The Little Things Really Do Add Up

I didn’t spend €400 at Ikea the other day, but I did spend €11.65, and that wasn’t in the budget. This is how my spending goes. I’m able to avoid spending lots of money on big ticket items, but it’s walking out of the dollar store or the thrift shop (or Ikea) without purchasing something that’s almost impossible for me.

I justify what I buy in any number of ways, but usually by saying: “I need it, I’ve been looking for it for a while, and it was a good price.” The question I should be asking myself, however, is “Do I need it now?”

What did I buy at Ikea? A pillow for my oldest son, three cardboard cat scratchers, and something that I can’t remember despite buying it a little less than a week ago. Was it really that necessary?