT before making a purchase

2.     Carefully considering your buying MOTIVES. No amount of STUFF equals contentment or fulfillment.

3.     Never buying anything you do not UNDERSTAND

4.     Considering the “OPPORTUNITY COST” of your money

5.     Seeking the COUNSEL of your spouse. (If you’re single ask someone to hold you accountable for your expenses)

Today I decided to run errands again. On my list I had to pick up dry cleaning, mosquito repellent burners, and I thought I’ll just get some bread from the grocery store but that’s it. That is all I’m buying I shouldn’t spend more then $10.00. I head over to the dollar tree and that store is AWESOME!!! Now that I’m thinking cheap there’s all kinds of good stuff in there. As I’m looking for the mosquito things I pass by the Halloween decoration and grab this, this, and that. Then I go down every single isle and I grab a fruit cutting board which is on my list. Chips, cookies, 3 gifts for my dog, a napkin holder (also on my list), I manage to get everything else except what I came there for. So my Spending Angel, Spendy Sally is telling me to get all this stuff but Savey Susie says, “STOP, Take a look at what you have and how much is left in the envelopes. You have things that can wait to be purchased when you re-fill the envelopes on pay-day.” “So take half of the 15 items in your cart, put them back and I will only allow you to get what you need for the party tonight which can be purchased from the entertainment envelope since it is a weekend entertainment.” I ended up spending $4.63 for everything rather than $15.00 and Savey Susie wins that round! Ding Ding Ding Ding Dingggg. Next I needed to buy 1 loaf of bread. When I go into the grocery store on my way to the bread I pass by cans of sloppy Joe, I pass by the chips, and the ice cream, I see the hamburger buns I need for sloppy Joes, I also buy Mexican cookies, orange juice, eggs, until finally at the very back of the store where they hide the bread on purpose, I got the bread I wanted and went to pay. This time Savey Susie lost. I didn’t need the sloppy Joe because I had hamburger helper at home, I didn’t need hamburger buns I could have used loaf bread, I didn’t need Mexican cookies, and looking back on what I bought, I really regret not thinking it through this time like I did at the dollar store.                                          Advice for next time: Do not shop when you’re rushed and go straight to the item you’re looking for.