I think it’s fair to say that most people have vices, or something approaching one. On top of that, most people who partake in a vice are most likely willing to pay a pretty penny to keep engaging in it. I personally believe it’s alright for adults to engage in whatever interests strike their fancy, but just like anything else, you should manage it properly. Not being responsible about it can lead to addiction, poor choices, and a lot of financial issues in the long run.
Most of the time, when you create a budget, you’ll find that you regularly partake in at least one vice or would-be vice. Before I go on, I do want to acknowledge what I’m calling a vice. As far as I’m concerned, it’s basically something you indulge in – to the point where it is has started becoming a shortcoming.
In practice, this usually presents itself as something that we may see no issue with spending a lot of money on or participating in at the level we currently do, but the average person would think it’s odd or extreme. That leaves some room for grey in the definition, but it helps give a better idea of what I’m talking about.
There are tons of common vices. They can be drinking, smoking, eating (in excess), working out, remodeling cars, and a million other things. It isn’t necessarily something that is innately bad, but rather that it can be taken to unhealthy extremes.
Key Considerations
If you think you may have issues controlling a particular vice or spending habit, try considering the following.
Are You Doing It Because Of Some Impulse?
If this is something you do on a spur-of-the-moment whim, it might not be the best decision. As a general rule, before you do something very out of the ordinary, crazy, or just make a large purchase – try to sleep on it. Usually a good night’s rest can give you some clarity on the matter. Better yet, if you can wait just one week before making a final decision, you’re likely to no longer be interested in going through with it.
Do You HaveThe Discipline To Stop Yourself From Going Too Far?
I’m a fan of moderation, but if you know you can’t control yourself with some substance or type of purchase, keep away from it. For example, if you have issues with alcohol and can’t stop once you start, then don’t start at all. Additionally, if you find yourself craving the rush of gambling, avoid it in all of its forms. Yes, even avoid it in some video game that doesn’t cost you a dime – the key is avoiding that same type of experience or rush. With this kind of thing, you need to be brutally honest with yourself and what you can actually handle.
Does This Potentially Go Against Your Personal Morals?
Don’t do something that might make you hate yourself later on and disregard the standards you’ve set for yourself. For some people drinking at all or even eating certain types of food might be considered a vice that goes against their beliefs, but I’m also referring to participating in something that you (or most other people) considers normal – and then taking it too far.
We can often convince ourselves (at least in the short-term) that some unhealthy activity or extreme may be a good idea – again, trying to sleep on it or waiting a week before doing something radical can be a game-changer.
Does It Hurt Your Goals?
This can go a lot of different ways, it really depends on the situation. For example, the overconsumption of sweets may go against your fitness goals, compulsive shopping may hurt financial goals, and using too many tobacco products could hurt both. Try to think through the potential ramifications of your actions, especially when you let them become habits.
How To Stay In Control
Confident you have a vice that is out of control? Everyone slips up, but it’s how you handle it that matters most.
Fess Up
I know it can be hard to admit when you have a problem or you’ve taken something to an unhealthy extreme, but you must be willing to acknowledge it before you can fix the issue. Don’t try to rationalize why you’re doing it. If it’s bad, you know it’s bad, and you know you need to resolve it. Trying to come up with reasons why you’re doing it is just an attempt to help you feel better about a mistake or give you a reason to keep doing it.
If you’re struggling with that, focus on the things the vice is preventing you from being able to do instead. Again, honesty is important, especially with yourself.
Stay Accountable
Find a way to keep yourself accountable for getting it under control. If you can find a way to do that yourself, great. However, it can be really hard to keep yourself accountable for getting this in check, especially since vices are usually such an emotional issue too. In my opinion, it can be a great help to have someone to turn to during this.
Now, you can tell all your friends or even everyone you know about your diet or you quitting alcohol cold-turkey (or whatever it is that you’re doing), but I think it is better to just focus on having one or two people you talk with regularly who can help you out. For example, you could tell a family member, a significant other, or a close friend. By doing so, you’ve turned to someone you can trust, who will try to help you (and not bash your efforts), and who will actually be able to hold you responsible.
Turn Your Solution Into Healthy And Simple Habits
However you are trying to break the vice (or better yourself in general), work on it by breaking it down into a simple habit or system to follow. For example, on a diet you could make it so every Wednesday is a cheat day, and all other days follow a simple meal plan. For something like tobacco use, you could decrease your weekly consumption by a flat amount until you’re clean or at the level you want to be at.
Remember, the goal is to keep things simple for you and make it as easy as possible to stay consistent – addressing a vice can be very difficult and anything you can do to make the load easier for yourself is worthwhile.
Have Consequences
I’m not going to go into the whole positive or negative reinforcement debate. You should know what type of strategy works best for you. Find a way to either reward yourself when you’ve stayed consistent (and NOT by engaging in the vice further) or to punish yourself for falling off the wagon. Bonus points if this is something the individual(s) you confided in can take direct control of.
Keep A Journal – Of Sorts
No, it doesn’t have to be a literal journal. When you feel the need to participate in a vice, record everything you’re feeling in that moment. Try to be as detailed as possible, but don’t worry about making it perfect. Additionally, when you successfully avoid your vice, record what you’re feeling in that moment too. For the best results, this needs to be done in a format that you can look back over every now and then (so not just verbally telling a friend).
This could include an actual journal, texts, bullet points on a notepad, poetry, or anything else you can come up with. A lot of times being able to look back at what you were feeling can help motivate you to stay strong and not give in to temptation.
Conclusion
Having little things to indulge in can be great and a healthy, normal occurrence. Just be sure you don’t let it get out of hand and become an unhealthy habit. In my personal experience, I like to indulge in several small things, and it helps me from letting anything get out of control. However, other people seem to like having at least one thing they actively splurge in, but in very controlled ways. Whatever you think works best for you is the way to go.
If you have any tips of tricks of your own, please share them in the comments! For more content like this, and a free budgeting template and financial goals worksheet, be sure to sign up for the Bitter to Richer newsletter.
