How to Stop Buying Crap You Don't Actually Want (Right Now)

A lot of our money problems could be solved if we stopped buying stuff we don't actually want. But the problem is that we think we want it, we truly think we like it.

But in reality, we actually only like the idea of it.

I've been thinking a lot about things that I like the idea of versus actually liking the reality. Sometimes I like the idea of buying something but it doesn't meet my expectations after I buy it.

I don't want that to happen to you. I want you to save money because you're clear on what you actually want.

Be sure to ask yourself this one question before every purchase. I promise if you do that, you'll save money and be able to buy more of what you actually like.

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[cindy]

This makes so much sense. This also makes me think of purchases I'm tempted to make, but I realise I crave what it represents and I can often get that same experience without spending money or spending way less. E.g. fancy organising stuff = a need to be organised, a new mixer = childhood memories of baking cookies, etc.

[tannerra]

I love that your videos also focus on spending behaviors. Most of my life I didn't even realize how mindless and meaningless most of my spending was.

[betterlifebroadcasting]

I heard that long hair thing with my bad ear! For me, it's stuff like day planners, or gym memberships. I love the IDEA of being super organized, but I scribble everything on notebook paper even if I have the niftiest organizer in the world sitting right there I love the IDEA of getting in shape and I'll go for a hike and never hit the gym no matter how cool I seem to think going to the gym is. The truth is I don't need a bunch of fancy specific stuff to make me FEEL organized, or a fancy place to make me FEEL like I'm getting in shape. I do much better if the process for that stuff is stupid simple.

[cindy]

I like the idea of a PS4, but I doubt I'll use it much. I like the idea of travel, but I detest sleeping in strange places and miss my dogs way too much :D

[racheltrue]

Hey Nick, new subscriber here! Wow my list is long.. I totally relate to the idea of looking for luxury in the fancy dinners when in reality I’ve usually spent what I could use on a whole week of groceries, for a mediocre meal in restaurant that I could have made better myself. Keep up the good content, also- we share the same unusual surname! Love from the UK :)

[TylerSmith]

This helped me so much! For me it’s the idea of being a blogger/writer. I love the idea. But I don’t like the reality. Time to cancel the domain registrations I’ve collected over the years that I never ended up using…

[jackiefields]

A great piece of insight into behavior.
I love the idea of going to a tea room with a friend or two, but I don’t like the reality of eating carb-laden food. I can get what I actually want by buying a few china tea cups and having a friend or two over to sip tea and talk.
I also like the idea of baking my own healthy treats, but realize that I don’t really want to spend the time to do it.

[rokyericksonroks]

Lots of good examples loaded into this video. Especially about relationships. Many times we are in love with the idea of being in love. A great situation will present itself but we know it’s not for us.

[pcrose]

Your examples were very effective. 2019 is going to be the year my husband and I sell our house and move into a travel trailer. Two things came to mind while watching this. Many things in our home were only used once or twice, if at all. Or they were used for a season and forgotten. If we had taken the time to think about the idea vs the reality, our house might not be so full right now. The second thought I had was we really hope we like the reality of living in a travel trailer full time. We know we will not regret selling our current home. And we know we can always go back to sticks and bricks if we do not like #fulltimervliving. We are looking forward to the reality of not having to pay someone to maintain our pool and having to mow our lawn. We are looking forward to the reality of being able to clean the whole house in an hour. We know we will be better off without all the stuff. However, regarding the process of getting rid of the stuff, I think the idea of going through the process is worse than the reality. My husband is dreading it. I am looking forward to it, but I am concerned that since my husband is dreading it, we will wait until the last minute. BTW, thanks for the Kon Mari video.

[Dreamcatcher]

True..We are sold idea of what success is, perfect life is... success=keep purchasing all the crap we sell and you have a perfect life.

[sandyseibelhager]

Totally with you on the hair thing. I had mine long for years but all I did was put it in a ponytail. The upside was that I rarely got it cut. It is so much easier to manage now that it is short but grows so fast I have to pay for haircuts often. BTW Budget Girl sent me.

[tmell]

I came over from Budget Girl, and I’m glad I did! Two things come to my mind, I like the idea of Disneyland but hate crowds and get overwhelmed and anxious (unfortunately we already splurged and got passes 🤦🏽‍♀️ for the year), I like the idea of camping but only if it’s in a trailer and honestly I don’t like the effort of camping like real camping. Now to break those to my hubby 😳😂🙈

[naz-nazneen]

3 yrs into a more minimalist lifestyle this month, but your video is still so very helpful to me 🙂

[GreenCatQueen]

I liked the idea of makeup, but finally this year gave up on the reality of makeup. It looks great on other people, and I liked the idea of being one of those people, but the reality is that I do not want to take the time to mess with it. I always find something else to do. So I'm not fighting it anymore. I gave away my makeup brushes and got rid of the clutter. Now my reality is pretty much the same - I don't wear makeup - except now I no longer feel guilty about not using the makeup stuff I buy, because I don't buy it and I don't have it. Freedom!

It seems so simple when I write it out, like why didn't I do this years ago, but there's always this idea that we should conform to what other people do, what society says we should do. Other women wear makeup, so I always felt like I really should be wearing makeup. Maybe it's because I'm getting older, but I am not going to waste time worrying about things like that anymore. I'm doing me, and I like to do a lot of other things way more than I ever liked torturing myself about makeup. It's one less pointless expense. Now I have more time and money for the things that truly matter to me.

[lesliecarnes]

Love the T shirt :) Great video too. Love your vlogs so much I have told three people in two days how great you are! Thanks!

[j.r.]

Loved the video! Great advice! Can't wait for more videos!
(Budget girl sent me. ;) )

[BrianRobben]

Digging the GaryVee shirt! You can actually get good value out of that and inspiration.

[yksierra]

I like the idea of owning a small car collection more than the reality of maintaining and insuring it.

[alexleblay]

I like the idea of having a Wine Cellar, but I don't think I like the reality of it. I prefer having my money sitting in stocks and shares rather than sitting in a fridge.