← The Practice of Financial Living
The Practice of Financial Living · Card 4
Intentional Spending
Same purchase.Decided before, or during.
- Before the moment
- During it
- Still feels right later
- Rarely feels the same
Spending on purpose and spending on impulse can buy the exact same thing; the difference only shows up in whether it was decided before the moment, or during it.
In Practice
A planned ₹15,000 phone upgrade, budgeted for weeks in advance, and an identical ₹15,000 upgrade bought on impulse during a flash sale, cost the same money but rarely feel the same a month later.
Generic Example
A planned dessert, saved for and looked forward to, and an identical impulse dessert grabbed at a checkout counter, taste the same but are remembered very differently.
Ask yourself
Was this decided before the moment, or during it?