Ah patience. I’ll be really honest with you and admit that I am not a very patient person. I want what I want right now. Unfortunately, to save big, you can’t always have what you want right now. Sometimes you have to wait. Sorry. There’s no real way around it. To save big, you have to be patient.
There are times when I want something, but I choose to wait (plan your pain, remember?) because I know it’ll eventually go on sale. Generally, my best friend and I have the same motto…if I’m meant to have it, it’ll be there when I come back (and hopefully, it’ll be on clearance and I’ll be rocking some awesome coupons!).
Truly, by living by that sentiment and being patient, I’ve become more thankful for what I have. It’s also forced me to be creative with the resources I already have. The saving lifestyle isn’t all about instant gratification. It doesn’t mean you won’t get lucky sometimes and score big, it just means that you have to accept that sometimes you’ll need to wait and that waiting isn’t such a bad thing.
I know it’s a hard pill to swallow, but if you accept it now, you won’t hurt later on when you’re living above your means and owe half the world interest because of your credit card debt. Instant gratification might be fun up front, but it will not be fun when you have creditors knocking at your door. It’s worth it to be patient, live within your budget and enjoy what you have. All it takes is a little discipline.