Accounting My Online Purchases
It sucks when we run out of money and it's like it is just slipping through our fingers. So, I decided to make a list of my online purchases and categorize it based on my needs and wants.
Rica Peralejo's vlog about managing money gave me the idea of writing this. It reminded me that I should be financially aware especially in this time of pandemic where it is hard to earn money.
I like it because she spoke about how she handles her money and even guested a financial advisor on this vlog.
In this time of the pandemic, I had purchases that I regretted to buy and it isn't worth it. It became a lesson and as discussed on the vlog, it was one of the money mistakes that I wasn't able to avoid.
Here is a list of my online purchases
I started online shopping just this pandemic because I cannot go to physical stores. I'm not really a spender but sometimes I am being possessed of the impulsive buying spirit. LoL. As you can see, I made a breakdown of the items I purchased. Some of them are worth it and some are not.
Prices of it may be different from what it is now because of the shipping fees and the time ordered. Shopee, Lazada, and Zalora are my trusted e-commerce sites that I shop at since they are already proven and tested by others.
3,834 pesos or $74.48 is the total breakdown of my purchases. Looking at it now, it's a big figure for me as a student who doesn't have a regular job.
My Needs vs Wants
Of course, I made a table of my Needs vs Wants. The majority of the items listed on my Needs are for my online class: Highlighters, Muji Inspired Notebook, and Earphones. The remaining two are for myself and the cats.
The items listed on the Wants are the ones that I want but it isn't actually necessary or a need as of this moment.
Items that are Worth It and are Not Worth It
It is already automatic that the items that I purchased for my online class are worth it because I used them most of the time. The Ceramide cream is what I use for my body and the running shoes for jogging and when working out.
So, some of it is partially worth it that I regretted buying. First is the phone case, I bought it because I am clumsy and I needed a case that has a wrist strap because my phone always gets dropped for no reason. I consider it partially worth it because I do not use it anymore for the reason that it can't fit on my phone stand due to the magnet ring on it.
Sling bag and Chia seeds. I don't use and consume this always. The sling bag was my first online purchase and the reason that I bought because I think it looks cute. But due to the current situation that we're in, it just gets stored in my cabinet. The chia seeds on the other hand were for my oats and drinks. I bought it because it helps with my diet and it is healthy. But I just used it sometimes and consumed not even a cup of it.
On the other hand, the pet leash and ring binders are useful but not all the time. I bought two pet leashes for my cats but we don't use them often because the cats are just free-roaming. We just leash one of them when they are being naughty especially when we are eating. The ring binders are useful but didn't reach my expectations. It's not straight when I put it on my notebook that I have to cut the rings by two's and three's.
What I learned from this is that I should be thinking and researching it so that I wouldn't waste my money. I learned that I should have a budget and a trust fund. Budget for me to control what I bought and not buy unnecessary things and trust funds when I get short of money. Realizing it now, I should learn to prioritize my Needs over my Wants.
I also learned that I get to have 5-10% or even more Cashback by shopping online. I downloaded the ShopBack app and as of now, I am happy that I get to have a return of some of the money that I spent. Here is my link if you're planning to download the app:
https://app.shopback.com/l3q1pg3SSkb
Author's Note:
Hola, how are you doing? Exams are coming my way. Wish me luck. Hahaha. Anyways, thank you for reading this! You might want to also check on your spendings. :"))
Check out my previous articles:
Mostly sa mga pini purchase ko online are for my cat and house hold items. I think, I only bought 3 products out of several products for myself. If may extra namna, di go. Pero we really hve to be wise in spending our money.