People impulse shop because it provides instant gratification and feels good in the moment, like a Band-Aid or a cool glass of water on a hot day. It’s a way to cope with stress or uncertainty.
Tiffany suggests setting a weekly or monthly budget for discretionary spending, allowing for impulse purchases within those limits. This way, you can enjoy the gratification without breaking your budget.
This framework helps prioritize spending by categorizing purchases: 'Need it' (essentials like food and shelter), 'Love it' (long-term joy lasting a year or more), 'Like it' (short-term joy), and 'Want it' (instant gratification). Focus spending on 'Love it' items and avoid wasting money on 'Like it' or 'Want it' items if funds are tight.
Before starting a home improvement project, consult a realtor to identify where to invest for the best return on investment. This ensures that spending aligns with both comfort and potential resale value.
The 'noodle budget' refers to the absolute minimum expenses needed to maintain your life, such as rent, utilities, and food. It’s a way to identify essential spending and cut back on non-essentials during tough financial times.
Tiffany emphasizes the importance of saving for retirement by visualizing your future self (e.g., naming her 'Wanda'). She advises against sacrificing retirement savings for current discretionary spending, as it’s crucial to ensure financial security for your older self.
To recover from excessive impulse spending, cut up credit cards or call the credit card company to report them lost, so they can’t be used online. This stops further spending and helps you regain control of your finances.
Key takeaways include: 1) Make a written budget, 2) Distinguish between needs and wants using the 'Need it, Love it, Like it, Want it' framework, 3) Identify your 'noodle budget' for essential expenses, 4) Build and maintain emergency savings, and 5) Prioritize your future self by saving for retirement.
We could all stand to stretch our cash a little further right now. Life Kit teamed up with financial expert Tiffany Aliche, also known as the Budgetnista, for tips about how to separate needs from your wants, stop stress spending and save for the future.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices)NPR Privacy Policy)