Ask yourself these 4 questions before buying anything!

I recently opened an account and was sent a debit card. The leaflet had discounts of 25% and a lot more offers. Shop more was what it advocated. I opened this account because I wanted to have a separate account for emergency fund and when I saw "shop more" all over the card, I was a bit irritated. 

This is the world we live in today. We are encouraged to buy more, to buy new and just keep adding more and more. We are made to believe that we need all the things that these big corporation wants to sell. If we really look closely, there are very few things we actually need. Most of the things we feel we need are not actual need of the product but the need of fitting into the society. 

It is only natural to want to buy a house or a car or new clothes when you see half the world doing those things. We begin to feel that that is what is right for us. And to some extent it is true however sometimes we get caught up in this consumerist behaviours that we forget that it is depleting us of our finances. 

In my endeavor to gain financial freedom and lead a minimalist life, I ask myself these 4 questions before I buy anything. Hope it will also help you in some way

So here we go!

1. Do I really need it?

Do I really need a new shoe when I already have 5 lying around?  No I need it because I want something new to wear and or maybe I'm simply bored

2. Can I do without it? 

Can I do without a car? I get a cab to and from office. I can use uber. 

3. Can I use an alternative that i already have?

I need a shoe rack. Maybe I can use an old spare cupboard that's collecting dust in the store

room

4.Can I get it for free?

Lets say you need a crib for your baby. check and see if your friends or relatives can give you the ones that their children has out grown.  You are also saving the environment by reusing and not contributing  towards consumer waste

So the next time you are about to buy something, ask yourself theses 4 questions. If you have answered yes to No1 and No to all the others, then go ahead and buy or else, you know what to do :)