Curbing Consumption: List Method
One of the most helpful tools for curbing consumption and budgeting my spending is to make a list of the items I need and the items I want. Once it’s on the list I leave it there for a couple of weeks. More often than not after living without the item on my “need” list for a few weeks it usually becomes clear that it is more of a want or that I can live without it. Items on my “want” list are often crossed off after a few months when I realize I no longer have an interest in them. If an item has been on my want list for more than a few months, I might use it as an incentive for accomplishing a goal I had set for myself or as a small treat.
By using this method I have decreased the amount of purchases I have made, especially impulse buys. It forces me to think about the purchase and it helps prevent regretting the purchase later. I am also better able to plan and budget my money accordingly when it is time to buy one of my items.
