Comments on: 3 Little White Lies We Tell Ourselves When Spending Money

By: Suede Pumps

Suede Pumps — Thu, 09 Dec 2010 16:01:00 +0000

That’s the great article! I just pass ‘n read it, two thumbs up!

By: jennyblake

jennyblake — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 05:58:44 +0000

Thanks so much Christi! I really appreciate your kind words – glad you
stumbled upon Life After College. I look forward to keeping in touch!

By: christi

christi — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 07:41:49 +0000

i just found your blog and it's wonderful. one of our 2010 goals is to revamp our spending habits. i'll be coming back for sure.

By: Steve in W MA

Steve in W MA — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 01:27:59 +0000

Most people with “Latte Factor” don’t just have a coffee habit, they have a “go to the cafe habit”, where the cafe stop is just a habitual way to relax by changing venues or even to potentially socialize a bit and see some different people and maybe even have a short conversation (who knows?).

You can start by bringing a thermos of coffee from home. Then whenever you get the “urge” for that Starbux or McDee’s coffee, pull out the thermos, pour a cup, and either stay where you are or go for a little walk with it.

Within a month you’ll have that cafe habit licked, plus you slowly will adjust and find ways to compensate for the social component you are missing by going out and spending money.

By and large, coffee is really just coffee and it doesn’t have to cost more than about 30 cents a cup. Eventually going for the thermos and snacking on a home-packed cookie or other snack will be just as second nature as dropping $5 at the coffee shop is now

By: Steve in W MA

Steve in W MA — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 01:27:00 +0000

Within a month you’ll have that cafe habit licked, plus you slowly will adjust and find ways to compensate for the social component you are missing by going out and spending money.

By: Steve in W MA

Steve in W MA — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 23:27:42 +0000

One mental trick that I have used to break myself of impulse spending and the Latte factor and eating work out at lunch factor was to set myself the goal (on a workday) of getting to work and taking *all* of my earnings home with me. That’s my financial goal when I go to work: To get every cent that I am earning and take it home, not to “drop” any at the stores and cafes downtown.

Over time, and in combination with using cash envelopes for my food, entertainment, and gas spending, this has made a big difference and has made the act of spending money seem like an unusual occasion.

The problem this brings up is that, by and large, a big portion of my existence had to do with purchasing stuff and shopping and all the thoughts that go with it. If you get to the point where you only spend money at the grocery store once a week (or less) and it’s *cash out of an envelope*, you find yourself confronted with what to do with a lot of extra free time and mental space that was previously devoted to a) thinking about shopping and (b)thinking about money in general.