Any tricks to help me stop spending?

Over the past 15 years we've dropped income massivley. I've had to re-manage money, paid off debts, & now retired early albeit on a small pension. My husband & I love our holiday's, so we tailor our finances accordingly. We haven't stopped spending, but we don't splash the cash. We still have ocassional treats, and it's now a case of deciding your priorities:

Grocery shop online - less temptation than browsing round stores/supermarkets. Get delivery when its cheapest - paying an odd £1 for delivery will work out less than what you will spend instore.

If you MUST shop, then leave the cards at home, take a small set amount of cash - & stick to it - and Use Aldi/Lidl they have less non-food temptations. Also buy yellow stickers - they'll freeze.

Start with your bills - list everything - then decide what you can cut down on - cancel anything you don't need & reduce others - ie: Sky - do you NEED the movies, sports etc - if not cut them from your bill; ie: Mobile - can you swap to a cheaper handset/tariff? ; finally get on the price comparison & cashback sites to reduce the rest of the bills.

If you are spending on clothes - go through your wardrobes & drawers & for every item you want to buy, SELL item(s) to pay for it (eBay, facebook marketplace) - that way you will be funding your purchase.

As for presents, ideal time of year - pop a note in with all your Christmas cards (I did it last year) saying it will be Children only, &/or one "per family" or a "secret santa" from January. Then start a "present box" in the January sales. Stock on gifts (male/female/child) when they are sold cheap in sales - stick to a maximum (say £8-£10 per item).

Cut down on nights out - replace with nights-in. A bottle of wine at home costs much less than in a bar. Plus there's nothing wrong with asking friends to "bring a bottle". Don't subsidise anyone.

If all else fails, ask somebody you can REALLY trust (your mum/dad) to hold your cards. It's not quite as drastic as cutting them up, but having to ask a 3rd party for your cards every time you want something major, will make you think twice.

Good Luck

I've posted this before on past threads, but what most helped us become debt free was when I finally fully & absolutely came to the understanding that the money coming into our account at the end of each month was OUR money. There wasn't any more. That meant every purchase put on a credit card, loan or overdrafts was using SOMEBODY ELSE'S MONEY...... as in not ours to spend. It sounds so very simple, but the era of easy credit & rampant consumerism plus our own failure ever to budget had utterly blurred the distinction between 'money actually belonging to us' & 'money available to borrow'. Once this was lodged in my head, turning our sloppy financial bad habits around fell into place & we paid off around £35k in total.
F

Make not spending money your default position. It is a state of mind.

If going out for an occasional meal with friends, declare up front that you will only be paying for what you eat and drink (plus your small service charge if applicable). Then just order one course and one drink and ask for a jug of tap water. This can halve your bill compared to splitting it evenly with those who ordered loads of side dishes and coffees and then rounded the bill up to the nearest £100.

Think about whether apps on your phone to pay will help you feel more aware of your spending.

Use Aldi and Lidl for groceries. Less other stuff to buy there and the prices are so good. Mainstream supermarkets feel a RIP-off to ne now.

Have goals in mind that you want more than stuff.

Try and earn survey money for purchases so you spend less and having to "earn" your £5 voucher makes spending less appealing.

Do Marie Kondo KonMari method. Create your vision and don't spend on things that don't bring you joy.