Back to Basics

*This entry is dedicated to someone who claims she doesn't know how to save $$

'..Most of us are familiar with the temptation to 'enhance' the quality of our lives. It can be something as enjoying a more expensive cup of coffee to buying a brand-name piece of clothing, a new set of cutlery, changing the furniture or upgrading to a bigger home and a more expensive car.

Before you know it, you find it hard to move back to the previous sate, something that Dr Ariely terms the pre-ownership state. Moving backwards is deemed a loss, 'one that we cannot abide', he explains.

What we also need to note is that once we are 'anchored' to the more expensive cup of coffee or a higher standard of living, it affects our future preferences and decisions as well. So in the case of coffee drinking, you will find that it has become a habit to pay more for coffee.

What is the lesson here? Understand that our first decisions can translate into long-term habits. By firstly being aware of this, Dr Ariely suggests that we can train to question ourselves on our repeated behaviours or decisions. Ask how we began having that habit or buying that item and how much pleasure are we really getting out of it? Could we spend the money on something else?'

Came across this article in ST couple of weeks back. It struck me cos it kinda explains what i've been trying to do..just that i didn't know there was a term for it - 'Pre-ownership state'.

Things like..i refuse to get into the habit of driving everywhere and try to take public transport when possible. Till today, i have people who seemed puzzled when i tell them i took the bus down, their common response is 'what happened to your van?' and when i reply it's just at home, they will look even more puzzled and continue asking 'so why didn't u drive?' and their expressions sometimes turn to those of disbelief when i say i just feel like taking the bus. I guess to them i'm taking a step backward(esp in sg, when driving doubleups as 'status' for having 'arrived'..never mind that i'm just driving a van).

But i must admit that i've also fallen prey to the habit forming thingy, such as my preference for higher-end/gourmet bread, ditching those neighbourhood bakery bread for (much more expensive)foccaccia and ciabatta @_@ Can i still go back to those kaya buns(ya kun excluded) days?

I guess i'm digressing from the topic of saving(it's MY blog rem? i can say watever i want)..It's just the way our society is wired..to upgrade, upgrade and upgrade..i'm not against upgrading, but like what Dr Ariely mentioned, how much pleasure do we actually derive from the upgrade? Every now & then, you'll hear things like 'things are better back when things are simpler'..so is the upgrade really for the better? Or has it become just a habit to upgrade?

Let's see how long i can resist all this 'upgrading'..