Teacher Finance

Helping you live big dreams on a small salary

  • Home
  • About
  • Contact
  • Advertising
  • Hire Me
  • Guest Post Policy
  • 2015 Goals

Do You Ever Think To Yourself, “Yeah, I Could Buy That”?

March 26, 2013

On 29 out of 30 days in a month, I feel pretty lousy about my finances.

Maybe it’s the crushing pressure that I put on myself to be perfect all the time, or maybe it’s my overexposure to the “world” of personal finance – where no amount of saving that anyone does seems to be enough, ever –  but most of the time I feel like I’m just not doing very well financially, especially for my age (28!).

So sometimes, to save my sanity, I indulge in a little game that I call “yeah, I could buy that.” I look for expensive, extravagant things that I could buy with the cash I have in savings.

A pair of Louboutins? Yeah, I could buy that.

A trendy new sofa? Yeah, I could buy that.

A sleek MacBook Air? Yeah, I could buy that.

Maybe this game is silly and materialistic, or maybe it’s even downright greedy and prideful. But it’s a cognitive trick that keeps me from going nuts about my finances. It’s like, if I reassure myself that I could actually buy tangible things with the money I’m socking away (even though I never would), then that money actually means something, and I feel like I can keep going. I think part of the reason that saving is so hard for me is that I feel sort of disconnected from the money, like it’s this arbitrary, theoretical concept that I’m holding on to for no discernible reason other than that I should. It snaps me back to reality (and lets me spend a few moments daydreaming) to remember that, yes, money buys things and there are a lot of things I could buy but am just choosing not to.

Do you play any mental “games” to keep yourself financially sane? 

Submit to redditShare on Tumblr Share

Psychology of Personal Finance

Follow Me

Disclaimer

I am NOT a financial professional, and any advice, thoughts, or comments shared on this blog should be taken only after careful consideration by the reader and consultation with her financial adviser.

Top Posts

  • “Parents, Step Up!”
  • Summer Blues, Moving Anxiety, and Freelance Writing:…
  • Four Ways Of Making Money That Totally Mystify Me
  • The Joy of Indulging in Frivolous Spending
  • Miscellaneous Updates, Including My Giveaway Winner!

Archives

  • ►2022 (1)
    • ►March (1)
  • ►2020 (1)
    • ►October (1)
  • ►2018 (2)
    • ►December (1)
    • ►February (1)
  • ►2017 (7)
    • ►October (1)
    • ►July (1)
    • ►May (1)
    • ►March (1)
    • ►January (3)
  • ►2016 (8)
    • ►December (1)
    • ►October (2)
    • ►July (1)
    • ►June (1)
    • ►March (3)
  • ►2015 (30)
    • ►November (2)
    • ►October (1)
    • ►July (1)
    • ►June (1)
    • ►May (7)
    • ►April (2)
    • ►March (8)
    • ►February (2)
    • ►January (6)
  • ►2014 (28)
    • ►September (1)
    • ►August (3)
    • ►July (2)
    • ►June (5)
    • ►May (6)
    • ►April (5)
    • ►March (1)
    • ►February (1)
    • ►January (4)
  • ►2013 (91)
    • ►November (8)
    • ►October (2)
    • ►September (4)
    • ►August (4)
    • ►July (11)
    • ►June (7)
    • ►May (13)
    • ►April (12)
    • ►March (7)
    • ►February (11)
    • ►January (12)
  • ►2012 (153)
    • ►December (9)
    • ►November (8)
    • ►October (10)
    • ►September (10)
    • ►August (11)
    • ►July (9)
    • ►June (11)
    • ►May (13)
    • ►April (21)
    • ►March (22)
    • ►February (19)
    • ►January (10)
  • ►2011 (80)
    • ►December (9)
    • ►November (6)
    • ►October (8)
    • ►September (10)
    • ►August (6)
    • ►July (5)
    • ►June (5)
    • ►May (7)
    • ►April (5)
    • ►March (9)
    • ►February (5)
    • ►January (5)
  • ►2010 (77)
    • ►December (7)
    • ►November (5)
    • ►October (7)
    • ►September (5)
    • ►August (3)
    • ►July (9)
    • ►June (8)
    • ►May (6)
    • ►April (5)
    • ►March (7)
    • ►February (8)
    • ►January (7)
  • ►2009 (92)
    • ►December (6)
    • ►November (12)
    • ►October (10)
    • ►September (8)
    • ►August (8)
    • ►July (6)
    • ►June (11)
    • ►May (7)
    • ►April (15)
    • ►March (8)
    • ►February (1)
  • Icon Making Sense of Cents

    Close preview

    Loading...
  • Icon Musings of a Midlife Mom

    Close preview

    Loading...
  • Icon Money After Graduation

    Close preview

    Loading...
  • Icon Well Heeled, With a Mission

    Close preview

    Loading...
  • Icon When Life Gives You Lemons

    Close preview

    Loading...
  • Icon My Open Wallet

    Close preview

    Loading...
  • Icon Budgets are Sexy

    Close preview

    Loading...
  • Icon Punch Debt in the Face

    Close preview

    Loading...
  • Icon Frugal Beautiful

    Close preview

    Loading...
  • Icon Blonde on a Budget

    Close preview

    Loading...
  • Icon Modest Money

    Close preview

    Loading...
  • Icon Rockstar Finance

    Close preview

    Loading...

Copyright © 2023 Teacher Finance · Site by Nuts and Bolts Media

Copyright © 2023 · Daily Dish Pro Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in