How do I save/ stop spending advice please?

frugaldances

Hi there, I'm more of a lurker on the forum and am now successfully doing the sealed pot challenge. Aether christmas shopping and paying off our skiing holiday I have very little left! I have £110 left over to last until end of jan. all food money is already put to one side along with petrol money/ train fair money. So question is:
How do I stop myself overspending? Wat challenges can help us with the food shop? What challenges can help me to spend less? And even make some money!

Tips please xx

Candy0107

You could try having as many NSD (no spend days)...... Once you get out of the habit of buying x each day because that's what you do, it does get easier to learn new habits.

Candy

splodgethefirst

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/4851698 - the weekly spend challenge - pledge an amount and try to stay under

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/4835109 - the NSD challenge - the no spend challenge - pledge a number of days you won't spend ANY money at all (I'm very bad at this)

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/4835268 - make £10 a day in (December) thread (self explanitory)

To be honest with you I just take my debit cards/credit card out of my purse and just take the money I NEED for that trip. I also use my wishlists and a notepad to make a note of deals and if I need it I can go back to it later. So much of my shopping was on impulse before ... but that's how I got into debt myself ...

debtfree2014

When I went to work last night, I did not take my purse, so could not call in the shop there or back.

How about, leaving your cards at home, so cannot be tempted to use them and only put enough cash in your purse for what you know you will need, not what you think you might need.

good luck

its_maths_not_magic

Here are a few things I do to stop needless spending, so I hope they help you:

1. I never go food shopping hungry. Cooking bread smells way too nice on an empty stomach and leads to extra spending.

2. I take advantage of ASDA click and collect, I order it on the internet and pick it up. Its for free and it really helps to avoid impulse buying.

3. I created a grocery spreadsheet over 8 weeks where I put the cost of items down so I know what a good price for something is. Now I divide my shop by ASDA and Lidl. It usually costs me £50 per week for two adults and our dog who eats raw chicken rather than dog food. This includes all our laundry stuff, cleaning stuff, dental care etc. Oh and we eat a lot of fresh fruit and veg.

4. I plan and cook all meals. And stick to the grocery list. There are some great meal planner templates on the microsoft website, google meal planner template and you'll be able to find some. If not, PM me and I'll send you mine.

5. I have a seperate savings account (in a different bank from my day to day account) that is not accessible via the web. I put my savings aside on payday. I tend to forget about it, since I don't see it all the time but if I need to draw upon it I have to go into branch to do it. I save because none of my debts accrue interest and I don't have a credit card. So I make sure I have an emergency stash.

6. I only ever deal with financial stuff when Im well rested and full. That way I take my time and don't just rush through it.

7. I take note of every penny I spend.

8. I put a small ammount aside each week for fun (say I have an extra £2.47, I will save the pound ammount and put the £0.47 into a fun savings lot). Once in a while I pull out those microsavings and do something fun with it.

9. I fill my time with things that I like, theres a lot of things on the net that you can try. Im learning guitar and drawing atm, next year Im hoping to do a mindfulness course and some uni courses on chemistry. All this is for free.

FireWyrm

frugaldances wrote: »

Hi there, I'm more of a lurker on the forum and am now successfully doing the sealed pot challenge. Aether christmas shopping and paying off our skiing holiday I have very little left! I have £110 left over to last until end of jan. all food money is already put to one side along with petrol money/ train fair money. So question is:
How do I stop myself overspending? Wat challenges can help us with the food shop? What challenges can help me to spend less? And even make some money!

Tips please xx

I'm confused. You say you have £110 left to 'last' you until the end of January, but then you say that you have already ringfenced food, petrol, train money. So, what exactly are/were you going to spend the £110 on and why does it have to 'last' you? The key to not overspending is...well, dont spend it unless you have a good reason to. There really isnt any magic formula or clever trick, just dont spend it. Put it in a sealed jar if you are too weak willed and cant trust yourself. In fact, that's a pretty good idea...a clear glass one...seal it, put it on a shelf and use it to remind you that you already have your budget set and there is absolutely no reason to use it. Trust your budget which will work if you have made realistic goals.

his_missus

I'd suggest keeping a spending diary to see where your money goes.

If you find you're throwing away food because it's past its best (esp veg, bread,milk) freeze it when you buy it.
If you spend on takeaways because you can't be bothered to cook when you get home, cook a big pan of chilli (as an example) and freeze in meal sized portions then bang in the microwave and hey presto, dinner in 10 mins!
If you spend money just because it's in your purse,leave it at home.
Look at how much you spend on food and try and cut back by a few pounds each week, try a cheaper brand. If you're tempted by "offers" you really don't need maybe try online food shopping.
If you spend money during your lunchtime wandering around the shops, go for a walk in the park or read a book instead.

These all worked for me. Above all, if you have a set back or feel you've failed to stick to a budget, don't get disheartened and give up, keep at it!