Occasional Extravagance Is Good For Your Health!
Money | September 8, 2009 at 4:53 amRecession has taught us to be thrifty with our spending. Even the most lavish spenders amongst us have taken some measure to cut off upon a lot of expenses. As revealed by the Commerce Department, Americans have been saving up 5 % more than what they used to last year. Also many industrialists might be rejoicing that the consumer confidence index of 54.1 % as released by the conference board shows the increased buying capacity of people, but I’d like to impress upon you that increased capacity for spending in no way is related to actual spending behavior and people have been hoarding more money despite their elevated spending status. The worst hit area of our lifestyles was entertainment and pleasure spending. We’ve restrained ourselves for so long and we cannot bear to take this anymore!
The human psychological makeup is tuned towards gratification of its desires and if they are thwarted for long, mental complications will develop. Many people who’ve seen hard times during the recession have had enough of it! They are spending aimlessly now! Revolting to any kind of pressure is a natural psychological phenomenon. Don’t you start binging crazy after a crash diet? This is something like that. Aimless spending is something that we should not indulge in to relieve ourselves of our psychological stress.
According to Kit Yarrow, psychology professor, Golden Gate University, San Francisco, author of “Gen Buy” an occasional out of the way expenditure is going to keep that emotional overhead off you. I’ve seen many of us in the habit of penurious living all the while. Even a very infrequent indulgence makes them feel guilty endlessly. I’ve known this gentleman who goes out to a movie with his family once in six months and feels guilty that he has “spent too much” on entertainment !You might take pleasure in seeing your bank balance grow but you should know that enjoying life judiciously brings more happiness than merely hoarding money. Here are some great ways in which people have splurged after the recession that you can think of indulging in yourself.
Plan Your Extravagance!
You might have heard of planning for saving, but I’m asking you to plan for that extra spending. Every month I visit a star restaurant at least once and gorge on good food to my heart’s content without feeling guilty at all! This is because I plan my budget that way. I’m saving, but at the same time spending on what my heart desires the most. Like many people advised me, I haven’t slashed down upon my lavish living, but planned for it. The only thing I did was to restrict my extravagances but not eliminate them completely.
A Daily Dosage of Extravagance Will Do Wonders
If you were given the option of choosing between an expensive perfume or a costly outfit to purchase, what would you buy? As for me I’d buy the former, because everyday when I wear it, I’ll feel good. My mood will be elevated. On the o
ther hand, an expensive outfit is something that I wear only to parties which is not quite a frequent thing that I do. So that’ll only give me occasional bouts of pleasure.
Associate Your Extravagance with Something Specific
Spending aimlessly might make you feel guilty. If you have a good reason to celebrate, you’ll automatically feel good that you’ve spent for a purpose. If you don’t find a purpose just make one. This summer, I went on a vacation to a beautiful scenic place, not because I wanted to celebrate anything in particular but I wanted to give a treat to my overstressed mind. This in itself was a big reason for me. It might not be for someone else. I don’t feel guilty for having spent some hundreds of dollars on the trip. I had a good reason for spending. It’s all a matter of your mindset. If you think you’re spending for no valid reason, you’ll feel bad and guilty. And let me tell you, a reason that looks valid to someone need not be valid for another. The bottom line is, find a reason and convince yourself for enjoying for that reason. If you don’t know why you’re enjoying you’ll feel terrible and the pleasure that your enjoyment created will vanish in no time.
Real Happiness Lies In Making Others Happy
Our spiritual gurus have been saying that real happiness lies in making others happy. Skeptics have questioned their enlightenment and laughed at their statements, but this seems to be true. But now studies of Harvard University and 
British Columbia of last year reveal that many people who spent for others felt happier than spending on their own selves. If splurging for yourself makes you feel guilty, do so for your children. Their happiness will definitely make you feel happy. If you feel guilty about treating yourself to a movie once in a while, take your children along. That will make you feel good that you’ve spent not for personal pleasure but for your children’s pleasure. Human beings are a moral lot and anything to do with morality will definitely help in boosting up their spirits and moral values.
Memorable Experiences Are More Gratifying Than Material Rewards
When I was a kid, my parents asked me what I’d like as a birthday present – a trip to an exotic holiday spot or the latest bicycle in town. Of course, on first thoughts I wanted to vote for the bicycle, but later I thought of wanting the latter. We went to the foothills of the Himalayan Ranges in India and that was quite an adventure. I fondly remember my hiking experiences even to this day, after twenty years and have something or the other to narrate to my friends. I’m sure I’d have forgotten the special feelings associated with a bicycle after the first few days of using it- the theory of marginal utility comes in I suppose!
Splurging is good if you do it in the proper way for the proper purpose!
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