How do you stop yourself spending?

Quenastoise

Take your hourly rate, take away a round 25 % for income tax and NI, that's your net hourly rate.

Divide the prospective purchase by the net hourly rate: how many hours do you need to work to afford the treat ? Do you still want it after you've done the math ?

ashfan83

I would agree with others that you do need to allow for a few treats, include these in your weekly/monthly budget - just be SENSIBLE and stick to them.

If you think you're going to be working a long day, I would suggest getting a slow cooker. You could even get one from Freecycle/Freegle etc. Then you can just chuck all the stuff in before work and then have something lovely, tasty and hot to come home to without the expense/calories of a takeaway There are plenty of 'One pot' recipe books about.

Buffythedebtslayer

I do the following

1. shop after work when tired so I want to go home quickly
2. buy heavy stuff first (supermarket shop) to stop me browsing in other shops.
3. be hungry when clothes shopping (being hungry REally annoys me so I go home quickly!)
4. Have cash, add up everything as I go along
5. have a list and a set time (prebook cab to make me shift my backside)
6. Have wish lists and baskets on line
7. I have a when I am debt free I will buy...List
8. make an effort to find the best price or shop in the sales. alleviates some of the guilt/saves some money.
9. Buy in bulk (once working out it is actually a saving)
10. If I still want it in a week I will buy it


xxxx

ceejaydee23

Just never be hungry when food shopping! Thats when I buy crap, and then look at what id bought n realise i've not got any meals lol

Buffythedebtslayer wrote: »

I do the following

1. shop after work when tired so I want to go home quickly
2. buy heavy stuff first (supermarket shop) to stop me browsing in other shops.
3. be hungry when clothes shopping (being hungry REally annoys me so I go home quickly!)
4. Have cash, add up everything as I go along
5. have a list and a set time (prebook cab to make me shift my backside)
6. Have wish lists and baskets on line
7. I have a when I am debt free I will buy...List
8. make an effort to find the best price or shop in the sales. alleviates some of the guilt/saves some money.
9. Buy in bulk (once working out it is actually a saving)
10. If I still want it in a week I will buy it


xxxx

ceejaydee23

I use cash when i'm out, and try and avoid shops i dont want to go in, today i was very close to saying to the other half s*d it we will get a takeaway cos id not been feeling great with a bad headache, but nope, i cooked our dinner smoked haddock for me n daughter, cod in parsley sauce for other half, all of which was in freezer anyway! enjoyable dinner was had by all!

aries69

LAM2011 wrote: »

I have spreadsheets of everything (actually I have spreadsheets lists listing the spreadsheets lol) and I go internet shopping and get all the lovely stuff I need and then I look at my 'basket' have a heart attack and realise what I could do with that on my debts and just delete it. Once ccards are paid off I can go shopping with money I actually have.

I still get takeaway now and again but on a smaller scale eg just starter or a cheaper place.

I love a spreadsheet too

moneysavermum_2

I dont shop online. I get cash out each week on same day and do weekly shop whats left over is entertainment. All the kids are in on it, so are helping me save money so they can have more entertainment allowance for ie macdonalds, toys, meals out. Get a fixed amount out in cash each week and only buy what you need. I write a list as going along throught the week what we need food etc clothing and buy only that. I used to be an avid grabbit now shopper but changed when had to open two credit cards to bail out my overdraft. Now only spend what I have in cash.

I take monies going out of bank form money going in budget for xmas, car,holidays,childcare and then divide rest by 5 for weekly can afford to spend. Then draw that out in cash,

barbiedoll

Any large purchases that you need (not want! ) should be saved up for and paid in cash. The feeling of achievement is enormous when you actually pay in full for something, rather than sticking it on a credit card and paying 30% more for it!

We've saved up for, and bought a new tv, christmas and birthday presents, and we're currently saving for a new garden shed. We've been flogging off bits and bobs on ebay, saving our loose change, cutting down on buying rubbish food and I've stopped drinking! :T
(I was never a big drinker but 2 bottles of £5.00 wine each week=£520 in a year! :eek:)

And don't spend your free time wandering around the shops. We stopped the Saturday spend-ups two years ago and now I wonder how I found the time to slog around the local High Street, buying yet more tat and eating overpriced burgers and chips for lunch. Now I spend my saturdays loafing around, reading and catching up on last weeks telly. It's what the weekends were invented for! :rotfl:

secretshopper75

I don't go to anywhere I could spend as if I did I;d have to buy something...anything...just if there's nothing necessary to get for the day I stay home...

skyvicky123

My advice - don't fight the urge to shop too hard! It might not be an option for all but try to have a little bit of leeway on your budget for just these moments. Keep the value of the items you buy at a low level (I say less than £1 for each item, no more than £5 total) Buy bits in charity shops, our £1 shops. Or use vouchers / advantage card points. I find this satisfies my shopping urge and I don't end up going crazy, blowing £200 and feeling like carp for a few days!

On the cooking thing If I haven't had the energy to batch cook / shop then I just have something quick and easy eggs or cheese on toast etc. It's not all the time but stops the little voice in your head which says " You've had a long day - you deserve a takeaway" I do still allow myself 1 takeaway a week so I can look forward to that day and it makes it feel like more of a treat.

At the end of the day I don't beat myself up if I can't keep it up every day. It's a big change to how I live my life and it's not going to be smooth running right from the start. As long as I can see the debt coming down and more money left in the bank then I know i'm not too far off track.

Plus I might be being very much over-optimistic as only really been on track for a month so probably haven't hit the wall yet!!

Sorry for the long post!