8 reasons to buy yourself something nice
Like us mama’s need reasons to buy ourselves something nice huh!? According to a study by BarclayCard, Britons spend on average over £770 during the lockdown on items designed to boost their moods and bring joy. However, as things are going back to normal, the household budget is changing again…
There are plenty of good reasons why you’d want to reduce spending. After spending the best part of two years in a pandemic with frequent periods of being stuck at home, it’s fair to say that the household budget has taken a hammering. Financial support has been made available to help families through the pandemic, as unemployment affected the population and on top of this, the period of inflation is alarming. With price increases affecting households through energy, shopping and fuel costs, you may be tempted to pay close attention to your expenses.
Yet, what if you were told that saving is not the only possible solution? Here are 8 situations where it’s okay to splurge and buy yourself something nice, even when you are working on a tight budget.
#1. Because it’s been a bad day
Impulsive, emotional shopping is dangerous. Impulsive shoppers cope with high stress or traumatic situations through shopping. They are at risk of developing a shopping addiction, which means that shopping switches from being an occasional coping response to a mandatory part of your day. However, it doesn’t mean that shopping can’t bring joy.
On the contrary, after a long and stressful day, it can be refreshing to allow yourself simple joys, such as buying your favourite snack or choosing a new bit of ‘faff’ for your shelving unit. Little purchases do not necessarily affect your budget but they can help clear your mind and get rid of negative thought patterns. In fact, it is often a better choice for your mental health to buy something that puts a smile on your face at the time than to forbid yourself little pleasures.
#2. Because it boosts your self-esteem
Some days, you don’t like the person looking at you in the mirror. We all have days like that! But when you feel like every day morphs into the same low mood day, it’s probably time to get to the core of the problem.
What affects your self-esteem depends on a variety of factors. You might dislike the lines that appeared on your forehead during the pandemic. If you can’t make peace with your appearance, it is likely to affect your self-confidence and sense of self-worth. The real question you want to ask yourself is: If there is an existing solution, why am I punishing myself by not using it? Something like botox could completely transform your appearance and help boost your self-esteem. I mean, I’m a huge fan!
Your self-esteem is worth the investment because it affects many different aspects of your life, including your professional career and your relationships.
#3. Because you always buy stuff for others
You probably know the saying: you have to love yourself first. You need to respect yourself and care for yourself first before you can care for others — and before others can care for you. The same principle applies to buying presents. Finding the best birthday presents for friends and relatives is great. But does it mean you are not allowed to find the best present for yourself too? There’s no reason to deprive yourself!
#4. Because it’s a great opportunity
You’ve been searching for a rare item for a long time, so as soon as you find it, you want to make sure you can buy it. Sometimes, it may require additional financing solutions, such as applying for a small £300 loan or considerspreading the payment over several months. But there are occasions where it makes sense to seize an opportunity before the chance disappears! Rare items are hard to find. So, if you can spot the object you’ve been looking for for a long time, now’s not the time to hesitate! Sometimes, it’s worth plucking an opportunity as soon as you spot it, even if it wasn’t part of your budget.
#5. Because you need it
Not everything that’s nice is useless. A new tech gadget, for instance, can fulfil an essential purpose. If your phone contract is coming to an end, it may be time to consider a new device that can provide better battery life, faster connectivity and high quality display. If you think about smartphones, keeping an older model can make it hard to use apps as the operating system becomes outdated. You’re also likely to struggle to keep in touch with people with an older device that may not have the latest features,
#6. Because it helps you maintain control in the long term
Living on a tight budget is a tough balancing act. Saving money means reducing unnecessary expenses. Necessary expenses typically cover rental costs, commute, food, energy, and additional health expenses. Creating a state where you constantly have to deny yourself the right to enjoy small purchases may help your budget in the short term, but it can increase stress and anxiety levels! How does stress affect your budget?
While it isn’t to say that not buying a pair of shoes today will contribute to losing your mortgage in a gamble tomorrow, depriving yourself of simple pleasures for too long through a strict budget could indeed land you in much more troubled waters. You are more likely to keep tight control over your finances if you allow some room for personal purchases.
#7. Because you deserve it!
Don’t we all deserve something nice from time to time? A simple act of kindness towards yourself can go a long way. There is a sense of having earned the reward, which makes it more gratifying. So, when do you feel you deserve something nice?
- When you’ve completed a tough and stressful project at work
- When you’re hitting a milestone
- When you’ve had a series of bad news
More often than not, we tend to associate a reward with going through a challenge or a hardship. So, if this is the case, remember that you deserve something nice from time to time!
#8. Because FOMO
FOMO, the Fear Of Missing Out is the fear of not being included in something that other people are experiencing. FOMO comes from the sensation that other people are having more fun than you. It isn’t necessarily true or accurate, but it is a wide projection of your own sense of dissatisfaction. How does it relate to shopping? Picture the following situation:
You own clothes you don’t feel confident wearing. The new seasonal trends could awaken your FOMO, as you might be concerned that other people are having way more fun than you with their fashion sense. FOMO is a reality that is triggered by the realisation that you are entirely happy with your current choices. Should you act upon it? Most definitely because FOMO doesn’t disappear by itself. It only goes away once you’ve found joy in your current situation, such as building a wardrobe that makes you feel confident again.
Should you buy yourself something nice? The belief that spending money for yourself is a waste is outdated. You are worth investing in your happiness. Contrary to what objective budgeting might suggest, removing personal expenses from your household costs does not save you money in the long term. It could increase stress levels, create a sense of dissatisfaction, contribute to low self-esteem, and even drive harmful impulsive reactions.
It goes without saying, personal purchases should remain reasonable and meaningful. Splurging for the sake of it is pointless. But investing money in bringing little joys into your life or making yourself feel better in your skin is never a bad decision. Essentially, the best budgeting strategies must also include individual needs and feelings because they can’t repress them.
*This is a collaborative post.
