The following is a reprint of a previously published post. Enjoy!
I drove up to Seattle last weekend to hang out with my sister over a delicious three day weekend. It’s a three hour drive each way, and not a particularly interesting one. (Unless of course, you’re a dull-freeway-enthusiast.) But I had some good CD’s to sing along with, and my ten-year-old son for company.
My son set himself up in the backseat with a down throw, a small pillow and some art supplies. He informed me that it didn’t matter how long the car ride was, because he was, “patient.”
Patient.
Okay . . . this is certainly situation dependent with this child, but I’ll take him at his word.
This got me thinking about what patience is, and how it’s an undervalued trait. Thegotta have it now mentality rarely leads a person to make good choices. This is true in so many aspects of life, and it’s certainly true in personal finance.
If one takes the time to really think through a purchase, it becomes less pressing, and can often be avoided altogether.
But when something is needed RIGHT NOW, that’s when the budget flies out the window and money gets wasted.
Good questions to ask yourself when making a purchase are:
- Is this something I really need to own?
- Do I already own something that will do the trick?
- Can I borrow this from family/friend/neighbor?
- What happens if I don’t buy this?
- Is there a downside to putting off this purchase?
By employing your patient side, it’s easier to practice conscious frugality. I’m participating in The Frugalista’s No-Buy-Month, so I’m having to be patient about any purchases I would normally be making.
And you know what? My son was very patient, and there was not one utterance of “Are we there yet?”
Do you find that patience helps you with your frugality? Please share your thoughts in the comments section below.
Katy Wolk-Stanley
“Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without.”
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We were married a long time ago in a local grange that had a stage. It cost us $20. I bought a Gunne Sax dress – all the rage back then – for $50. and felt truly extravagant. A friend made our very simple cake and decorated it with wild flowers and I decorated the frame of the stage with ferns and more wild flowers. My bouquet was wild flowers. We had about 40 guests. The reception was a potluck so there was a large variety of yummy foods. Friends who had a band played for us for free and everyone danced until late. There were several highlights….the first being that I almost chickened out and didn’t come…was 2 hrs. late. the second was that my ex-boyfriend showed up on his horse shooting a gun…at first I wondered, but it was just in celebration. He brought us a new set of reins for our horses that he had made. The third was that my parents car got decorated instead of ours….lol…so they drove off with “Just Married” all over their car saying it’s about time…they were in their 70’s. We didn’t have a honeymoon, but hope to someday! We’ve been married for 37 yrs now. Total cost for our wedding was under $100.