May 01, 2007
Updates and Frugality
Sorry that I haven't been blogging too much lately. We're getting ready to move out of town and so I haven't had the mental space to think of things that would be interesting for strangers to read. There seem to be so many blogs out there where people write about their cats or their new favourite nail polish colour. I've really tried to make my blog about important topics like world poverty and justice.
While my site is slow you might be interested in an interesting dialogue going on over at Challies.com. They're discussing the Christian responsibility of stewardship in relation to frugality. I've put my two cents in as well. While you're on that topic if you haven't already done so please check out Radical Frugality. It's a site that I put together in order to teach Christians how they can be better stewards of their money in order to have more money to give to those in need.
October 08, 2006
How Rich are You
I'm the 828,117,645 richest person on earth! Discover how rich you are! >> |
Apparently I'm in the top 14% of the world because of our meager income of $720/month that we receive from the government as a low income tax refund that Canadian families receive. This doesn't even include the loan money that we live on. Leave your result in the comments section and we'll have a little contest to see who the richest person is. Let this encourage you to share your wealth with other and be more grateful for all that you have.
March 02, 2005
Why People Spend Money
Because I've been creating a website on frugal living I've been thinking about unhealthy reasons why people spend money. If you can think of any others can you let me know in my comments please. Here are some of my preliminary thoughts.
1. Comfort. I think that this is a huge reason why people spend money unnecessarily. Of course there are many sub-reasons that would fall under this but it seem that comfort is a major reason for waste. I'll examine the sub-reasons:
b. I deserve it. We all used this excuse before. After a hard day at work we justify some expense by declaring that we deserve it. I included this under comfort because I believe that people use this excuse to comfort themselves when they are stressed.
c. Nicer Items. This comfort category would include things like new furniture because our old ones are "ugly". People justify these purchases by saying that they feel better when they are surrounded by nice things. This category is closely related to the last category. Often people will use both excuses for the same purchase.
2. Entertainment. This is a huge area of expense. Everyone needs some leisure time but people justify all sorts of expenses in the name of leisure. Really, there is no reason to spend money on leisure. Anybody can take a walk or read a book. People like treats and the more expensive leisure activities are more fun.
3. Social Customs. All sorts of socials rules dictate that we spend money. Consider the norms for dating or Christmas. People feel very bound by these arbitrary rules. We need to break away from tradition and allow our priorities dictate our spending habits.
4. Keeping up with the Jones'. Many people are driven to spend because they are afraid of looking like less when compared to their peers. Everybody recognizes that others do this but it's harder to identify in ourselves because it can be subtle. This can in I've seen this pressure on myself with regards to buying thing for kids such as new books and learning toys. I've felt like if I didn't buy these things I wouldn't be as good a mom as others. Advertisements feed this anxiety all the time.
5. Trying to fill an inner void. A lot of people shop because they feel depressed. Advertisements tell us that new things can make us happy. For a lot of people there is a short pleasure associated with getting something new.
I don't think that my list is exhaustive but I think that it covers the most of the main reasons that people spend.