Christian There are lots of different approaches to managing money and it is not always easy to know what will be the right approach for you. It is good to think about the different options though as it can be really important to make sure that you get it all right. It can make a big difference with regards to the cost as well as with regards to the stress that you might feel too. Therefore, it is good to explore the different possibilities and options that you have to make sure that you are doing things in a way that suits you really well.
Advantages of Budgeting and Saving
If you save up for something, then you will not have to pay the costs of a loan. You will always have to pay if you borrow money and this means that the items that you are buying will be more expensive as you will need to add on the cost of the loan to it. This means that if you wait a while you will find that it could be worth it financially. However, it is also a good idea to think about other advantages as well. This means things like the fact that you will have to time to think about the purchase and decide whether it is a good idea. While you are saving up you might change your mind. You may see something better or better still something that offers better value for money or you might just decide that you can do without the item altogether. You might learn some useful budgeting techniques that you will be able to use in the future to help you when you need to buy expensive things again or if you want to have more money available to put in your savings account or to pay off a loan. You may even identify ways that you can spend less or earn more that you are happy to do all of the time and it will mean that you will free up money that you can use for all sorts of things, perhaps even treating yourself.
Advantages of Borrowing
If you borrow the money then you will be able to have the item right away. This means no hanging around and waiting. It means that you can start enjoying it or getting the benefit of it right away. Sometimes, it might be that you need the money in an emergency. You need to get it quickly as you cannot wait. It could be that you have had an unexpected bill arrive or that you need to replace a broken white good or need an emergency house repair. If it is something like this, then saving up will not really be an option. Some people may also find it very hard to save up money. So even if they could wait to purchase the item, this is not a realistic approach for them as they will just spend the money rather than save it up and therefore just not be able to achieve their goal.
Which to Pick
It makes financial sense to save up rather than borrow. It will be cheaper even though you will lose interest if you use savings to buy things, this will still be a cheaper option than paying for a loan. You might also be able to make a bit of interest on the money while you are saving it up anyway. However, if you are in a hurry for the money, then borrowing might just be a much better option for you. It will very much depend on what you need the money for. You will also need to think about whether saving up will be something that will work for you or whether you will feel that you will not have the self discipline to do it.
