My USD4,704.36 Loss | Want VS Need
Since October, I have been very careful with my money. I question all my expenses. It is not about cutting expenses but questioning whether the money spend is worthwhile?
At first, I fall into the trap of not spending money at all. I skipped lunch and ate leftovers from previous days. I get upset if I have to spend any money. I remember I have to spend additional 30 minutes driving a longer and heavier traffic route because I refuse to pay 80 cents toll. I risked getting a parking ticket because I refuse to pay 1USD for an hour of parking. The whole time, I was miserable and angry. I blamed my luck and cannot stop kicking myself for my mistakes.
Eventually I wore myself down, I could not concentrate on my work, and I could not tell my family. Out of frustrations, I ended up drinking more than I should. After which I was guilt ridden and kicked myself for spending that money.
Eventually it dawns to me that I could have just use the money wisely. I am still careful, but I am only spending on what I need. My biggest splurge was getting the Gemini AI Plus subscription. I used it to prepare for my certification exams. Each subject's exam cost more than 200 USD. The subscription cost outweighs the cost of failing the exams.
I am also feeling less guilty of spending money on purchasing back my time. I look at how much my time worth. If I can use the saved time to do something productive, paying a few dollars would be worthwhile.
Now I can keep a watchful eye on my expenses without making myself miserable. After all, it is all about fulling your needs and not your wants.