To Buy or Not to Buy…A Very Good Question

Sale! This weekend only! Prices slashed! Best prices of the season!
How can I possibly resist offers like these? Why look at those things. They’re wonderful. What great boots. I love that lamp and mine is so old. A new phone with no contract, I’d better get that, my phone has a cracked screen. Oh yeah, and gifts for the family. My nephew is into….

And so it goes. The proverbial “bright, shiny objects” have led to a whirlwind of impulse buying. The credit card now has a really scary balance and the enjoyment of new things is tempered by the anxiety over paying for them.

Are there solutions? Absolutely.

Do:
Make a list of all the people you really must have a gift for.
Look at how much money you realistically can spend.
Decide how much you can spend for each person and if there’s any left for yourself.
Think about what kinds of gifts fit your budget.
Consider things you can make yourself.

Don’t:
Go to stores and holiday fairs credit card in hand and ready to buy things that appeal to you.
Shop with friends who have way more money than you have and can spend freely.

And here’s a tip, if you don’t wait until the last minute you can start gathering things through the year and storing them so you have your own cache of gifts.

Still not sure you can manage. Find someone who will help you set limits and hold you accountable. Maybe a coach.