My Personal Finances Are a Result of My Own Vanity
All of my economic woes are a result of my own bad decisions based on ego.
Recently, I've had mechanical issues with my car, and the cost of fixing it has become astronomical! I then started to debate whether I should buy a new car or get the car fixed. My insurance cost would stay low if I stuck with my current car, but will it break again? It took me eight years for my car insurance to gradually get this low, am I going to start from scratch again with another car? Then I realized, why do I need such a fancy car? I don't need all the bells and whistles, it just needs to go from point "A" to point "B." If this was truly the case, why don't I buy a super cheap economical car and save on insurance as well? Then it dawned on me, I spend more than I really know because of my own vanity. Some of those economical cars are pretty ugly, and I couldn't be caught dead in them. Is my economic well-being worth sacrificing to fit a certain lifestyle? The money I spend on my car could be spent for a better life.
It's not only the car that I spend on. It's clothes, accessories, food, my home, and the list goes on and on. There's tons of frivolous spending that I've done that I could have used to make my life better. Do I really need to buy trendy clothes? I started to understand why people don't buy so many prints and buy basic colors, cuts, and styles. By not falling into trends, you won't have to continually buy clothing. Buying clothes can be a slippery slope, because then you'd have to get shoes and accessories to match the outfit. Do I really need to buy all of those things for simply a season and then do it all over again next season with a different trend? Or is my mental well-being addressed because I look good?
I realized foods are even bought based on my vanity. Certain friends are a little uppity and refuse to eat at fast food chains. Okay, maybe some of them don't eat at fast food chains because they're being healthy too. If they're trying to be healthy, shouldn't they be cooking themselves? I'm sure a few of us wouldn't say no to having potluck dinners. This doesn't happen often; instead, we go out to restaurants. I don't know if this is an image thing or a lazy thing exactly. Food can look a lot nicer when presented at a restaurant than when you cook it yourself, but that can be reversed by some practice cooking at home. Cooking at home would be healthier for us as well. Regardless, I won't suggest certain restaurants only because I don't want to be looked down upon, so I guess that is pretty bad. At the end of the day, we usually end up at more expensive place to eat. These are not well thought out expenses. This extra money could have been spent on a vacation or school to expand my mind.
Going out to clubs and parties, it's the same thing. We tend to go out to mid-range places rather than dingy bars like we used to back in the day. We drink at the bar instead of pre-drinking before we go out because we don't want to look bad not drinking at the bar. Little things like this add up and can cost a lot in the long run. This is where I end up spending too much money on weekends. I end up eating crap for the rest of the week because I have to make up for losing too much money on weekends.
Then for big purchases such as my home, I wanted to live in a nicer location. When I chose the spot, it was because it looked nice, I wasn't considering things like crime or locations to schools, etc. Living in a nicer place is costly. The cost for maintaining and decorating is expensive due to the size and me trying to keep up with the Joneses. The home insurance and property tax are more expensive as well because of the value of the house. A few more things that I didn't consider when I was purchasing the house. It came to bite me in the end.
I complain about all of these things, and it's true that they cost me extra, but with further reflection, I don't think I regret most of the purchases. We all have to live a little and enjoy our lives. If we can afford it, why not live a little and treat yourself? Also, spending money to hang out with friends and family is worth it because our days are limited. Scrimping and scraping by isn't the point of living. I guess if I'm saving for something special, the scrimping and saving might be worthwhile. I did that for six years to pay my mortgage. It was really hard to do, but I don't think I'd be able to do that for years on end. The industry really has a hold on us, and they know how to give us a real fear of missing out with their messages of "you only live once" or "life is too short." I just have to be more mindful and balance my savings and fun purchases. I can't help but get anxiety when I see my credit card bills at the end of the month.
About the Creator
Brian Anonymous
I have tons of opinions that change constantly. I watch a lot of movies and play video games. There are some articles on my struggles with languages and dance as well.
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