DEWEYS MODEL OF REFLECTIVE THOUGHT AND ACTION

Ideal Situation:

Controlled spendings when travelling, only purchasing needs, not wants.

Reality (gap):

Absolutely no self-control or money awareness, especially if the exchange rate is at our advantage.

Causes/conditions:

I tend to have a mindset that I will not be travelling back to the country anytime soon and hence will not have the chance to purchase the item (even worse if its exclusive to the country).

Travelling with friends who are enablers also does not help my situation as we would always give the excuse that ‘money can always be earned back’. 

I am also pretty much sold on aesthetic packaging even if I do not need the item.

Effects/results:

Overspending on every trip, which causes me to provide more work shifts during school term so I can save up enough for another trip.

It inadvertently affects my work-study balance as I am physically drained after work, causing me to sleep in more and miss the first hour of lesson the next day.

Goal:

Have more self-control when overseas, mainly window shopping and purchasing only when absolutely necessary.

Possible changes:

Bring less cash and set a limit on my card.

Change my mindset to ‘money is hard to earn’.

Be more firm in rejecting friends when they say ‘you buy, I buy’, which is the killer sentence.

Testing the hypothesis(solution):

On my next trip, I will set a target budget that I shall not exceed. I will track my daily spendings, especially on non-food products.

Outcome of change:

Practicing extreme self-control will help me save up more and that I will be able to travel to more countries with that savings.