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CTC Readers' Poll:
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"Often
I'll examine why I want
something new. For example, I've
been eyeing the larger-capacity iPods.
My current iPod works just fine, but
holds only a small portion of my music
collection, and I can't put any books on
it without dumping my music. I don't
want to dump the music for a book
because I use the music each week to
warm up in the car on the way to church
for music rehearsals. (I sing on the
praise team.) Those are enough
real reasons for me to save up for a
bigger iPod, then give my old one to my
husband who doesn't have one. It's
still not a need, but it
justifies the want.
I've
faced the same dilemma with cell phones,
but when I look at why I might want a
new one, it never boils down to anything
more than it looks cool. To me,
that's simply society's dictation of
what's better and not a real
reason. A new phone (as an example)
wouldn't serve me any real purpose
because I wouldn't be looking to upgrade
features or anything.
My rule
of thumb is that if I can't come up with
any true purpose for wanting something
new other than appearance or because
marketing tells me it's better without
actually providing any better features,
then I don't buy." ~ Anne Marie
"The
way we determine the difference between
wants and needs is by asking questions. Last
year we scoped out a new iron as the
plug became very hot when in use. When
we saw the prices I decided to replace
the plug instead. It was a simple fix,
works fine, and was considerably
cheaper." ~ Olivia "I, too, mentally juggle wants and needs and almost always opt not to purchase the wants. However, last year I adopted a new strategy. When I encounter something I'd like but do not need, I have learned to add it to my wish list for holidays and special occasions. This has been helpful to my husband and family because in the past when they would ask for gift ideas I inevitably couldn't think of anything I 'needed'. I don't feel guilty asking for a 'want' as a gift! I'm pretty liberal about what I add to the list so that it's longer than shorter. That way I'll still be surprised. What a great, abundant God and country we have to be even having this discussion!" ~ Dawn "For me, one of the hardest buying binges comes with kids' clothes. We have 3 girls and grandparents who spoil them so hand-me-downs are prevalent as well as new clothes from the grandparents. Even so, there's still the urge to buy this 'cheap' dress on sale or that 'cute' outfit. So my rule is if their dresser drawers are full (as they are 100% of the time), then they don't need any more clothes. They typically only wear what's on top of the clothes pile anyway and I wash clothes a couple times of week so WHY buy more clothes to wash? Another rule we have is if we have one of something, WHY do we need more than that? It only leads to clutter and bad spending habits. (This rule applies to toys, as well)." ~ Kim IA
"For me it
is very important to occasionally give into my
frivolous wants. I have a little money that I
stick aside every week just for those things --
not much money, just about 10 dollars a week. If
the money is there I will buy it. That way I
don't feel deprived of anything, and my family
can save money for the important things. It is
very important to me to have that money set
aside to do something nice for myself. As
mothers we are always giving to other people,
and forgetting about ourselves. ~ Christina (a
lesson from my mother) "In regard to your question about wants vs. needs, one of my big considerations is what impact buying another 'such-and-such' that I don’t really need will have on the planet. The manufacturing, sale, and disposal of the item are things that contribute to our pollution and landfill problems and that is something that is of utmost importance to me. I am a big believer in taking only what I need and in living as simply as possible. My husband and I manage to do this for the most part; we want for nothing, don’t spend a lot of money, and are nearly debt-free. That gives us a real sense of security as we enter some difficult financial times as a nation.
"I
make my buying decisions by looking at the
price of an item and then thinking how
long my husband would have to work at his
job for us to have the money to pay for
this item (no credit card purchases for
us). This system seems to work well in our
household showing us the reality of
whether an item is really worth that much
labor on my husband's part for us to have
that item. Presently, I do not work
outside the home as I am taking care of my
handicapped mom in our home. But even if I
was employed, I would still use this
system to make buying decisions." ~
Janet in Pennsylvania
"I remind myself that this isn't the only deal that I will ever have the chance to get. Something just as good or better will come. Sometimes, I walk away from a sweater or other item that I really want with the thought that if it is meant for me it will be here when I come back. Sometimes, I will forget about the item which demonstrates I probably didn't want it as badly as I thought at the moment. I also remind myself that adding to my clutter just clutters my life. If I can't keep track of all the stuff I have now, I certainly don't need to add to it. Finally, I decide if I am really getting my bang for the buck. Will I get $10 of happiness or convenience from this item?" ~ Beth "Why the dilemma? If you were to purchase the new phone you would obviously use Christmas or birthday money that you stated you still have. In my world, Christmas or birthday money is to be spent for wants if you have no needs. It's time to treat yourself and get the new phone." ~ Kathy "I don't believe in hoarding, but I will buy things that I currently use and know that I will need in the future if I catch them on sale at a great price. So using that rationale, I would have purchased the phone. Think about how much it will cost you if you lose yours and have to replace it; you may regret not having bought it." ~ Anonymous "Distinguishing wants from needs has become easier for me since I started simplifying my home. I have decluttered and love it, so now when I 'need' something I ask myself: Do you already have one? Do you want to keep it, clean it, maintain it? Do you have somewhere to put it? Usually I come to the conclusion that I don't 'need' it after all." ~ Yvonne
Editor's Note: Thanks to all these readers who took time to write! |