Avoiding the Impluse Buy: How to Buy New Stuff After Getting Out of Debt
Being in debt pay off mode can be a bit isolating. When you are serious about a goal like getting out of credit card debt, you don’t allow yourself to spend money on things that aren’t necessities. If you stick to your goal, it sometimes takes a long time to get rid of the debt, but it does happen. In our house, it took about two years. During that time, we got used to not spending. It was a good experience and taught us that we don’t need to buy things all the time. Impulse buying was one thing that got us in trouble in the first place. However, through normal wear and tear, household items do wear out or become obsolete. Now that all our debt outside of mortgages is paid off, it’s time to buy a few things for the house, but it’s scary. Since you have to get back on the horse at some point, I’ll share how we are deciding to make purchases after getting out of debt.
What Do We Need and Why?
There is actually a list of things we need or don’t really need, but feel they will add value to our lives. We need a new couch. After several dogs and a small child, ours is pretty much shot at almost ten years old. We wanted a new camera because our current one works sporadically, and I hate missing good photo opportunities. We can use phones, but the quality isn’t quite as good as with a nice camera.
The last thing we want is a big one for our house. I’ve written about how we have never been able to give up our satellite TV, even during debt payoff. Jim was the big holdout. Maybe it was comforting because it’s something we’ve always had. Maybe it was ESPN. Regardless, he refused to let it go. This spring I talked him into getting a trial Netfllix membership because there was some show he wanted to see that we couldn’t find to rent on DVD. He loved it, and has rarely watched TV since. He used his computer at first, but it isn’t the same experience as TV. We had a Best Buy gift card from Christmas, and purchased a Roku. The problem was that our main TV is too old to use it. The picture quality is still fine on the older TV, but it doesn’t have the connections for digital hookups, which brings us to our dilemma.
Do we get a new TV, cancel the satellite, and use Netflix, or do we keep out current setup?
Yes, I realize, we could give up TV altogether, but that doesn’t seem likely. It’s not like we spend 10 hours a day watching Law and Order, but we do like to watch a show or movie in the evenings, preferably together and not on the laptop screen.
How Much Will It Cost and Are You Getting the Best Deal?
Online, In Stores, or Used/Refurbished-For the camera, I scoured reviews online. Some of the better DSLR cameras, which is what we wanted, were in the $800 range. We decided to look for a refurbished model from a few years back. We found what were were looking for on Ebay for $360. It also has a three year warranty, so I feel really good about that. If you could visit my house, you’d see framed pictures all over from our hikes and travels. We had our last camera for about five years. If this one lasts that length of time, $72/year will be money well spent.
For the new TV, the ones we want tend to be in the $700-$900 range. Again, we’ve been reading reviews. We have also been watching for online coupons and store sales. If we wait for the right deal, I think we can bring the costs down to around $600, which is what we are comfortable with. Netflix will cost $7.99/month. An antenna to get NFL football network channels will be $40, plus $65 installation if we decide not to brave the process ourselves. Our first Roku cost $20 with the gift card. Having one for the new TV would cost another $60. I’m hoping the TV and antenna will last 10 years. That makes our annual cost for home entertainment about $ 174.50 per year.
Currently we are spending $60 a month on satellite TV or $720/year. If you look at those numbers, maybe a new TV is actually a good investment.
Where is the Money Coming From?
Sell Your Things-We actually have enough money in savings to cover the new camera and TV, but I want to do one better. I believe I can get at least half the purchase price back by selling some things around the house. The older TV and camera will net something even if they aren’t in pristine condition. We also have some outgrown toys and clothes, plus an older camcorder I found in the closet. If you start looking, you can usually find something to sell. A good rule is to get rid of something old before bringing in something new.
Earn More Money- I think a frugal mindset begins to spread and grow once it takes root. Jim used to do landscaping in college, and is actually very good at it. He does a great job on our lawn. My office has always hired a service for landscaping and mowing. I’ve asked Jim many times if he wanted the job, but he always turned it down. I think part of it was mental. With the college degree, he shouldn’t have to toil out in the sun and dirt. Right?
This spring, our current landscaping company was declining in quality, and I offered him the job again. He said sure. He will get $50 per week until early October, more if he needs to fix inevitable sprinkler problems. This will more than cover the rest of the cost on the new TV, and will likely buy our ski tickets this winter with no change to our normal budget. Much like hiring myself as maid, it keeps the money in house, and this job will actually add money instead of redistributing it. Plus, this puts our new found stash of yard equipment to good use!
I’m really proud of our game plan. The old Kim and Jim would have already bought a new TV without a second thought, probably at the first store we visited, and probably on one of those store financing plans. I think if we evaluate every purchase, we will stay out of debt, and actually save money if we look at long term costs. We’ve also decided our old couch can take another year or two. I’m sure there are many more drinks to be spilled and markers to be painted on our furniture. Some purchases don’t need to be made when you consider all the variables. It might not be sexy or packed with adrenaline, but I’ll take methodical shopping over impulse buying any day.
How do you plan big purchases? Do you think we can should give up satellite TV?
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First of all, getting out of debt is not easy. You have to earn money which is probably the most important. We also have to think about the stuff we need to buy. Avoid things that are not very important. Formulating a priority list of things to buy can help.
I already have several purchases earmarked for when I get out of debt. The more I think about it, the more dangerous these plans sound. Thanks for giving me something to think about.
Do you watch a lot of shows on your TV? If you don’t, maybe you can maximize your internet and make use of Neflix instead. Plus, there are a lot of shows that you can watch for free online. When it comes to buying new things, we wait until the urge had settled down and wait after a few months because other models will surely lessen.
I like to take my time on large purchases, so I know I have done the proper research. I think you could do without satellite, but that is coming from someone that doesn’t have cable.