backwards

Maybe my approach to frugality is backwards. Usually, when I want to buy something online, I start the checkout process and then I go and look to see if there's a coupon available for the merchant. If not, I shrug my shoulders and buy it anyways. A coupon is just a bonus. A better approach would be for me to know what I want and wait for a coupon or sale to pop up.

I decided to be more responsible and intentional with my indulgences. Take a look:

I made a want list of all the things I want to purchase. Then, I prioritized them. I'm selling some stuff on eBay and, using this fee calculator, am figuring out how much I'm making after eBay and Paypal fees. The profit gets transferred to my high yield savings account where I've opened a sub-savings account titled after the thing I want. For instance, I have a sub-savings account for the Rosie jeans I posted a couple days ago. Currently, I have about $40 set aside for it. I just have to sell about 3 more items to be able to purchase those jeans! When I've reached my goal, I can withdraw that money guilt-free and close that sub-savings account. Even better is that by the time I've made enough money to afford them, I've also had time to think about whether or not the purchase is worth it, and I'll have waited and searched for a sale/coupon.

While it varies from person to person, we each have something that we find worth splurging on. For me, nice pairs of jeans that actually fit me are worth it. And I've wanted this pair for over a month. And I've tried it on, so I know that it fits me, and I like the feel of the denim. So that's why I've decided that regardless of available coupons, I'm still gonna buy them.

It seems that I haven't changed much from the beginning paragraph, but the point is, there's intent to my spending. I'm not just mindlessly spending. I've made a deliberate choice to buy those jeans, even if I can't find a better deal.