Thrifty Thursday: The Power of a Wishlist!
In our consumer-driven world, there are many things available to us right at our fingertips-literally. I can order almost anything I want with a few swipes and taps on my phone, or the click of a mouse. Debt ratios have skyrocketed over the last couple of decades due to increased accessibility to credit and products. Because of this, rising generations are in a state of "gimme now" and are not accustomed to having to wait, work, and earn their wants. How can we improve?
The answer is simple: wishlists!
How is that the answer? By its name, a wishlist is literally a list of what you wish to have. Studies have shown that writing thoughts and ideas down helps us to remember the information. It also gets it out of the forefront of our minds, so we can focus on other things. This is useful when deciding on how to spend your money because instead of obsessing about what you want, you can focus on what is important. Wishlists also give you something to refer back to when you have "spare" or "extra" money. I have found that if I put something on my list and wait at least a week, if I can't remember what is on it, or I haven't decided how to immediately use it, I can wait to buy it, thus saving money and keeping unnecessary clutter out of the house.
Many companies where you have an account (such as Amazon and Spark Naturals) provide a wishlist section. Utilizing these tools helps keep your wants organized. Other places I keep my wishlists are on my phone and in my planner. That way they are easily accessible at anytime to either refer back to, or to add more wants to the list!
It might seem like a silly solution, but I challenge you to give it a try and note after a month how it has changed your spending and mindset.
Happy Wishing!
