How do you stop squandering small bits of money?

notenoughcash

I did similar with the 'spending money' but I opened a second bank account for it to go in to. I worked out how much I could afford to have as spending money after all bills are paid and how much I actually needed as spending money and came up with a reasonable figure that goes into my 'spending account' each month. I leave the card for my main account at home so I'm not tempted to withdraw anything from it and limit myself to what I have. I have also found that the money in my main account has starting going up by a little each month as I'm not spending as much as before.

Ames

I've just started doing the above and working out how much I have per week as 'spends'. This is my second week and it's going ok, I saved money last week because I've got an expensive weekend coming up.

I've also joined the '5 no spend days' challenge, which has made me think a lot more about when where and what I spend.

tara747

A spending diary really is the way to go. Write down EVERYTHING.

Also, I never buy sweets, choc etc in single portions in corner shops/newsagents. I only buy them in multi packs (e.g. Kit Kat etc). A single bar can cost half of a 5-bar pack!

I've had 3 NSDs so far in July, woo!

hypno06

tara747 wrote: »

A spending diary really is the way to go. Write down EVERYTHING.

Also, I never buy sweets, choc etc in single portions in corner shops/newsagents. I only buy them in multi packs (e.g. Kit Kat etc). A single bar can cost half of a 5-bar pack!

I've had 3 NSDs so far in July, woo!

But if I have a multi pack of 5 kit kats......you can bet your bottom dollar that I will eat all 5 in one day, thereby negating any saving.........:o

Millie's_Mum

What about this?

http://www.spendingdiary.com/

I found the graphs it produces really useful to show where a big proportion of my spends were going and after I had been using it for a couple of months and inputting everything religiously I found myself not spending as much just because i couldn't be ***sed putting it all in.

tara747

hypno06 wrote: »

But if I have a multi pack of 5 kit kats......you can bet your bottom dollar that I will eat all 5 in one day, thereby negating any saving.........:o

:rotfl:

Join the 'giving up choc' thread!

tara747

Millie's_Mum wrote: »

What about this?

http://www.spendingdiary.com/

I found the graphs it produces really useful to show where a big proportion of my spends were going and after I had been using it for a couple of months and inputting everything religiously I found myself not spending as much just because i couldn't be ***sed putting it all in.

Yes, this is the one I use! But then I transfer the figures to my own Excel spreadsheet as SD.com doesn't add up beyond single day spends.

Millie's_Mum

tara747 wrote: »

Yes, this is the one I use! But then I transfer the figures to my own Excel spreadsheet as SD.com doesn't add up beyond single day spends.

I don't use it any more I must admit but I know it used to analyse my spends across a month, doesn't it do that now?

tara747

Really? I didn't realise, maybe it's me who's useless!

I will stick with Excel too though, it allows me to chart my income and expenditure, savings etc - bascially my whole budget, also I can do forecasts and calculate how much I will have saved at any given point in the next two years...

*sad*

shinyhead

I live in digs during the week as I work away from home. The cost includes food and all I have to find is cash for tea and coffee. Other than that I try to spend zero each week. It was bloody hard at first as I'm like others on this thread and like to buy 'a little something' only I do it loads of times.

What really made me think a while ago was a quote on someone's signature, I think about many small leaks can still sink a battleship. Haven't had much of a problem since!