I came across a quote the other day that I just love. It’s from American speaker and author, James W. Frick,
“Don’t tell me where your priorities are. Show me where you spend your money and I’ll tell you what they are.”
So many of us are a little delusional, saying that we’re saving for this or working towards that, yet we’re still eating out at fancy restaurants or wearing a new outfit or splurging on some “essential” that’s actually non-essential.
This often happens when people are saving for a home deposit and, from my experience, there are a few different reasons why:
Problem 1: the goal is so big that you feel you’re never going to get there.
Solution 1: break the goal into smaller, more achievable milestones and build in a celebration component when you achieve each milestone.
Problem 2: your savings plan is so tight that you feel restricted and every now and then you have to rebel and break out.
Solution 2: build some “play money” into your budget that you can spend without justification.
Problem 3: it may not really be your goal – you may not be ready or it’s something imposed on you by your family or society.
Solution 3: give yourself some time off. Figure out where the pressure is coming from and explain that you’re just not ready and you’ll reassess next year. Keep saving what you can, but don’t make it your #1 priority.
Our actions truly do speak louder than our words, and often it’s important to see what those actions are saying.
#buythathouse
