embarrassed

poppasmurf_bewdley

You have to train yourself not to spend.

I found that by only spending the actual cash you have in your wallet or purse is the best way to control spending. Having to count out all those tenners or twenties instead of just handing over a card makes you think twice before buying anything. You also have the advantage of being able to see at a glance how much money you have left.

Pixie5740

I'm the opposite. Cash burns a hole in my pocket, always has. If the money remains in the bank I don't spend it but if I withdraw the cash it'll be gone in a matter of days.

I tried withdrawing £100 a week in the past but wishing 3 days....!!!!!!....it was gone in a puff of smoke.

timbstoke

I used to be in the same boat - 70% off here, 2 for 1 there - how can I resist a bargain like that? I was "saving" so much money I couldn't afford to pay the bills.

It does need to be a change of mindset, and it looks like you already know this. When you're considering buying something, forget the discount. Ask yourself "Why am I getting it? Where will it go? When will I use it? If it's a potential gift, who is it going to be for?" If you can justify it, all well and good. But remember, in 90% of cases, the mega-bargain price you see isn't a one-time deal. It'll be that price again soon enough.

Try and get enthusiastic about saving money. Set yourself targets - it isn't going to be the same instant gratification as when you buy something, but if you keep track of where your money is going, and have a goal of saving as much as possible over the course of the month, it's surprisingly motivating.

Also, don't forget to allow for failure in your plan. You can't "just stop doing" a substantial part of the way you live - it's not realistic. You're not going to just stop spending unless you have a compelling reason to do so. So allow for it and use it as motivation - if you save £200 this month, you can blow £50 of it on whatever you want. If you want something specific that's £100, tell yourself you can have it if you save £300 this month. This packed lunch isn't as tasty as the deli across the road, but it's another fiver towards those shoes, so it's all worth it.

dazla

claireforest wrote: »

Thanks, I will have a look at all those things I'm sure when I see my kids face I won't feel so bad about all the spends. If I can stop wasting money on takeaways I'd lose weight and save money lol

You can't keep spending to make your kids happy. That's no reason to get into debt for, I'm sure they will prefer to have just one or two presents at low cost rather than see you get into debt.

northerner999

claireforest wrote: »

Since the Summer, thought I was being organised buying presents as I saw them and the sales/bargains but I just kept going. Will not do that next year. Also it's take a ways, we waste so much money on eating out. Plus have not been sticking to the shopping list, not budgeting or keeping an eye on things. Not telling myself no, not telling myself stop or wait. Buy now and think later. I've realised now looking back what Ive done or I'm doing but it's hard to break the habit. Sorry just feeling like I've let myself and family down and been quite foolish and no one to moan to. Hope I remember all these things and stick to the plans starting now. Must learn to tell myself no I can't have it (mostly stuff for the kids) and tell myself to save for things

It sounds like you know how to improve things next year.

I always buy presents as I see them, and have a big box full of things. When it comes to birthdays/Christmas I always raid this first before seeking out any gaps I need to fill.

Are any of the presents, especially for the kids, ones that are suitable to be held over for a birthday? Or even next year? Especially if you've bought more than one gift for people. That could save you spending something next year - no matter how many months down the line it is.

Takeaways are usually my treat for particularly busy and stressful periods, and the cost can really stack up if buying for a family. Again, if your family/kids understand takeaways are only for special occasions I'm sure they will understand.

I often impulse buy things when shopping (and never shop on an empty stomach!), but the reality is I still find myself chucking away food which has gone off. If you're doing the same perhaps you need to make a mental note of what you are binning, and just buy less. I also often find I need to clear out non-perishables because I forget about them for months, so every so often I skip the big food shop and use up things I have in (clearing space in the freezer / using up tins) - I reckon people just buy a lot of food stuff out of habit rather than actual need. I still need to pick up things like milk, but imagine if you could take a big chunk of a weekly food shop out of your budget entirely.

kerri_gt

Buying xmas gifts reduced or over the year is a good idea but write a list of recipients for the year ahead and stick to it. If you have bought X for one recipient in Jan and then see something else, do not buy it - remind yourself you have X, constantly refer to the list and then put the same value as the secondary item you were going to buy towards paying off that credit card.

Cut up any cards you don't need and cancel them, put any others except your one bank card in a tub of water and freeze it - the effort to defrost that card will make you think twice about any spends.

a spending diary puts your spends in black and white, lists help keep you organised and also, if you're aiming to have funds for a special holiday / new car / house etc, print out several photos of that one item which your debt is preventing you from achieving. Stick copies of this everywhere you spend - stick a copy in your purse, on the fridge, as a screenshot on your laptop. Every unnecessary spend you make is a spend preventing you from reaching this goal.

Pop over to the Old Style board for lots of ideas about saving on foods and if you like take aways, borrow a copy of 'The Takeaway Secret' from your library - it has some amazing 'home made' takeway recipes that are not only cheaper to make but also you have control over the salt / sugar / fat contents.

paye

First thing first. Rip up that credit card and continue to make payments. Secondly reduce your overdraft with the bank to about £ 200 .
Thirdly not sure if this will work for you. I've recently started ordering my shopping online,by doing this, it's actually reduced my shopping bill by about £50 a months because I'm not buying loads of junk food like I use to when I visit the store.

Good luck.

ratrace

paye wrote: »

First thing first. Rip up that credit card and continue to make payments. Secondly reduce your overdraft with the bank to about £ 200 .
Thirdly not sure if this will work for you. I've recently started ordering my shopping online,by doing this, it's actually reduced my shopping bill by about £50 a months because I'm not buying loads of junk food like I use to when I visit the store.

Good luck.

I second that, buying your shopping online is really great not only can you compare prices and buy-cheaper but also it takes away the temptation to buy more than we need

we use a website called mysupermarket to compare prices of the overall shopping