Saving does not compute
July 30th, 2005 | by mbhunter |
In the MSN Money article “Reprogram your mind to become a saver,” the author addresses a widespread problem in American consumer habits. Straight off, we get statements that are not emphasized enough in the mainstream media:
Saving is not the American way. We’re a society of spendthrifts.
Often the excessive spending is cast as a good thing for the economy, as in “Consumer spending picked up in the month of Whatever as sentiment improved” or something similar. But such is human nature, and working against this tendency to spend is the content of the article.
Granted, companies hire marketers to predispose us to opening our wallets and purses by saturating our senses with ads, so it’s always a battle. Especially with kids, as I’ve talked before in my review of Juliet Schor’s Born to Buy.
How do we win these battles? Here’s the article’s prescription:
- Commit to changing your habits
- Think about what things are important, and how you’ll get there
- Become aware of where your money is going
- Become aware of what mood you’re in when you spend
- Look for alternatives that cut your fixed expenses
- Set small goals so that you’ll stick with them
- Get support from friends or spending recovery groups
- Put obstacles in your way to make it harder for you to spend
- Avoid impulse purchases, and get rid of temptations, like catalogs or going bargain hunting at sales
I admit that I’ve been taken in by good bargains, and it’s a strong force to reckon with. Change comes from within, and this article has some good points for making the change to more frugal habits:
“I like to say that prosperity is an insider job,” [Atlanta physhologist Barbara] Rubin says. “It flows within us all the time. It’s how we choose to handle our lives.”
(OT: I apologize if I’ve gotten into a rut reviewing all of these MSN articles! I’ll expand my horizons a bit. Thanks for reading! –mbhunter)
