Now, you know I’m really good at not spending money, but that sure doesn’t mean that I don’t want anything! When I really want something, I can often reason myself out of buying it though.

And that’s what I wanted to share with you today — 5 things that I’d really like to spend money on right now, plus the reasoning that is keeping my from whipping out my credit card (at least for now).

I think seeing my thought process as I try to resist the urge to spend will be helpful as you ponder your own spending decisions.

5 Things I Want to Buy So Badly + Why I’m Resisting

Fancy Workout Clothes

I follow a lot of fitness Instagrammers for workout inspiration and I can’t help but drool over their adorable workout outfits. I’d love to spend a small fortune on a workout wardrobe from Athleta or Cleo Harper!

I’m resisting this urge bigtime for few reasons:

1. I workout at home and do just fine in my thrift store capris with a t-shirt. No one to impress in my living room!
2. We’re trying hard to pay off all of our debt this year and fancy athletic wear is definitely not a ‘need’.
3. It’s so darn pricey! $50+ for a bra and $70+ for leggings is tough for me to swallow.

Will I ever splurge on the fancy workout clothes? Yeah!

I told Austin that once we pay off our debt, I want to set money aside for some major clothes shopping. I’m sure I’ll still wince at the price and maybe find some less expensive options (or at least wait for a big sale). For now, it’s fun to look and dream about being able to treat ourselves a little when we’re in a better financial spot.

All the Books

I’ve been reading a lot more this year and I’m loving it! The problem is my desire to purchase books. I see so many books that sound great and I put them in my Amazon cart and then hesitate.

Here’s why I’m resisting the urge to buy all the books:

1. I can rent them! We hardly ever go to the library, but we use ebook rental constantly. Our library gives us access to OverDrive and Hoopla for renting books. I can’t always get every single book that I want, but there is no shortage of good options.
2. I read more when it’s rented. When I buy a book, I’ve noticed that I don’t feel any sense of urgency to finish it because I own it. With rented books, I know that I only have so many weeks with each book, so I read more.
3. I don’t re-read many books. If I find a book that I want to re-read, I’ll probably buy it at that point. Otherwise, I know that it’s not worth buying a book to have it sit on my shelf forever.
4. I often prefer audiobooks. Austin and I both listen to a lot of books, so owned physical copies don’t see much action.

There are a few books that I haven’t been able to get from the library that I may end up purchasing at some point. But since there are so many other great books available to me for free, who knows when that will happen. 🙂

A Ceiling Fan

Our home is solidly in the mid-century modern style. For some insane reason, there is a giant ceiling fan in our living room that looks like it belongs in a farm house. It completely ruins the aesthetics of the room for me. Seriously, I glare at it daily. I know that it may be someone’s style, but it’s certainly not mine and doesn’t go with the entire rest of the house. I’ve been dying to get a different ceiling fan for almost a year now!

This is why we haven’t made it happen:

1. We have a ceiling fan. Yes, it’s ugly, but it’s there and it works.
2. We’ve had other, much more important, house projects to spend money on. Priorities, right?

When will I get to stop looking at this monstrosity? Soon!

We decided that if we got a tax return, we would spend a chunk of it on a new ceiling fan. We got our taxes done a few weeks ago and are just waiting for the money to hit our account. I’m beyond excited!

Anything from Ikea

I’ve been dreaming of a trip to Ikea for a year or two now! We live about 3 hours away from one, and it’s just a super-fun trip to make. I’d love to browse for a while, eat some meatballs, and pick up something for our house.

Why we aren’t making an Ikea trip:

1. We don’t really need anything from there! Haha, it’s fun to go, but you kind of need a reason to spend six hours in a car right? There are plenty of things I would love to get, but nothing we really need.
2. I’m trying so hard to stay focused on paying off debt!

When will I get to go to Ikea? Who knows! Until I have a pretty good reason and the money to spend, I think it’s best if I stay away.

A Gym Membership

I used to enjoy going to the gym to work out and I’ve thought about trying a membership again. There are some boutique studios around us for barre and yoga that I’ve looked into as well.

Here’s why I’m not doing it:

1. It’s expensive! A regular gym membership wouldn’t be too terrible, but those boutique studios are insanely pricey.
2. I’m doing just find working out at home. I’ve got my routine down, am seeing great results, and don’t have the hassle of going somewhere.
3. My back is still giving me trouble. I have problems with a bulging disc and am not sure what the near future will bring in terms of treatment. It’s much more comfortable for me to work out at home where I can stick to the exercises that I can do without pain.

Will I try a gym membership again? Not any time soon. I tried a free trial of an online barre membership that I enjoyed, but it wasn’t worth the cost to me. I really want to try Alexia Clark’s online workout program, but that’s not cheap either. When my back is feeling better and if I can increase my income, I’ll think about it again!

As we try to stick to our budget so that we can reach our debt payoff goal, I have to think twice before I make any purchases. There are some things that don’t make sense to spend money on at all, and others that just need to wait.

That practice of delaying gratification is not always fun, but I know that it’s helping us achieve bigger things that we will be very proud of.

You Might Like These Posts Too:

When to Save and When to Pay off Debt

Our $2500 Per Month Budget

How to Have Fun While You’re Paying Off Debt

10 Ways to Stop Impulse Purchases

⇒ I’d love to know — what are you trying to resist the urge to spend money on?