Couch Talk: Financially Chic

Vanisha:  "I thought that this would be an interesting topic, especially for women young, but would still be relevant to everyone. I found that with blogging and the internet and access to goods and services, it's so easy to get into debt. To keep buying and trying to keep up that we can lose sight of being financially secure and stable." 

Arni:   Being financially chic is a broad subject.  I'd like to expand on self control and that important pause before purchase.

I learned a  whole lot about managing money from my husband and his family,  which I never learned from my own.   He got all his training from his parents.  On the contrary,  I was raised in a household struggling to make ends meet and was always suffering in debt.  I usually let the hubs manage our finances,  because I'm impatient with numbers.   I'm still learning though. 

When I was still single and with a taste of freedom earning my first paycheck, being surrounded by all these "sales" and now the internet, I can imagine,  it could be too tempting! The ''free shipping" doesn't help either. Comes the credit card of course and all the various freebies we get in obtaining one.    I think my greatest breakthrough was when I finally cut them all in pieces and that felt really good!   What I learned through the years was taking that pause every time I find something I want to buy.  It's not easy especially, during those occasional splurge moods where I would end up buying three pairs of shoes in one go. 

I think it is important to set a personal objective.  Mine is  "To purchase quality with a good deal."  With that, I take a brief moment of  silence as I  internally bombard myself with questions, like:  Do I need it?  Do I need it now?  Tomorrow? Next week? If next week , can I buy it next week?  Maybe there's something better looking or better priced than this? Have I read the reviews?   Should I have a look at the other stores/ sites first?   Can I buy it next time?  Are there upcoming sales in this shop or in this site? Then this allows me to investigate and find out further. The important trait I learned from my husband was canvassing. Checking out various shops, comparing prices, weighing pros and cons.   I wasn't born with this gene,  or I rather grew up complacent  and impatient in exploring various options.  Later, working in sales, I learned the world of profit margins and etc. and took a course on negotiating skills and thought, "Yeah, this is something we could learn and apply in real life."

As I target myself with these questions, I'm able to counteract my impulses to pick up the item and pay for it at the counter. Arriving at a conclusion whether I really need it or it's just plain wanting. It just happened to me recently.  I went inside a trendy fashion store and was trying on a dress that I particularly liked.  I paused and started these barrage of questions.  It turns out- I didn't need the dress immediately after all.  The event is a month away, so I still have time to find a better one,  or at least I could hold on to that amount of money that I have, which might be needed for something else.  I walked out of the store feeling okay for not buying the dress. I'm glad I didn't,  because I realized, I had an unworn dress hiding behind my closet that I have completely forgotten about.  

I'm a strong believer that it's okay to treat ourselves every now and then. 

We work hard and we ought to enjoy the fruits of our labor. 

Learning to balance need and want, being aware of our choices 

and our motive behind a purchase is my philosophy.

Small things lead to big things.  

XOXO,

Arni