When you and your spouse need a piece of furniture or appliance do you:
a. Buy new furniture and the latest appliance.
b. Collect extra furniture from family.
c. Frequent garage sales and Goodwill for home items.
d. Become a Craigslist ninja in the furniture and appliance section.
I think there probably was a time when the majority of young couples never thought of buying new stuff off the bat, but I think many of us (with the onset of credit for every purchase) have gotten used to the idea of needing new right away. I will admit that about four months after living together my husband and I made that trip to the fancy furniture store thinking the same thing. However, we didn’t have the cash to buy it right away and something didn’t sit right with me about buying a couch on credit. In my mind you bought a car or a house on credit, but a couch?! We didn’t get the new furniture and boy was I glad. Shortly after that experience we got smart about our finances and debt, and since then I have answered b., c., and d. to the above question.
Frequent your local store for great finds!
I can count on one hand the larger items in our house we bought new, and our house is clean, comfy, and pleasing to the eye. Sometimes it has been hard not having things just as I want them, such as matching couch and loveseat, but it has taught me a great lesson.
CONTENTMENT
When you put aside the impluse to get exactly what you want right away for a higher goal, such as getting out of debt, or saving to buy something important in cash, you teach youself to be satisfied right now. Often we all give in to thoughts like: “When I get a new ______ then I will be really happy.” That just doesn’t make life fulfilling. Satisfaction should come from the people and experiences that make up our lives.
My goal is to strive to be content in my present situation. Instead of being dissappointed that I can’t buy new, I have fun finding great deals and beautiful pieces that I didn’t spend hundreds on!
