THUNDER BAY – Everyone’s got guilty pleasures.
For some it’s going to the movies or shopping. For others it’s dining out or concert tickets.
They’re fine, in moderation, says Thunder Bay Counselling’s manager of education and support services Sheri Fata, midway through the 11th annual Credit Education Week Canada.
“They’re those things that we buy that make us feel really good,” Fata said on Thursday. “But often they have that little bit of guilt attached to them.
“When we’re spending our money on those, are we actually cognizant of how much we’re spending and how that impacts our overall budget?”
Too often counsellors will encounter people who find themselves down on their luck financially, not realizing there are simple ways to help cut back on spending.
It’s not easy and it takes determination, but it can work, Fata said. One less trip to the coffee-shop drive-through a day can save a couple of bucks, which over time adds up.
That’s just one example.
Dining out one less time a month can put hundreds of dollars back into the spending or saving stream over the course of a year, depending where one likes to dine.
“It’s not something you really need, it’s something you’re indulging yourself with,” Fata said.
“We all like the pleasure of it and people work really hard, so they want to be able to pay for and buy the things they enjoy. That’s why we do it. They also become habits.”
It’s all about stepping back and adding up just how much one is spending on luxury items they may want, but don’t necessarily need.
Having a plan to pay the money back, if an item or service is being paid for on credit, is a smart idea. Not spending money earmarked for the essentials on a whimsical purchase is also important.
“We say the word budget and people think they have to give up everything. ‘I have to give up all of my guilty pleasures, I can’t live like that,’” Fata said. “That’s not the message we give them. We go through people’s spending and say, ‘Where do you have room to make change, if you want to make change.’”
Fata acknowledged spending habits often get thrown out the window as the Christmas season approaches.
Often people feel pressure to buy that one extra gift, or put out a huge spread for guests.
There are ways around that too, she said.
“Build a plan for them,” she said of the extra holiday expenditures. “It’s not too late now to do it, but certainly the earlier you start the better.”
Set limits of gift purchases and maybe go pot luck when hosting friends and family – or cook together.
For more information, visit www.thunderbaycounselling.com.
