UNITED STATES—I’ve talked about the issue of temptation in the past, especially in the world of materialistic things. As Americans, we are inclined to buy because we just have that instinct to do it. This is very common for those of us who have jobs. You work hard, you play hard, or in other words, you pay your bills and what you have left over you tend to spend on other items. There is no worse feeling than having buyer’s remorse. Don’t sit there and tell me you have no idea what that means.

It’s where you buy something and immediately after leaving the store with that item you want to immediately take that item back. When you see something you like, and if you have the money to buy it, you’re inclined to want to buy it, even if you don’t need it. I do believe when it comes to everyday household items, you can never have too much. Some of you might say yes you can, but in my opinion that is not the case because those items really don’t have an expiration date.

That does not mean you need to go broke buying the item because it’s on sale. It’s like food; you have to know what to buy and what not to buy. Food has an expiration date, so unless you plan to consume it all at once, don’t just buy for the sole sake of buying. Now, let’s talk about a place that may get plenty of people in trouble: the shopping mall. I used to be a firm believer that whenever you go to the mall it is ok to window shop, but nowadays I see myself WANTING to buy something when I’m out and about, when in reality I actually don’t need it to begin with.

There is a psychology behind buying. It triggers that reward system in the brain; we feel good when we purchase something for ourselves, even if it’s only for a temporary moment. Happy for the moment, but later sad after realizing you bought something that you really didn’t want to begin. Why is that? I feel like we try to compete with others in our orbit. If we see someone else buying something, we feel slightly compelled to do the same thing, even if it’s not in our best interest. Who wants to go to the mall and see a pal leave with a ton of bags, yet you’re empty handed. You don’t want to give people the impression that you don’t have any money, which actually might be the case America. Instead of just coming out and saying it, you’ll purchase an item or several items you don’t need and as a result you’re left with something you don’t want, you’ve added to your debt or wastefully spent money you worked hard for.

This is psychology working against us. We’re telling ourselves we NEED what is a WANT. There is a thing as having too many clothes, you may not think that on first glance, but truth be told it actually does exist. Remember there are only 7 days in a week, there are only 30 to 31 days in a month, there are only 365 days in a year. Let’s say you were to wear a different shirt and pair of pants each day for the entire year, it is a bit of a stretch to say the least. Just because the item is on sell does NOT mean you have to have it. If you’re not planning on using it on a consistent basis, try to conserve that money for other things.

The temptation to buy will always be there, but there are ways to curb it by fighting that need to buy. The more that you are able to resist the temptation to buy, especially when it’s something you do NOT need, you are more inclined to become more disciplined with your money. That discipline will take you a long way as you begin to realize how much money you are saving giving you the opportunity to prepare for a rainy day or perhaps make a big purchase that you thought was impossible.