Savings at a Cost.

The cost of living has increased over the years, and financial management runs on everyone's mind when making expenditures. Some people who have seen hard times are skeptical, so they try to do their best to save and minimize their daily spending as much as possible. Or people who understand the money would do that too. Moreover, some find a boost to save from somewhere, just a good feeling that something was bought at a discount and not paid in full.

I sometimes feel everything, so I seek avenues to save. In Australia, one can make savings out of anything, and that was a first surprise for me. During my early days, not having prior knowledge, I would shop based on urgency.
In a planned set of events, savings make sense, especially here in Australia. Now, some companies lure people with hiking prices, and then offering a discount, or some would just put the same price and sell some discounted offers, but still, offers can be valid for a lot of reasons.

Half Price Deals, Offers, Points:
Even if the companies are pulling off shenanigans with the deals, offers, and discounts, if you buy not pulled by the price but by the need, it's a saving, but what if it's vice versa? What cost did you pay for that?

• Psychology of Free Money:
  First, the digital cards trigger the spending, and offers, discounts, and points add fuel to that. Now, psychologically, these triggers might have been sent or seen on applications, newsletters, or socials. Sometimes, I would even buy things that would just make me feel like I am saving.
  I installed a lot of applications that would collect points or notify some offers. When in planned events, I realized it was making me a good amount of savings, but what am I paying it for?
  These applications would put point systems, so as to increase a substantial gratification of collection. Now, a lot of products are promoted that I would see every day, EVERY DAY, in alignment with the data of previous purchases. Thus, increasing my chances of purchase even if I don't need them. Everything is programmed, and I would think I am saving.

• Gamification & Redemptions:
  The point system is claimable on a lot of platforms. This is a good thing, but because there is an existential point to redeem, my purchase on these platforms would certainly happen in any frame of time. Now, my purchases started to occur on multiple platforms, adding a bit of status quo but reducing my earnings rather than savings.
  Now, the gamification either gives a psychology of free money or saving, and the slow-paced systems sometimes require an extra effort to spend. This is contagious over a period of time.

When things slowly start to clear, and self-control is kept in check when one needs to be the most, it develops the capacity to recognize the shenanigans, maintain triggers in place, and practice mindfulness for money, one can actually save a lot in everyday life here in Australia.

Posted Using INLEO