How do you justify buying something you want but don’t need?
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I want it and I have money for it. That's all the justification I need.
right to point! I like it!! Thanks!! -
I want it.
That justification enough for me. If I can afford said thing, I'll buy it. Having it live rent free in my head is way more annoying than just forking out the dough for whatever dumb thing I currently am obsessing over.
That’s fair! The rent free in the brain thought wasn’t something I had considered. This current situation there’s a lot of that happening.
Appreciate the response!!
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I enjoy food and shelter and environmental temperature controls than pretty much anything else. My first level and most common splurge is a hot bath. I want to have these things till I die. That is the foremost priority. Many splurges I have, many folk would consider not to be wants.
Got it, thank you for the follow up!! This makes sense!!
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I make a simple calculation:
I divide X money over Y time.
I enjoy photography, and bough a fancy camera with a bonus at my last job.
In total I have probably spent 30k SEK on the camera and lenses, I bought it in early 2023, so let's say that I have had a year and a half to enjoy it, that is 18 months
30k/18months is about 1.7k/month so far, and in return I got thousands of photos, some of which can be found here:
That is quite interesting. I didn’t do any long term calculations to see if I could identify a monthly spend.
I may do that for this situation and future projects. Thanks for bringing this up.
Also, your photos are great!! Is the metapixl instance federated in Pixelfed? I tried to look you up directly in the app I use and didn’t find anything.
Thank you for posting!!
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"Damn that looks like fun!"
Make purchase.
That’s pretty straightforward as well! I’m sadly not wired that way but… I wish I was.Thanks for posting and the laugh.
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Don't overthink it. Life is too short.
This is a pretty classic way of looking at things. I just can’t seem to get to that point.
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Not for me. I'm not sticking around all that much longer. I'm already past the time I thought I'd check out. Men in my family didn't make it past 60. My brother made it 5 years ago. I've got 3 to go. And I'm not actively trying to extend life. Give me all the great food & beer I can manage. Cheers!
I truly hope you beat the stats and get to enjoy all the food / beer for can for a very long time!!
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A friend of mine retired and later told me he has too much money saved and he wished he had spent it more when he was younger.
Retirement hangs over all of us. I don’t hyper fixate on it but, I am super diligent about it. It’s kind of a pain trying to guess how much money you need to live in when you choose or can no longer work.
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If you can afford it and it's something you think you'll enjoy, go for it. In the case of a motorcycle or similar item, make sure you can also afford insurance, maintenance, etc.
True, all hobbies will have some additional costs to go with them. I did the diligence of creating a list. But, there’s probably a few things I forgot.
Definitely a comment folks should take to heart. Thank you!!
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I usually go with "Third time's a charm"
If I think about wanting it once, I tell myself not to do anything rash.
The next time I think about wanting it (at least a day after the first time) I research, look at prices, get an idea of what I'm looking for and what models would work best for me.
The third time, I dig out the research I did before, check to see if prices have changed, and if I have the money available, I'll probably do it.
Self enforced waiting periods have talked me out of a lot of impulse buys that I probably would have regretted.
I like this approach! Similar to some other comments as well. I think we all get a little excited about the prospect of something new and we can be a little rash in our judgement.
I purposely left my wallet in my vehicle when I talked to the dealer so I didn’t do anything out of impulse.
Appreciate you sharing!!
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There is no need to justify anything. It is your money.
True, it is, but sometimes it’s not just the money perspective. There are other things I was thinking about.
You are right, we out in the time to make the money, we should use it anyway we see fit!!
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Budgets (formal or informal)!
- Have I covered all of my expenses? Yes.
- Have I properly funded my savings (retirement, emergency fund, other savings goals)? Yes.
- Do I have money left over? Yes!
Permission to spend granted!
Further before I buy something I'll write it down on a list and essentially not buy it for a period of time (7 days? 30 days, a year?). I'll come back to that list and gauge my interest again. Many, MANY times (most?) I don't care about the thing anymore so I don't spend the money.
Then I'll usually try to get the cheaper version (possibly used) of the thing first to make sure it still holds my interest in using it before I would justify buying the more expensive one. So many times the cheaper version does everything I need and I never need to buy the expensive version. When I do exceed the capabilities of the cheap version, and it is still holding my interest, I can then justify spending on the expensive (new?) version. Example: I wanted a bicycle to ride around the neighborhood for fitness and enjoyment. I looked at higher end brands and models, but first I bought a $200 Big Box Store Schwinn. I'm still using that same bicycle 6 years later with no need to replace it. One note, about two years into ownership I took it to an actual bicycle store for a tune up. The cost was about $80, I think. I wish I had done that on day 1! The bike's brakes worked much better and the gear shifting were MUCH improved! Prior to the service, I would regularly have the chain come off from bad shifts. The last time that happened was 3 years ago prior to the service.
I agree with te cooling off period. Although I might argue the length of time. If I wait a year to decide on something, I know it won’t have as much interest as it did before.
I think, personally, there’s a period of do it now or just don’t bother. For motorcycles I’d be hesitant to wait a year and then buy one, and try to learn. The lessons from the training are still fresh.
Thank you for the bike story. I’m glad you’re still enjoying the bike and getting use out of it!!
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You work your whole life to be able to afford a little frivolity. If you're just going to stand in your own way to deny yourself all but the essentials, that's no way to live.
We just met on the internet… how do you know so much about me already?? 🤨
I do understand where you’re coming from. The is probably the right answer.
Thank you so much!!
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I ask myself: can I afford it? Do I already have something similar? Do I see myself using it often? That last question is where you need to be honest with yourself, because it’s easy to find yourself neglecting a new purchase after the initial excitement wears off.
Depending on what the item is, you can sample or borrow/rent it to see if it sticks. You can also set a “waiting period” for yourself, and buy it if you still want it after that period ends. Sometimes the craving passes by then.
You have to find pleasures in life too, so if you can fit it into your budget and think you will get good use out of it, why not get it?
You have a nice day/night too!
That last question truly is the one that I get stuck on a lot. I think I will, then I don’t. Then I feel bad.
The waiting period is definitely a good thing.
Finding in pleasure in life is important for sure. We should be spending as much of our time as possible doing just that!!
Thank you for the response!!
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Hello again Lemmy! I have another question.
Context: I took a motorcycle safety class, was nervous but enjoyed it, researched motorcycles, found a few I liked, talked to a dealer about them but ultimately, I couldn’t finalize a deal, talked myself out of it basically
I was curious how others might justify a purchase that has no purpose other than wanting something.
For clarity, I don’t need anyone to justify me buying a motorcycle. I want to read about your thought processes for buying something you want
As always thanks for replying and have an awesome day/night!!
As long as my bills are paid and I have a steady income, if I want something, I'll usually buy it. If its something more frivolous or expensive, like the e-scooter I bought myself last year, I'll just wait for a good sale/deal. But if its something relatively cheap (like under $100), I usually just get it.
I don't want kids and I have no hope to ever owning a home where I live. Probably unlikely to retire unless I keep pushing at this job I have and hate but has a great pension. Might as well use my money while I can.
I have been trying to tighten up my finances though since, y'know, everything. But it's tough when I've become accustomed to spoiling myself.
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I agree with te cooling off period. Although I might argue the length of time. If I wait a year to decide on something, I know it won’t have as much interest as it did before.
I think, personally, there’s a period of do it now or just don’t bother. For motorcycles I’d be hesitant to wait a year and then buy one, and try to learn. The lessons from the training are still fresh.
Thank you for the bike story. I’m glad you’re still enjoying the bike and getting use out of it!!
I agree with te cooling off period. Although I might argue the length of time. If I wait a year to decide on something, I know it won’t have as much interest as it did before.
Obviously I'm not talking about everything having a 1 year waiting period, such as a $10 video game from Steam, but I waited close to 3 years before I spent well over $50,000 on solar panels for the house. Some large things just need time to work the numbers or gauge the value.
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That’s pretty straightforward as well! I’m sadly not wired that way but… I wish I was.
Thanks for posting and the laugh.
That's literally what I thought the first time I saw someone snowboarding. There I was on my skiis and then zoom!
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As long as my bills are paid and I have a steady income, if I want something, I'll usually buy it. If its something more frivolous or expensive, like the e-scooter I bought myself last year, I'll just wait for a good sale/deal. But if its something relatively cheap (like under $100), I usually just get it.
I don't want kids and I have no hope to ever owning a home where I live. Probably unlikely to retire unless I keep pushing at this job I have and hate but has a great pension. Might as well use my money while I can.
I have been trying to tighten up my finances though since, y'know, everything. But it's tough when I've become accustomed to spoiling myself.
I’m in a similar situation, meaning, it’s just me. I have no one to answer to or take care of. If I want to do frivolous stuff I am free to do it.
Understood about both the job and finances. I would agree that the current state of things makes both a necessary evil to an extent.
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I make a simple calculation:
I divide X money over Y time.
I enjoy photography, and bough a fancy camera with a bonus at my last job.
In total I have probably spent 30k SEK on the camera and lenses, I bought it in early 2023, so let's say that I have had a year and a half to enjoy it, that is 18 months
30k/18months is about 1.7k/month so far, and in return I got thousands of photos, some of which can be found here:
Going to spend some time on your site! I so admire photographers. Skill I never tried to master, happy to see your work.
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That's literally what I thought the first time I saw someone snowboarding. There I was on my skiis and then zoom!
I truly envy your optimism and approach!!
