Please help me to be a scrooge

englishmac

How about trying the 20p challenge (or £2) but setting a weekly limit? That way you are saving but not under pressure to save any and all that cross your palm.

If you can't resist the temptation to buy, you could try window shopping for 1 item a month that is a want rather than a need and buying it only when you have saved enough in your challenge pot. It is something to work for and will motivate you to keep up the saving at a steady pace. Nobody, kids included, need new clothes every day/week/month. Yes, they might be cute, but your bank balance obviously isn't. By allowing yourself to comfort shop you are creating a vicious circle, a bit like treating yourself to a cream cake if you have lost a few pounds.

If the items are back in the Asda basket when you come to submit your order, delete them off again. Keep a record of them to illustrate the cost of the casual spending. And how about challenging your DH like this: every item he adds to the bills is deducted from the holiday fund. Insufficient money in the holiday savings account = no holiday.

You seem very susceptible to temptation - you need some motivational blurbs around the house and in your handbag/purse to remind you of the consequences of your current financial habits and what you could achieve if you changed them for the better.

gb57

Not only can you get cheap (and cute) children's clothes at Primark, etc, you can also pick up super stuff at charity shops. A wash and press with the iron - no-one would know the difference.

I grew up wearing hand-me-downs, but you know it does not exactly scar you for life! As long as your girls get lots of love and hugs then buying them lots of expensive new clothes just is not neccessary.

You obviously DO have a lot of willpower to have lost weight and regained your confidence. The advice here on working out a budget and sticking to it is all good stuff. Perhaps the overspending on "nice" clothes is a hangover from when you were overweight and not very confident? You sound as though you have come a long way and are facing up to your problems. You can look great with a small wardrobe, different accessories and all that new-found confidence!