Removing more temptation to spend
It must be human nature to want to acquire things. I used to love shopping and spending. These days I’m always trying to think of more ways to keep spending to a minimum.
A number of beautiful looking catalogues regularly come through the post addressed to me. I usually open them, flick through and then throw them in the recycling bin. I used to keep them and pour over them and use them to buy presents for Christmas or birthdays so I had improved. Today I decided to put a stop to temptation and to ask the companies wasting their catalogues on me by phoning up to ask to be removed from their mailing list. It is so much easier to not spend money on things you don’t actually need if you don’t see them.
Admitedly the Lakeland catalogue does look extremely enticing with its pretty spotted bowl full of salad on the front and I know it does have lovely things in it but I already have a huge number of nice things. I can live without whatever they are trying to sell me. They are trying to make money and that’s why they’ve produced a catalogue and sent it my way.
June 27th, 2008 at 7:17 pm
Just wanted to say how much I’m enjoying reading your blog - I think we are trying to do fairly similar things.
June 27th, 2008 at 7:17 pm
p.s. I don’t even open the catalogues - no will power,…
June 28th, 2008 at 2:04 am
It’s really just a matter of “if you don’t already miss it, you don’t need it” isn’t it? But the stores like to create “needs” in us by telling us how much easier/fulfilling/fun our life will be if we have such and such a product. As far as I’m concerned, if I never felt the need for something before I saw the ad, then I’m not buying it.
July 3rd, 2008 at 12:28 am
Thanks Sharon. I’ve tried to explain to my five year old why he’s not allowed to watch ‘advert tv’ because he’ll ask me for things he sees advertised thinking they’re really great things. He promises me he won’t and I’ll let him watch (at his Aunty’s house) Sky kids and then days later he’ll ask for something with a strange sounding name (’moon sand’ or Sketchers shoes) and it’s obvious to me that he’s seen some great advertising which has created a percieved need. Poor lamb. For us it works to give the children weekly pocket money (50p) when we remember and to keep it in their purse but in my handbag. ‘Oh you want moon sand do you? Ok you’d better stop spending your pocket money on sweets or bits of tat and start saving for the next 30 weeks then’
July 3rd, 2008 at 3:47 pm
I gave my kids a reasonable amount of pocket money (£5 a week) but out of that they had to save for any toys that I didn’t deem educational and any fancy clothes that came over and above what they actually needed. Two were great at saving and one would set up a budget (with my help, obviously) so that she knew exactly how much she could spend on what but the third… all blown as soon as she got it. She’s 22 now and only just learning that saving’s not such a bad idea after all.
Obviously everything isn’t down to what we do with them but also down to their individual personalities. I hope you have success teaching your son the value of money and the difference between wants and needs because it sure isn’t easy in this disposable consumer society we live in.