controlling spending

welcome to introspection ft. harsehaj! ⭐️ i’m harsehaj, a 19 y/o always up to something in social good x tech.

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onto today’s topic: controlling spending 💸 

i’ve been tempted to say “one of everything please” way too many times since coming to korea. the cafés are top notch, the little trinkets everywhere are adorable and the clothing is a dream. i want all of it, but do i really want all of it or is it just the consumerism virus taking over?

i never really go shopping for fun — it’s mostly out of necessity, but for this trip i wrote out a list of things i really want (not need) to buy within reason of my budget. this list has helped me stay in control and not succumb to impulse spending. 🛒 so far it’s going well LOL.

at markets, one thing i like doing is just walking around and stopping when something catches my eye. i’ll look at it some more and then move on. if i notice that i keep thinking about that thing later on, i’ll be more inclined to buy it since it’s no longer the shiny display cases tempting me, but the item itself.

i enjoy trying new things so when it comes to food, that strategy tends to fail. determining the value of the food tends to come from the novelty of it and mentally cross referencing other food prices. i didn’t bat an eye when i immediately walked up to a tanghulu stand when i saw it the other day and handed over 3000krw (for $3? why wouldn’t i?).

despite believing “money will come back,” i still am in control of my spending. it’s important to be in control of essential drivers for your life, no matter how much of a go with the flow type of person you are. 🛍️ 

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