Saturday’s Surprises #15: I caught my thief!

“He who buys what he does not need steels from himself.” A Swedish Proverb

I get a real kick out of this one. For years I’ve been trying to be consistent in asking myself “Why do I need this?” before buying stuff. I’m sure I’ve had all sorts of justifications as to why I pushed the question aside and just said to myself “F*** It, I want It”. I have a closet and several storage places in my house full of these “F*** It” items, and most haven’t seen the light of day in years! To make matters worse, I even have gifts I got, but I honestly don’t recall what I liked about them that inspired me to ask for them as gifts. 

I’m not a hoarder, but I wonder if I was on that track when I was younger. Now I get to feel regret at not saving money or spending it more wisely. Ie: Investments. At least I’m much better about it now. In fact, I think I can tap myself on the back, as I not only buy less, I select stuff I know I’ll use, stuff I can recycle and repurpose, and stuff that has better quality and lasts longer. In a nutshell, I’m investing. We still have to work on how we buy food, but we are improving day. By day. 

What do you say to yourself when you go shopping for… stuff?