The Oddity of Saving

I feel part of the reason some people are in tough financial situations is because of many thinking instant gratification is the norm. Some of them feel that if they get some extra money or have money left over they must spend it.

Today, I went to the dentist to get a temporary crown put on one of my teeth. The last time I was in for a checkup, the assistant thought I would need to have the tooth built up before putting the crown on. Today they found out it didn't need to be built up, so I saved about $250. The assistant told me that and said now I could go spend it at the fair or street fair or something.

When I got done and asking about the bill, the receptionist said I could save $50 if I paid it today. I am fortunate to have the money available and was able to write a check for the full amount today and was able to save $50. She also made a comment about being able to have more to spend at the street fair or something.

A few weeks ago we had a family reunion. One day I took my 10 year old nephew to the store to pick up some things for my mom. She gave me some cash and he thought we had to spend the entire amount, but we didn't.

You may think you need something now, but consider if you really do want it or if you could do or buy something else in the future if you saved the money.