It’s Only
Posted by Gail | Filed under Bad Habits!
I’ve started working with my Princesses and it’s heaps of fun. I’m getting remarkably similar responses from these girls as I got from the couples I worked with on TDDUP, my favorite of which is, “It’s only…” as a justification for why they’re spending more money than they make. Whether it’s a great deal on an otherwise expensive piece of sporting equipment, or the small amounts spent on personal care that add up really quickly (if anyone bothered to add them up), we can probably all remember saying, at one point or another, “Hey, it’s only…”
It’s Only has become the justification for just about everything. It’s only ten bucks. It’s only for a few months. It’s only one cookie! How many times have you blown your budget because you fell into the It’s Only Trap? This is one of the biggest holes in most people’s budgets: the small spending that adds up big-time. Hey Gail, now you’re nickel and diming! Darn tootin’ if those nickels and dimes are leading to big bucks on the debt side.
Routinely when I show people how much they’re spending at the drug store, the discount department store, the toy store, the hair-cutting store, the dress store, the bath and bed store, the off-price name-brand store, the health-food store…they look at me and nod. Yes, they did spend that. But $30 here and $25 there isn’t so bad.
Add it up.
Go back over you last bank and credit card statements for the last two months and add up what you spent on all the It’s Onlys. I dare you. Isn’t it amazing how those impulse purchases, those I-see-it-I-want-it transactions, wiggle their way into bank and credit card accounts? Unconscious shopping and It’s Only have a way of eroding whatever progress you may have been making with your budget. While it’s cool to have fun, if you’re not careful, one dollar becomes five, becomes ten, becomes twenty, and in no time at all those It’s Only is really taking a bite out of your planned spending.
There are lots of ways to get bitten. Take a partner who loves to shop, and you’ll need a shark-cage to defend your wallet. “But hon, you’ve been telling me you want a new outfit and this is only…” or “We talked about getting new cutlery, and it’s only…” Head into the store that is your major weakness, and watch the It’s Only grab you. Take kids shopping with you, and you’ll feel them nibbling on your wallet. A bottle of juice here… “Mom, I’m thirsty!”… a toy or treat there… “Dad, these tattoos are so cool, it’s only $2, can I Dad? Can I? Can I?”
Sometimes offering a substitute will work to fend of the It’s Onlys.
- Yup, honey, I know you’re thirsty and that’s why your very smart mommy packed you a juice box.
- Okay sweetie, I know you want that pack of new toy cars, but you already have 276 toy cars at home. Let’s go get ‘em and take ‘em over to Jakes so you can play cars together.
- I know you’ve been dying to read that, so let’s stop at the library on the way home and reserve it for next week.
Doing the math also helps to take the bite out of the It’s Onlys. Five dollars a day for one year is $1,825, which would make a pretty decent educational savings plan contribution dontcha think?
There’s nothing wrong with buying treats and having fun. But it’s important that the habit of responding to It’s Only doesn’t become the hole in your plan. If you want to be impulsive from time to time, alot a certain amount in your budget for Mad Money, and carry that cash with you in a separate part of your wallet or handbag. When the money’s gone, you’re done being impulsive for the week.
October 15, 2009 at 7:03 am
If this were 2 days ago, I could’ve honestly said I don’t shop at the drugstore, discount store, or even mall for that matter, but I caved and bought a new set of makeup at the drugstore after my Mom and sister raved about it this weekend. $100 later and me cringing, but honestly, I’m a cheapskate when it comes to this stuff ($1.99 Avon mascara anyone?). I am not a shopper by nature…groceries yes, all else, not so much.
The “it’s only” bug pretty much only catches me with school things for the kids, but I don’t think of it as only costing $X. It’s more of a “thank God I don’t have to make lunch because it’s pizza day and yes, it’s costing me $75 a term for both kids but it’s sooooo worth Fridays off from lunch duty”. But now that September and October cheques have been written, I’ve “thank God”-ed myself out of a fair chunk of my budget now. I have to actually pull from my planned-spending account which I was thoroughly enjoying seeing the amounts climb when I wasn’t spending a dime. Ah well, there’s November (and followed closely is the planned Christmas spending that will wipe me out until January’s planned spending deposits).
And hey, if I didn’t come here daily, I wouldn’t have the cash in the planned-spending account anyway, so I should just be thankful and move on. (But that new $100 makeup better finally make me look like a mature woman and not a pimply-faced ‘older’ woman for a change!).
October 15, 2009 at 7:11 am
I used to get caught in this trap more often then I’d like. However we’ve been doing pretty good in the last few months. My last it’s only purchase cost us $600 dollars for a nice new leather jacket for my wife. If I had to do it again I probably wouldn’t.
Good thing that was a couple months ago and I’ve been behaving myself since then. I just need to buy a whip for my wife so that she can keep me in line with my spending after all it’s only…
October 15, 2009 at 7:50 am
“It’s only” doesn’t always have to be a bad thing.
I had to purchase new work boots a couple weeks ago. My husband squawked at me spending $120 at a name brand store rather than going to a ‘cheap’ store.
Considering that my employer pays $50 towards the boots… and the fact that they will probably last me 4 years of daily wear in all kinds of weather, just like the last pair I bought from the same store…
It’s only $1.50 to protect my feet every month for the next long while. I did pay cash though.
October 15, 2009 at 7:57 am
It’s only so true. How many times have I looked at my 2 year old who asked me for balloons which she already had some at home. Or juice to drink because she was thirsty. I am improving in this category & will continue to improve. Just last night we were out at the dollar store & she wanted another toy. I thought and said to her Honey you have plenty of toys at home. You don’t need this car. She said OK mommy, and was fine with that. I looked up at my husband & thought wow, why didn’t I do that before.
October 15, 2009 at 8:15 am
It is never the big purchases that doom us, as we actually think about those. It’s always the nickeling and dimeing that we do to ourselves that doom our finances.
Take a typical work day for many. You get up and buy your morning coffee on the way to work. It’s only 3 bucks! Mid morning coffee break – it’s only 5 bucks. Lunch is only 10 bucks, coffee in the afternoon is only 3 bucks. Parking is only 10 bucks and you only burned 10 bucks worth of gas to drive to and fro. But you forget that you also bought your car cause you thought that you had to in order to drive to and from work and that is only 15 bucks a day. Add it up and you are spending a whopping 56 dollars a day just to work. Your significant other is doing the exact same thing for an outlay of both of you of 112 dollars a day or a whopping $2240.00 after taxes a month ($112 a day x 20 working days) just to work! That is one heck of a pay cheque.
Imagine how much you can save of you actually used that fancy coffee machine that you have at home and actually brewed your morning coffee, brown bagged your snacks and lunches and took public transportation to work.
And yes, I realize that I was conservative in my numbers. Many of you are probably wondering where you can park for only $10 a day. And $15 a day for a car payment assumes total monthly car expenses (payment, maintenance, tires, insurance) of approximately $450 ($450/30 days = $15 a day). And, I haven’t included any of the costs of clothing that we may need to get to work, or daycare….those depend on you.
October 15, 2009 at 8:20 am
Lyne –
That is one of the things that amazes me most about this conscious spending thing: the kids’ acceptance that they can’t have everything. When I started saying “no” to my kids I was expecting lots of complaints and tantrums, but they never happened.
And I was expecting their lives would be adversly affected, but they are still just as happy as ever, their quality of life has not changed at all.
What a revelation to me it was that my kids did not have to have lots of fancy toys to have fun, and are just as happy with home-made treats as store-bought ones!
October 15, 2009 at 8:44 am
Coffee, snacks and lunches are a real killer. I have spent $100 a week on those items. It’s only…
October 15, 2009 at 8:59 am
My most recent clients have blown me away in terms of what they think they are spending and what they are actually spending. When you start showing them the banking fees, or the coffee purchases or the frequent dining out expenses they are lost for words. The best is when you can show them that their expenses are not one time events, but are things they have been doing consistantly for the last 6 months (I use last 6 months of statements).
Gail is right, the small things add up very quickly. The only way to really know what you’re spending is to write everything down and keep receipts. Keeping tabs of every expense will help you quickly identify what expenses you need to reduce or cut out.
October 15, 2009 at 9:04 am
I guess my “it’s only” is house renovations/decorating. I can see the morning coffee purchase as a waste, but home decorating is an investment right? That said, since we are down to one income for the time being we can’t afford any of it. It’s very hard to look at an ugly wall and not make it pretty, but I console myself with knowing that there is a wall there and a roof with it and we can totally afford it.
I think my next biggest “it’s only” would be the kids but there is a Grampie who brings vanloads of toys (and I mean a van with the seats removed). When he arrives, all the toys go into the basement and I sort through them without child involvement. All the toys are second hand so at least I know he didn’t spend too much money on them. I cut the 200 toy car collection down to 10 and donate the extra to the women’s shelter. I also keep the toys in separate smaller baskets and once a month I rotate the basket so there are always “new” toys to play with. You can also in an emergency run to the closet and produce a “new” toy.
October 15, 2009 at 9:05 am
Maybe we should change “it’s only” to “one day when I have the money…”
October 15, 2009 at 9:16 am
“It’s Only” was my excuse for buying Tim Horton’s coffee several times a week – it’s only $1.30, it’s my ONLY vice, but since I’ve been on the jars I’ve cut out all but one or two Timmy’s coffees a month. I’m quite amazed that it wasn’t that hard to chop out of my routine! I’m still envious when I see people walking around with their Tim’s cups, but I’ve got the self discipline to see it through! Yay for me!
October 15, 2009 at 9:28 am
AML – its all about perspective. View your house as a place that provides shelter to you and your family; a place that allows you to create and share memories with each other; a place that protects you from the elements of this world.
Your “ugly wall” serves a huge purpose in helping your home stand and protect your family. Look beyond the surface, it will serve you well
October 15, 2009 at 9:36 am
When I got home from grocery shopping last night I sat down with my receipt and looked at all the stuff that wasn’t necessary – snacks, treats,etc. I found $50 worth of stuff I could have left in the store! I find I am so careful about all of our spending until it comes to the grocery store. $50 is eating out twice a week for us! I stick to my list but I find I just add the treats to the list. So they aren’t impulse buys but they aren’t necessary either. Next week I will try and leave it on the shelves instead of feeling bad about it once it is already in the house.
October 15, 2009 at 9:44 am
As a family, my children also like a treat of fast food. My trick to lessen the expense, is to always have a small cooler in the car. I keep water, juice, grainola bars etc. This way when we to have the fast food treat, I do not purchase beverages, just the food. Every little bit helps and the kids enjoy the treat. Also when we head out for a shopping trip, car always has snacks and do not have to purchase them on the road.
October 15, 2009 at 10:07 am
Tess, I know what you mean. Last night was ONE of the first times I said no & provided the reason why. I expected some sort of negative response however she was absolutely fine with it.
I realize those little shopping trips at the dollar store for stickers, coloring books etc…can cost quite a penny…$20 here and there & next thing you know she no longer plays with the item or I have to over-extend myself in another budget category. I just found it hard to say No sweetie, not today. But I am beginning to realise I am not doing her a service for always saying yes. I am improving & learning and will continue to learn and improve.
Lyne
October 15, 2009 at 10:07 am
Ah it’s only…. it’s only what got me into this mess in the first place!! My boyfriend tries this once in a while with his Home Depot visits. “yeah but’s it’s only on sale this week and I can use it at work.” Great! Then let work foot the bill so you can pay back that debt you still have! Yeah hunny, but it’s only our house you AREN’T saving for so when the time comes that we are still in this apartment in 4 years do not get mad at me!
Ah it’s only! I love this post!! It’s only 2 years until I’m debt free!!
October 15, 2009 at 10:18 am
@Sally: make a grocery list, it is totally worth it. I love food and used to be an impulse food buyer and have since stopped because of making a list. I only buy what I need. What has also improved: no more food wasted!
@all my fellow coffee lovers. This was my vice last year. $2 of coffee every weekday. Now, it was really the only thing that I slurged on regularly, but it is still $10aweek/$40 a month. Now I make a big pot in the morning and when I get back to work fulltime I think I will invest in a thermos. My partner was the go to Timmy’s for a coffee and bagel man, I have since made him stop as well because $3 a day was just silly. His excuse was ‘I have no time in the morning to make coffee’ which is again, just silly. So now I get up with him and make his coffee/toast and poof the Timmy’s runs have stopped.
October 15, 2009 at 10:49 am
It’s only…a very close cousin to “might as well”. Getting the “might as wells” has become a standard joke at our house. A humourous way we point out to each other when we’re about to cross that line and go beyond the original planned expense. We needed new kitchen dishes, but the glasses and cutlery are also on sale so we might as well get those too. We’re repainting room A, but while we’re making a mess we might as well paint the whole main floor. We bought the concert tickets we might as well get the Tshirt. We’re replacing that light fixture anyway, we might as well pay a little more and get the really cool one.
I think “It’s only” and “Might as well” both fall into the category of spend creep. Planning and saving for a particular item is great, the trick is always to avoid the other stuff you see while in the store, or the upgrades and add-ons available.
October 15, 2009 at 11:02 am
Ah yes. “It’s only…” Even though we didn’t often say it out loud, it was definitely what justified my jacking up the grocery/drugstore shopping bill by a good $50-100/week in treats and extras (I always have my kids along), and hubby driving himself to work in a frantic rush (he’s SO not a morning person) leading to parking downtown ($25-30/day), grabbing coffee and a bagel/muffin ($5) and lunch later ($8). Add it up: the numbers I’ve given add to a whopping $960-$1260/month! Ouch!
Just by changing these few things we’ve massively cut back our spending. Now, I drive hubby into work or he takes the bus (slight increase in gas, but we live all of 6 kms from downtown), I pack his lunch (including a bagel or homemade muffin for breakfast), and we have cashed in airmiles for Second Cup cards to regulate the coffee habit (sort of hubby allowance). And putting our kids on an allowance was one of the best things for keeping the shopping bills down–if they want a treat, they foot the bill (most of the time–we still treat occasionally). I also shop with a list, having browsed flyers first. Now, to work on me and the “it’s only 1 cookie” effect on my waistline…
October 15, 2009 at 11:04 am
I have cut out almost all of the daily stuff-I bring my coffee in a travel mug, I bring my lunch/snacks, I plan my dinners so we don’t eat out, I rarely shop because I don’t have time to go to the mall…
Now my main “it’s only” involves fitness classes with friends-I justify it as an investment in my health, and a lot cheaper than the dinners out we used to do to spend time together. I’m going to be on the lookout for others now though-reminders are always appreciated!
October 15, 2009 at 11:15 am
I’ve always been a nickle and dimer, especially in university and in my first “real” job. During my last 2 years of uni my school’s cafeteria had those yummy soft pretzels – they were about $1.50. I added up that I probably blew $500 over those 2 years on pretzels…pretzels!
“It’s only” never put me in deep debt, thankfully, but I frittered away money that could have been saved for more important things. I smartened up after my first child was born and now I track every little expense. Being a stay at home mom helps, too – loading up my preschooler and baby for a trip to the store for every little thing is NOT an option!
It’s funny you mention the toy cars…I’m fairly certain my 3 year old is an anomaly in that he almost never asks for something at the store, and when he does and is told no I don’t hear another peep out of him. However, when my huband comes shopping with us, we have to avoid the toy car aisle because without fail he’ll pick out a couple of cars that our son just HAS to have. The things only cost about 85 cents and this isn’t even once a month, so I let it go – my hubby is happy and the 3 year old isn’t complaining either!
October 15, 2009 at 11:22 am
I’m kind of glad that I don’t drink coffee or tea. But I do enjoy buying the occassional lunch out. Subway or Tim Hortons usually. It’s such a waste because we always have the supplies at home. It’s something to work on.
One thing I noticed that was not a good idea while shopping in the States is with my cousin. There would be things on sale…buy one for $25 or 4 for $75. She was really only in love with the one item, but would force herself to buy 4 things because she was “saving” money. How often do we do that!?
October 15, 2009 at 11:42 am
I added up my breakfast/lunches over the last month and it totalled $112. Let’s just say my heart skipped a beat! It’s only $5 or it’s only $8 sure adds up over time.
October 15, 2009 at 12:08 pm
Gail, I don’t know how you do it, but you manage to look at things a different way all the time, and I’ve been reading (on and off) the blog for almost a year…you have a gift for really putting things into perspective. I made a copy of this and sent it to my husband, as he has a habit of taking money out from a different banking machine which only costs 1.50 right??? I quickly did the math for him and he didn’t have much to say after that…I reminded him that it pretty much equals his allowance for one week (what he spends on fees for one month!!!) Almost a year now and have made major headway, but still working on it…
October 15, 2009 at 12:26 pm
Working from home definitely destroyed the impulse coffee runs! Now it’s a big deal to go get a Tim’s. And eating out for lunch is a major excursion. Not to say it’s perfect though. Now when I take a “day off” to run errands, it’s a full day of “it’s only” and “might as well” and “while I’m here I should get”…. etc, etc. $$$
I can relate to the shopper with the snacks, and also with the lunch-packing mom splurging on hot lunch purchases at the school. They go hand in hand for me. I have a hard time thinking up school lunch ideas (I always like leftovers myself). So the grocery store with the pre-packaged snacks is wonderfully convenient. Unfortunately, my husband thinks I have them just to make his life miserable with temptation and poison the kids with sugar, salt and preservatives. So he asks me NOT to get them. But then WHAT DO I PACK THAT THE KIDS WILL EAT?! (And there is the added complication of it being a nut-free school, so trail mix, peanut butter, sesame snacks and the like are prohibited). And the hot lunch on Fridays is a relief to my routine (but not cheap).
As far as the kids whining “please mom, it’s only XX and I have been so GOOOD” in my ear, I have a strategy that BEFORE we even leave the car, I tell them that I am only going in for the things on my list, so don’t even ask. If we can get in and out quick enough we may have time to stop at the park, or bake some cookies when we get home. That usually keeps them focused on the task at hand. And now that they are older, I give them part of the list to track down the items!
October 15, 2009 at 12:36 pm
The “It’s Only” and “Might as well” are defintiely excuses. The truth is that it is all about our priorities. People pick on Coffee from Tim’s or Starbuck’s like they used to about cigaretts. I find it as bad as the people who “Will Stop When” The best one was a bit better than an year ago when I heard a lot of “I’ll stop driving when gas reaches $1.50/liter.” Really?!?!?!?! I doubt it. How are you going to get to work?
The point being that Coffee and lunch out while at work are good examples and can be very expensive if you are not careful but if you plan for it and are aware of how much it is costing, you can budget for it. I think the big fast food chains prey on the it only I cant remember when the last time was that I wasn’t asked to supersize my Popcorn, Fries, Drink for only $.25 more…..
October 15, 2009 at 12:48 pm
My work requires that I take down addresses. When I say is that a house or an apartment I frequently get answers like……. “A house!”(in offended voice), or “No no – it’s a home!” – to which I’m tempted to respond with “Is your home a house or an apartment”….. We do not need a house to be a worthy human beings or a house in which to be happy. Our house/townhouse/apartment is not an extention of ourselves and does not necessarily make a ‘home’. An ugly wall can wait till a better time. I fully understand the want to make it right though and continuously ask myself questions to keep on track eg:’curb appeal or RESP, TV stand or sleep well at night fund. Making the right decison for you feels ‘right’ and making the other leaves a nagging feeling.
October 15, 2009 at 1:57 pm
The coffee/bagels are a pitfall for my coworker – he complains that they are always ‘robbing Peter to pay Paul’ – yet almost every day he will buy a coffee and a donut or bagel. I’ve suggested that he bring in bagels and cream cheese to the office and make it here, and just make coffee in the office. This rarely happens, and yet he continues to complain about not having enough $$.
I don’t drink coffee, but do like chocolate milk, so whenever it’s on sale, I’ll buy it and pour it in a mason jar for milk with my lunches (those screw on lids don’t leak!). This month, I’ve gone for lunch once – and I wasn’t even at work!
When I first moved out, I quickly learned just how fast the “it’s only…” adds up. Suddenly my credit card bill came in and I couldn’t understand how I had spent that much money! I ended up using my savings at the time to cover the shortfall, and decided from then on, I need to track where I’m spending money. Two years later, I still track my money, but I don’t find myself tempted for anything other than food. Our apartment can’t handle more “stuff” and I don’t feel like dusting knick-knacks on my free time. But food? That’s the downfall for me as well. I try to just make it an experience (such as going out for an ice cream instead of bringing the whole tub home), but that gets expensive if temptation rears its ugly head!
But then I consider how much I have for the month and where I stand with things … I then choose to stick with the plan and do my best to ignore the temptation. Junk food isn’t really food anyways
October 15, 2009 at 2:38 pm
Don’t hate me, but, I’ve been pretty good. I’m half way to having all my Christmas gifts purchased (and paid for) and so as Gail suggested I checked over my recent statements and my only purchase that wasn’t planned was for ‘0 Fat Fruit Sweetened Chocolate Sauce’. I haven’t been able to have sugar since May 2005, so that means I haven’t had chocolate since then either. Now, for years I was a well known chocoholic (did you see my mug in the post office??) and when I found out I was ‘allowed’ this O Fat Chocolate Sauce sweetened with fruit juice – which is ordered from the USA naturally – but, the shipping charge ‘WAS ONLY’ $12.00 – Ha! I have been in Heaven since my order arrived – I didn’t cheat once all those years so I told myself I deserved a treat. Am I wrong? You have no idea my delight in chocolate…oh, and yes, I did have the $$ to pay for it.
So, now I’m trying to dole out my treat to a tablespoon a day and beware anyone who tries to snitch some!
October 15, 2009 at 2:50 pm
Great blog today. It truly is amazing how the small stuff does add up. I work in an office (recreation business) and we have a restaurant. I have spent the last two years going to the gym every morning before work and getting myself in to some sembalance of good shape. I am allowed a staff discount of 50% on lunches (all food purchases) and I bring my lunch every day. It’s hard to think of different things to bring all the time, but it chokes me to spend $3-5 a day. That is a discount rate as well. I sometimes break down and spurge once a month or so. I just don’t want to eat the greasy ried food all the time either.
Don’t get me wrong. The “it onlys” get me in other ways. Costco the other day had a new novel by Diana Gabaldon. Impulse. Regret. Thanks to Gail and re-discovering her, my awareness of spending and debt has increased ten fold. We have very cautiously consolidated our debt with our mortgage, closed all but two credit cards, and have a small $2,000 savings account. We managed to knock off $4,000 in cc debt prior to consolidating, but spend that humongous $$ in interest was making me really mad. With more improvements to financial mgmt we can be mortgage free in 8 – 10 years.
We have a financial planner, are re-doing our wills and powers of attorney, re-working our budget, and are looking at disability insurance outside of what we have through our employers. Big thanks to Gail. The thought provoking daily blogs and the TDDUP shows keep me focussed and keen.
Thanks to everyone who shares here. You all help too! I’m always here reading, not always sharing.
Have a great day.
October 15, 2009 at 4:14 pm
I work close to home so I typically run home for a home made lunch but I have day I occassionally need to stay in the office at lunch. So I try and keep something in my desk (non perishable) that will pass as lunch so I don’t have to pay to order in or ask someone else to pick something up for me when they are out. When I bought my house and moved out of my parents house I quickly figured out that if I left work late I would not want to cook. To keep myself from going and getting fast food I keep quick/easy cook foods in the freezer (no defrosting required). My “its only” purchases occur at target, craft store, drug store or bookstore. So I keep my trips to these type of places to a minimum. By saving up the required purchases on my list the less likely I am to get misc items because the total bill is so high. I also keep track of the total cost in my cart as I walk through the store. The other trick I use is if I am going in for one or two items I never get a cart of basket. If I am going in for a small amount of items I get a basket and not a cart. This helps because only so many items will fit and it can get heavy which discourages additional items and encourages leaving the store.
How much are school lunches costing these days? My mom loved it when we got hot lunch becuase she didn’t have to make lunch and it was cheaper. When I started elementary school it was $1.00 when I finish middle school it was $1.25. All of our school food was made on site and in middle school we had a salad bar. I also used to volunteer to work in the cafiteria which ment free hot lunch. In fact most of the kids at my school ate hot lunch. In high school on the other hand it was expensive so I had an allowance. I would actually make a lunch so I could keep the money (the food didn’t even come close to as good as my K-8 food).
October 15, 2009 at 5:16 pm
I see a lot of the “it’s only” with my co-workers, like the fellow that said, “we didn’t need that big screen TV, but it’s only $40/month, so…” Yep, and for how many months?? Or the vending machines, where for $1.25 you can have two small crackers and a sliver of cheddar cheese! How hard would it be to package that snack at home?? My downfall at work is Cheezies – $1 for a small package. I buy the larger bags at Superstore and make individual packages, which makes enough to last two weeks at work. Marketing is great – if you spend $250 or more, you can get $25 off your grocery bill. If you only planned to spend XX on groceries, how often have you returned to the aisles to top up your shopping to get that discount? You still spent more than planned to get that $25 free food. I turned the tables on my sons one time while out shopping at the mall – I touched and whined about almost everything we passed, lingerie included! They were pretty embarassed and would grab my arm if I even swerved towards an article. They never again gave me grief while shopping! Planning and being prepared with a meal plan helps eliminate the impulse shopping. Payday at work is a major “order out” fest with my co-workers. In three years, I have participated once; I have long since given up the ‘feast or famine’ mindset, and surprisingly, several of my so-workers approach me with money issues, as in their eyes, I have it ‘together’!! Thanks to Gail, I do have it more together than ever before, but I still sometimes forget where I put it!
October 15, 2009 at 5:17 pm
’so-workers’?? How about co-workers!
October 15, 2009 at 10:04 pm
Good point, Colin!
My husband has a bad habit of buying energy drinks on the way to work some mornings from convenience(bank balance draining) stores. I recently got around to finally adding up his vehicle mo. pmt, mo. insurance and his fuel cost per month..divided grand total by 30 days a month..and voila! Gee it’s pricey to get to and fro’ work, isn’t it honey?..stay out of the convenience stores! So now hubby has no problem waiting until these drinks are on sale at the grocery store! (Still trying to convince him to stop drinking them all together, though : ).
October 15, 2009 at 11:54 pm
I’ve been taking my lunch to work the last 2 months – I can’t believe that eating lunch out was what was keeping me from staying on budget because, it was only $7 or so…a day…Now that $40-50 goes someplace useful – like planned spending so I don’t whine about my credit card bill when I did what I did today which was take my elderly mom to a nice dinner and the theatre for her birthday. All planned, and all to be paid off in full when the bill comes in. Feels rather good, although I really like seeing the planned spending balance go up and up and hate to actually dip into it for the planned spend and see it go down.
October 16, 2009 at 2:23 am
This blog is definitely a keeper! I’m pretty good at not spend my money on things like daily meals out or beverages, but I still get caught up in the small impulse purchases. I think, as someone above coined it, I’m more of a “might as well” purchaser. So thanks for the timely reminder.
I worked with one co-worker who couldn’t understand why she was always broke. Considering she ate out for lunch every day and went out every weekend to party, I thought it was pretty obvious, but she was oblivious.
I like to go out for lunch once every week or two weeks, but I made myself a deal that if I do then something has to come off the grocery list that week and that seems to be working out okay for me.
October 16, 2009 at 7:28 pm
I still buy lunches a fair bit, usually for myself and 1 or 2 of my assistants. I can’t pay them anymore (large company rules) and I use lunches as a tangible reward for working through the lunch hour, again. I keep track in my mind of how much is going to “employee retention” and so far it seems worth it.
October 17, 2009 at 9:12 pm
[...] I think everyone who knows me knows I am a huge Gail Vazoxlade fan. This week one of her posts Its Only hit close to home. Sometimes it really is too easy to justify with a its only and where does that [...]
October 18, 2009 at 5:47 am
I used to work in sales. One of the best ways to pitch the sale was to use the words it’s only $.
This blog reminded me of how quickly consumers could be converted to a sale of an item they may not have planned to purchase.