Overspending really isn't that bad...is it?

I have a problem with overspending. Yes, yes..I admit it. I often go to the grocery or the shopping mall with every intention of buying JUST ONE ITEM....and I end up walking out of the store with TWO HEAVY SHOPPING BAGS. It's not that I'm huge spender. I'm not. I don't buy useless things. Everything I buy is useful. The problem is, I rarely plan what to buy and when to buy them. I am a self-confessed impulsive buyer. Sad but true.

Today, I went tot he grocery to buy instant noodles for dinner. As I walked down the aisle, I decided I needed some conditioner too.... and perhaps a lavender-scented bedtime lotion would help me sleep better....and wow! A super-saver bundle! Save thirty pesos for the press powder and lip balm! And who says I don't need body scrub? Huh? I need all of those for good hygiene! And so, I fell victim to that big red SALE sign. And spent more than I had planned. 800 pesos, to be exact. I had only budgeted 100 for that little trip to the store.

But now that I have all of this stuff, it's really no use moping, is there? So what can a victim do after falling into the trap of the attractive SALE sign?

SMILE - you already feel bad spending so much on the items. Why not try to enjoy them? Learn to be wiser next time, but don't hate yourself while you use them.

BUDGET - spending so much money unexpectedly will oblige you to write down a budget for the money you have left. It's a start. Maybe next time, you'll learn to budget the money you have, even before you touch it--which, of course is a very wise decision.

SELL - if I buy something I don't really need, maybe someone else needs it? Sometimes, I ask my friends if they want to buy a specific item from me. But ONLY close friends...those who can still smile while muttering "Hapi did it again".

GIVE - if you feel bad about having your friends pay for your "mistake", why not give them away. Giving feels so good, you won't mind the fact that you bought the item. The smile on your friend/mom's/sister's face will make you feel it wasn't a mistake after all.

So, my message to me, from me is: don't feel too bad when you overspend. Just learn from it and move on.