I once wrote a post about how easy it is to get distracted when you’re at the market. There are usually so many beautiful items, so many things you didn’t want for initially, but setting your sights on them, fills you with ideas on how well they could be utilized if you had them in your possession. This is even worse if you came to the market, in hopes to change your wardrobe or just buy random items. Most times, you simply end up purchasing so many items that are very selective.
I’ve had experiences of my own, when it comes to spending money unwisely, and one of the things that has become foremost in all my years of handling money, is drafting out my needs. I’ve learnt that if you do not draft out your needs, the probability of you going all out to satisfy your wants is higher, and you neglect your needs in the process. Not only does this leave you disturbed, they make your needs more strenuous to fulfill.
Take for instance, you need to buy groceries, but you came across a red shoe that was so attractive, you had to buy it with your money for groceries. This means you are spending more than you planned to, just because you spent on something you didn’t budget for. Every human has wants, wants that are limitless but there are always priorities, which need to be carried out first before other things, ergo, the need for budgeting.
One of my frequently used apps, is my notes app. Asides the fact that I write on it, I use it to track my buys. I create lists of the everything I want or need to get in that app. When curating these set of items I plan to get or pay for, I like to do it about a week before the actual buy date. I do this just in case I don’t recall something, at the time of making the list, I would definitely remember over the week, this helps me to not miss out important things I need to get.
Another key thing I do, that helps me, is attaching prices to items when creating these lists. I love adding prices to my lists when planning, as it helps me estimate how much I plan on spending, and track my finances better. Due to the economy, there is always a hike in prices every now and then so, what I do is to inflate the prices from my own end. Take for instance, the last time I bought an item was 300naira, I’m definitely making it 350 naira or even 400naira, in my list. This is just to accommodate any price hike, and still help me to not overspend. This method also leaves room for blind buys and even more savings, because there’s usually remains.
As a student, the need for budgeting cannot be overemphasized. Aside the fact that spending blindly isn’t always the best option, there’s also the need to track your finances, and utilize it in the best way possible. It’s satisfying, looking back and seeing that you spent your money wisely. I used to be someone who would buy things just because I had money at hand, but after most buys, it turned out that I had just squandered the money, rather than used it properly. I’m glad I’ve learnt the need to budget, and no longer worry about fulfilling my needs, just because I overspent.
Thanks for reading.
Image above was taken by me.