Wants and Needs - How Knowing the Difference Between Them Can Save You Money and Time
What is the difference between what you want and what you need? What you need is money for food, shelter and clothing.
It does not mean food in a restaurant, it does not mean frozen food, or ready-made meals or gourmet foods.
Shelter is anything that will get you out of the cold or the heat - regardless of how cramped the quarters are, a safe place to live, just so you are not out on the street.
And clothing - if you have clothing in your closet, no matter how many years old and it still fits you, that's your basic clothing.
You don't need to go out and shop for more clothing, and you certainly don't have to have designer clothing.
What I'm going to show is a blueprint.
We'll start out with the extreme circumstance.
The extreme kinds of budgeting.
If you have more money at your disposal and you are not incurring credit card debts, then you can use some of that money to relax some of the standard of living that a recession or a depression forces us into.
You may want a very big house, but do you really need it in this economy? Can you stay in the house you are in, or if your mortgage is too onerous for you to handle, perhaps you could consider downgrading and moving to a smaller house? I had to grapple with this issue myself a couple of years ago when I wanted a bigger house and I was all set to buy one - it was a lovely house and was everything I ever wanted and I didn't buy it because I saw signs that the economy was turning.
I had to wrestle with myself with my wants and needs.
I am still living in the same house, it's a bit cramped, but it's mine - and someday if the economy turns around and the money is there and that property comes back on the market, maybe then I'll move - or maybe I'll have just become accustomed to less space.
Do you want or need a luxury car? Could you make do with something that gets you from A to B? Do you want or need more clothing or an extra piece of jewellery? What is it that you do need? You may say that you need things for business, for example, better clothing.
But do you really need more clothing or could you buy clothing more cheaply? Ladies, how many pairs of shoes do you actually need? While some books are wonderful to own, must you own all the books you read, or can you get some at the library? How often do you go out to eat? What kinds of restaurants do you go to? Can you cut back on the number of times you entertain or go out to dinner? Can you cut back on the types of entertainment you go to? Everyone nowadays seems to love everything electronic.
Do you really need all those electronic toys? How fancy does your computer have to be? How much of a sound system do you need to enjoy your music? Can you do these things more cheaply or relinquish them altogether when necessary? It's better to know what your options are to conserve your assets rather than wait around and some day maybe have to give them up altogether.
Right now, while you still have a choice, if the economy is affecting you adversely and you are being forced to reorganize your priorities, you would be best served by taking a look at what you have, what you are willing to give up and what you are willing to economize on.
So if you are ever in a position where you have to give up something or everything, it will be less painful.
Any by economizing now, when you are not being forced to do it, you will end up with a plus in your savings account.
Many people just want to get away from it all and they go on holidays that they can ill-afford.
When they come back nothing has changed in their lives, except now when they come back from holiday they have less money than when they started.
If you are going on holiday, make sure you can afford it and there is still going to be money for you when you come back.
Everyone needs a break in their routine.
It doesn't mean you have to spend money to take that break.
Take advantage of the free things that are available to you - walking, cycling, fishing, free concerts, art galleries, museums.
For entertainment, instead of going out and spending money on entertainment - how about having people over to your home, or you going over to their home and playing cards or board games? There are many ways to relax and have fun with other people that don't cost you a cent.
In an economic recession, people get more depressed more easily so they need a little lift from time to time.
However, there is no reason to think total depression at the thought of having no money, no entertainment and nothing to break up the doom and gloom when there are plenty of free activities to do.
It requires friends and family to pull together to do things that are enjoyable to lift one another's spirits.
Learning how to economize can be enjoyable.
For example, instead of going out to the store and buying expensive Xmas and birthday presents, why not start making your own? I have a friend who has a large family and at Xmas time, they pull one name out a hat and you only make or buy a present for one person.
That saves a lot of money too.
To sum up wants and needs: You NEED: food, shelter and clothing - everything above that is a WANT.
E.
g.
a big house, designer clothes, fancy foods, a new car, electronic goods...
How can you have more of the things that you want? By becoming a smart shopper.
The economy is going down, the competition is fierce.
As conditions worsen and as competition increases, the smart businessperson will adjust their prices accordingly, and the smart negotiator, the smart consumer will look around and shop for better prices, and try to get a better deal before buying.
For example, in my home town, computer repairs are quite expensive.
However, I noticed a new computer company advertising their services for half price and nights and weekends are being offered at the same price as normal business hours.
I know a lady who has a computer servicing business and all of a sudden she has no clients.
They don't need computer repairs and servicing any more - they're economizing.
So she will have to reduce her rates and advertise herself differently in order to create customers.
People are being held hostage to a lot of different kinds of companies and they think that they don't have options.
But they certainly do.
And with the downturn, businesses have to be much more creative in their marketing and they have to be willing to negotiate on price.
We will be seeing more and more businesses offering special deals and using new marketing techniques to attract our business.
So this is a great time to improve your negotiating skills.
How can you negotiate a better price? Buy in bulk and buy when it's on offer.
Even if it's not on offer and you are buying a large quantity - e.
g.
envelopes, tins of beans, whatever it is - always ask for a discount.
I had to walk my own talk this week in a local discount stationery store.
I was buying 50 envelopes and a few other things and I asked the assistant for a discount.
He flatly said that they did not offer discounts unless you spent at least $1000.
So I asked him to call the manager who did agree to a discount.
It is always worth trying and usually will save you some money! Ask for an extra e.
g.
I bought an alarm clock - it was reduced from $35 to $29 and she wouldn't reduce it further, but she threw in two batteries which would have cost $10.
00 Shop on days and at hours when trade is slow In vegetable and flower markets, shop late in the day when vendors want to get rid of perishables.
If you cannot come to an agreement, try holding out the money in cash that you are prepared to pay - the sight of cash is very powerful.
Be prepared to walk away - don't be attached to the deal.
When I had my property investment company in the UK, I had to negotiate on every property that I bought and sold.
I had to negotiate with banks and finance companies to get the best mortgages, I had to negotiate with lawyers to get the best representation for the contracts I entered into.
If you are in business, you can expect your customers to negotiate with you, and in this downturn, if you are not willing to negotiate you might lose the sale.
For example, there was a woman in the US who wanted to buy a new Honda.
She had been told that if pushed to the wall, a dealer is allowed to give up to 20% off on the sticker price.
They don't like to do it, but they will do it - especially when they have no sales.
She called this company and tried to negotiate with them - they said: "it's not our philosophy to discount our cars.
We will not negotiate.
So she went elsewhere.
She ended up buying a car, getting her 20% discount from another dealer that didn't have a philosophy of no negotiation.
If you don't get emotionally attached to what you want to buy - and a car is one of the examples of where people do get attached, you will be able to get a good deal.
What often happens, is that people often get emotionally attached to big ticket items e.
g.
a car, a house, a boat.
Always remember, if one company doesn't want to deal, there's always another company that will.
Just keep looking.
So there is a middle road between wants and needs in the economy.
Maybe you can have more of what you want if you become a better shopper.
But at the current prices, it is essential that you separate your wants and your needs.
So if you are a smart shopper and can negotiate much better prices, you might be able to afford one or two of your wants.
But if you aren't an informed shopper, then I would suggest that you stick to your needs.
To sum up: Points to remember when negotiating: -don't be attached to the deal -be ready to walk away -don't do impulse buying -shop around before you commit
It does not mean food in a restaurant, it does not mean frozen food, or ready-made meals or gourmet foods.
Shelter is anything that will get you out of the cold or the heat - regardless of how cramped the quarters are, a safe place to live, just so you are not out on the street.
And clothing - if you have clothing in your closet, no matter how many years old and it still fits you, that's your basic clothing.
You don't need to go out and shop for more clothing, and you certainly don't have to have designer clothing.
What I'm going to show is a blueprint.
We'll start out with the extreme circumstance.
The extreme kinds of budgeting.
If you have more money at your disposal and you are not incurring credit card debts, then you can use some of that money to relax some of the standard of living that a recession or a depression forces us into.
You may want a very big house, but do you really need it in this economy? Can you stay in the house you are in, or if your mortgage is too onerous for you to handle, perhaps you could consider downgrading and moving to a smaller house? I had to grapple with this issue myself a couple of years ago when I wanted a bigger house and I was all set to buy one - it was a lovely house and was everything I ever wanted and I didn't buy it because I saw signs that the economy was turning.
I had to wrestle with myself with my wants and needs.
I am still living in the same house, it's a bit cramped, but it's mine - and someday if the economy turns around and the money is there and that property comes back on the market, maybe then I'll move - or maybe I'll have just become accustomed to less space.
Do you want or need a luxury car? Could you make do with something that gets you from A to B? Do you want or need more clothing or an extra piece of jewellery? What is it that you do need? You may say that you need things for business, for example, better clothing.
But do you really need more clothing or could you buy clothing more cheaply? Ladies, how many pairs of shoes do you actually need? While some books are wonderful to own, must you own all the books you read, or can you get some at the library? How often do you go out to eat? What kinds of restaurants do you go to? Can you cut back on the number of times you entertain or go out to dinner? Can you cut back on the types of entertainment you go to? Everyone nowadays seems to love everything electronic.
Do you really need all those electronic toys? How fancy does your computer have to be? How much of a sound system do you need to enjoy your music? Can you do these things more cheaply or relinquish them altogether when necessary? It's better to know what your options are to conserve your assets rather than wait around and some day maybe have to give them up altogether.
Right now, while you still have a choice, if the economy is affecting you adversely and you are being forced to reorganize your priorities, you would be best served by taking a look at what you have, what you are willing to give up and what you are willing to economize on.
So if you are ever in a position where you have to give up something or everything, it will be less painful.
Any by economizing now, when you are not being forced to do it, you will end up with a plus in your savings account.
Many people just want to get away from it all and they go on holidays that they can ill-afford.
When they come back nothing has changed in their lives, except now when they come back from holiday they have less money than when they started.
If you are going on holiday, make sure you can afford it and there is still going to be money for you when you come back.
Everyone needs a break in their routine.
It doesn't mean you have to spend money to take that break.
Take advantage of the free things that are available to you - walking, cycling, fishing, free concerts, art galleries, museums.
For entertainment, instead of going out and spending money on entertainment - how about having people over to your home, or you going over to their home and playing cards or board games? There are many ways to relax and have fun with other people that don't cost you a cent.
In an economic recession, people get more depressed more easily so they need a little lift from time to time.
However, there is no reason to think total depression at the thought of having no money, no entertainment and nothing to break up the doom and gloom when there are plenty of free activities to do.
It requires friends and family to pull together to do things that are enjoyable to lift one another's spirits.
Learning how to economize can be enjoyable.
For example, instead of going out to the store and buying expensive Xmas and birthday presents, why not start making your own? I have a friend who has a large family and at Xmas time, they pull one name out a hat and you only make or buy a present for one person.
That saves a lot of money too.
To sum up wants and needs: You NEED: food, shelter and clothing - everything above that is a WANT.
E.
g.
a big house, designer clothes, fancy foods, a new car, electronic goods...
How can you have more of the things that you want? By becoming a smart shopper.
The economy is going down, the competition is fierce.
As conditions worsen and as competition increases, the smart businessperson will adjust their prices accordingly, and the smart negotiator, the smart consumer will look around and shop for better prices, and try to get a better deal before buying.
For example, in my home town, computer repairs are quite expensive.
However, I noticed a new computer company advertising their services for half price and nights and weekends are being offered at the same price as normal business hours.
I know a lady who has a computer servicing business and all of a sudden she has no clients.
They don't need computer repairs and servicing any more - they're economizing.
So she will have to reduce her rates and advertise herself differently in order to create customers.
People are being held hostage to a lot of different kinds of companies and they think that they don't have options.
But they certainly do.
And with the downturn, businesses have to be much more creative in their marketing and they have to be willing to negotiate on price.
We will be seeing more and more businesses offering special deals and using new marketing techniques to attract our business.
So this is a great time to improve your negotiating skills.
How can you negotiate a better price? Buy in bulk and buy when it's on offer.
Even if it's not on offer and you are buying a large quantity - e.
g.
envelopes, tins of beans, whatever it is - always ask for a discount.
I had to walk my own talk this week in a local discount stationery store.
I was buying 50 envelopes and a few other things and I asked the assistant for a discount.
He flatly said that they did not offer discounts unless you spent at least $1000.
So I asked him to call the manager who did agree to a discount.
It is always worth trying and usually will save you some money! Ask for an extra e.
g.
I bought an alarm clock - it was reduced from $35 to $29 and she wouldn't reduce it further, but she threw in two batteries which would have cost $10.
00 Shop on days and at hours when trade is slow In vegetable and flower markets, shop late in the day when vendors want to get rid of perishables.
If you cannot come to an agreement, try holding out the money in cash that you are prepared to pay - the sight of cash is very powerful.
Be prepared to walk away - don't be attached to the deal.
When I had my property investment company in the UK, I had to negotiate on every property that I bought and sold.
I had to negotiate with banks and finance companies to get the best mortgages, I had to negotiate with lawyers to get the best representation for the contracts I entered into.
If you are in business, you can expect your customers to negotiate with you, and in this downturn, if you are not willing to negotiate you might lose the sale.
For example, there was a woman in the US who wanted to buy a new Honda.
She had been told that if pushed to the wall, a dealer is allowed to give up to 20% off on the sticker price.
They don't like to do it, but they will do it - especially when they have no sales.
She called this company and tried to negotiate with them - they said: "it's not our philosophy to discount our cars.
We will not negotiate.
So she went elsewhere.
She ended up buying a car, getting her 20% discount from another dealer that didn't have a philosophy of no negotiation.
If you don't get emotionally attached to what you want to buy - and a car is one of the examples of where people do get attached, you will be able to get a good deal.
What often happens, is that people often get emotionally attached to big ticket items e.
g.
a car, a house, a boat.
Always remember, if one company doesn't want to deal, there's always another company that will.
Just keep looking.
So there is a middle road between wants and needs in the economy.
Maybe you can have more of what you want if you become a better shopper.
But at the current prices, it is essential that you separate your wants and your needs.
So if you are a smart shopper and can negotiate much better prices, you might be able to afford one or two of your wants.
But if you aren't an informed shopper, then I would suggest that you stick to your needs.
To sum up: Points to remember when negotiating: -don't be attached to the deal -be ready to walk away -don't do impulse buying -shop around before you commit
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