I have mentioned before in a previous post, Tales of an Excessive Spender, that I need to save some money, and as much as I am excited to learn about the psychological triggers and behavioral biases that get us into buying, I didn’t know it’s going to be this hard.
Starting a habit is always the hardest. I have read in the book, The Power of Habit, that it takes 21 days for you to get into a habit, and it has to be triggered by some trigger and then rewarded with some reward. I am not sure though how this works with saving.
I remember when I started working and earning my own money. It was incredible. I now can buy things that I want. I bought my very first smartphone, HTC ChaCha, with my salary, I was very proud.
I bought my very first car with my salary, and that also made me very proud. I love this car so much. I used to live in Cairo at the time, and if you have lived there, you would know that as a girl, a car is a gateway to some kind of freedom. It’s hard to navigate without a car in the city. You are always worried about what might happen, especially, if you were out a bit late at night.
I remember I wanted to buy more things and do more things with my very first salary, and because it wasn’t that much, I couldn’t do it. As I started to earn more throughout my career, the only thing that I would do is try to make myself and the people I love happy.
That meant spending though.
Now, that I need the money, and I am in my pathway to stop myself from spending, I have to admit, it is SO HARD.
There are so many things that go through your mind. I can’t believe, every time, I have to pay for something, I stop myself and think. Is this necessary? Do I need to spend money on this?
Much of my spending goes to food, and so I am starting to cook, and although it is healthy and helps me keep track of my weight, I hate those dishes and the mess I make because I cooked!
Another good portion goes to coffee, but to be frank, I love making my own coffee. I have two coffee machines at home. Delonghi for the latte, cappuccino, espresso. I have a Turkish coffee machine that is worth every penny, Arcelik. In addition to the electronic coffee machines, I also have Bialetti, which is incredible with coffee as well. The only challenge is when I need to have coffee at work, I guess, I will try to figure this out soon.
Going out. Man, I love going out and being social, and that costs money. I just hate that I think I have to think about money every time I go out.
Anyhow the plan is to follow this one:
“Do not save what is left after spending; instead spend what is left after saving.” -Warren Buffett
I hope it gets better soon.
Wish me luck.