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The Shopping Dilemma

Shopping is a dangerous activity for me – especially if I go with my husband and we get caught up in the moment. It is easier for us to spend big when we are together than it is when we are apart (and have to justify our purchases). Christmas can be particularly difficult.

This year we got swept up in the HD technology. The switch IS coming, but what most ads don’t tell you is that your current cable box or satellite box is probably digital already so the change is not going to affect you AND you don’t have to rush out and get a new television. But it’s as good an excuse as any.

We spent some legitimate time shopping for others before settling into our television hunt. He wanted bigger and I wanted crisp. By the time we left the stores there was an idea of what we wanted and what it would cost to get it. I spent the first hour after getting home talking with Dell about using my no interest account to get the television of our dreams.

I decided to utilize a tool that I’ve recommended to everyone I know. We slept on the idea of the purchase for the night before making that final plunge. By the time I woke up I knew that although a nice, big, HDTV would be fun for the family, it really wasn’t the best way to invest our money. We don’t even watch all that much TV when all is said and done.

What to do when you have the urge to buy:

1. Shop around – get prices from different stores, talk to different salespeople and look at a wide range of products.

2. Do your research – find out what reviews customers and magazines are giving to the different products that you are considering.

3. Crunch the numbers – know exactly what you can spin and what you have to give up to make that purchase.

4. Sleep on it – no big purchase should be made during the heat of the moment. If the salesperson says it’s a one time deal then just find a different company to work with and remember that for the next couple of months you will probably continue to find even better deals (or be able to negotiate them).

5. Weigh the cost – how much benefit will you really get from the purchase compared to how much of your budget it is going to eat? The more that you think about budgeting as making the best choices with each dollar then the easier it will get to walk away from unnecessary spending.

There is a limited amount of money just like there is a limited amount of time or talent. It is important to make the best choices for your money so that you can live the life that you have always dreamed of living (or maybe never even knew you wanted).

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