how to stop spending?

vasseur

uolypool wrote: »

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.

OMG!!! How big is your cupboard??? :rotfl:

foxgloves

You could try sitting down and trying to list all the benefits of overspending & getting into debt (or prolonging/increasing debts you may already have). I couldn't think of any. Not a single one. All the mental energy I used to put into justifying why I should spend out on this or that on my overdraft or cards is now put into budgetting & really ENJOYING being in control after 20 pretty naughty-ish overspending years!
Oh, and the other thing is not to be sucked into 'good deals' that are really anything but. Of course, there are always some genuinely good buys around, but if it isn't something you really liked enough even to consider buying at full price, or it isn't something you need, or it's something you never actually fancied owning until you saw that magic label saying '20% off', then the best deal, as usual, has been had by the company doing the selling and not you.

laddujaddu

It works for me if I think whether I really nead this item and how long will I be using it. Also consider if it is your " need" or just your "want", without which you can easily do.

ubamother

I advise thinking hard about exactly why you want to stop spending - is it too much debt, wanting some 'fun' money, savings, holidays? If you can focus on what you want to do with the money that can help.

Also, what is it you're spending it on, when and where? Is it frippery (delightful word!), impulse buying, or is it that you're overspending on 'essentials'? If you let the board know you'll get loads of great advice that may be more directly helpful.

dollydaydream07

GreyQueen wrote: »

Oh, a last thought, I do find dragging stuff out of it's stash-holes and keeping an inventory helpful. I can safely say that I know how many bars of soap are stashed between the towels of the airing cupboard and how many tee shirts I have and that I can remind myself of these figures when tempted......

and not forgetting the tinned tomatoes too......

MaggieBaking

This particular advice isn't really in the spirit of MSE but I spent 2 years living with lots of money and buying lots of things. I didn't really think I was being a spendthrift because I didn't go out and buy handbags for £100 or a new top every week. Nevertheless I somehow spent fortunes on little things that I thought were important. Cleaning products, make-up, cheap clothes that never fit right, DVDs, books, food that I used to throw out and take-aways.

When we moved, we moved into a house with a big garage - so I had lots of room to store things. The house after that also had a large garage and a spare room so I had room to put our junk.

Then, we had to downsize to a 2 bedroomed house - which is a perfectly reasonable size for 2 people with no children and yet my stuff wouldn't fit. Before we moved in we had a car boot sale and made a few pounds, charity shopped a lot of stuff and gave things to family. Then we moved into our house and I still had too much stuff!!

Knowing that I was getting rid of things that would have cost hundreds and hundreds of pounds for nothing really brought it home how much junk we had and how much I really need. I had about 10 different tubs of body moisturiser (not face cream) most of them open - I knew I didn't need them all so threw them/gifted them away. The same with a lot of cleaning products I realised I never used.

Binning things I really got an idea of the waste I was purchasing.

Now I know lots on the board would recommend to keep things and use it all up, but I really felt like I needed to clear out and stop living so cluttered. If I hadn't used it in a year I was never going to use it. I went through everything, counted it all up, thought exactly what I needed. If it was stained, torn, damaged it went. If it was useless it went. If I was saving it for a special occassion I knew it was never going to come. I gave away a lot of wine and alcohol I had been keeping (why did I always buy the stuff I didn't drink? I never opened it when guests came).

It really gave me a sense of what was necessary. Now when things are on offer I will buy a sensible amount of what I actually know I will use. For example, I have had lots of different hairsprays (some bought thinking they were cheap, but were rubbish) so when there was a buy 2 get 1 free offer on I might previously have used it for "oh well, what 3 things can I buy?" and I would have spent needlessly, now I will buy the 3 hairsprays that I know I need and use - and I know that 3 will not be too much to keep and my supplies will last a long time.

Similar with DVDs, I used to buy ones to watch and have spent a fortune on films I didn't like. Now I will make sure I have seen it and if I love it I will buy it and add it to my permanent collection.

I like this new way of living. Our house is filled with stuff I love and use and feel proud of, not junk that I bought recklessly.

Clothes shopping is still hard because you don't know if you will love it till you wear it. Going through my wardrobe with a fine tooth comb helps me to see what it is I wear and get value from, and what is hopeless. Some things that I love I know I can buy a similar item if it holds EXACTLY the same qualities I like. Is the fabric as nice, will it wash as well, when will I wear it? Does the colour suit? Thinking all these things through very clearly help me to know if it's a good purchase. As Trinny & Suzannah always said - it's good to have a wardrobe filled only with the items you wear, love and look good in. Otherwise it's a right pain getting dressed and that's when we all have those "I have nothing to wear!" days.

minerva_windsong

The spending diary is an excellent suggestion, but I would add that it's important to note where and when you shop and how you feel when you do it. That might help you identify any trigger factors - such as if all your spending is on the same sorts of things, if you spend because you're bored, or you splurge on payday say. Then you need ways to counteract those triggers. If it's the same kind of things you're spending on, find ways to scratch the itch like making your own coffee/lunches/snacks for work, window shopping (I will sometimes go and look in shops on my lunch but won't take my purse with me so I can't spend anything) etc. If it's an emotional thing, do something else to distract you like taking up a new hobby or maybe reading. If it's certain times of the week or month, maybe set some money aside for that mini spend and then ration out the rest.

I also agree with whoever suggested taking money for the week out in cash as well - you could also put it into envelopes with various categories like food, transport/petrol, going out, birthdays/anniversares etc to make it easier to see what you've got to spend on what.

MaggieBaking

I also wanted to add that I only buy online what I can afford to "lose" in money - as I absolutely, no matter how much I want to, am able to return things!!

I have no idea why, it's not that difficult - but it's just a personal "block". Therefore I don't buy any clothes no matter how much it might save me - as I know it will cost in the long run buying things and not returning them. I buy some electronic goods on eBay, like phone chargers and mobile covers and personalised items like a t-shirt for a gift, but I can't use it for clothes or I know I would just be wasting money. Better to buy a top in person for £20, than buy 3 tops for £10 each when you only wear one - you'll spend more in the long run and also clutter up your house!

I also work at keeping things and repairing things that I love. Have spent a fortune in the cobblers mending my shoes - but I used to spend a lot trying to find a comfortable pair. Now that I have them I keep using them and keep them in good condition.

GreyQueen

dollydaydream07 wrote: »

and not forgetting the tinned tomatoes too......

Well-remembered, that woman!

There are 63 tins of tomatoes under the bed at the moment, 5 in the wall cupboard and 20 on the sofa which I purchased this morning and haven't put away yet.:o

:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

But I will use them all, in date order, so there is method in my madness. I mean, 20p a can........


I did wonder about the size of that airing cupboard, too!

anniecave

I'm doing a total spending record at the moment. Everything I spend money on I record on an excel spreadsheet (whether it's spent on my credit card, or debit card, money going straight out of my bank account by direct debit, or in cash etc) and I put items into categories (food, rent, household bills, clothes, cleaning stuff, toileteries, car costs, petrol, etc etc) then every now and again I review how much I spend on average per week or per month on each category. I'm doing a comparison with my house mate, who is useless with money (he admits it).

It's actually been good for me, I'm pretty good with money, but I do spend money on chocolates and sweets and snacks sometimes so I record "treats" in their own category to motivate myself not to spend too much on them!