How do you differentiate wants and needs?

To a fish, water and food are what it needs; clean water, delicious food and companions may be what it wants.
To a bird, air and food are what it needs; fresh air, nice food, companions, and flying into the sky may be what it wants.
To our humen, food, water, air, clothes, housing and communications are what we need; knowledge, practice and beautiful things are what we want.

When I was a kid, I somehow knew their differences but, being a kid after all, patience is something that has to be worked up on so I end up buying anything that interests me.

Now that I have grown, I can actually decide on buying things that are important and things that are not so important at all.

Wants would be things that would interest us but would eventually lose its purpose as time goes on. If it were a hobby, it'll be a different story since hobbies would often include collecting things and even though things collected would not do anything much but to occupy space, such things can still satisfy individuals whom are interested with such things.

Needs, as the word implies, are things that we just have to acquire and would benefit us even later on. Then again, some would argue that since food is obviously among those that we need, it would then be probable to have delicious ones than the typical ones that are available. Also goes along with clothing when it comes to those that are branded and those that aren't really among designer labels.

When it comes to money matters, being with the things that we buy, either it being things that we need or things that we want, being practical would often be a good way to do it.

Wants can be very general like you can want what you need but not all you want is actually what you need. You want a new mobile phone because it has great color, nice ring tone or form but you may not need it because your old mobile phone is still good and functioning. Need, on the other hand, for me is the basics for the human survival like food, clothing and home. Without food, you'll grow hungry and you'll eventually die. Walking around public places without clothing will send you to the mental hospital or you'll get raped. Without a home, you'll die of the cold etc etc.

it is true that both of them are just different .need is what is needed at this point to survive. want is something taht we crave for. if we try to fulfill the craves, we can't do it ever.

I need something if it fulfills a basic need-to keep me warm or cool, feed me, or help me to sleep. I want it if it doesn't contribute to my basic physical needs, if it's not essential.

Sometimes, a want is a need. If you've spent your money wisely for months and denied yourself any impulse spending it's time for a treat and so a want becomes a need to keep you going and encourage you to keep spending wisely. About a month ago I did this. I got a $70 pair of marcasite earrings for $15! A nice reward for handling my money well and quite a bargain, too.

hello sweetbarbie

i guess what that your Mom was trying to teach you is that you have to meet your needs first. like for example, electric bill, rent, water bill, telephone bills, car payments, insurance, gas money, and of course food and clothing.

now your wants come in to play, i want that whatever over there in that store. well that is your want, not what that you need. right? lol i have alot of wants, an am also unemployed as well, so when i want some extra money for something that i may want, and right now i want to get my teeth fixed, so here i am at Mylot trying to earn me some extra money to go to the Dentist once again with.

have a beautiful day today!

Needs are those which are required to lead us a normal life. Needs are the basic amenities. We need shelter, we need food, we need clothings. These are our basic necessities. If we pay for a cup of tea, to get a cup of tea is our need.
Wants are something extra. We want a separate home though we are living comfortably with our parents. And with my previous example, the want in the case of cup of tea is that we want the salesman to hand it over promptly.

If I need it to survive then it is a need if I can live with out it then it is a want. It's just that simple for me.

What a wonderful wise mother that you have. You should be proud that she has given you thig valuable knowledge. They are very different things. If you cannot, literally, live without it-it's a need, otherwise it's a want. I think, then, there are degrees of 'wants' also. That you would have to determine on an idividual basis, per person.

i think wants are for luxury only while needs are necessity people cannot live without it like water. Sometimes they sound alike but when you read on the economics book they are really different