I have a confession. Normally I spend a lot of time emphasizing the importance of cultivating habits that reduce your desire to spend.
But I have one habit that makes me want to spend more money. It’s a practice — something I do almost daily — that convinces me that my current lifestyle isn’t good enough. Its reading.
Yes, reading makes me want to spend more.
I avoid watching TV not only to steer clear of commercials but also to keep away from images and expectations — of the Real Housewives, of the Kardashians, of the Bachelorette — that make me think that those luxurious digs are normal, baseline standards.
But I’m a sucker for reading magazines. I read everything I can get my hands on. I love em.
The more magazines I read, the more dissatisfied I am with my life.
Decorating magazines make me realize my life is devoid of granite countertops. Fashion magazines make me reflect on my sub-par wardrobe. Travel magazines make me want to buy an airline ticket immediately. Even practical magazines for working moms (I told you I read everything!) make me realize I’m not hosting good enough dinner parties.
Whats strange is that my buying impulses change based on what magazine is in my hands at that precise second. If Im lounging around on a Saturday reading a huge stack of magazines, I can feel my wants shift as I switch from title to title.
One second I’m thinking about how my wineglasses aren’t very elegant. The next second I’m wondering if we can build an arbor in the backyard.
The solution? Either give up magazines entirely (haha! not likely!) or focus on titles that reinforce what I want to want. Thats awkward phrasing — what I want to want — but I’m not editing it out because it succinctly states my point. Our reading material creates a self-fulfilling prophecy. Read more about the type of life you hope to build, and soon you’ll build it.
So I read magazines about money, entrepreneurship and motivation — not because those are the first titles to grab my attention (my attention goes straight to celebrity gossip), but because it illustrates the types of titles which I hope will grab my attention down the road.
What if I cant resist a great fashion or home remodeling magazine? I pick the one thats aimed at a budget-savvy readership, not the one that caters to luxury brand advertisers.
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About the Author: Paula Pant is the owner and proprietor of Afford Anything, the blog that believes money should never hinder your dreams.
Photo Credit: Karen Horton
“So I read magazines about money, entrepreneurship and motivation…”
Reading about these things might actually be preventing you from *doing* these things. It’s one of those “self-help conundrums.” You spend all your time reading about how to make money, or get out of debt, or starting a business, or getting motivated by reading inspiring stories…but then it doesn’t go any further. As soon as the cover is closed, or you click to another website, the energy is lost.
The only way to earn money, start a business or change your life is to STOP reading and START doing. You can spend your entire life planning, but unless you actually start doing something, you’ve accomplished nothing.
For some things, I really try to control my spending habits. But for others, such as buying lunch in the cafeteria every day, I don’t control.
I agree with Steven. The more I read about developing good habits, the fewer I work to put into practice. 🙂
You could always read Consumer Reports and other good consumer publications, so that when you do spend money you’re getting the most value for your buck.
Conversely, I watch shows like the Real Housewives because they show me that no matter how much I might try to keep up with the Joneses, there are some people that even the Joneses can’t keep up with. There is no finish line so i refuse to run the race.
Whether it’s Real Housewives or a slasher flick like Halloween X (replace X with however many have been cranked out), I’m always amazed at Hollywood’s idea of “middle class”. Bad guy with a knife chasing dumb teenagers through a home that could be on the cover of House Beautiful.
Guess that makes Hollywood producers part of the 1%. 🙂
At 63 I don’t think my habits are going to get much better, lol but I do try. One thing you can do now that I just found about recently is subscribe to magazines on Kindle. Of course it’s fairly new and there aren’t a lot of magazines on there yet, but the idea is pretty good. I take my Kindle everywhere so having something to read all those times I’m just “waiting” is great!
I love real magazines, not articles on a kindle. I like holding the magazine while sipping a cup of tea, I like the glossy pictures and the articles. Many times they give me ideas for using what I already have. Sometimes they inspire me to repaint an old piece of furniture, add or subtract some accessories, pick up free pine cones to dress up the Christmas wreath or change a few curtains. Sometimes I read magazines instead of novels. I buy magazine subscriptions to support my favorite magazines through the United Airlines shopping portal to accumulate extra miles (I’m a miles junky). NEVER LET THEM AUTO RENEW A SUBSCRIPTION OR YOU DON’T GET THE MILES FOR THE RENEW! When I’m finished with the magazines, I give them as gifts when traveling in Europe. My friends adore American magazines, the magazines are easy to pack, take up little room and are not breakable. I also pick up magazines at the library “free” box and take them to pass out in Europe. On the flight over I can read them one last time to make the trip go faster! A future $600. business class flight from Warsaw to Leipzig will cost $37.50 plus miles, thank you partly United shopping portal and Magazines.com!!!!