Do you have a problem on controlling your wants?
By Andyvil
@Andyvil (793)
Philippines
April 25, 2010 1:54am CST
I usually determine my wants and needs and so far I really have a lot of wants. Although I usually control some of my wants there are just some wants that I can't control. One of my wants that I have a problem resisting is my wants in purchasing items for my hobby.
Right now I am am really enjoying photography as a hobby and I as of now I really want to buy another camera body. Although I can afford it right now I am still trying to control myself from not purchasing the camera until December cause I know during Christmas prices will drop significantly.
I also don't want to rush on buying a new DSLR body since I haven't maximized my current camera now. I know in my hobby I need that new body but in reality it is only a want cause I can still pursue my hobby with my current camera.
I am really bad at controlling myself in terms of wants. Especially if the want that I would like to purchase is affordable I would buy it with no second thoughts. Its a good thing that the camera that I am planning to buy isn't cheap or else I would have bought it already.hehehe
How about you do you have any trouble controlling your wants in shopping?
6 people like this
31 responses
@gracie04 (4549)
• Philippines
25 Apr 10
Oh yeah but that was before. I had a problem on controlling my wants particularly when it comes to shopping signature clothing (armani exchange, dorothy perkins, esprit, lacoste, topshop and a lot more). however, when i moved out from my parents' place and lived in with my partner, i have learned how to be a wise buyer/practical and control my wants. now, i don't care if there's a sale going on at my much loved stores... i would rather buy something we need than spend my money on buying unnecessary things or just save it for a rainy day.
@Andyvil (793)
• Philippines
27 Apr 10
Thats good to hear gracie. I still have that problem until now. I guess when I have my own family and some kids to feed I might be able to control this urges. Well I hope I could control this before I get married cause it would be hard to live a life that I can't provide the best for my kids cause I was overspending while I was single.
@Hatley (163781)
• Garden Grove, California
25 Apr 10
hi andyvil well try living on SSI and Social Security that most all of it goes to pay Gold Crest room and board monthly, this is a sure way to control your wants versus your needs. So I work here mylotting to supplement my income. and also do mysurvey.com too. My problem is when I see a top at an affordable price I succumb tp the moment then kick myself for not staying on my budget.
1 person likes this
@Andyvil (793)
• Philippines
27 Apr 10
I guess we all suffer from giving in to some temptations. My weakness is usually the affordable stuff that I like. Like accessories for my cam or any digital gadgets which are below $10. I easily give in to those things cause my mind set is its cheap and it won't cost me a lot. But come to think of it, its those cheap accessories of gadgets that is eating up on my savings. If I add all of those things it becomes a large amount and it is only then I realize that I have over spend with those stuff. Well I guess someday I will learn to control these urges. I really hope that someday will be soon.hehehe
@rsa101 (37968)
• Philippines
25 Apr 10
Actually I do not find anything wrong with fulfilling your wants especially if you can afford to buy it. The next best thing to do maybe is to make money out of your hobby. It would at least pay you off with your passion and I think if you start making money from your hobby then the more it will become fun for you to do your thing. I think that is the best way to really afford to buy your wants by creating wealth out of it.
1 person likes this
@dragon54u (31636)
• United States
25 Apr 10
I have no problem controlling my wants. We were poor when I was growing up and I learned to make do with what I had. I am in much better shape now but our economy is so bad and there's talk of another recession on the way. Every cent I spend on something I want is likely to be money I wish I had back when the bad times hit again.
I have an advantage because my wants and needs are pretty simple and not at all expensive.
1 person likes this
@nixxi76 (3191)
• Canada
25 Apr 10
I do indeed have BIG trouble when it comes to controlling my wants. Even when I try to make a list and stick to it I always find things that I want and they are not cheap items either.
I just bought a patio set for $300.00 on Friday evening. I don't think we needed this but our landlords took theirs back that they left here for the remaining of last year until the snow went away.
Things like this I do and I can't control either. I wished I had some suggestions for you but I don't.
Have a nice day
1 person likes this
@Andyvil (793)
• Philippines
26 Apr 10
I think we have the same problems. Whenever I want something I usually find reasons why I need to buy the item. Even though I know that it is only a want I still try to convince myself that I need it. In the end I usually buy the item cause I eventually think that I need it.hehehe
@caliya (1170)
• Philippines
25 Apr 10
If it's payday and you have plenty of money it is really tempting to spend and most often that not wants are prioritize and the needs are sacrifice. But lately I am really trying my very best to not be an impulsive buyer and make sure that my needs are on top.
1 person likes this
@joey_matthews (8354)
•
2 Nov 10
I wouldn't say so.
Usually if I have the money spare I will buy things, although I know my limit and would never push it towards a dangerous point of having no money or becoming in debt. This is something I've always tried to avoid, I don't like the idea of owing anyone any money and I go about what cash I have to spend when I can. I have to have control in order to make this work, so I believe so.
@my_name_is_coco (4334)
• Philippines
25 Apr 10
for now,I can still control my wants.I am waiting for a right business and money earning opportunity.I will still keep my job.whatever money I earn from business will be saved in my bank accounts.I would rather use the money I earn from work because I get to have my salary every month.right now,I can't do it my salary because I have to keep some in my bank accounts, to save for future needs.
1 person likes this
@iamaten (14)
• China
25 Apr 10
As I always advocate a temperate lifestyle, I really have little difficulty in restrain my desire. Diminish our disire to the least, and we'll enjoy our life to the most, just like the Buddism points out.
When it comes to purchasing things, i would usually ask myself a question beforehand, that is it really necessary? Can i go without it? Then the decision is clear.
It seems that human beings have a instinct to possess material goods as many as possible. Inevitably, it results in lots of waste of resources which can be originaly avoided. Therefore, It is truly and utterly imperative to control our needs and wants of our own accord.
1 person likes this
@Andyvil (793)
• Philippines
26 Apr 10
That is absolutely true iamaten. We humans have insatiable wants and no matter how much we acquire something it is just not enough for us. Anyway I will try and control my want in purchasing that new camera. Maybe I'll just purchase it once my current camera won't function anymore.lol
@mel13088 (265)
• United States
25 Apr 10
If I have a lot of money, I'm going to want to spend it; either on what I need or what I want. When I don't have money, I try to find ways to make some so that I can take care of what I need. When I have a lot of extra money, its harder to determine what I need from what I want. With some things, I tend to be an impulse buyer. I used to be bad about buying clothes but now that I'm getting close to graduation and don't really need jeans and tshirts anymore I don't buy those. It can be hard sometimes though determining your needs and your wants when you have a lot of disposable income.
1 person likes this
@Andyvil (793)
• Philippines
26 Apr 10
That was my mentality before until I became a bit mature. As I grew older I started to think about my future. Although I have the extra cash to spend on buying my wants I also think about my future and how I could secure it by saving or investing my extra cash. At my age I think its about time I should start thinking about my future cause the time will come when I want to settle down I wouldn't have the extra cash to save for my future. So even though I am an impulsive buyer I have lessened it by thinking about my future.
@dorannmwin (36392)
• United States
2 Dec 10
There was definitely a time in my life that I did have a problem controlling myself over buying those things that I wanted. However, now that our family has been living very frugally for the past year, I am actually having a very difficult time coming up with things that I want as opposed to things that I need. I think that the reason for the change in me is that living the way that we've lived for the last year has changed everything about me.
@pandaeyes (2065)
•
25 Apr 10
I used to be really silly about buying things when I first earned money.
Now I think very hard about things I like the look of because in the past I realised all I wanted was to try something out and a purchase soon became a waste.
In something like photography, it is easy to be swept along by the newest things but as with all technology, there is always going to be a bigger and better thing already in the pipe line.
The best thing to do is decide why you want a thing and make that your ultimate goal,then once it is reached, switch off your ambition and concentrate on using your acquisition to the best of your ability.
1 person likes this
@Andyvil (793)
• Philippines
26 Apr 10
I think my problem is I get carried away so easily by things I think I need. Last year I bought a lot of camera accessories which were useless to me. After those purchases I am more careful in buying camera accessories now. I realized that I should first think hard on whether or not I really need that accessory or if I really need an upgrade. As of now I am happy with my gear but there are just instances when I really need the upgrade. I am going to keep on using my gear as of now and if ever I really couldn't work out a solution to my problem with my current gear that will be the time I will upgrade to a better one. As you said, I should concentrate with my current gear and use it to the best of my ability.
@Tangeryne (412)
• India
25 Apr 10
hey andyvil..guess i am weak when it comes to controlling my wants. my list of wants is never-ending. though i can definitely distinguish between my needs and wants, many a time i have bought things that i don't need but just bought it cause there was a discount or thinking that i may require it in the future and by the it won't be available and blah blah. only a fraction of my wants get satisfied and that even after long periods of time. sometimes i go overboard and buy stuff which i really can't afford using my credit card, later the guilt hits but in no way stops me. sometimes though something is really expensive and i am on a tight budget, i still buy it thinking that its a one time investment or that it will last fro long so its worth the expense. think i really need to control my shoppinh, its getting out of hand, burns huge holes in my wallet and i am left with nothing by the middle of the month. poor me. one of the reasons why i joined mylot. to bring in some extra moolah :-) guess it will take a while but something's better than nothing eh..!
1 person likes this
@Andyvil (793)
• Philippines
26 Apr 10
I also have the same problem with my credit card. That is why whenever there is a sale at the mall I always make sure to leave my credit card at the house. Another problem of mine is shopping online. If I find something I like online I usually buy it with out any hesitation. As of now I am controlling my expenses cause I don't want to be full of debt by the end of the year. Its a good thing I noticed my expenses before everything went out of hand.hehehe
@eidoj31 (23)
• United States
25 Apr 10
I do not have a problem controlling my wants. I think that with age comes the ability to know the difference in what you want and what you need. I think that control is the key for curbing heavy expenditures on what you want. The next time you feel the need to get something you want, take the time to think it through and see if you really need it.
@danishcanadian (28953)
• Canada
2 May 10
No problems here. When I want something I ask myself why I want it, how I will use it and how much it will cost. If it is practical and within my budget I will buy it. If it is not within my budget, I will save money until I can afford it.
@dawnald (85135)
• Shingle Springs, California
27 Apr 10
I don't have all that many wants. Ever since I had children, most of my shopping has been for them. Every once in a while I indulge myself though.
@hmkoct5 (2065)
• United States
26 Apr 10
It depends how bad I want something. If I only want it a little bit, then I have no problem waiting a while to get it. But, if it is something I am dying to get, I will usually go out and get it. This is bad because I don't always have the money and I may end up charging it. Thank goodness this doesn't happen to me very often. I am usually pretty good about budgeting and waiting until I have the money. But, sometimes, things are very important to you. Life is too short to deny yourself of everything!
@ziyadahinc212 (552)
• United States
27 Apr 10
As far as me being able to control my WANTS vs my NEEDS, I WANT more money to buy my wife a "New Car" but, I NEED a "JOB" to pay for it and my other living expenses! So, from where I sit my WANT/NEED is 50/50.lol
@yresh12 (3212)
• Philippines
30 Apr 10
hello Andy!!
I'm also having a hard time.!!
Now I just learned not to waste money as much as possible just be very patient and not buy things that I don't really need. I'm planning to just keep it slow. I'm going to bohol this may. I'm gonna pay for the expenses and all for my grand ma. Any financial assistance i could.. I hope I would be able to budget much. I hope you would also reach your goals to.
@puccagirl (7294)
• Israel
21 Jun 10
Yes, sometimes. But as I get older, I learn to control them more and more. But I still run into stuff that is hard to resist from time to time. I try to avoid bad decisions when it comes to shopping by not making a decision at once. If I see something I want to get, I think about it for a day or two in order to see if I still want it. If I don't, then it wasn't that important and there is no harm done, and if I still do, then I clearly can't forget about it, so I go for it.
Hope that helps!
