Around this time of year, it is easy to get a burgeoning case of the I Wants. It begins with the back to school and Christmas advertising, both of which seem to happen at the same time these days. All right, Christmas ads might not start until September. I open the local paper and a stack of ads fall out.
Then come the catalogues. Bought anything from a larger company lately? If you’re on their mailing list, be assured that they will send you a nice, juicy catalogue to tempt you right about now. Maybe you already have a good selection of those catalogues sitting around the house.
Then there is television. The ads intensify as Christmas approaches, telling us all about the miracle toys or goodies that we need for our own homes and that we need to buy for others.
Enough!
Declare your home an ad-free zone. We see enough ads out there in the world. Why do we need to bring them and their I Wants into our home? Recycle the newspaper ads, watch commercial-free television (or turn off the commercials), and take a look through the catalogues only if you normally do catalogue shopping for Christmas.
Make a list of your I Wants. Call it your Christmas list, and put it on your computer or somewhere where it safe but you won’t look at it too often. When you want to get something, put it on the list. Let others get it for you. But before you tell anyone what you would like for Christmas or your birthday, look at the list. Miraculously again, most of those wants will have disappeared. The only time this doesn’t work with me is with plants. I always want plants.
Gifts are one of my downfalls in the budget department. Make a list of all of the gifts you will give and to whom, and set a budget. Once you hit the budget, stop. No guilt, no fuss, no muss. You’re done.
How do you control the I Wants this time of the year?