how to stop spending?

jannyannie

Hi

Recommend keeping a spending diary for a month, really opens your eyes, then have alook around your home at everything you have. If you have loads of toiletries or cleaning products make a decision not to buy any more until it's all gone. If you feel you've got nothing to wear de-clutter and make sure that everything you have in your wardrobe mix and matches. You'll be suprised at what you've got.

Jan x

chanie

I recommend getting a hobby or something to keep you away from the shops.

WHen I get paid, I take out a months work of spending money and have XXX amount each week. It helps to keep me on track.

scottishgal_2

I have a problem with spending, I don't go to shops but it's internet 'bargains' and deals that get me

meritaten

one way I avoid spending money is NOT to go into town unless I absolutely have to! then I take a list of what I am going for and, oh dear - the charity shops just draw me in.........I spend far more than I intended to on bargain books!

MRSTITTLEMOUSE

jannyannie wrote: »

Hi

Recommend keeping a spending diary for a month, really opens your eyes, then have alook around your home at everything you have. If you have loads of toiletries or cleaning products make a decision not to buy any more until it's all gone. If you feel you've got nothing to wear de-clutter and make sure that everything you have in your wardrobe mix and matches. You'll be suprised at what you've got.

Jan x

I'd second what you say regarding toiletries and cleaning stuff.
I found I had stockpiled so much because I shopped so much stuff that the house was becoming clogged up.
The final straw came when one day opening a cupboard a big bottle of fabric conditioner fell out and gave me a whopping big black eye.
It was my own fault since I'd stuffed the cupboard to bursting.
I've also had a chipped collar bone from a tin of kidney beans falling out of a high cupboard,again stuffed to bursting.
My doctor laughed at that one.
I suddenly realised I did'nt need all this stuff and now I'm spending very little and using it all up.
I have'nt bought much for ages,saved loads of money and my cupboards are becoming a lot tidier (and safer :rotfl:)
I find the less you shop the easier it becomes,I actually can't be bothered these days.

meritaten

MRSTITTLEMOUSE wrote: »

I'd second what you say regarding toiletries and cleaning stuff.
I found I had stockpiled so much because I shopped so much stuff that the house was becoming clogged up.
The final straw came when one day opening a cupboard a big bottle of fabric conditioner fell out and gave me a whopping big black eye.
It was my own fault since I'd stuffed the cupboard to bursting.
I've also had a chipped collar bone from a tin of kidney beans falling out of a high cupboard,again stuffed to bursting.
My doctor laughed at that one.
I suddenly realised I did'nt need all this stuff and now I'm spending very little and using it all up.
I have'nt bought much for ages,saved loads of money and my cupboards are becoming a lot tidier (and safer :rotfl:)
I find the less you shop the easier it becomes,I actually can't be bothered these days.

I am going to show my mum this post - perhaps she will realise how stuffing her cupboards with DAZ on offer can be hazardous to her health! at the last count it was 8 boxes! not the little ones - the big huge ones..........and she lives on her own!

mmmsnow

Sometimes spending or stocking up is more of a mental release than anything else. It's like OCD for me - it gets worse when I'm stressed. I was in a bad relationship a few years ago, which coincided with living alone for the first time and I ended up stock piling random items. At one point, I had several hundred toilet rolls (and the nice, quilted ones at that!). It's an on-going joke in my family that I have a weird toilet roll fetish because one day my mother went into my cupboard and about ten packs of 24 fell on her!

Jules__2-2

I set myself a weekly allowance then every receipt in that week is stuck on the fridge to make sure I keep in budget a big pile of receipts on the fridge is a warning!

lostinrates

There is a no buying toiletries thread on the Health/Fasion/Beauty board which cured me. Sort of.

I still stockpile things that I know I'll use but do not allow myself those odd stockpiled bargains.

I hate shopping nowadays, go as rarely as I can. I'd love to have 8 boxes of washing powder...I allow myself four at time on offer! One of my biggest stockpile items is loo paper. I've been known to buy an obcene amount on special offer: it will always be used.

there is very little we NEED to go out for these days, and I also recommend the budgetting with a cash monthly/weekly amount. I do check the charity shops when I go out, but have a strict list of what I will/won't buy.

re books, I last week joined the library, having meant to since I moved last year. I'm not convinced it will save me money...most things I want to read I have to order, and can buy them almost as cheaply on amazon, then factoring in petrol to go to the library....its on trial as a system.

uolypool

Stockpiling for me is like an OCD I think. I have this thing about making sure we have enough of everything to last for ages as I use to worry that if something happened to me then there would be nothing for the kids, not just food, toiletries and cleaning stuff but clothes, towels , bed sheets etc:o I remember once quite a few years ago I sorted through the cupboard with the duvet covers and sheets in and found 43 sets of single duvet covers and pillow cases and over a hundred single sheets:eek::eek:.
At the back of it I also found 16 new pillows and 11 new duvets still in the packaging.
Sheets and flannels were no diffferent, IF I remember rightly there was nearly 80 bath towels and bath sheets and flannels were in the region of about 100.