The Urge To Splurge

You know as well as I do that we all have an urge to spend our money.  Unfortunately we like to get into daily spending habits that leave us wondering why we don't ever have any money left to save...buying a $4 Starbucks on the way to work or buying a $6 lunch and so on. 

Just think about how much we really are spending:

Our fancy $4 coffee drink:

$4 x 5 days (work week) =                     $20 (...oh, it's only 20 bucks)
$20 x 4 weeks (month) =                        $80 (getting expensive)
$20 x 52 weeks (year)=                          $1,040 (so that's why Starbucks has so much money)
Average person works about 35 years = $36,400 (That's with today's prices)

I love doing the math on these examples...that $4 cup of coffee sure is expensive.  Buy a coffee maker and make your own flippn' coffee.

Let's try our lunch:

$6 x 5 days (work week) =                     $30
$30 x 4 weeks (month) =                        $120
$30 x 52 weeks (year) =                         $1560
Average person works about 35 years = $54,600

This number is the reason why I have been bringing a lunch to work. My wife is a great cook and she can make a mean chili, she'll then Tupperware it up so lunch is easy to grab on the way out the door.

But what are we to do with that "Urge To Splurge"? That need to buy something has to be taken care of!

There is a simple cure for that, find something really cheap that you can enjoy...

I have  learned to completely eliminate that feeling by purchasing a $.50 can of soda for my 9:30am treat and again in the afternoon.  Other than the normal weekly bills I have knocked down my weekly spending to just 5 bucks and I'm satisfied. I understand that a can of soda might not be the cure for you but there's something that will work.

Kill the Urge To Splurge and please share what works for you.

Happy Savings

Check out my other articles like "Ground Zero" of Personal Finance.