Any Tips to Stop Spending??

free-range

Cazzdevil wrote: »

Enter every single penny you spend into something like www.spendingdiary.com to show you exactly where your money is going and how much you actually waste on unnecessary things.

This is fab!!! :T Never heard of it before but I like it a lot.

Thanks for this Cazzdevil very useful indeed

r.mac_2

Cazzdevil wrote: »

Enter every single penny you spend into something like www.spendingdiary.com to show you exactly where your money is going and how much you actually waste on unnecessary things.

i second this and find it has 2 effects

1. you actaully know where your money goes, so you can start to identify areas on which to cut back on

2. youstop and think about spending before you so do, because you know that it has to be written down!

Good luck

DenBo_4

If I must go into town/shopping I take a sandwich and a peice of Xmas cake + bottle of water in my bag so I don't have to buy anything if I get hungry, I make a list of what I need to do/buy and go to bank, get out allocated money for the week (and I always get a statement to check everything in and out of account) and then spend according to my list. I pay my bills first and then check what I've got left for food. Then I generally go home before I'm tempted by the sales etc!

RAS

Join the local group of www.freecycle.org - like e-bay but the stuff is free to the person collecting it.

Particularly useful if you like internet or catalogue shopping as you can spend hours checking for the bargains - and all they cost is the price of collecting them.

Never shop for food when you are hungry. In my very poor days, I used to cash the giro, pay in the rent and then buy a teacake plus tea or milk if I had run out. Once I had a couple of cuppas and some food inside me it was OK to go near the shops. Still find that I am less disciplined when I am hungry.

Find out where the local stores keep their reduced goods. I got about a kilo of cherries last week for 25p, for instance. They were fine for about 5 days. It is about being flexible enought o substitute something you planned to buy for a short life purchase rather then adding more to your basket (done that too.)

jammiejen

I was terrible at buying stuff for the house, so I've written down each of the colours for each room and a mini list of what I need/want, and if I have any money left from the pap/moozies challenge I'll get it and I wont add anymore on until I have removed something, this stops me buying useless junk for the house (I once bought 3 elephants!? why what possesed me to do that!) and reminds me what I'm saving up for.

Also the spending diary is invaluable I add EVERYTHING on there

Hope that helps!
Jen
x

always_amazed

Thank you guys; really sensible!!
I'd never thought about leaving my purse at home, that's super sensible.
I will defo do that in future. I think I might start 'planning' my spending (I smoke so often nip to shop for tobacco, then buy mags and crisps, and before I know it a fiver has gone )

Have subscribed to thread and will check up on it tonight, I'm having my 'Financial Blitz: Part 2" tonight, and might very well cry again when I have to face up to where I have spent my money. But I spent it so I'll pay it back.

angelflower_2

As well as all of the above, i set up a seperate budget account where I transferred my weekly shop money and that is the only cashcard I carry with me. Not a debit card either do dont get drawn into spending what i havent got, I have to go to the cashline to withdraw my £10 which i wont tend to do if its only for a bar chocolate and juice. Also set it up so can only withdraw £10 a day!!!

always_amazed

That's a really good idea actually; I have a coupe of 'holding' A/Cs I had from uni when I took care of the flat accounts, and they only had cashcards.
Will have a look into them.

elantan

one thing that really helps me is this spending diary i am at the stage where i hate writting in it but i insist i write everything so it is making me think twice before spending ...i did try the freezing the cards malarky but it didnt work for me ...i just boiled the kettle and melted the ice then used the card where there is a will there is a way lol

dorry_2

I have saved loads since I started doing my food shopping online. get the money off vouchers for free delivery and more usually of here. You save your time and your petrol on top of this

I do my online shop weekly and order everything that we may need for the week, ie: batteries, stamps etc. I order using a strict menu plan.

by shopping like this, you aren't tempted by any special deals that you don't really want or can afford.

when i do go out, I only take a £1 and keep away from the shops at all costs