Expectations are a tough thing to navigate.  We all have expectations and that is not necessarily a bad thing.  On the plus side, they can help us to maintain a certain standard.  The problem arises when our expectations are not grounded in reality.  A broad example of this is expecting someone to do everything to perfection.  This means no mistakes can be made ever.  We all know that it is not possible for someone to be perfect yet it is a common demand that we put on everyone.  When they fail, we are often hurt or upset because they let us down.  Many relationships and friendships do not recover because of it. But wasn't it our unrealistic expectation that ultimately let us down?

Now let's bring this down to finances.  What about when we are shopping for a particular item like a Yeti tumbler. From what we have heard, these cups are amazing.  Because of this the brand Yeti has an expectation of being amazing and a price tag to go with it.  The Yeti Tumbler costs $39 but the competitor's cup like Ozark Trail costs $9.  That is a $30 difference in price.  This price difference already creates an additional expectation in our minds that says "the Yeti must be better".  We then buy the Yeti and move on with our lives.  But is the Yeti better?  Nope.  There are many experiments online that you can find comparing the two cups.  Here is one from Fox that I found.  As a dollar cost standpoint.  The expectation with the Yeti cost you 333% more.  That is expensive.

The truth is expectations are very hard to see.  We often times have them without even knowing it.  Do yourself a favor and scan your mind for expectations.  When you come across one, analyze it by asking the question "is this realistic?".  This simple question will at least get you thinking in the right direction and hopefully save you from unnecessary headaches later.