Pet Peeve: Wasteful Spendings

Good Morning (or night or afternoon, wherever you are, whenever you read this)! This post / email is for those who want something fun to read. Hope you stick until the end!

One thing in the finance field that irks me is wasteful spending. Considering society today, I’m certain I will be irked in all ways the moment I step into a mall.

My grandmother was a spender—mostly on food. She would buy too much food, and be forgotten in the fridge. Needless to say, both my grandmothers are like that, though the difference is that one simply spends and the other…well, is too old to remember things. So when I visit either of them, I have to prepare for a mental attack when opening their fridges (not that I visit them much. Half way across the country / world and all).

I know a lot of people who spends too much. Perhaps they actually don’t, and my common sense is messing with me again, but I think it’s too much. Spending wastefully impacts both your wallet and your space. Maybe I have a minimalist’s mindset, but why would you buy a things you won’t use more than once in your lifetime? Why would you need a thousand pieces of clothes when the washing machine can only hold 30? And why in god’s name do you need to replace something that is only a year old and perfectly working?

To be clear, I’m not against buying expensive—but high quality—things. If it will last your entire life, go ahead and buy it. I am against buying things thoughtlessly when you don’t even need the darn thing. Why people have 50 pairs of shoes is beyond me. I would say 5 is enough (including seasonal wear). I don’t understand a lot of things about huge spenders on a million and one things. For me, the necessities are enough. Then again, I reuse things that are supposed to go into garbage, so you might not want to consider my opinion on this matter 😅.

I mentally know why people spend so much on things they already have, but it still irks me when people I know buy things they don’t need. They torture their wallets, and they aren’t being very smart about it either. Food, I get, but takeout is more expensive than cooking at home, and you get to see what actually goes into it. If you don’t know how to cook…start with eggs, maybe (if you eat eggs)? A lot of great chefs pursues quality ingredients, which can come at a pretty price. If you can afford it and it’s worth it, go right ahead. If it’s going to sit in your fridge until it rots, don’t.

Someone I know said they don’t buy apples and bananas at the same time, simply because they live alone and they would rot because they don’t eat that much fruits. That’s a good example of saving yourself the headache of dealing with rotting fruits. Don’t overbuy. Only buy what you need, and if there’s something you want, that’s a different story.

My grandfather is apparently a big spender. The difference between him and my grandmother is that he actually uses the things he spends on. He’s a woodworker of some sort, and he spends loads on wood and such for personal projects (or not personal projects). It might actually be an investment of some sort. The point is, he’s spending on wants instead of needs. If you want something and you can use it and not leave it hanging for ages to come, go right ahead and buy the thing. If it makes you happy, no one’s stopping you except maybe your wallet. If it doesn’t make you happy, you might want to rethink your spending habits. For my grandfather, I think it makes him happy. I don’t know if he likes the actual woodworking, the remaking of a home, or just helping others with their space, but I think it makes him happy.

One last thing. Online shopping makes you buy spontaneously. Deals make you buy too. In this day in age, the web is a double-edged sword. You can either use it to buy meaninglessly or you can use it to buy with meaning. Search on Google or YouTube (or whatever else you use) what the necessities in life are, debate, and choose whether to buy that or not. Or just research your stuff before buying. It can save you tons.

Thanks for sticking this long, and I hope you have a great week! 😁 

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