When I was a baby, when you were crying, your mother or father would come running to take care of you. When he was a child, when he cried, his parents hugged him or talked until he stopped. As a teenager, when you wanted something, you would talk very nicely and sweetly to your parents to get it. Throughout your life, you may have received instant gratification, so as an adult, it is natural for you to believe that you should continue to receive this treatment. Unfortunately, this attitude affects every aspect of your life, including your spending habits.

It can be hard to resist the temptation of America’s instant gratification culture, which I call the “instant gratification factor.” Advertisers make consumers believe that everything is instantly obtainable by creating instant cereals, instant coffee, instant meals, instant messaging, instant credit card approval, and online shopping. I have labeled this behavior the “instant gratification syndrome” or “instant gratification syndrome.” To determine if you are a victim of “instant grati syndrome,” ask yourself the following questions:

1. If you see an item online or in store, do you buy it immediately?

2. Do you buy an item even if you don’t need it or the item is not in your size?

3. Do you buy an item with your credit card even though you know you don’t have the money to pay the bill when it arrives?

4. Do you get angry or defensive when someone questions your bad spending habits?

5. Do you rationalize your bad spending habits by saying things like “I work hard, I deserve it”, “Why can’t I have it?”, “You are not my father, I can buy whatever I want”, “I just had to have it” , “I don’t have to answer you”, “I want it now” or “I can buy it with my credit card”?

6. Is your house full of unused items you bought or items that still have the labels on them?

7. Do you go shopping with money already set aside to pay a bill?

8. Do you hide items that you have bought from your spouse, children or another partner?

9. Do you buy a new outfit every time you go to an event or meeting?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, you are a victim of “instant gratification syndrome.” Here are 6 ways to avoid “instant Grati syndrome”:

1. make debt free your ultimate goal

2. Stop listening to messages of instant gratification

3. Live your life as an investor

Surround yourself with people who are investors or people who are in a better financial situation

5. Enjoy the little things in life

6. Stop being depressed

This behavior is difficult to change, but it can be changed. Don’t buy on impulse, think before you buy and determine if the item is a want or a need. Embrace the old values ​​of working hard and saving money to buy something. So the next time you buy something with a credit card, ask yourself: am I a victim of the “instant gratification” syndrome?