Part II
Last week we explored some factors that contribute to our
attitude towards money, that is, our Money Personality. Do we
see money as positive or negative? What can we do with it,
what can we do without it?
Redefining our beliefs and living by our new ones will ensure
that we live in prosperity and don't taint our relationships
through the misuse of money. Following are some tips that are
rooted in perception more than in quantity and quality. They
are examples that can change your spending attitudes
and habits.
1) If you buy large bottles of soft drinks or juice, you can
fill and carry smaller ones around that would cost just as
much as the big bottles. That's the premise of
Refills. You just need to buy the small version
once.
2) Don't have too much stuff. Having too much stuff,
besides making you feel burdened (I have to take care of all
of this), makes it difficult for you to find what you already
have, which might cause you to go out and buy more. By the
same token, having too little makes you feel like you have to
go out and get something to fill the void. Balance is
the key.
3) On the other hand, people have a need to collect
things. In North America, almost everyone collects
something. If you start a collection, you will actually save
money because you'll then be focusing your spending on your
collection and won't buy things you may not need. For
example, financing a key chain collection, a mug collection,
a stuffed toy animal or a silver spoon collection is a lot
cheaper than buying a new dress or a new knick-knack for the
living room that you really don't need. [You can find friends
with similar collections and trade for variety.] If the urge
to spend money strikes you, you have a goal already in mind,
and your window-shopping will be an enjoyable activity by
itself. It's a way to trick the yetzer hora [so long
as your collection is cheap-per-item]. I myself have a castle
collection. I've switched to candlesticks and am starting one
on mugs, more useful and cheaper.
4) Greeting cards etc. We think that sending cards
abroad for birthdays and Rosh Hashona is cheaper than calling
but when we take into account the cost of the card and the
postage, a card could add up to ten shekels, whereas if you
have one of the special phone company rates, a five minute
call could cost a quarter of that and is so much more
personal. E-mails are even cheaper.
5) Buy gifts on sale before you need them. If
someone's birthday is in June and you see something perfect
for them in January, buy it. You might not find the perfect
thing later and it gives you a feeling of affluence, not to
mention efficiency, to have someone's birthday present ready
a half year ahead of time.
5) Have a gift that is personally yours and give it to
everyone as your standard wedding or Bar Mitzva gift. You
now have a signature gift, very classy! If you know someone
who is expecting, "Straight from the Heart" by Tehilla
Abramov or "Happy Birth Day" by Aviva Rapaport are thoughtful
gifts you can give, even in advance. Candlesticks and glasses
are a great wedding gift that no one can have too many of.
[Ed. A netillas yodayim chrome or copper vessel can be
originally yours. Shop around for the right price. It can
vary by over 100%!] Not only does this technique save you
time and money by stocking up in advance when you have funds,
but you don't have to wrack your brain about what to get
someone every time there's a simcha.
7) If you buy something expensive, it might be cheaper in
the long run if you can replace a part that breaks. For
example, if you buy dishes where the company will replace
individual place settings and you break a dish, it is cheaper
to replace than buying a whole new set. The same goes for
sets of chairs, lamps, even pens with refills etc.
8) If you have to go abroad, use the opportunity to save
money. Stock up on cosmetics, contact lens solution or
whatever is cheaper to buy abroad. Have your kids sign a
contract that they will not ask you for anything new -- after
the money you spent on them abroad -- for at least four
months.
9) If you break your dishes, and I do this a lot, as I've
mentioned here in the past, create an interesting table
with individual single place settings. It looks very
artistic and makes your guests feel special. It's chic, not
cheap! The same works for sets of glasses.
10) "Don't buy a fur coat if you live in Israel." This
may sound obvious but many people impulsively buy things
they'll almost never use. Borrow or rent the clothes or
equipment you're going to use only once a year or every
couple of years.
11) You will ironically spend less money if you feel able
to spend it. Pretend you're a millionaire but must keep
it a secret. Then, if you do or don't spend money, it's not
because you can't, it's because you're being discreet.
Note: If this has the opposite effect on your spending
habits, ignore this suggestion!
12) Ask other people to invest in your great ideas.
You may want to do something but don't have the capital.
Someone with money may want to do something but not have the
initiative, the creativity or the guts. Pool your resources
and the sky's the limit.
13) Bigger is [sometimes] better. If you buy a product
you use frequently, buy the biggest size available unless
it's perishable. [Make sure to compare the relative price and
savings since this is not always true.] You will feel richer
by being able to afford all the stuff. Warning: Don't get
carried away.
Money itself isn't worth anything. Ten shekels looks very
similar to ten francs but is worth twice as much. It's only
the value that people place on money that makes it worth
anything. Money is a tool; it represents the power to buy
something, to own, to give.
Recognize that your power is not in your money, it's in your
desire to use it for the good. You can give and receive other
things. Money is a means of converting intention into
realization. We convert money into something that has value
for us. Even the relative worth of what we buy depends on us.
There are people to whom makeup means nothing but food means
a lot. Some people like to own books, others like to invest
in property, others like to take trips. Children who once
valued dolls and cars grow up and these things lose their
value to be replaced by jewelry and books which mean little
to younger children. Market value is all in perception.
By consciously changing our habits, we can change our
attitudes. And vice versa.
