Mel Abraham distinguishes between reward purchases, which are planned and guilt-free, and rescue purchases, impulsive buys made to escape negative emotions. The same item can have different financial consequences depending on your motivation. Before buying, ask yourself: are you rewarding or rescuing?
I deserve this. Two different sentences hiding in one phrase. One is a reward, the other, it's a rescue. See, they lead to two completely different financial futures. Reward is a purchase that you already plan for. You look forward to it, no guilt attached, nothing. But a rescue, that shows up right before a purchase you already know you shouldn't be making. It's covering for something, maybe a bad week, a bad fight, burnout. It's therapy with a receipt. The purchase was never the problem. What the purchase is covering for, well, that's the problem. So next time you catch yourself going, hmm, ask one question. Am I rewarding myself or something planned? Or am I rescuing myself from something I'm feeling? Same purchase, completely different financial future. Let's do this.
