They exist on the sides of nearly every interstate or major road. The small divots carved from the pavement keep your vehicle where it should be — in the lane. They also alert your attention in case you’ve wandered where you shouldn’t be — on the side of the road.
No matter if you call them speed bumps, corrugated pavement, or my favorite term — rumble strips — this little vibrating alarm system proves vital. While the small humps in the road won’t stop your car completely, they could awake you from a slumber or merely help you to refocus.
Wouldn’t be great if we could have rumble strips in our everyday lives, too? Headed to grab another cookie from the cabinet? Rumble, rumble and you’re back on track to eating an apple instead. Clicking the button to start another Netflix episode of your current binge? Rumble, rumble and instead you brush your teeth to call it a night and head to bed early.
While I can’t stroll along with you in the grocery store and yell “RUMBLE!” every time you start to buy something you shouldn’t, I can help you identify some smart practices that work the same way. These spending (or non-spending) strategies will cause you to pause and snap back on track when you begin to drift in your budget.
Wait 24 hours
What?! That adorable dress is 50 percent off? That’s a deal. Surely you should snap it up before the price goes back up, right? That’s a negative friends. Stores regularly reduce prices and increase them based on stock rotation and seasonal sales. Don’t be enticed by something you may or may not need based on such a tenuous system.
Instead, wait 24 hours before you make a purchase decision that’s a non-budgeted item. When you remove yourself from the physical location of the object and literally sleep on it, you get better perspective on whether you should make the purchase.
Don’t shop for Fun
I know this particular tip doesn’t always go over well. When I speak to crowds of both men and women, they sometimes push back when I suggest that shopping shouldn’t be a hobby for anyone.
The difficult truth is, you buy 100 percent of the things you don’t need when you shop without a purpose. As soon as you get the itch to wander the mall or head to the nearest big box retailer, try to imagine running over those rumble strips and feeling the vibration reminding you to stay where you’re at instead.
Borrow first
I don’t even want to think about the number of purchases I’ve made over my lifetime that I didn’t really need. I bought because everyone else had that “one” item. Or I found an awesome deal and the pull of the bargain roped me in. But years later, the same long-sought-after desire of my heart finds itself at the bottom of a drawer or in the corner of my closet or in a donation bin somewhere.
If you’re not sure you’ll really use or wear an item, try borrowing it from a friend first. Try it out and see if it’s really all you dreamed of or if maybe you could go without it. Who knows, your use of the item may cause you to fall head over heels even more. Then you’ll know your purchase was worth the price.
Keep a needs list
There are items we do need right now in our home. For instance, right now, we’re considering purchasing a toaster because we don’t own one. I wasn’t here when the last toaster met its demise but I hear it involved the stand mixer and flour flying through the air, filling every nook and cranny of the kitchen.
You should keep a “needs” list in your home so that you’re prepared when you either have spare cash or are tempted to spend. Jotting down the items you truly need and regularly consulting that list will dissuade you from making a lesser purchase.
Don’t save info online
The easier it is to make a purchase online, the more likely you will overspend. While convenient, automatically saving your credit card information on a website increases your odds of making extra purchases in the future.
When you have to physically enter the digits again and again, this little rumble strip of tedium helps you think through your online shopping experience. Don’t mindlessly click to have something shipped straight to your door. Place a small obstacle in your own way to help keep spending down.
Thankfully, hitting a rumble strip doesn’t mean you’ve wrecked your vehicle. You’re still far from the dangers of running off the road. Using these budget rumble strips will similarly help you keep from wrecking your finances. In the end, after running over rumble strips we all do better with a course correct and slowing down whether driving or spending. Stay safe out there, drivers and shoppers!
Greenwood resident Cherie Lowe and her husband paid off $127,000 in debt in four years and now live debt-free every day with their two kids. She is the author of “Slaying the Debt Dragon: How One Family Conquered Their Money Monster and Found an Inspired Happily Ever After.”
Send questions, column ideas and comments to newstips@daily journal.net
