Is it really such a bad thing to buy whatever you want? Should you feel guilty when you pick up something special at the store that you have always wanted?
With the help of conscience spending you can start to make a real change in what you buy, how much you spend and how happy you are with your purchases. It just takes some time to take a good hard look at where your money goes and where you want it to go.
It all comes down to being completely conscious of your priorities. By understanding that you are in complete control and what means the most to you, you can make better spending decisions.
Knee Jerk Reaction
People see something they want and they have the knee jerk reaction to just go ahead and make the purchase. Often, guilt follows shortly after because the expense was not planned and there may be other debts or bills that also need to be taken care of.
Now a person is left trying to balance out what to do with the remaining funds and how to allocate them appropriately. You can probably empathize with the feeling. What was the last purchase that left you feeling unfulfilled?
Did you end up with something that you thought you wanted, but you just can’t seem to enjoy the purchase? It could be the knee jerk reaction leaving you with that guilty feeling.
Conscience Cuts
Instead, consider just a little bit of forethought and planning. What do you spend your money on now? Is that the best use of your resources? Go through your budget or your list of last month’s spending. If you notice that there is some wasteful spending, get rid of it.
If you aren’t watching cable television or you want to get rid of it, cancel the bill and drop the account. This gives you more money each month to spend as you choose. Look at every area of spending and see if there are things that you can drop or cut back on.
You are making a decision to remove the waste and move the money to things that you want. This conscious process isn’t natural at first and takes time to form the habit. Luckily, psychologists believe that you can form a habit that is automatic and second nature in as little as 18 days.
When you walk by something that you think you want, ask yourself some questions before heading straight to the register. Ask yourself if you will really use whatever you hold in your hands.
Think about whether it is something that you can actually take some time to think about instead of just buying it immediately. Of course, you also want to ask yourself if there is something that you would rather have instead of this item that you are about to purchase.
Conscience Spending
Now that you have removed the unnecessary money that has been seeping out of your wallet and put a stop to those no thought spending habits, start allocating where you want your money to go.
You can pick up those shoes that you absolutely love even though they are not on sale and they are not a serious need. They are just a desire and you have the ability to fulfill it.
There is no reason to feel guilty because you are not short changing another bill or a real need like food, housing or necessary clothing. You are just choosing to use your extra money the way that you want to.
Do you want to go on an exotic vacation around the world? Are you wondering if it is possible to come up with a whole new designer wardrobe?
When your bills are paid and you are not wasting money on thoughtless, last minute purchases, you have the ability to buy what you want, when you want it, without any sense of guilt or regret.
Start making changes today.
Is there something that you really want? Begin cutting corners in other areas of your budget and taking more time to think about things before you head to the checkout counter.
About the author: Ian writes for DebtConsolidation.org.uk on how to simplify your finances and cut spending without affecting your lifestyle. You can add him to your Circles on Google+.