I Save Thousands of Dollars By Following This Simple Method
I used to spend so much money on useless things.
Things that often ended up forgotten and unused. Things that led to regret and shame, which led to even more shame-induced shopping.
There was so much money that I needed to spend on householding, groceries, and pharmaceuticals that went to buying things that mattered only in the short-term. Enough was enough.
So, I devised a simple method to save a lot of the money I would otherwise lose.
I call it the Three-Month Rule.
The idea is simple. You see something you like and you wait three or more months before you buy it. The more challenging part is making this into a habit.
But fret not.
Here is a quick guide on how to follow the Three-Month Rule:
STEP 1: Take a picture or screenshot of the item.
STEP 2: Add it to a note-taking page on your phone (i.e., an “image bank” for all these various items).
STEP 3: Delete the image from your photo library, so that it is only accessible through your “image bank.”
STEP 4: Review the images there from time to time, though preferably not too often. Delete unwanted items.
STEP 5: Decide whether or not to purchase the item after three or more months have passed.
There are several benefits to following this method:
You save money.
Over the long term, you might save hundreds or thousands of dollars.
You avoid the feeling of regretting your purchases.
The three months that pass either prove that you have an enduring interest for the item, or that you don’t. Either way, you end up doing the right thing, buying something you like or avoiding something you dislike.
You make your identity and happiness less dependent on it.
Because it forces distance between you and the item, you also break that association between the item and the positive, temporary emotions it elicits.
You become less indulgent.
By postponing and prolonging gratification, you implicitly teach yourself to resist the urges and temptations that are inevitable in this world of consumerism. This is a great skill to have in life, to increase patience and become more focused.
You become more grateful.
You might gain more appreciation for the things you already have. You may also open your eyes to things or people that fulfill the same underlying desires but in a more healthy way.
You avoid shallowness.
The purchases you do end up making become more meaningful and purposeful. They mean more you — and tend to be more high-quality too.
You evade worthless trends.
Trends are fleeting things that usually disappear within a couple of months. You get to come out a victor, because you have avoided wasting money on something that is now socially and emotionally worthless.
You go against fast fashion.
Fast fashion items often become less appealing after several months of waiting. The rule decreases your risk of purchasing these low-quality items, which is good for everyone involved, really.
At the end of the day, the more time you spend on a product, the less money you might come to waste.
