So many of us spend money without thinking about what we’re buying. Then we look at our bank and credit card statements and wonder why the totals are so high.
If you’re trying to cut back on your spending, here are some easy ways to limit your purchases and reel in your spending to make budgeting a bit easier and help you hit your financial goals:
One of the easiest ways you can save money is by imposing a time limit on your shopping. Some people like to wait at least 24 hours before buying something, for others a week is more appropriate. If I’m unsure about a dress or a bottle of nail polish, I’ll put it back and see how I feel a couple days later. Usually this keeps me from buying things I don’t need. If I can’t stop thinking about something, that’s a good indicator that I really want it.
When you have a problem with overspending, you don’t realize that you can still buy things. You just can’t buy everything. Now, instead of buying every bottle of nail polish I like or scanning every sale rack for a new dress, I’m more selective. Most of the time, the things we want aren’t going anywhere. If we take the time to think about those items without being in the store, we’ll realize more easily what we really want.
If you’re like me, you get buyer’s remorse easily. That’s why I only try to shop at stores that have an easy return policy. That way if you come home and decide that you can’t afford a new wallet, you can take it back without any issues.
Make sure to read the receipt so you know what you need to do to get your money back. It sucks to return something only to find out you can only get store credit.
During the first year I lived in an apartment, I would go grocery shopping without a list and without an idea of what I already had. My parents paid for all my food, so I didn’t have a huge incentive to save money.
After that summer, when I was cleaning out my cabinets, I found five boxes of brown sugar. Apparently, every few weeks when I would go grocery shopping I would buy brown sugar, forgetting that I had a box. This happened so often that I ended up with what would be enough brown sugar for a small bakery.
Take an inventory of what you already have. We shop so often that it’s easy to forget what we already own. If your room is messy and disorganized, it can be even harder to see what you have. But if you take stock, you’ll feel less inclined to go shopping and more grateful for everything you do have.
Since I’m Jewish, I’ve never done lent. But I’ve always been interested in the idea of a temporary ban on the things we can’t help buying. If you’re trying to save up for a trip, but find that those weekly shopping sprees at Target keeping you from your goal, take a shopping ban.
Make a list of the things you can spend money on (groceries, basic necessities, deodorant), and stick to it. If you’ve written down what you can and can’t buy, it’ll make it easy to keep to your budget and say no. Some of my rules include not eating out unless I’m with a friend or eating a snack before I run errands.
Most of the time, our friends encourage us to spend more. It’s a way to live vicariously through someone else. But if you’re serious about cutting back, ask a friend to pull you away when you’re about to make a bad decision.
It can be awkward talking about money, but it might give your friend permission to ask the same favor of you. If you become regular shopping buddies, you can recognize your habits more easily and prevent your friend from making the same mistakes.
Do you splurge on organic cookies when it’s your period? Make a batch, freeze a dozen before the big day and bake them when you’re feeling miserable. Do you forget to pack a lunch on Mondays? Keep cans of soup in your desk at work.
Since I’ve started keeping walnuts and oatmeal at work, I know that I’ll never have to run out for candy bars. Find what’s keeping you from saving money and think of solutions that can fix your problems.
Great tips! I need to work on inventorying what I have so I don’t buy more of the same. There’s nothing worse than coming home with a cute top and realizing you already have one like it.
Great tips, I always like to sleep on it before making a major purchase. I find this really helps control any impulse spending.
Cash cash cash also keeps me from overspending!
Totally, Target is my point of weakness! Love these tips!
Waiting it out is a great idea, that is easy to do.. If you want to buy something, wait for it to go on sale or search for coupons.
Great post and good ideas.
As an aside, so nice to see a non-sponsored post on here and one getting back to the budget / finance roots of this blog!
Love this post! I’m the worst for the whole “forgetting to pack a lunch” thing. I hate driving (and there’s not great public transit where I live) so normally having to go back to the store is enough to deter me from buying anything if I decide to wait it out!
xo, Laura
Cheri @ Overactive Blogger mentioned “Cash” – I would like to expand.
For those of you who love your credit and debit cards, here’s a study from the journal of applied science that shows how you can save about 13% on avg just by using cash instead of a cards.
https://www.apa.org/pubs/journals/releases/xap143213.pdf
There are many more articles showing the overspending due to cards. Feel free to google “Payment Coupling” and “Payment Transparency”
P.S. Reward cards also tend to top out around 5% so even they don’t make it worth the while to use regularly. I still think that using them for big, non-routine purchases is ok though.
Thanks for sharing that study, Dale. Having physical cash in your hands and wallet definitely makes it clear how much you do or don’t have to spend. Swiping a card doesn’t have the same impact.
Waiting it out is probably my number 1 piece of advice, too. Sometimes, we just crave the action of swiping our cards or the feeling of having something new. Time allows us to really think about what we’re buying.
Yes, and once you get into the habit of waiting it out, it’s not that hard to do.
The habits are so tricky. I used to have a bad audition and think- “well I deserve to go buy a cookie” and then when I had a good audition I’d think the same thing. Fostering mindfulness is critical in breaking those patterns. Thanks for sharing!
Yes, mindfulness is so important! It’s very easy to fall into bad habits and never think twice about them.