Being Poor Sucks – The Truth About Debt and That Dress You just HAD to Have.

Poor is a relative term.

One person’s poor might be moaning how they can’t afford anything from the new Alexa Chung collection, whilst sipping a $18 glass of Pinot, in their $400 pair of jeans. Others might be genuinely freaking out that they won’t be able to pay this month’s electricity bill and there are LOTS of us that spend the last week of every month limping towards the next pay cheque, like our life depends on it.

Being poor sucks – whether it’s having to worry what colour the plates are at sushi train or having to politely decline drinks with your mates because buying a round will cripple you. If money buys you a certain level of freedom, then debt does quite the opposite. It weighs you down. And like a bad 70’s staircase trend, it usually starts to spiral.

And yet….yet….we continue to be slaves to consumerism.

Look – New Shoes! A Bigger TV! The iPhone X!……….We buy more stuff in the hope it will make us happier. Or to show off how clever we are. Or because that subliminal advertising sh*t is so damn good that it’s only really half our fault.  Data collection does not help. I checked out that shirt ONE time on Net-A-Porter and I can’t even go online now without it flashing up on my screen – remember me? You know you want me! Buy Me! Pick Me! Rah! Rah! Rah!

You know how Kate Moss said, ‘Nothing tastes as good as skinny feels?’

It is the same with money. Nothing feels as good as buying sh*t you can afford. Right Now.

Not on credit. Not with Afterpay and Zippay and all those crafty apps encouraging you to spontaneously purchase some more crap you don’t need. And certainly not – please I beg of you – with those ‘Fast Loans’, ‘Quick Loans’, ‘Sunshine Loans’ that are ‘Nimble’ and quick to offer you instant gratification to borrow up to $10,000 RIGHT NOW and can charge up to 259%* Interest per annum.

I get it – I have been down that rabbit hole myself and it can take a long time to find your way back to the tea party I can tell you.

It’s not easy. We are living in the ‘right now’ economy. Whatever it is you want – an uber, a burger, your online purchase delivered in 2 hrs. It’s possible – and some of it is gloriously convenient – but some of it is going to genuinely set you back. I am older than some (most?) of you – believe me – the earlier you learn this stuff the better.

The New Dress is NOT worth it.

I tend to do the 24hr test. If, after trying something on, I am still obsessing about it 24 hrs later, then I might go back. Or if, on first try, it is AMAZING then I might succumb to the Hell Yeah philosophy. But honestly, most of the time it is usually better,  not to mention cheaper, just to walk-away. The second time you wear something new it never feels as good anyway. Wear something you already have. Or rent a frock you can afford. Or skip the party and watch every episode of The Sinner on Netflix back-to-back. No jokes – if there were more shows like this to watch, I would probably never go out again.

Imagine the money I would save 🙂

This Get Richer post is brought to you by someone who likes getting credit as long as it doesn’t come in a card.

 

* From www.fastloan.co.uk – Example: Amount of credit: £210 for 35 days. One total repayment of £262.19. Interest: £52.19. Interest rate: 259% pa (fixed). 912% APR Representative.