Something interesting about the things we buy for ourselves to enjoy is that they are rarely just things. We buy clothes for the feeling of wearing a dress that reminds us of our favorite movie or a television show we grew up with and we buy ridiculous Christmas sweaters that somehow get to be the most anticipated part of a holiday gathering. What we buy our money on is rarely a choice of practicality but of the feeling and memory we attach to the thing itself.
Which is one reason why themed clothing has had long-lasting appeal in the realm of fashion and purchasing, especially for those who like to make a statement about what they choose to wear. A nerd shirt is a simple way to announce an interest without taking life too seriously and an ugly Christmas sweater can turn an average party into one that will become a memory forever. Neither purchase is for a practical purpose. The value comes from the experience it has attached to it.
Why We Spend Money on Things That Make Us Happy
Financial advisors are great about telling us to eliminate unnecessary spending, which is very good advice, but if we consider every purchase a frivolity, it sets us up for unrealistic expectations of a life well lived. We all need some entertainment, activities and treats. To deprive ourselves of those entirely makes a budget not a foundation but a limitation.
What matters is if what you buy has value. If the thing you bought is sitting in your closet and you don’t even think about it a week later, that was probably not a very good value for your money. But if the thing you bought is the thing you wear all the time and talk about all the time and reminds you of something you loved every year of your life for a decade, the value might be much greater.
This isn’t to say that sentimental purchases are always smart, only that value is not tied to practicality. Sometimes the thing you buy is for enjoyment’s sake and that is a totally valid reason.
The Line Between Compulsive Buying and Purposeful Spending
There is a big difference between buying something because you genuinely love and buying something because an advertisement made you feel like you needed it. The first type of purchase can be totally fine as a part of everyday life, but the second type can get very expensive very quickly.
A good way to tell the difference is to take your time. If you still want it a few days later, you can afford it without taking something else important out of your budget and you can picture yourself using it, then the purchase is a good one. We don’t have to defend every little thing we buy, but we should at least know why we’re buying it.
This method also lets us enjoy the things we do buy more because we can decide what we really want to buy is not twenty new clothing items but maybe two that are really special to us.
Why the Most Worthwhile Experiences Are Shared With Others
The most worthwhile things we sometimes buy are the things that turn into an experience with other people.
A silly sweater may seem a waste when viewed as an isolated item, but when worn at a Christmas party with your family or friends it is no longer just an article of clothing but something that becomes part of a cherished memory. Years later nobody will think about how much that sweater cost, but they may think about the photos, the laughter, the person who wore it who took the thing way too seriously.
This is another reason people love spending money on experiences or things that facilitate experiences. The object you bought takes a backseat to the event that happened with it.
A Healthy Budget Shouldn’t be Boring
Being fiscally responsible doesn’t mean making our lives all spreadsheets and calculations but a healthy budget should make us feel in control of our money while letting us enjoy the things in life that make us happy. That could mean allocating some money each month to hobbies, clothing, entertainment or whatever else it is we like to spend our money on. Once it’s in the budget you can spend that little bit of money without feeling guilty that you’re wasting it because you have bigger priorities.
The key is to have balance and to enjoy ourselves while living within our means. Saving for our futures matters, but so does living enjoyable lives right now.
The next time you are thinking about something that seems totally unnecessary but makes you smile, you shouldn’t feel like you automatically have to walk away. You could consider if what you like to buy fits comfortably inside your budget and if you genuinely enjoy buying the thing because sometimes the most fiscally responsible thing to do is to buy the thing you wanted, enjoy it, get rid of it and move on.