Please Help Me Stop Doing This

earwig

i have done it again i sorted out my buget for the week didnt do a weekly shop just buy what i need when i need well yesterday day one i went to sainsburrys to buy some milk i spent 1500 got some bits for dinner this weekend but i didnt need them as i had a frezzer full of food and cuboards brusting with stuff i reasond with myself that its motherday and why not have what you fancy
but then today ive done it again i went to the coop to buy some flowers for my mums mothers day pressie and spent 1600 the flowers was 399
why do i always do this i have tryed only taking what money i need but all my money is in the bank so i use my deit card all the time dont carry cash around here not safe to
so when i go to shops i have all my money on me why do i always do this i am mad with myself as i know tomorrow when i go back to by milk i will do the same again
please help as i cant pay of my debts when i am wasting money in the supermarkets each day

Hey_Dude

earwig wrote:

please help as i cant pay of my debts when i am wasting money in the supermarkets each day

Try and do a weekly shop on-line.

Perhaps this way you won't be tempted by other stuff that you don't need.

If you need the odd item in the week, like milk, is their a corner shop you can use and not a supermarket?

If you are using an overdraft for your extra spending ask your bank to reduce this each month by a set amount.

Perhaps if you know that extra items in the shopping = big penalty from your bank you will think twice?

Good luck,

Duder

Queenie

earwig - hope you don't mind but I'm quoting a reply I wrote for someone else today and I think it may help you too.

Queenie wrote:

you may ... benefit from popping into the Moneysaving Old Style forum
There are heaps of threads catelogued and archived in the Mega Index which you might find helpful. Lots of advice on Menu Planning and a wealth of recipes in our Recipe Index

There is a Storecupboard Challenge and also the monthly Grocery Challenge and Pin Money Savings Challenge (accrued from BOGOF's and vouchers plus other means). We discuss our Old Style successes (and sometimes downers) in our daily thread.

Hope you pop in and take a peek or two .. but do make sure you sit down with a coffee/tea/whatever before you start looking ... you can get carried away with wealth of information

Looking forward to seeing you over there :hello:

Other ideas which might help you:-

~ only withdraw your *budgeted* amount in cash - even if it means you need to break it down into a daily allowance if you're tempted to the shops daily.

~ write down *everything* that you spend each and every day. You need to understand what you are tempted to buy.

~ make sure you are full up *before* going to the shops.

~ make a list and stick to it! Use your previous receipts so you know how much those items on your list will cost and only take that amount of cash with you. If you overbuy, you'll *have* to put something back because you won't be able to pay for it!

~ for annual expenses such as Mothers Day/birthdays/Christmas, you might benefit from planning those through the year and that might curb your impulse buys on the actual day.

There are many, many more ideas in the links I've given above on shopping savvy so do take a look and take notes on the ideas which you *know* you will be beneficial to you.

It is *hard* to break the habits that sank us into debt in the first place and it will only change with determination and will power; but you *can* do it!!!! Best of British!

Burlesque_Babe

hi - I've been in your situation for years - with my ex we used to go to the supermarket at least three times a week and think nothing of spending 70- 80 quid each time, even though the cupboards and freezer and fridge were full to overflowing.

Anyhow, when we split three years ago and I moved, I had the same habit and up to the end of last year was regularly spending £300 a month (for two people - me and me new fella) . I'd done the same as you- only take x amount of cash, but then I'd take out my debit card with me as a 'back up' and then use the card rather than the cash because I knew I would spend more than was in my purse.

Anyway - I now see it as a bit of a 'game'. I joined the Grocery Challenge towards the end of last year and did miserably, overspending massively each month.

But now, if you look at my sig, you can see I've really changed and I'm now shopping for two for £200 a month. I enjoy the challenge of curbing a few quid here and snipping a few pounds there - and not buying 'less' , just buying 'differently'.

Maybe start setting yourself a little challenge - you probably won't be able to do it straight away - it's taken me 6 months to reduce my supermarket habit from £350 to just over £200 a month, but I enjoy the game of getting my shopping for as little as possible.

Look for money off coupons, if you shop in Tesco you can have the money taken off the bill (collect a few, then get a fiver or so off - it feels very satisfying!!)

Write lists!!! I've always written lists, but then bought more than was onthe list - do a list and stick to it!!!

I have to say, I'm still the same- I go to Tesco Express for a packet of mushrooms, and also buy a yoghurt, some peppers and a newspaper - but in the past I would have bought loads and loads more.

Set yourself little challenges and enjoy winning them and then set yourself ones a bit bigger and work from there!

Do your shopping online - you can't pick up extras that take your fancy and if you use Tesco or Asda, there are codes around to save a few pounds.

From someone who is a self confessed supermarket - a - holic (and how sad is that!!) I can now say I'm a once a week girl with a set list and an (almost) definite budget!!

HTH!

earwig

hi thank you i will try this however i have no corner shops i live in super market city we have asda tesco sainsburrys and netto and coop sumerfields so they have killed of corner shops in my area there is a petrol staion should i use that for buying milk ect they are dearer than the suppermarkets but not as much chioce

Burlesque_Babe

if you are buying milk each day, add it to your list and either buy larger containers of it, or buy UHT long life if you want to make it stretch all week? I buy the long life stuff as I drink very little milk and it is cheaper in the supermarkets (Tesco Value UHT skimmed is 21p for a litre).

Means you don't have an excuse to have to pop into the supermarket then

Angel_Advisor

I am just as guilty as you. I mean to reduce my bill each week but see so called 'bargains' and just can't resist. I am getting better cos this week instead of buying my fruit, veg & meat at the supermarket, I went to the local market. I saved a fortune!!! E.G - 2 x big punnets of strawberries = £1.00, in the supermarket for just one, £1.49, same applied to everything else too fruit n veg wise. Meat - 2lb Cheshire pork steak = £3.00, £5ish in the supermarket. I will be going again, used to do it every week a few years ago but we all get into the trap of buying everything under one roof. It may be easier on your time but it isn't on the pocket. !!!!

cheepskate_2

earwig wrote:

i have done it again i sorted out my buget for the week didnt do a weekly shop just buy what i need when i need well yesterday day one i
but then today ive done it again i went to the coop to buy some flowers for my mums mothers day pressie and spent 1600 the flowers was 399
i am mad with myself as i know tomorrow when i go back to by milk i will do the same again
supermarkets each day

Hi earwig
Just to let you know you are not alone, I have been doing this for about 6 years now since hubby got better wages ( prev was v.good while on crap income)
I dont beleive that by not going to shops it will solve your problem , it will only gloss over it.
I beleive it is aan addiction and thus should be treated as so ( just trying to sort mine out)
I had for 2 months (a while ago) been very good at the shops nobody missed anything and still kept the same type meals , writing everything down that i spend and looking at it each day ( we managed to get 3 nights out and a day trip for kids on our savings for those months )

Keep a track of everything and check it before you head to the shop, you have done the first step , admitting there is a problem , now you have to rehabilitate your mind to the correct way.

mabye we should do it together as i aim to start 1st april as am so fed up of spending way over on shopping, and would rather have days out for the kids with the savings

black-saturn

Instead of stocking the freezer and cupboards up with food use up everything you have now. Then when it's all gone only shop for one day at a time. This will satisfy your daily craving to shop but you only need to get what you need for 1 day.

earwig

hi i know your right this is an addiction and has been for many years i know the reason behind this when i was a child we had no money at all
dad died when i was a baby and my mum was left to bring me up on benfits well back in the seventys benfits are very different to what they are now
we use to have 36 per week and had to pay 8 pound per week in rent out of that any way im rambling here
the result was very little food eg pie we used to have to share these and they were the small indiuale ones not the big pies couldnt aford cereal always run out of food before payday
so i was always hungary so i know my over spending comes from there i dont want my children to open cuboards that are empty but i over do it and resolve not to do it again but do
and this is where alot of the debt has come from being in a food store with a cc knowing you could buy what ever you wanted was brill and thats what i do but with everys kind words on here i shall take adivice thats given and try to stop this

oops_a_daisy

awww earwig you are really trying to do everything right and as you can see by the replies here you are not the only one. I pass a large Tesco to get home and always popped in every night as well as doing a weekly shop. I didnt know how much I spent so I added up all of the switch payments that left my account in January ( so this does not include cash spent and cheques ) it came to £360.00 :eek: for me and a 12 year old :eek: I was constantly throwing out of date stuff out and it really made me sick to add up the cost of it all. I started money saving properly 3 weeks ago and the first week spent £45.00 ( still a bit high ) second week spent £35.00 ( ok but could still do better ) this week sould not spend more than £25.00 and this includes cleaning, washing and toliletries stuff. I plan the weeks menu in advance then check my cupboards to see what I already have in and just buy what I need to complete the meals. I go to the shop with a shopping list and calculator ( hidden in my basket so nobody can see LOL ). I must say we have eaten so well over the last few weeks and I feel better for not being in this never ending circle of spend spend spend.
Just a quick point on your milk - buy cravendale as it has a longer use by date and you can buy in enough for the week.
Good luck and try not to beat yourself up about it - tomorrow is another week