The Decisions We Make Dictate The Journey We Take
Posted on April 18, 2008
I recently stopped at a local convenience store to buy gas and as I was filling my car, I couldn’t help but overhear a conversation between two men at the next pump island over from the one where I was pumping. They were complaining about the price of gas (as is everyone these days) as well as a number of other problems they both seemed to have. One said he was only putting $20.00 in his truck because that’s all he could afford at the time. The other remarked that he was not getting enough hours at work and wasn’t sure he was going to be able to make his truck payment this month. Then the first one said it looked like he was going to be late with his payment too. Both were subcontractors who were experiencing the slowdown in building that is currently affecting the entire country.
I just listened and didn’t say anything as both finished pumping and headed inside to pay for their gas. I had paid for my gas at the pump and knew it was going to take several minutes for the car to fill so I went inside to get a bottle of water while the pump was running. To tell the story of what I witnessed in the store, I feel I should start with “Once upon a time�”
When I got my water and came to the counter, there were the two men I’d just heard outside complaining about not being able to fill up their vehicles and not having enough money to make the payments on their trucks. Guess what? Both had a 12 pack of beer and the store clerk was getting a carton of cigarettes for each one. I couldn’t believe it. My first thought was, money can’t be too tight for these two, but then I watched as they pulled out credit cards and tossed them on the counter to pay for purchases that totaled nearly $60.00 each.
I write about money management and tips for financial success, so I couldn’t resist the urge to say something. I knew them both well enough to say hello, but not enough to consider them friends, but I couldn’t let this opportunity pass. I stepped up to the side, sat my bottle of water on the counter, looked at their beer and cigarettes and jokingly said, “I thought I heard you guys talking about how broke you were. It looks to me like you’re getting ready for a big weekend party.”
They turned to me and one chuckled as he said, “Hey man, you know how it is. Everyone needs a little pleasure in life.”
“Yeah,” the other one said. “We’re just going to use the credit card and have fun this weekend. We’ll worry about the bill when it comes in. Besides, this little bit added to our balance won’t make hardly any difference in the monthly payment.”
Here were two grown men with families, both of whom were struggling to pay their bills, and their rationale for spending money they didn’t have was, “Everyone has to have a little pleasure in life.” What about the misery that comes with having to make payments month after month to pay for pleasures they’d already had. I doubt if they’d ever thought of it that way.
As I mentioned earlier, this story should have begun, “Once upon a time�” and concluded, “�there were two men who started out with no debt, but because they had to have a little pleasure in life that they couldn’t afford, they have now locked themselves into a cycle of consumer debt from which they may never recover.” Unfortunately it’s a sad story that is repeated over and over by millions of people who lack the discipline to control their spending when money is tight and forego the pleasure that comes from living debt free.
The decisions we make, dictate the journey we take. Seeking pleasure from unnecessary spending is a decision, not a necessity. Sure, a cigarette and a few cold beers bought with borrowed money may help these men forget their problems for the moment, but when the next day arrives, their problems are even greater. It’s not just vices that cause problems; boats, motorcycles, big screen TVs, jewelry and other things that are nice to have can be just as big a culprits if you go in debt to have them.
Here’s a tip! When funds are scarce, tighten your belt and forego spending for pleasure’s sake. There’s a big difference between a want and a need. Doing without can be very motivating. The old saying, “Your wants won’t hurt you,” is only true if they create a desire to do better so you can have more. If you satisfy your wants at the expense of your needs, it can be very harmful.
Before you spend money that you don’t have, stop and ask yourself, “Do I really need this?” If the answer is, “NO” then don’t buy whatever it is and add it to a list of things you will save money to buy. If it’s really worth having, you’ll find a way to save for it. If it’s not, the urge will pass in a day or two and you will have prevented yourself from going further in debt. Little decisions like this are what allow some people to live happy productive lives while others making the same income struggle from paycheck to paycheck.
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