Coffee with a friend
It was a warm summers day, and I had just managed to bag some real bargains.
I met up with my dear friend for a coffee, she’s an Accountant, and I had saved a load of money. That was bound to be a good thing, as I sat down, with my feet throbbing in my designer heels.
God did I need a coffee. I had been marching around the shops and queuing to pay for all my lovely stuff. I had done it all, makeup, clothes, shoes, bags along with all the accessories I would ever need again. I even managed to bag a brilliant offer in the handmade soap shop, a real luxury. I could feel the hot chocolate bath already!
Spend, Spend, Spend
“Wow you’ve been busy”, she said
“Yes,” I said, “I have saved loads of money, and my feet are killing me.” “God, do I need this coffee”.
“So, tell me how have you saved money?” she asked
“Because I don’t think you have.”
“um, yes I have” I replied as I continued to rummage through my bags, pulling out my loot and asking if the colour would suit me.
“I have managed to add to my wardrobe for half price,”
“Oh, OK,” my friend said, “How much did you save?”
“£200.00, It was all half price.”
“So, you have spent £200.00? ”, she asked
“Yes”, I said, sipping my fantastic coffee and eyeing up the lemon cake.
“which has come out of your bank?” she asked
“Yes, actually it was a credit card, but it could have been £400.00”.
“Do you need all these clothes?”
I was beginning to feel annoyed.
I’d done so well, I had worked my socks off to get these bargains, and now the excitement was starting to fade away.
“How big is your wardrobe now?” she asked
“Big” I replied
“Capsule big?” she asked
“No, double wardrobe and a rack big.”
“OK” she replied, I could see the confusion on her face.
“So, will you be selling your old clothes, to make room for the new ones?”
“um no! Why would I do that?” I replied, sipping my coffee
“OK,” my friend said, she was thinking while taking a massive bite from her cake.
“so, what you’re saying is you have increased your already bulging wardrobe, including a hoard of accessories. Which quite honestly although you’ll look great you don’t need it, and you haven’t saved up for any of it.
“yes” I replied
“I’m working as a Sales Manager; I need to look good!”
Did I really save money?
“Right, OK”, she said, “I’ll give you an example, “If you had savings and your designer shoes were wearing out, and you needed new ones,
“Yeah”, I replied, trying to imagine any of my designer shoes wearing out, which was not easy.
“Right,”
“And you found a new pair in this shopping centre for half price; you would have saved 50%. Because it was an expense, you needed to make.” she continued,
“If you don’t need the stuff you buy and you pop it onto your credit card, or it comes out of the bank it has cost you, you haven’t saved.”
Suddenly I realised.
Could it be that because I hadn’t saved up the money to buy my stuff and I didn’t need it either I had spent money, rather than save money?
And on my credit card too, which will cost me even more in interest and possibly years of my life, if I pay the minimum payment.
Did I keep my stuff? Too right I did, but her nugget of information has been my mantra for decades and has kept me on a very narrow path when it comes to the Sales.
Let me know in the comments if you get this. It’s a bit weird but makes sense.
If you don’t need it and you still buy it in the Sales, it has cost you. But if you need it and you get it half price, you’ve done it; you have saved money.
Christmas Count Down
There are 21 weeks until Christmas. Twenty weeks to save up. So any Sales that we buy from our saving at Christmas time will have genuinely saved us money
Sometimes we all need someone to talk about our finances and help us reach our goals.
If you want to work with me, helping you have a better relationship with your money and reaching your financial goals.
Book a FREE 30-minute appointment with me to have a chat.
Where to go if you need advice: Step Change Citizens Advice Bureau, Money Advice Service, Christians Against Poverty, National Debt Line, Shelter Turn2us
High Wycombe Bucks has a new food hub, click here for further details
Disclaimer, Patricia Buckland, 459 Micklefield Road, High Wycombe, BUCKS HP13 7HZ
Presenting as Debt Talk Ltd
The information and education (the “material”) provided by Debt Talk Ltd (the “author” is from sources believed to be reliable, but the author makes no representation or warranty expressed or implied as to the accuracy or completeness of the material. The material is provided for assistance of the readers of my blogs, attendees of the workshops and meetings, but is not to be relied upon as authoritative or taken in substitution for the exercise of the attendees’ own skill and judgement. The author accepts no liability whatsoever for any direct, indirect or consequential loss arising from any use of the material or information, data third party information provided by the author.
The material provided by the author does not constitute advice for the purposes of any individual case and it cannot be a substitute for specific advice based on the circumstances of an individual case. The author wishes to make it clear that the readers of my blog, the attendees of the workshops and group meetings must take specific advice tailored to their own specific circumstances and whilst the author has used reasonable skill in order to provide relevant information to the attendees relating to their eligibility for personal government entitlements, the author’s role is only to educate and therefore the author will accept no liability whatsoever for the direct, indirect or consequential loss or damage arising from any reliance placed upon their material for any purpose.
