How Far Will $100 Take You?

Earlier today an article about what to do with an extra $100 and while I wanted to think of different ways of spending it, I have highlighted the ones that I would highly consider.

Anytime I get money outside of my budget, I get so excited to spend it on something I had been holding off for. Some would even say that “free money” allows you to not be responsible and just go and have fun. We don’t feel the pain of the work to get it so splurging doesn’t bring any guilt with it.

I am in a time in my life where simplicity is my goal. I enjoy treating myself, but my tastes have become more selective and I am getting more pleasure from one product that checks a lot of my boxes, and actually going through the hassle to find such product, than having a bunch of stuff in my cabinets that I don’t truly like or is just average. I also value my time a lot more, and my perspective on paying for services has changed. Less stuff, and less hassle, has truly become more to me.

With an extra Ben Franklin, a part of me would’ve run to my phone to move some of my liked items to my cart. I do still enjoy shopping and I am realizing that I enjoy owning certain things because I hold hope that I will be able to use them. I am learning to first wait on the item. I usually feel this urge fed by marketing tactics that if I don’t get it right now, I will miss the amazing opportunity! Waiting allows me to evaluate my real reasons for purchasing: if I like the item as is or a portion of it, if I already have something like it, and if I will truly use it. In the last month or so I have truly impressed myself by realizing that most of the things I thought I wanted were on impulse and unnecessary, and giving me more security on those things that I did stick to.

Something else I would consider is paying for a convenience service. In the past, I would have seen this as a luxury that is a waste of money. Today, I have opened my eyes to see how many more costs there are than I thought. I was the type of person that would go to a store 20 miles away, about 20 minutes by car and through toll highways, to pick up a pair of pants, because I did not want to pay for shipping. I still very much dislike paying for shipping because most of my purchases are small and shipping ends up being a huge percentage of the whole expense. However, today I realize that in time and traveling expenses, $7.95 is actually a great deal for doing my shopping for me.

The convenience service I don’t pay for today but will gladly do is for grocery pick-up. I am amazed at the amount of time and hassle I save by selecting my groceries on my phone, in the middle of the day, instead of having to take about 40 minutes to cross to the store, fight people through the aisles and then wait in line to check out. I not only save so much time and mental stability but so much money by being more precise on the things we need.

Finally, I would consider donating the whole bill or at least a part of it. There are people that just need a small push or some sort of support to get through a tough time. I already have so much, and helping someone out is just giving back some of my blessings.

How would you use extra money? You might have a need and put it towards that, or have nothing specific to spend it on and simply put it away for a while. In any way, I would recommend to spend some time thinking how extra money would affect you. This small exercise will help you understand where your priorities and needs are, and in turn help you pay attention to where you are going.