Comments on: Counter Intuitive Way of Lowering Your Spending

By: EgoNemo

EgoNemo — Fri, 28 Jan 2011 19:01:20 +0000

Bull hockey.

“It even works with diets I think. The less I eat, I less I want to eat. ”

Don’t know of properly functioning human being who reacts that way.

A lack of appetite is typically a symptom of disease. Yes, eating too much is a problem, but so is eating too little.

The comparison is not apt. What you’re really struggling to say is that OVEReating and OVERspending can be habit-forming, and that this bulk habits cause damage because they reset our sense of how much is necessary to high.

So, cutting back on eating or spending to a necessary level can, often painfully, be an effective way to resent back down to more rational rates of consumption.

But as you have pointed out eloquently elsewhere, separating needs from wants can be difficult and is often not clear cut.

We also know, intuitively, that we do need stuff to survive. It is possible, while trying to do good for ourselves, we do harm. If we demonize all food, for example, we risk anorexia, an unhealthy obsession with food that damagingly distorts the value of food to us as much — or more — than regular old overeating.

Mere cutting back is good, but cutting back to what? Better to build up from zero a health food and monetary ‘budget,’ than risk unhealthy obsessions by assigning a good feeling to every act of self-denial.

By: Corey

Corey — Sun, 22 Feb 2009 07:40:21 +0000

Great comparison. Although perhaps starving yourself money-wise is a bit more healthy than foodwise haha.

By: TStrump

TStrump — Sun, 22 Feb 2009 04:54:19 +0000

Same thing seems to happen to me – if I don’t spend for a certain amount of time, my wallets starts to vibrate, too.
I suppose I could leave my wallet at home … actually, leaving my credit card at home seems to be working.

By: Matthew

Matthew — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 03:25:50 +0000

Reason why you desire less food when you’ve not eaten much is because your stomach is not all stretched out, like when you gorge. Eating many small meals keeps everything running much smoother down there.

By: Scott @ The Passive Dad

Scott @ The Passive Dad — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 02:17:52 +0000

When my wallet starts vibrating, can I pour water on it to stop? I’ve found that going to the store with a buddy who is also frugal can be a huge help in avoiding the splurge purchases. I tend to go frugal for months and then get an itch for something techie and cool, something that can help me organize my life and be more productive. Man those productive tools can be so expensive.

By: UH2L

UH2L — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 19:26:04 +0000

The part about eating is hilarious, because on my blog, I wrote the quote, “The more I eat, the more I eat.” It’s very true.

As for spending money, if you stop yourself from buying when you have time, you often find that a lot of time has passed and you forgot that you wanted to buy it in the first place and you realize that you’re doing just fine without it.

That said, we earn money partially to enjoy it. So when I want to buy nice things that are somewhat expensive, I plan ahead and I budget. If I spend a lot on something, then I don’t buy any thing significant for a while.

By: Imani

Imani — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 18:39:54 +0000

You make good points about not spending starting a vibrating in one’s wallet.

Here’s how I’ve learned to deal with that…I spend right into my ING account. If I budget $400 for home heating fuel and I only need to spend $350, the other $50 gets “spent” in my ING account. Gives me the same rush as going to a store and the money is still and always mine, plus it earns interest. The more times I do it, the more I want to do it and I do. It can even be as little as a $15 deposit.

This is helping me to build my emergency fund and to pre-pay the MacBook I hope to buy by the end of the year. Double adrenaline rush.

I enjoy your blog and thank you for the time and effort you put into it.

Best Regards,
Imani

By: Matt @ StupidCents

Matt @ StupidCents — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 17:56:32 +0000

You got it. I’ve been holding back my spending the past few months. Now, I don’t even miss the little things I used to buy. My bank account thanks me.

Stupidly Yours,

Matt

By: Aya @ Thrive

Aya @ Thrive — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 15:19:05 +0000

Entirely true. Everything becomes a habit, and it’s dangerous. It becomes second nature, and that’s when you know you’re in trouble. The worst part is many people can’t recognize what they’re doing, and that it’s become a habit. If only more of us could actively be aware of our spending behaviors…

By: Neal Frankle

Neal Frankle — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 15:16:23 +0000

Another direct hit David. Spending is in deed often a frame of mind. We’ve cut back at home and in the office big time. Somehow, we’re surviving. We’re probably just as happy if not happier.

And by the way, if you think cutting spending is hard, try giving up coffee.