Successful people still need to be smart about money. Just because we are lucky enough to have a steady income, doesn’t mean that we should be careless with our money. Every time I want to spend money I ask myself…Do I really need this, or do I just really want it?
More often is the case that I end up walking away from an item that I really wanted because I didn’t really need it. I don’t believe in paying for items or services that I could do myself. I always weigh the opportunity cost of an item and/or service before I buy it. In other words I ask myself…Is this really worth the price?
Here are 4 places where I will never spend my Money:
– A Full Service Brokerage. I work in Personal Finance and I don’t feel that a full service broker adds any benefit to the investment service. I much prefer to have a self directed brokerage account where I do not pay an annual fee, and the transaction fees are also lower. I can buy and sell my own stocks and investments online or by telephone.
– At the Nail Salon for Fake Nails. I will definitely spend my money on a monthly manicure, but I will not pay for acrylic or gel nails because I can grow my own nails. I don’t believe in paying for something to be fake when I have the real thing. I think that this is a good lesson to live by because so many other procedures, such as fake body parts and sucking unwanted fat out of our bodies, are very expensive. With a little TLC and a lot of exercise we could achieve the same results. It is cheaper to pay $40 for a gym membership than it is to spend $5000 for new boobs.
– ATM Fees. I refuse to pay convenience fees for withdrawing money from another financial institutions ATM just because it is closer to me. I will walk 10 blocks before I pay $4.00 to withdraw $20.00 from another financial institutions ATM. If I cannot find an ATM from my bank I will make a purchase and ask for cash back.
– A Travel Agency. I don’t understand why people would pay fees for a travel agent if we can book our own trip on user friendly websites such as Expedia and Travelocity. My two favourite sites are Hotwire.com (regardless of my fear of the unknown) and Priceline.com.
I will always pay extra for our name brand items, and tips for delivery food and restaurant dining. I strongly believe that we get what we pay for. I love a great deal just as much as the next girl; however I prefer to pay a bit more to get better quality. I also always over tip in restaurants because to me it’s just an extra $1. But, to the waitress/waiter it could be a lot of money, if every single one of their clients tipped them an extra $1.
(Photo By Purpleslog )
Tahnya is 30 years old and lives in Montreal Quebec. She graduated in 2005 from Concordia University, and she currently works for a major International Financial Institution. She recently launched http://www.mediamadam.ca/. You can follow her on Twitter @TahnyaP.