Oct 24 2008
Escape the Limits of “Have to Have”
Today’s post is a follow up to Building Solid Foundations
Sticking to the job of paying down your debts is as much psychological as financial. When you can see your debt load shrinking at a satisfying rate, it may encourage you to scrimp a bit more and find extra dollars to speed up the process. Even if you don’t want to cut back every month, the progress you’re making can give you a great motivation for looking more closely at your expenditures and finding things that you can eliminate without any real suffering.
Most people don’t realize that a lot of our outgo is based on nothing more than habit. You get used to having something on a regular basis and can’t imagine doing without it. It’s true that there are some things you really can’t do without. In addition, if you eliminate everything that enriches your life, the loss will merely contribute to your sense of impoverishment and your unhappiness. But if you can adjust your vision and see that “used to” isn’t the same as “have to have,” then cutting out or cutting back isn’t such a deprivation.
Take the time to think about what your life was like before a particular “used to.” And then take a close look at it. Has it improved your life in any significant way? Is it doing something for you, or allowing you to do something, that really can’t be done, almost as easily, in some other way? What would you really be missing, and for how long, if you gave it up? Remember, “getting used to” works both ways. Giving up something starts a process of getting used to being without it. Eventually, you wonder why it seemed so important, and why you thought you couldn’t live without it.
The process can be made easier if you can find substitutes, or find real reasons to cut back. Buying your favorite brand of coffee by the pound and brewing your own instead of paying through the nose for the single cups at the coffee bar allows you to continue your enjoyment at lower cost. And maybe the process of making that change will jog your brain, and you’ll realize that you’re really drinking way too much coffee. Now your jangled nerves and your overall health give you some additional motivation.
When necessary changes have a positive impact on your life they are easier to deal with than when they’re based solely on dollars and cents. That can make a big difference in how you view “used to” and “can’t do without.”
2 Responses to “Escape the Limits of “Have to Have””
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This sight is fantastic. Sorry I just had to Stumble you. Yes I have learned how to do that. I could not agree more with several points you have made in recent articles. I am what most of America would concider dirt poor. Between my dad, myself and my 24 yr. old daughter we make around 23,000 a year total and her in college. We have learned the diference between what we want and what we need. We must make these descisions for each dollar we spend. Praise God my house is already paid for. It is run down but I am grateful for it. I tend to think that the less you have the more grateful you become for what you get. I might be wrong, but I would love to see you blog on that. By the way I am an excellent cook and have taught my daughter the same. We still have microwave dinners. We just cook them, freeze, and heat and eat later. Hint: Keep the Starbucks cup and refill it at home with coffe and chocolate syrup mix.(realy good stuff and smells the same) LOL
The key is compromise and this was a great post. Thanks for your comment on my blog.
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