The Great 'Tricks to stop yourself spending' Hunt Revisited

Former_MSE_Debs

The Great 'Tricks to stop yourself spending' Hunt Revisited

Whether you're in debt or trying to avoid it, learning to spend within your budget is an important life lesson. We want to tap MoneySavers' collective wisdom on controlling your spending. When there's something you want but can't afford, how do you keep the urge at bay?

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View all past Great Hunts and check out our Demotivator to see where you could cut down.

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good_advice

Look for voucher codes and coupons before ordering anything online, then go through a cash back site.

If you will be out all day work/holiday take food and a drink with you.

3shirts

Don't buy things on credit. Save up, old school, until you can afford it. It's cheaper and often by the time you have the money you change your mind. Takes away the impulse

lizziebell*80

I've gone from a 25k job to staying at home with the kids and finding adjusting to just my husband's smaller salary difficult regarding this exact thing. Find that I have to stop myself A LOT from buying deals as I used to use credit card (0%) as had money coming in to pay it off.
We are heading down the saving up for it/only buy if we have the cash route. I basically have to weigh up if I really need something when I see a good deal and mostly talk myself out of it

kjp

My weakness is popping into the shops on my way home from work, or the vending machine in work. After leaving my purse at home, the temptation is still there, but I can't do anything about it!

Ken68

As I get older, LESS becomes MORE.

quantic

I try not to carry cash on me, I use my card for everything instead, I tend to find that if I have cash on me I will find ways to spend it, like the vending machine at work etc.

Also, I try to wait until at least half way through the month before I make any major purchases, rather than on payday. I quite often find I don't even want the thing anymore.

Weirdly, I find that I am less impulsive if I shop online as I don't have any pressure from sales assistants etc and can take my time deciding if I want whatever it is I'm looking at.

I think the major thing though, is trying to get a sense of satisfaction/fulfillment from other experiences in life, rather than from things. When I started out on my debt free journey I really struggled to stop myself from buying things but now that I am debt free and have plenty disposable income I don't feel inclined to waste it. I think the majority of the stuff I was buying was just a slightly better version of something I already had.

yorpington

Using an app on my phone which splits my money into envelopes. I do actually use physical envelopes as well for cash, but the app splits the money left in my account down so I can see what it's for. I'm less likely to buy something if I check the app first and that particular envelope is looking a little slender!

quantic

yorpington wrote: »

Using an app on my phone which splits my money into envelopes. I do actually use physical envelopes as well for cash, but the app splits the money left in my account down so I can see what it's for. I'm less likely to buy something if I check the app first and that particular envelope is looking a little slender!

Which app is this if you don't mind me asking?

yorpington

quantic wrote: »

Which app is this if you don't mind me asking?

I use Goodbudget! Takes a few minutes to set up but works for me.

poppasmurf_bewdley

I find that spending only cash works for me.

I take out of the bank the cash for a week on Monday morning. Sometimes £75, sometimes £100. I spend as I go along, but at the end of every day, any loose change in my pockets goes into jars for £, 50p, 20p and bits & pieces. I NEVER spend loose change. Each month, I normally have about £50 to £60 to go into the savings account.