Welcome to another How-To Tuesday. Today I’m sharing ways to avoid over-spending on baby products (and everything else).
You’ll find a ton of posts on this blog for items you can buy at big discounts, but the truth is, I don’t want you to buy everything I post on this blog or on the Facebook page. The very first post I ever posted on Baby Cheapskate was called “Don’t Buy It.” That’s because the real secret to saving big bucks on baby stuff is only buying what you need. Of course, that’s like saying that the secret to having a healthy diet is avoiding junk food. Easier said than done, right?
What drives us to buy what we don’t need?
Like overeating, overspending is usually an attempt to fill an emotional need:
- Retail therapy helps some of us feel in control of those crazy new-baby days. If we can just buy the right product our baby will sleep through the night / be fully potty-trained by a year old / become a national chess champion at the age of three…. If only it worked that way.
- Some of us feel like if we’re not giving our kids the latest model of the hottest baby items out there, we’re somehow shortchanging them (or ourselves). In reality, children need sooo much less than we think they do. They thrive with nothing more than your love and a few other necessities.
- As a culture, we are rarely content with what we have. We value consumption and competition. We want the best stroller at the playground, but the larger cup holder of the 2011 model really bring you joy?
- Scoring a bargain often gives us a drug-like thrill (and for up to 5% of the population, shopping is a real addiction). It feels good, but only for a moment. Like devouring a pint of Ben & Jerry’s alone in one sitting, the pleasure quickly replaced by guilt and lowered self-esteem.
- Some of us shop because we get bored and maybe a little lonely cooped up in the house with a baby. Shopping gives us places to go and people to see.
- Some us find we’ve bought something on impulse before we’ve had time to think about whether we should. With the added pressure of “buy it now or lose out”, one-day only and flash-sale sites can be a real danger to those already prone to spending impulsively.
So what do you do about it?
Avoiding impulsive and emotional spending is a lot like avoiding impulsive and emotional eating. Here are four techniques that can help:
- Keep a spending diary, and write down what you spend every time you buy something, no matter how small it is. This forces you to become conscious of what’s actually happening. Write down ALL your purchases for a week. At the end of the week, go through each item on your list and think about how you feel about the purchase now. Do you regret it? Did it make you happy? If it was an impulsive purchase, think about what may have triggered it. Then try to avoid those triggers
- Realize that you don’t need to be prepared for everything. Let an actual need arise…and then deal with it then.
- Try to control impulsive spending by refusing to buy anything without a self-imposed “cooling off” period. Try putting the item in your cart and then doing nothing. Wait a few hours (or days) before you buy. This gives you time to think about WHY you want to buy the item.
- Set goals and post them near your computer or in your wallet along with questions like “Do I really need it?” and “What will happen if I don’t buy it.”
Who was it that said “nothing tastes as good as skinny feels”? The same applies to spending. The fleeting high of a purchase pales in comparison with how good it feels to have a healthy bank balance. Choose to spend your money on baby products that are in line with your family’s needs and values rather than on items that will end up sitting in the closet unused.
Readers, share your tips for avoiding unnecessary spending in the comments!
Read More:
- Spending Too Much Money? 10 Warning Signs To Watch Out For @ The Digerati Life
- Confessions of a Spendaholic: How to Curb Compulsive Spending @ Get Rich Slowly
- Before Buying a Hot Daily Deal from the Likes of Groupon, Think About This @ Time magazine
I like to place items in my virtual basket and then let them sit there. Not only to give myself cooling off time and to consider if I really need them (or if it is just a want). Also I find that by doing that often when I go back to look at items I find that they have been marked down!
I like the comment above, about letting items sit in my cart. Most shopping websites will keep your items in your cart for a while, sometimes until that item is no longer in stock. When I have the impulse to buy something, I just let it sit. If it’s gone by the time I decide I really wanted it, it wasn’t meant to be.
I also find that doing the laundry helps me alleviate that need for new clothes. Something about having lots of fresh, clean clothes in my own and my kids drawers makes me happy- even if they are not new! It also makes me aware of how much we actually have already. Even though doing the laundry is not nearly as fun as shopping, it really does help me not spend money on more clothes!
I DO get a rush from getting a good bargain! However, my idea of a good bargain is scoring tons of toddler clothes (two sizes ahead of the clothes she’s in now) at a yard sale for 50-cents an item. I think my bank account (and my oh-so-frugal Dutch husband) can handle that.
Great article!
I keep a running list on my Blackberry of things I need/want for myself and things I have too much of already, so that when I do get shop, I can see what’s on my list – so I don’t end up w/a bunch of random things that I like, but don’t really go w/ anything.
It took me a few years of mommyhood to realize this, and it made a world of difference to me:
“Realize that you don’t need to be prepared for everything. Let an actual need arise…and then deal with it then.”
Thanks for the great topic!
I really like the idea of not only having a spending diary but actually commenting on it at the end of the week. The over excited bargain shopping is a problem for me, I’ve been able to curb it to some extent. Some of the sites like Ecobabybuy and Mamapedia have gotten me because I don’t want to miss out on the deal. There have only been a few times where I have really regretted my deal. A funny example of how you get caught up in all of this is that out of all of his toys, my 5 month old likes the $3 stackable cups best – over the jumparoo, the $30 fisher price toys, etc. Thankfully almost everything we have for him we received as gifts