Last night Dave talked about buying things. Up until now he’s mostly talked about not buying things in order to get out of debt, but now he’s teaching how to stay out of debt once you’re out.
He talks about how there is so much that actually goes into marketing that you have to be a super-human in order to resist it all. They use colors to entice you, shelf-positioning, pretty packaging. He even said that in certain stores they’ll use certain smells at certain times of day to get you in the mood to buy! That’s amazing! But we have to work just as hard to not fall into their trap.
It’s no secret, I LOVE to shop. It is such a thrill for me. But I’ve gotten to the point where I can tell myself no when I need to tell myself no. Bob and I have worked it out so that we each have spending money that we can spend on whatever we want, and I always spend all of mine! Bob saves up for something cool, but not me. Ha ha! It’s because I enjoy shopping so much that I’d rather have a bunch of little somethings than one big one. I’m OK with that, but when my money is gone, it’s gone and I can’t buy anymore. It’s been a hard lesson to learn, but I have to say that I am much better now. My next step would be to save and say no when I don’t have to. I think that’s what Dave is talking about.
He gave an example of a man who had gotten a new good paying job and he wanted to buy a new car. He even had the cash to pay for it. The dealer sent him home with the car for the weekend, which is obviously a trick to make you buy, but instead he went home and did a little homework and realized that he couldn’t and shouldn’t pass up the opportunity to invest the money at that time. So, he decided that instead of a moment of pleasure, he’d take the disciplined route and it definitely worked out for him in the long run. His $40,000 that he was going to put towards the car turned into $300,000 in 12 years, and the car was only worth $5,000.
Now, obviously, this is not always the case. We’re going to buy things. But, taking the time to do the research, thinking about it, talking to your spouse or someone who can keep you accountable can save you from making dumb, impulsive mistakes.
At the end of his teaching, they always have some little skit or interviews or something. Well, last night they had Dave sitting with his daughter and a few other teenagers. One of them asked for advice on buying their first car. Dave said something so important. He said, “Remember this is your first car. You don’t have to keep it forever. It’s not your last car . . .”
I thought that was so good! Sometimes we think that our first car or house needs to be as nice as the one our parents have and we forget it’s taken them 50 or 60 years to get it! Don’t despise the day of small beginnings.
Now, as good as that point was, his daughter made a good point too. She said that you want your first car to be something you feel good in! You want to like it. I agree with her too. But you have to find a happy medium between the two. You may not be able to get a luxury car the first time around. But there are so many cute, fun cars out there. Just choose wisely. Do research. And don’t get trapped into buying something you don’t want or know you shouldn’t.
So, do you get sucked into buying things too easily? Have any tips on keeping control while shopping?
