…Good, Better, Best.

The recent launching of the latest iPhone 4 gave me much to think about regarding when it is time to replace an existing item. One of my friends stood in line for 5 hours waiting for his new toy. Now, he’s a frugal and practical kind of guy and he had a fairly recent version of the iPhone in his possession. However, the allure of all the new bells and whistles was a bit too much to ignore. Quite frankly, if I had not purchased the 3GS model recently, I might have been in that line waiting with him. After hearing his description of the new version, I was tempted. However, I have been relying on my good, better, best rule which helps to keep me out of trouble. I rationalized that while the new iPhone is probably the best cell phone on the market, my 3GS is better than most of the good cell phones available today. While the transition to the new phone is almost seamless, I am a creature of habit. I like every App exactly where it is. I am also getting to the age where I really don’t like change. Years ago, being frugal was considered a positive attribute. In today’s world, where an electronic device such as a cell phone gets replaced more often than some of the food in your pantry, we need to really stop and think about the good, better and best options. This includes those high priced sneakers, fancy purses, and other merchandise that we buy to impress others. When you are paying the bills do you ever stop and think about how impressed those others would be if they knew what you sacrificed to appease them. By the way, did you ever think to ask yourself who those others are that you are trying to impress? Chances are, they’re the people who are robbing Peter to pay Paul just to impress folks like you. I have to admit, I love my iPhone and in my opinion, it is a necessity for me. Different folks have different priorities. The key here is to prioritize your purchases so everything does not become a necessity. It’s okay to splurge on an item that really rocks your world. But, before you spend that hard earned cash, stop and think about the good, better and best rule.