The “Want But.. Wait Don’t Buy -It Yet” List
“system” — but specifically his idea of maintaining
“Lists” of things, into some kind of database, really stuck on me.
Here’s a type of list which I add to almost every day, which allows me to save up
for major stuff I want to buy.
I want to save up to relocate to WA.
But my attention is brought, every flippin day, to some new toy or thing that I think
I need to buy, but will damage my ability to save up the needed money.
So I conditioned myself to add to an existing, ever-growing Buy-List.
Every time I see something I just GOT TO HAVE, I simply put it in a “Database”, (which is really MS EXCEL).
This is a sample list:
I also put the price of each item right next to it, on the right, so I can
easily see how quickly these things add up, and how much closer I am to my goal because I chose NOT to spend the money. It’s a mighty good feeling.
It make take a year to get to my financial goal, and thus, these things on this list
will NOT be purchased until I get to that financial goal.
And the way I look at it, if one of those “ONE OF A KIND SPECIAL DEAL ON THIS EBOOK”
offers that I see, and am tempted to order, is no longer there when I’m ready to start buying stuff, it means it wasn’t meant for me to have.
But here’s the kicker:
Now that I have this system set up, if I want, I can declare “landmark” subgoals.
Meaning, when I’m 3/4 of the way to my desired financial amount, I can pick maybe
one of those things on the list ( even a 200 dollar digital camera), and buy it, and it won’t make too much of a dent on my progress on the money-saving goal, because the goal itself is over $20,000. So it’s not like you’re depriving yourself completely.
But don’t go trying to be too lax on your rules. It’s like thinking:
“I’m going to make it a new rule that I can have a cream cheese muffin every other week on Bagel day, but that’s it - I’ll keep it under control…”
| Your MindSet |
| Whenever you make an addition to the list, don’t do it with a solemn, self-deprivation kind of Feeling.Instead, each time you add an entry, you ARE actually making a purchase for something. You’re purchasing a chunk of that higher long-term goal |