What are needs? I bet some of you don’t know this one….you’re so used to “needing” 23,498,237,492,873 things that your judgment has become skewed. Even I go through periods where I think I NEED something….but I don’t really. Sure, that pair of clearance shoes looks pretty good – I don’t need them though. Yes, I need shoes – however, my 15+ pairs at home could last me for a while (Barry is nodding his head). Needs are those things you cannot live without. I can live without a pair of cute shoes……YES, I can. When I say “needs” I mean the essentials – food, clothing, shelter, medical care, and Trigger’s Salsa…..okay, so maybe not the last one.  This includes your house payment, your budget for groceries (but don’t go overboard), adequate clothing (hello Goodwill!), and money for medical expenses (if needed). This does NOT include credit cards. HELLO! I said, this DOES NOT include credit cards. Honey, you don’t need a credit card. Put it down. It’s a weight around your neck. Lose weight the easy way and cut it up. The next time you start to pay for something, ask yourself this – “Do I really need this? Or can I do without it?” I guarantee you’ll start spending less money. Your budget should always cover your needs first.

The second thing you consider on your budget are wants. They are what you budget toward AFTER you pay for all your needs. Baby might want candy, but does Mommy have the leftover money? Seriously people, you are not depriving your children by making them do without things. You’re simply teaching them to wait for things they really want. This is a microwave society. I want it and I want it NOW. The word “no” isn’t going to kill your children. What doesn’t kill them only makes them stronger. Wants are basically all the things that don’t fall into the needs category. Teach your kids to work hard for what they really want. Don’t teach them that if they want it now, they can just go plunk down their Discover card and pay for it later. Things that might fall into this category are: eating out (no honey, that is NOT a need), gym membership, movies, cosmetics, cute shoes. After you budget for all those things you need, you’ll know how much money you have to put towards your wants. It will teach you to really think about what you’re spending on. It’s a good discipline to have. Be an adult.

This can get out of hand…..but everyone has wishes. The sad thing is, most people/children have moved wishes up to the needs list. You NEED to have WISHES. They give you something to work toward. I like to think that wishes are those things that we’ll be able to afford after we’re out of debt. I’m wishing now for a nice house in the country where I can walk around in my underwear if I want to without the neighbors thinking I’ve lost my mind….or where I can go out onto the porch without the whole neighborhood knowing I’m awake now. This wish is making me work HARD to pay for our needs so that we can get out from under that weight (townhouse payment). If you’re always getting your wishes, you really don’t have anything to look forward to – and you really aren’t looking forward to getting out of debt. Dream and wish big because when you’re out of debt, you’re going to be able to pay for them……and that’s enough to keep me from putting that pair of cute shoes in my buggy.