Wants and Needs
At one point in my life I had a habit of buying anything that was popular or new, without even thinking if I actually needed it. It became a huge problem because I was just spending all my money and losing track of my actual priorities. I had three kinds of iPods, four TVs, gaming systems, new cellphones. You get the idea.
I met a retired Veteran who I had the honor to work with at my old job. He noticed how I was spending my money and was talking to me all about my wants and needs. He was sharing his life knowledge that he accumulated over the years.
He went on about life and it's do's and don'ts, he preached about how he wished someone was there to guide him, but instead he learned the hard way. He was concerned and wanted to help me.
He told me to step back and think. He advised me to ask myself questions "Do I really need this?" "Will this benefit my life?" "Can I afford it?"
It made sense to me, so I started putting my money elsewhere, like my daughter's savings account to build up for her college fund or her gymnastics enrollment
Always remember to think about the future and not just the spur of the moment. For example, when purchasing a car, yes it is something we all need, but it is not smart to get a car that is going to make you live paycheck to paycheck, especially if you have a family to feed.
All cars will get you from Point A to Point B, some just choose to have all the pretty bells and whistles that cost a ton more, so if you don't need the fancy things, move forward without it.
We all want nice things in life and we can all get them one day. Set up long term goals and short term goals and work hard to achieve them.
So do your research before buying expensive things, evaluate your life and ask yourself will it benefit you or hurt you. By doing this, I promise you that you will save so much money and life will definitely be much easier.
I hope you enjoyed this blog and I hope it was helpful, I know it helped me a lot in life and I just wanted to share it with everyone.
-Jaime
Recent Comments
48
Good ! Thanks for sharing! Most of us have been there, it's incredible how much we can save when we prioritize!
Great blog Jaime!
I definitely learnt the hard way - now I am focusing on creating a more stable and secure future.
Thanks for sharing.
Emma
Learning the hard way makes us better and sometimes that's the only way to figure out our life. I'm glad your doing better for yourself. Good luck to you in all that you do.
Big issue presently in the "owe me generation". Parents are coddling their children way past age 18 and ... Then mom or dad comes In Asking me to "fix them."
In my time I have been working and making money since age 12. Mom said if I wanted something extra I had to work for it.
I still believe that way. Just saying.
You are right, it teaches the kids to stick up for themselves and know what hard work could get you. Thank you for sharing your story:)
Incredibly wise counsel Jaime! Something we are now trying to teach our grandchildren since we did not do as well with teaching our children !
Thanks for sharing with this community!
All the best,
Steve
Good post and so true. We often just buy things we don't need and then realize our hard earned money was wasted.
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Jaime, great insights!
In a way, I was lucky since my grandmother taught me to value money since a young age. So I'm good at always going for delayed gratifications. As you mentioned, it's about asking yourself: "Do I really need this in the long run?"
Thanks for sharing!
Cheers,
Anh
No problem at all and good luck to you here at WA. Take care