Don’t Buy It Unless You’d Pay Double

I have a general rule with consumer purchases.

“If I wouldn’t be happy paying double the price, I’m not going to buy it.”

By following this rule…

I Only Buy Consumer Goods That I Can Easily Pay For!

Being able to ‘just afford’ any kind of consumption takes all the joy out of it for me.

I can’t imagine all of these people I meet who fund their vacations on their credit cards. How can they enjoy themselves? They’re piling up debt that they will eventually need to pay back with interest.

For me, half of the joy of any kind of ‘consumption’ is knowing that I can easily afford it. If I’m scrimping to buy something and putting my financial stability at risk, I’m not going to enjoy it. I’d rather have a $1 street meal, drink an instant coffee and go on the ‘cheaper’ trip that I can easily pay for.

In addition to this, I know that the sticker price for consumer goods is rarely the real price. If you pay for a trip to Macchu Pichu, you get up there and also need to pay the park entrance fee. When you buy a new car, you also need to buy insurance, fill it with gas and have it cleaned. If you can barely afford the sticker price, you likely cannot comfortably pay the ‘real’ price.

It’s Not About Limiting Your Lifestyle…

When you buy products and experiences that you can easily afford, you are comfortably in control. You know that the decision to buy this ‘thing’ will not upset your finances post-purchase. You know that if unexpected costs come up, you can cover them. It’s practical consumption instead of unsustainable consumption.

This is not about settling for a cheaper lifestyle. It’s about learning to enjoy life in ways that don’t put strain your finances. Constant financial strain more than anything else is what keeps you running the rat race just to keep up with your own spending.

By following the “If I wouldn’t pay double, I won’t buy it.” rule, your consumption will no longer control your life like that. Then, with excess time, money and freedom you can invest in growing the list of what you can easily afford. 🙂