Weighing your wants against your goals

[Tom R.]

Just before Christmas I got a big promotion that came with a substantial raise. Counting the promotion I got earlier in the year and multiple raises my wages are now close to 40% more than what they were a year ago. I decided to spoil my nieces and nephews for the first time for Christmas. Then after Christmas I decided to splurge on myself a little. Not a lot I think I spent around $250 on some gadgets and collectables. I had not done that since before I went back to school 7 years ago. I now find myself tempted almost daily to buy something I dont really need. I even found myself thinking if I bought a bigger house I'd have room to put all the new things I suddenly find myself tempted to buy. I got interested in real estate as a passive money investment just over 6 months ago and already I find myself distracted by the I wants. This afternoon I stumbled upon something I wrote when I first started. It was something that was suggested by the author of one of the books I had read on real estate investing. I wish I could remember which book so I could give credit. It was a txt file I called "Why am I doing this". In it I wrote down my reasons for investing in real estate and my goals. I still have the I wants but I can weigh them against my goals and decide which ones I want more.