Creating vision boards has been my thing since the days of cutting out magazines and sticking them into scrapbooks, but I’ve realised the digital version helps me to spend less.
When Pinterest was created in 2010, I can’t imagine the creators imagined it would be used by a 20-something to help budget her life. Yet, as I sit here pinning away, that’s exactly what it has become.
Shopping is fun, but I find it easy to get swept up in the moment and get carried away. There are numerous occasions when I would be in a shop, see something I liked, buy it, bring it home and never wear or use it. Because although I liked it, it wasn’t something I’d thought about. It was impulsive, not intentional.
Here’s how Pinterest helped me change that:
Picture What You Want.
The sky’s the limit with Pinterest, whether you want to pin houses, cars, bags or shoes. You get to:
Prioritise What You Need
Once you’ve pictured what you want, you can prioritise what you need. For example, are you pinning a supercar because you want that exact model, or because you want a car you feel excited to drive each morning? Is it the bag, or the style? Which item can you afford first? What will you get the most use out of? What would bring you the most joy?
Purchase!
Once you’ve been real with yourself over our wants and needs, it’s time to purchase! Shopping can hit you with a much-needed dopamine boost, but so often when we purchase things the joy is short-lived because it is impulsive. By being intentional about our purchases the effects are longer lasting.