…so today is the start of something that I’m not sure I can finish. I’m going to try, but I dunno how well it’s going to go.
There’s that old saying “A fool and his money are soon parted.” I have lived and breathed this as mantra, although I occasionally changed it to “A fool and his money soon party”. I’ve had fun. I’ve bought a lot of cool stuff. I’ve been to some great places, had some amazing dinners out, watched a lot of movies, cried over my ridiculously large TV (that sits in my brothers basement), and marvelled at my stupidity of having 19 (I am not making that up) computers.
It’s gotta stop. I’m debt-free, and I have RRSP’s, but I figure I could have saved a ridiculous amount of money if I had used a little more common sense. People who know me know the odds of that happening, so I’m on a mission to change those odds.
For the entirety of the next year, I’m going to avoid buying shit. Shit is things like DVDs I’ll watch once, videogames I’ll throw in and play for 10 whole minutes, the latest version of an iPod FM transmitter/power combo (I have 4 of those… well, 3 now), stereo gear, gadgets, and a whole pile of other crapola. In short, I’m gonna stop buying so many goddamn toys that I give anything that’s a year old away to friends (sorry, friends).
That doesn’t mean I’m quitting spending cold turkey. I firmly believe in enjoying life and reaping the rewards of working stupid hours and travelling all the time. I like going out for dinner and drinks, and will continue to do so. I want to go on vacation and see my friends, so I’ll do that, too. I just want to cut down on extravagences, and save for something a little more fun… like a house or something.
So, a year starts today. Coincidentally, a year ended today. Yesterday’s arrival was the last thing I’m getting in a long while, and I got it with the blessing of my advisor, so I only feel a little guilty starting things off that way… ok, no I don’t. Let the trial begin!
I’ll let you know how it goes.
YEAH! Fight the power! I’ve been working on this as well, and I’m getting pretty good at avoiding impulse purchases. Hell, I should have about 20 more handguns than I do by now 😉
I’m a big fan of GTD (organizational goodness…mmmm, lists) and a fellow GTD guy made a comment on his blog recently that he kept a list of things he wanted to buy. Not a reminder list, but a list of items he had a sudden desire to purchase, like DVDs or video games. He doesn’t buy them right away, but lists them. After a little bit, he reviews the list and it helps to reinforce how much crappy, useless stuff he would have bought.
Say what you will about the movie rendition of the Palahniuk novel, “Fight Club”, but one of the best lines in that movie is: “The things you own end up owning you.”