Why poor planning often equals higher spending
Suppose you run an errand after work, and it takes longer than you expected. You’d planned on going home for supper before leaving for an event, but now there isn’t time. Do you:
A) Wait to eat supper until you get home
B) Stop for fast food or eat at the event
If you’re like most people, you stop for fast food or eat at the event, because you don’t want to listen to your stomach grumble for an extra couple of hours. You’re hungry, and you’re hungry now. So you “have” to eat out.
If this is a rare occurrence, it’s no big deal. But when it happens regularly, it can wreak havoc on your bank account. Higher spending can often be traced to poor planning. If you want to bank more money each month, take a few minutes to plan things out each day.
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February 3rd, 2008 at 12:24 pm
Funny have experienced this 2 or 3 times in January. Especially funny when you consider I was never hungry (with growling and such) prior to August of last year.
I do see the drain on finances here. Plus, it reeks havoc on your body too. My body and fast food just do not go well with each other.
February 4th, 2008 at 8:44 am
That’s so true! We do that all the time. Or if we just work too late and get home and don’t feel like cooking we end up resorting to the carry-out menus. We are trying to be better, and are actually eating out a lot less than we used to (used to be every day, pretty much).
February 4th, 2008 at 7:48 pm
For me it was a matter of convenience; I would avoid making lunches because I didn’t want to plan ahead. The cost of a fast food lunch isn’t that much but it can very quickly add up to a significant amount.
February 6th, 2008 at 7:49 am
This is so true, I can’t count how many times I’ve done this where i’ll be out and about and then just decide to stop and get something because my stomach is growling. After signing up for mint.com last month my wife and I realized just how much we were OVER-spending on fast food. Something we’re trying to rectify this year.
Last year i started bringing my lunches to work instead of going out, and I know for a fact that we saved hundreds of dollars because of it.
February 12th, 2008 at 12:17 am
This is my life in a nutshell if I don’t keep myself organised, so incredibly true!
February 12th, 2008 at 5:04 am
I actually keep a pack of gum and/or mints in both cars for this very purpose. I know it’s not a total replacement, but having one or the other really helps me get through 1-2 hours pretty easily. If you’ve got an event longer than that…it should be significant enough for you to plan ahead to bring a granola bar or something to help hold you over.