Why it is worthwhile to find out what you want to spend your money on.
The Coffee to Go is an example of a waste of money par excellence. Whenever it comes to the question of saving money, it is cited as an example of an overpriced pleasure, which in the end is no pleasure at all, because we don't really notice drinking it.
When I started sorting out my finances, I got myself a coffee latte from the coffee shop next door almost every afternoon. So I started to calculate: Let's say four times a week, makes 16 lattes a month, times 2.40 dollars equals about 40 dollars a month. Wow, that's a lot of money, I thought, and imagined saving that money.
But I actually didn't want to give up my afternoon coffee. I thought about how I could at least reduce the cost and not leave my money at the overpriced coffee shop every day. So I would need an espresso maker in the office and I would have to have espresso in stock. I would also need a milk foamer and milk. For the milk I would need a refrigerator, which was only available in the office kitchen. I would have to make sure to make my coffee before 4 p.m., as the kitchen is locked at that time. Apart from that, I didn't like using the office kitchen very much since a rat had met me there once.
In the weeks when I was thinking about a coffee solution and imagining the scenario described above, I went on to my coffee shop - with a surprising effect. I unconsciously began to notice all the things I appreciated about my afternoon mini outing. I had a short break in which I could sort out my thoughts. I got a little exercise. I entered the cool coffee shop out of the heat outside, which had a pleasant smell of coffee and was nicely decorated. The employees knew me by now and greeted me beaming with joy, asking: “Small Coffee Latte?” Since I was sitting in an office away from my colleagues, this social contact did me good.
When I realized this, I didn't need to think any further about reducing my Coffee to Go expenses. On the contrary: I now knew that my expenditure was much more than an overpriced coffee. Because of the overall happiness effects, every cent of my Coffee to Go was well invested.
Just to mention it: I always bring a reusable coffee mug made of recyclable bamboo material that I purchased especially for this purpose. This way I even got my coffee latte 20 cents cheaper.
Money is a means to an end. In the case of my Coffee to Go, the purpose is to have an everyday treat. This Coffee is a mosaic stone in my happiness. How could I better spend my money?
I have learned two things from this incident: What might be a waste of money for others is not necessarily a waste of money for me. And: To do without things just because they cost money is not really clever if they do me good and I can afford them.
What expenditure makes you happy?
Diese Episode gefällt mir sehr gut liebe Irene. Ich bin mittlerweile überhaupt keine Geld „Verschwenderin“ nichts desto trotz gebe ich immer noch sehr gerne Geld aus für Dinge die ich BEWUSST ausgebe, weil sie mir oder auch für meine Familie Freude bereiten.
Ich tätige so gut wie gar keine Überraschungskäufe mehr. Nicht das ich unspontan wäre, aber ich möchte keinen Klimbim mehr als Ballast in meinem Haushalt haben. Es ist ein sehr befriedigendes Gefühl: weniger ist mehr. Und wenn ich Geld ausgebe, dann reut es mich in den seltensten Fällen.
LG von deiner Freundin aus Phnom Penh
Danke liebe Alex für Deinen Kommentar. Ich denke, das ist einer der Vorteile am Älterwerden: Man weiß besser, was einen wirklich glücklich macht, und muss nicht Dinge haben, weil sie gerade irgendwie “in” sind. Auf dem Weg dahin hat es bei mir allerdings einiges gegeben, das ich wieder aussortiert habe.