Have you ever been so excited about something you bought that you told a friend or family member? Sure you have. We all have.
But what?s difficult to deal with is how guilty some of them make you feel once they hear about or see what you purchased. So what can you do about it? Here are four ways you can deal with spending guilt from family and friends.
1. Is it in the budget?
If you are managing your monthly budget well and the item you purchased is in your budget, then you don?t have any reason to feel guilty. As long as you and your family?s needs are being met, it isn?t anyone else?s business how you spend your money.
It?s possible your friends feels jealous and are trying to make you feel guilty about what you bought simply so they will feel better themselves.
2. Did You Need It?
As time passes, our material items wear out and need to be replaced. This is true for clothing, household items, vehicles and many other things we use on a regular?basis.
Consider that we also change as the years go by, and that sometimes requires us to purchase new clothing or other items in order to keep up with those changes. If it is a necessary purchase it is not frivolous spending and you have no reason to feel badly about it.
3. Did You Use a Bonus or Gift Money?
A gift from a friend or family member that was used to obtain something others might view as frivolous is still not a reason to feel guilty. In fact, it is really quite the opposite. You should feel good about using it so you don?t diminish the gift that was given to you.
4. Did You Get Healthier?
Spending money on yourself to gain better health, such as going to a gym, or buying healthier foods, should not make you feel guilty if you can afford it. As long as you have the income to cover your needs first, do not let the opinions or comments of other people take the wind out of your sails. So go workout guilt free. It?s also an investment in your health.
The bottom line is you shouldn?t need to rationalize your purchases to prevent your family or friends from making you feel guilty.
Embrace the idea that the choices you make in life impact your ability to spend money the way you want to. This goes for your family and friends also.
In other words, if they want what you have, then they need to make different choices and stop making you feel guilty about your choices. Will they do this, even if you tell them to? They probably won?t, because you can?t force people to change how they feel about you. But you can change how you react to them. So turn off the guilt and enjoy what you have.
Can you think of other ideas of how to deal with spending guilt from family and friends? Have you used any of these ideas to deal with spending guilt?
Photo courtesy of: quinntheislander
Wise Dollar
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I remember before, I really wanted to buy a new mobile even if I’m still using a new one. It was really not on our budget, but still I bought it.
I always ask myself before I purchase an item “Should I really need it?” and “For how long can I use this item?” Most of the time these two really help me make a wiser purchase decision so that I can deal with spending guilt from friends or family.