The Dilemma of Want Versus Need
Over the past few days I’ve been thinking a lot about my wants versus my needs. For the most part, I’m a pretty simple guy and it doesn’t take much for me to get by, although I love tech and music. For the most part, I’m able to get my music fix by covering Christian rap on this website, as well as having a Zune pass subscription for $14.95/month which gives me (nearly) unlimited access to the Zune Marketplace’s catalog. This keeps me from impulsive buys & being disappointed later, and saving my funds for music purchases that I know for sure that I’ll enjoy. And I’m able to keep the tech side subdued for the most part because I constantly keep in mind that I don’t need the latest & greatest to do what I need to get done on a computer. Overall, in those areas of my life, I tend to have a pretty decent balance between what I want and need.
Recently though, I’ve given some thought to some new purchases I want to make, such as the Bible I’d mentioned before and a few other items, including upgrading some software and purchasing a new smartphone. Given the current state of the economy, along with a desire to be a good steward of my finances, I’ve really been trying to gauge whether or not these are legitimate purchases of need or if they’re merely wants that won’t provide much usefulness. In writing this out, I’m hoping that it’ll provide further clarity for me, as well as provide you, the reader, with a lesson in stewardship & decision making.
Let’s start with the Bible. As I’ve said many times before, I currently own a MacArthur Study Bible (NASB) and I’m pleased with it, minus the excessive footnotes at times. Other than the footnotes, the only other drawback is that there is quite obviously no room for me to take my own notes. Plus, I want to train myself to not rely on "study notes," but to work through the text myself first. Either way, I decided that I wanted a wide margin cross reference Bible. I narrowed it down to a Bible that retails for $230 (roughly $160 on Amazon.com). The question is: do I really need to spend $160 on a Bible? Can’t I find something cheaper? To be frank, I’m pretty particular in what I’m looking for in a Bible and how I want the text (and cross references) to be laid out, and this is the only wide margin Bible that does it the way I want. All the cheaper ones are "flawed" in at least one way that’s significant enough for me to not want to purchase it. So now the question becomes, will I really be taking that many notes to necessitate the wide margins? Honestly, that’s a question I’m still working my way through, but it’s my desire to jot down more notes in the print Bible as I read/study, so that I can have them handy by chance I don’t have my computer & software handy. Is it a need? Not really, but it would be nice; although, I can continue getting along just fine with the Bible I currently own.
The next item that I have my eye on is upgrading my smartphone from the T-Mobile Dash to the G1 (aka Google phone). Over the past few days I’ve done my research, and given how much I currently use Google (hosted email for TM, calendar, etc.) it would be nice to have a phone that integrates nicely with all of that. Plus, throw in the fact that I’ve been a T-Mobile customer for two years and can get it for the upgrade/new customer price (half off), it seems like a pretty good purchase. The main drawback is that it’ll require me to add a $20-25/month data plan to my account. Over the course of a year, that’s a pretty good chunk of change (roughly $300) just to have Internet access on my phone. Granted, there’s nothing wrong with my current phone (and I don’t even use a data plan with it), but Robin has expressed the desire for owning a phone with a qwerty keyboard, so it’s the perfect opportunity to upgrade. I don’t want that to be an excuse, though, for spending $180 for a new phone and giving my carrier an extra $300/year. Again, it’s a matter of need versus want. Do I need the new phone? Obviously, no. Do I need the features? Not really, I have most in my current phone in one form or another. So, the question comes down to this: what benefit will come from owning this phone over my current one? That’s the question that I have to ask myself; and, just like the last item, it’s one that I’m still mulling over.
So, is there anything that can be justified as a need on my part? How about that software upgrade? Now that’s something that I can legitimately say is a need. As I’m training for ministry, there are some purchases that will be necessitated, and one of those comes in the form of expanding my digital library. This is a purchase I’ve been planning for some time, but it’s one that always makes me weary because of its price tag ($800+). Sure, I have the option to do a payment plan, but I’ve learned through experience that if I have the ability to pay for something upfront without creating a lingering bill that I need to go that route. But, I just have a hard time convincing myself that spending that much money is worth the price (even though I know it is when compared with its print equivalent). Unlike the wants above, the need is there because I know that these resources are something that I’ll use for the remainder of my life as I continue in the work of the Lord, and they’ll continue to be with me even as the software gets upgraded in the future. There’s no question that I’ll be buying this (if not now, then some point in the future), but the question is stewardship of finances and knowing what I can afford, especially having a family to care for (can’t be selfish).
As I take a step back and look at the larger picture, I have to be faithful with my finances and look at what is going to bring the most glory to Jesus Christ. The software is a no brainer. The Bible? Well, I have a Bible that’s in good shape, and if I purchase this new one, it frees the MacArthur SB to be a blessing for someone who has need of one. How about the phone? That one is clearly a want in all ways, although there’s nothing wrong with wants and fulfilling them every once & a while. Sure, it’ll help keep me organized & centralized (I’d love the fact of not having to ever sync with a PC), but I can do that well enough with what I already have. For that, it’ll be a matter of whether I decide it’s worth splurging on and being committed to the addition to my monthly bill. As with all things, I’ll continue to take it to the Lord in prayer, and then walk in faith with whatever decision I make, asking the Lord to keep me from making an unwise decision.
Stewardship… yeah, it’s not always fun, but entirely necessary.
Its always good to go thru this process of thinking out loud these kinds of questions. A lot of times, I do it just to check myself. And even if I make that decision to splurge, I do it convinced in my mind that this is a want to be fulfilled, and I will live with the consequences later. Thankfully, being a good steward of things means you odn’t make those bad decisions so often, making enjoying what you have and being content all the much nicer. Thanks for the heart check bro.