Should I buy

Since December of this year, I been buying a lot of things. Most of them are needed and justified. But my new spending habit is having me on the edge a little. Sure my recent contracting have giving me the little extra spending power, but I am dead even on what I bring in vs what I am spending. So I am once again having to flex those will power muscle to start controlling myself a bit. This article is not about what I spent and what I purchase in the recently months, but more of the last conversation I had with a co-worker about my latest purchase.

My sudden epiphany about my spending happened about 2 weeks ago, I just picked up my John Deere Tracker from Lowe's and as I was driving home, i realized i have an upcoming wedding, babies after that, and I really haven't put any money away for rainy days. This has me revisiting buyer's remorse ave. Suddenly I had the urge to turn around and return the tracker. But I made it home with it. Few days later the question about buy a new DSLR came up. Once again I hit the dilemma should I buy it or not? And this was the following conversation I had with my co-worker.

He told me a few words that I would remember and probably help me through a lot of though decisions on buying things and separating them from needs and wants.

If you went through the stress of buying your home, and it not a starter home or fix-a-upper, you'll know how difficult the first few months is after the purchase. But you find ways to save and tighten the budget and life moves on. A year or two later, you are in a better shape, and the sun comes out, and a smile returns to your face. So what that means is, you'll feel like crap when you buy something expensive at first, but you'll find ways to coax with it and move on. And later on you'll feel better and life returns back to normal. But keep in mind a few things before you jump in and say, well, then why not buy a Ferrari?

Well there are a few exception or reasoning to what was said.

1st, will the item you are about to buy be of value? Example, a table saw to a wood worker, a camera to a photographer, a dress for a wedding, or a laptop for a student? All those things are of want in nature and not a need, but it does make those people's life more enrich, and may even turn a small profit.

2nd, it is out of your range. Are you earning $20K a year and want to buy a $1/2 million home? Are you a junior sales person wanting a Ferrari? Are you recent college grad trying to buy a Yatch? Or are these things all within reasonable limit? such as someone earning $20K wanting to rent a better apartment, or a junior sales person want to upgrade his Kia to a Hyundai, or a recent college grad trying to buy a Kayak. All these things is a major purchase, but they are within reason and we hope as our economy turns, so will we. Next year, you'll get a raise and bonus that will soften the blow. You'll find some extra work on the side to quickly pay off these debts.

At the end of the day, I took my co-worker's advise and went ahead and purchased my Nikon D7000. It was a major purchase, but it is within my budget, and I will put it to good use. Recording great memories for Jason's Wedding, George's Wedding, My own Wedding. Trip to China. Mary's First time leaving the country and seeing a whole new world. All these great memories that this camera will bring for many years to enjoy. And 10 - 15 years later, I'll look back and say, yes this camera did cost a lot, but without it, I wouldn't see things as beautiful as this camera has made it to be.