Is it cheaper to be neat?

Recently, I was presented with a strange question. Are messy people more likely to spend more money? As a messy person, I have a first-hand answer to this question. Yes. I had never really thought before about how cleaning skills affect a budget. I would have thought that the fewer cleaners that I purchase, the more money I have leftover in my wallet. Okay, so I had to at least try to convince myself.

Messy people are often very disorganized. When a person is disorganized, plenty of things become misplaced or lost. Instead of trying to find a missing item, one is often tempted to run out and purchase another one. Hey, it’s quicker to buy a new roll of tape than dig through toy boxes in hopes of finding it. Who knows, it might have gotten knocked off into the trash, so why waste your time?

I think the biggest problems can occur when a messy person is also a compulsive shopper. You purchase so many things at a great discount, it’s easy to forget what you’ve already bought. For Christmas this year, I actually double bought for some people. I panicked, thinking I was short a gift for so and so, and picked something up. Then I found a bag of gifts I purchased for that very person last winter.

Messy people are also less likely to enjoy being home. Even if you are messy, it doesn’t mean you like looking at it. So, instead of worrying about it, why not go out and do something more fun? Of course, leaving home costs money. Ironically, this often leads to more shopping, which can start this vicious cycle all over again.