Why Procrastination Costs us Money

Ok, we all know that procrastination (the bad habit of putting things off) can cause all sorts of issues.

Leaving a school or work project until the last minute and then finding the printer is out of ink, or running late for an appointment and the car won’t start - we've all done it. But putting things off can have a much more serious outcome.

What about putting off getting the car brakes serviced, or buying those much needed new tyres? Could you forgive yourself if this act of procrastination caused harm to someone you care about?

How about putting off getting that check-up? Having a pap test? Getting that mole looked at? This kind of procrastination can have fatal consequences.



But the kind of procrastination I’m talking about here is probably the most common, and, as well as causing annoyance and wasting time, it can lose us a lot of money over the years.

A recent survey in America showed that the average person spends fifty-five minutes a day looking for lost or misplaced items. And what do most of us do when we can’t find the item? We go out and buy a new one. How many times have you done this? I know I do, even though I pride myself on being pretty organised. I've bought maybe hundreds of pens, pencils and assorted stationery over the years, but rarely worn them out or used them up. I lose them. Don’t ask me where they disappear to.

The same goes for things like socks. I don’t think I've ever worn out a pair of socks. I really like the theory that dryer lint is the cremated remains of all our missing socks. It would explain a lot.

While it’s much easier said than done, the old saying a place for everything and everything in its place makes a lot of sense. We need to make a conscious effort to put items away where we know we can find them easily. We should label containers, write lists and toss away things we really don’t need.



There’s also another side to this habit - buying something with good intentions to use it and then letting it sit in the corner gathering dust. Yep, you know what I’m talking about: The exercise machine, the bread-maker, the fabric to make those new curtains, the paints and canvasses to begin your new career as an artist….

We work hard to earn our money, and purchases like these should be carefully considered. I’m not saying don’t buy them - I’m saying buy them if you really want them, but make sure you use and enjoy them and get your money’s worth.

Whenever we pull out our purse or wallet to make a purchase, we need to stop and think; are we going to buy this item and procrastinate about using it? Or would we be better off to procrastinate about buying it in the first place?

#_life_skills
#_procrastination
#_money
#_organisation
#_self_care
#_self_control

%selfavenue