How did you break your spending habit??

Cookie_monster_7

There must be people on this board who have broken their habit for unnecessary spending....how did you do it? Do you still have the impulse to buy things because you feel like it?

I'm a sahm and while my OH is at work I find it really hard to be good and not spend money on stuff I don't need..... a coffee in a coffee shop, a walk to the supermarket always ends up in me finding things I "need". I take my dd to the park, library, local farm etc so I know the free days out I can have but I always feel like I want a treat...usually food/coffee/cake etc or I treat myself to a new shampoo or nail polish. Nothing big but it all adds up. I'd love to learn from you...how did you do it?

pandaonmyshoulder

I just remind myself what a coffee and cake will cost me eating out and what my family will then have to do without:rolleyes: Also you soon realize what a rip off a coffee and muffin actually are when you make a dozen muffins for the price of one in Costa

Doomcow

you aint gotta break the habit, you just have to change the habit (i dont mean take up smoking).

just realise that being bored and not being able to have that extra bottle of juice, or have head & shoulders as compared to tesco's own shampoo, is a part of life.

If you can be put up with being "not that exciting" then you're onto a winner.

also, you could try rewarding yourself when you deserve it. washing dishes and doing ironing isnt an acheivement, its normal life. but going beyond the call of duty and hoover, iron, dishes, sweep floor, clean car in & out, do shopping, etc is.
- > what i mean is do more each time to reward yourself, and soon you'll find new nail polish a once in a month event.

Tigert

I think with me it was the sudden shock of the mess I was in.

Now I still get the urge to spend on things but when I'm actually out, I can't bring myself to hand over the money.

I give myself small treats now like a chocolate bar or an occasional magazine and that keeps me happy.

Best motivator of all though is checking the bank balance toward the end of the month and seeing that there is still money there!

Hollyberry

This is what works for me:
- I have a diary where I write down everything I spend. It's easy to see what is unnecessary, and it helps shame me into not frittering money away.
- I have a cash budget for bits and pieces. When that's gone each month, there is no more. Nothing, nada, niet.
- I stay out of the places where I know I will be tempted to spend. When I do go into them, I do a big shop for all the things I will need over a couple of months, and I don't tend to buy too many extras this way.
- I don't go window shopping, lest the temptation prove too much!
- I set myself targets to earn money, using the "make £10 a day" threads on here. Then once I have paid for the big items (I'm now £47 short of a holiday and its spending money), I'll allow myself some treats with what I earn.

Little_Chicken

I haven't broken the habit yet :o:o:o:obut am trying.:A:A:A:A:A

piglet6

I just worked out how much each unnecessary spend was costing me over a year, and then worked out what I could spend the money on instead. Its easy to ignore the odd fiver here and there, but when its a regular thing, looking at it over a year is quite scary...it quickly made me change my spending habits...

For example:

- we used to spend at least £15-20 a week on takeaways... = £780-1040 per year. :rolleyes:
- we used to go into Starbucks for a coffee (and Mr P was very fond of their Rocky Road slices!) at least once a week. Average spend £7 each time for the 2 of us = £364 per year for just one visit a week.
- I used to have a bit of a magazine habit and could easily spend between £20-30 per month on them. That = £240-360 a year. :eek:

Just cutting out these three things (or cutting down on them - we are not saints and haven't cut anything out completely!! ) could easily pay for a holiday each year, or a fair few weekends away. That for me was incentive enough...the pleasure of a coffee will last 5 minutes, the magazine will be read in half an hour. I could get a lot more pleasure for my money!!

Piglet

Tixy

One of the first things suggested to me was to keep an spending diary - and for me it really works. The spend can now make me feel bad in the same way it used to make me feel good. I love writing NSD in my diary at the end of the day.
For me the other thing that works is joining the challenges -I like the weekly spending challenge thread. At the end of the week we declare our unnecessary spends and knowing I'm going to confess any spends to others really makes me think twice. I also recently joined the monthly NSD challenge.
I think for me its become a bit of a game trying not to spend (this could just be me though, maybe I don't have a very exciting life!!)

Intergalactic_Floozie

I've started a budget, I give myself £20 per week for "me" money (ie stuff that benefits me and only me). Then I have £45 per week for "other money" for stuff that benefits the whole family. Whatever's left over from "other money" goes towards "emergencies / luxury money". I did really quite well last month and saved enough of my own money to buy myself two new tops this week without feeling guilty.

For example, I class the local evening newspaper that I buy as "other" because although I read it, my DH reads it too. Whereas he doesn't read the Daily Mail on a weekend, so that comes out of "my" money.

Keep a spending diary, make a challenge of it.

naughtymonkey

Tigert wrote: »

I think with me it was the sudden shock of the mess I was in.

Now I still get the urge to spend on things but when I'm actually out, I can't bring myself to hand over the money.

I give myself small treats now like a chocolate bar or an occasional magazine and that keeps me happy.

Best motivator of all though is checking the bank balance toward the end of the month and seeing that there is still money there!

:T I'm right with you on that one Tigert! It was the LBM followed by accepting the mess I'd got in to that stopped a lot of frittering of money....

I know its a bit of a stereotype, but I've discovered a tight-fisted Scot down inside me! Its been little things like not leaving lights on or having long showers that've made a difference - I got my electricity bill through for Nov-Feb, it was only £34! And I've managed that without sitting huddled round a candle lol. And realising that a takeaway should be an occasional treat, not the norm...

Horace

When I go shopping, I think a) do I really want it? b) can I afford it? then I will leave it where it is and go back later in the week and buy it. I have splashed out on some new makeup and a few other bits of late but then I haven't worn makeup for at least 10 years and felt that I needed a change:D

It is still possible to have treats, I have a takeaway every 2 months and if I fancy something sweet, I look at the whoopsie shelf in Tesco. I have become incredibly tight over the past year. I don't berate myself for having the odd chocolate bar or whatever and I very occasionally have lunch out and try not to beat myself up about it.

You just to need to ask yourself if you really want it or if you can afford it now or do you have to wait until next month or whatever.