Written by Kodie Axelsen
Here we are again! Another month of money goodness! This topic made me go straight to fast fashion, Afterpay, Zip Pay etc. It is easy to get caught in the trap of utilising such readily available credit such as Afterpay and Zip Pay. With paid advertising and phones tapping into all that you want and throwing it in your face on a daily basis, it’s likely you’re going to be baited into buying all the things you want but don’t need. Over consumption has created a market for businesses like Afterpay to swoop in and come to your rescue allowing you the instant gratification of those jeans you want but can’t afford to be delivered to your door in the next two days. Well damn! If you find a more better suited facility for the young generation I’ll eat my shirt.
There isn’t much this generation is used to waiting for and now money has become one of them. It is creating a society where instant gratification is the norm and accessing quick credit is normality. I see it in my profession on a daily basis and it has become a question that every client gets asked.
Do you have Afterpay or Zip Pay? 90% of people do. There facilities have now become classed as credit facilities and they do show up on your credit file much like a credit card. So beware they are no longer treated like they don’t exist and in any cases we are having clients shut their facilities down prior to accessing credit when their borrowing capacity is an issue.
This may be on the extreme side of things but it is almost a gateway drug to being a credit junkie. People become addicted to buying items without feeling the hurt of the money leaving their account. It is like their brain doesn’t connect the dots that you worked so many hours in your day to buy this item. There’s no questioning of the decision as the implications don’t hurt there and then. You’re training your brain to love on all the feels of buying new clothes and things but not connect to the pathway of the feeling you get when you realise you truly can’t afford them.
Moral to the story, be wary. Think before you buy. Do you really need what it is you want to buy but don’t necessarily need or are you loving all the feels of the delivery of that package on your doorstep.
Truth be told I am not immune to the feeling of the excitement when a package rocks up on my doorstep. But. In saying that I am not frivolous with my money and I reflect on the true cost of that item in regards to my time and my sacrifice. Be smart. Take a day before jumping into a purchase and ask yourself if it is something you can truly afford and if it helps you achieve your financial goals in the long run.