The Money Mustache Community
Learning, Sharing, and Teaching => Ask a Mustachian => Topic started by: Emma on June 10, 2014, 04:33:44 AM
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Hi Mustachians
I'm trying to find a particular post that I read in the archives but can't recall the title.
In it, I think MMM mentioned a short list of questions he asks himself before deciding on a purchase.
I'm sorry I can't give more to go on but I would be grateful if anyone could point me in the right direction.
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Not sure if this is what you were thinking of, but there are a couple of things that he mentions here about not buying stuff you don't need.
http://www.mrmoneymustache.com/2013/09/20/wealth-advice-that-should-be-obvious/
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There's this one about not buying an iPad:
http://www.mrmoneymustache.com/2012/03/14/why-i-am-so-not-buying-an-ipad-3/
Would I enjoy it? Sure. Is it convenient? It seems so. Can I afford it? Definitely. Am I going to buy one? HELL NO!!!
Why? Because the iPad 3 is just another one of Lady Gadget’s classic siren songs. It is the most advanced example yet of Hedonic Adaptation at work. While it may sound confusing to the more Junior Mustachians among us, I am not spending my days searching for immediate enjoyment, thrills or convenience. Instead, I am gunning for the much more elusive goal of lifelong happiness.
So when deciding whether I want an iPad 3, I don’t ask myself if it would be fun or convenient. That’s the wrong question. I ask myself, “will this thing really increase the level of my lifelong happiness?”.
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The title of this post is about getting rid of stuff, but it also talks about qualifying what you buy as a "lifelong burden" to help you avoid acquiring stuff in the first place.
http://www.mrmoneymustache.com/2014/06/08/recovering-from-the-pack-rat-years/
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Could be this one: Is it Convenient? Would I Enjoy it? Wrong Question (http://www.mrmoneymustache.com/2012/09/18/is-it-convenient-would-i-enjoy-it-wrong-question/).
Then over the coming months, make a note of your feelings of desire for that item you skipped. How do you feel about not owning it? Are you happy? What are you doing with the time and money that would have been spent in acquiring that item? How do you feel about the accomplishment of voluntarily controlling your urge to buy something? Do you feel more in control of your life in general?